MOBILE TERMINAL, SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20150141042A1
• Filed: 06/13/2013
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Makoto
• Application Number:
  US14/402,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20150141042A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1654 with electromagnetic compass
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0244 Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0264 at least one of the systems being a non-radio wave positioning system
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/003 Maps
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

One aspect of the present invention relates to a mobile terminal having a continuous positioning function, including a radio positioning unit configured to derive a position of the mobile terminal in continuous positioning, a movement detection unit configured to detect a movement distance and a traveling direction of the mobile terminal, a target zone setting unit configured to set a target zone based on a confirmed position of the mobile terminal determined as being valid in the continuous positioning and the movement distance and the traveling direction of the mobile terminal detected by the movement detection unit, the target zone comprising an area to which it is estimated that a user has moved and a validity determination unit configured to determine whether the position of the mobile terminal measured by the radio positioning unit is included in the set target zone to determine validity of the measured position of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal having a continuous positioning function, comprising:

a radio positioning unit configured to derive a position of the mobile terminal in continuous positioning;

a movement detection unit configured to detect a movement distance and a traveling direction of the mobile terminal;

a target zone setting unit configured to set a target zone based on a confirmed position of the mobile terminal determined as being valid in the continuous positioning and the movement distance and the traveling direction of the mobile terminal detected by the movement detection unit, the target zone comprising an area to which it is estimated that a user has moved; and

a validity determination unit configured to determine whether the position of the mobile terminal measured by the radio positioning unit is included in the set target zone to determine validity of the measured position of the mobile terminal.

2. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movement detection unit has a sensor that autonomously detects movement of the mobile terminal and derives the movement distance and the traveling direction of the mobile terminal.

3. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the radio positioning unit detects the position of the mobile terminal based on received radio signals in accordance with two or more radio based positioning schemes and derives the movement distance and the traveling direction of the mobile terminal,

the target zone setting unit sets the target zone by using the confirmed position as abase point based on the movement distance and the traveling direction derived by the radio positioning unit in accordance with one or more first radio based positioning schemes, and

the validity determination unit determines the validity of the position derived by the radio positioning unit in accordance with a second radio based positioning scheme different from the one or more first radio based positioning schemes.

4. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the target zone setting unit enlarges the target zone by a set margin.

5. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein after detecting positions of the mobile terminal, the radio positioning unit determines a position targeted for determining the validity from the positions based on information at deriving the positions.

6. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface unit configured to provide an interface between the mobile terminal and the user; and

a map application unit configured to provide map information to the user interface unit,

wherein the user interface unit obtains map information from the map application unit, the map information having the position determined by the validity determination unit as being valid as a center of the map information, and displays the obtained map information to the user by superimposing the position onto the obtained map information.

7. A system, comprising:

a mobile terminal having a continuous positioning function; and

a communication apparatus configured to wirelessly communicate with the mobile terminal,

wherein the mobile terminal includes;

a radio positioning unit configured to derive a position of the mobile terminal in continuous positioning;

a movement detection unit configured to detect a movement distance and a traveling direction of the mobile terminal;

a target zone setting unit configured to set a target zone based on a confirmed position of the mobile terminal determined as being valid in the continuous positioning and the movement distance and the traveling direction of the mobile terminal detected by the movement detection unit, the target zone comprising an area to which it is estimated that a user has moved; and

a validity determination unit configured to determine whether the position of the mobile terminal measured by the radio positioning unit is included in the set target zone to determine validity of the measured position of the mobile terminal.

8. A method for use in a mobile terminal having a continuous positioning function, comprising:

deriving a position of the mobile terminal in continuous positioning;

detecting a movement distance and a traveling direction of the mobile terminal;

setting a target zone based on a confirmed position of the mobile terminal determined as being valid in the continuous positioning and the detected movement distance and traveling direction of the mobile terminal, the target zone comprising an area to which it is estimated that a user has moved; and

determining validity of the measured position of the mobile terminal by determining whether the measured position of the mobile terminal is included in the set target zone.

9. A storage medium for storing a program for causing a processor in a mobile terminal having a continuous positioning function to:

derive a position of the mobile terminal in continuous positioning;

detect a movement distance and a traveling direction of the mobile terminal;

set a target zone based on a confirmed position of the mobile terminal determined as being valid in the continuous positioning and the detected movement distance and traveling direction of the mobile terminal, the target zone comprising an area to which it is estimated that a user has moved; and

determine validity of the measured position of the mobile terminal by determining whether the measured position of the mobile terminal is included in the set target zone.