Mobile terminal position information detection method and system using the method

• US 5,502,758 A
• Filed: 04/28/1995
• Issued: 03/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ishiwata, Yasumasa, Tabuchi, Yasuhide, Tsuzuki, Takuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chernoff, Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US08/430,256
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/60, 342/455, 342/387, 342/442, 342/457, 342/444, 342/465, 342/450, 455/33.1, 455/33.2, 455/54.1, 455/54.2
• US Class Current: 455/457
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A mobile terminal position information display system which detects accurate information on a position between a radio controller and a radio telephone and displays the position and locus of movement of the radio telephone. The system includes one or more mobile terminals which make communication by radio to output signals indicative of their positions; one or more mobile terminal control units for transmitting/receiving a signal to/from a mobile terminal, at least one exchange to which a mobile terminal control unit is connected, and an output processor including an analyzer for analyzing the signal indicative of the position of the mobile terminal from the reporting unit to output information on the position of the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal control units each include a detector for detecting a signal indicative of the position of a mobile terminal. Each exchange includes a reporting unit for providing to the output processor a signal indicative of the position of the mobile terminal detected by the detector.

Claims

1. A communication system which comprises one or more mobile terminals which communicate by radio and output positions signals indicative of positions of said mobile terminals, at least one mobile terminal control unit for detecting said position signals, an exchange connected to said at least one mobile terminal control unit for storing data including position information related to said position signals detected by said at least one mobile terminal control unit and connecting said mobile terminals with said at least one mobile terminal control unit, and an output processing apparatus for analyzing position information contained in said data stored in said exchange, said output processing apparatus comprising;

means for receiving said data from said exchange;

means for analyzing loci of said mobile terminals based on said data;

means for monitoring a reception of said data; and

means for controlling said exchange to delete said data concerning a mobile terminal from said exchange, when said data concerning said mobile terminal is not received for a predetermined time.

2. A communication system according to claim 1,

wherein said at least one mobile terminal control unit is disposed at predetermined positions which are at regular directions intervals.

3. A communication system according to claim 1,

wherein said at least one mobile terminal control unit is disposed at predetermined positions which are in every floor of a building which is provided with said communication system.

4. A communication system according to claim 1,

wherein said at least one mobile terminal control unit have a directional antenna, an antenna rotation driver for rotating said directional antenna in all directions, and a receiver for receiving a signal as angle information from said mobile terminals, whereby said at least one mobile terminal control unit obtains angle information on azimuth of said mobile terminal relative to itself.

5. A communication system according to claim 3,

wherein said mobile terminals output said positions signals indicative of positions of said mobile terminals by radio at regular interval,

wherein said at least one terminal control unit receives said positions signals, and output said output said data including said position information to processing apparatus through said exchange,

wherein said output processing apparatus further comprises:

means for storing previously inputted loci of said mobile terminals,

means for storing practical loci of said mobile terminals by successively storing said data including said position information analyzed by means for analyzing, and

means for outputting an admonition signal when said practical loci of said mobile terminals positions do not coincide with said predetermined loci of said mobile terminals.

6. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of mobile terminals which respectively communicate by radio and output position signals at regular intervals;

a plurality of mobile terminal control units which respectively detect signals which include communication data and said position signals from said plurality of mobile terminals;

a first exchange connected to least one of said mobile terminal control units for receiving data from said at least one mobile terminal control unit and storing said data including position information;

a second exchange, connected to said first exchange via a common line and at least one mobile terminal control unit other than said at least one mobile terminal control unit connected to said first exchange, for receiving data from said connected terminal control units thereof and storing data including position information; and

an output processing apparatus, connected to both said first exchange and said second exchange, for receiving said data from said both exchanges, driving loci of said mobile terminals by storing said data successively, monitoring a reception of said data, and deleting said data concerning a mobile terminal from said exchange, when said data concerning said mobile terminal is not received for a predetermined time.