Position determining system, receiving system method of determining the position of a movable object and method of receiving data regarding the position

• US 6,559,794 B1
• Filed: 12/28/1999
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Makoto, Chubachi, Hiroyuki, Ushiyama, Kazuto, Nakajima, Syuji, Yoshiike, Satoshi, Aoki, Nobuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US09/473,524
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/207, 701/208, 701/214, 701/215, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.12, 342/357.13, 455/12.1, 455/13.2
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position

Abstract

A position determining system, a receiving system, a method of determining the position of a movable object and a method of receiving data regarding the position of the movable object are provided. The position determining system comprise a position determining unit, a display unit and a controller. The position determining unit determines the position of a movable object based on position information sent from GPS satellites. The display unit displays the position of the movable object which has been determined by the position determining unit. The controller controls a time interval at which the position of the movable object is determined by said position determining unit, in accordance with a degree of position change occurring in the position to be displayed on the display unit. Accordingly, in the position determining system, elimination of consumption power can be realized in a position determination process which is not necessarily performed, while the system is advantageously handled.

Claims

1. A portable battery driven position determining system comprising:

a receiver which receives position information sent from GPS satellites;

a position determining unit which determines a position of the receiver based on the position information received by the receiver;

a display unit which displays the position of the receiver which is determined by the position determining unit;

a setting table which sets a time interval at which the position of the receiver is determined in correspondence with a display reduced scale of the display unit; and

a controller which controls the time interval to be shortened as the display reduced scale becomes smaller, based on the setting table.

2. A position determining system comprising:

a receiver which receives position information sent from GPS satellites;

a position determining unit which determines a position of the receiver based on the position information received by the receiver; and

a controller which detects a voltage of a power source which supplies electrical power to said system, determines whether the detected voltage is equal to or greater than a predetermined voltage, and sets a time interval at which the position determining unit determines the position of the receiver based on whether the detected voltage is equal to or greater than the predetermined voltage.

3. The position determining system according to claim 2, wherein said controller detects a voltage of the power source, and sets the interval at which the position determining unit determines the position of the receiver based on whether the detected voltage is equal to or greater than a predetermined voltage.

4. A portable battery driven position determining system comprising:

a receiver which receives position information sent from a plurality of GPS satellites;

a position determining unit which determines a position of the receiver based on the position information received by the receiver; and

a controller which controls a time interval at which the position of the receiver is determined by the position determining unit based on a distance between a present position of the receiver and a destination point, in a manner to shorten the time interval as the distance between the present position of the receiver and the destination point becomes shorter.

5. A portable battery driven position determining system comprising:

a receiver which receives position information sent from a plurality of GPS satellites;

a position determining unit which determines a position of the receiver based on the position information received by the receiver;

a calculation unit which calculates a traveling speed of the system based on a distance between a plurality of determined positions including the position of the receiver determined by the position determining unit and time points at which the positions are determined; and

a controller which controls a time interval at which the position of the receiver is determined to be shortened, as the traveling speed calculated by the calculation unit becomes higher.

6. A method of operating of a portable battery driven position determining system which comprises a receiver, a position determining unit, a display unit, a setting table and a controller, said method comprising:

operating the receiver to receive position information sent from GPS satellites;

operating the position determining unit to determine a position of the receiver based on the position information received by the receiver;

operating the display unit to display the position of the receiver which is determined by the position determining unit;

utilizing the setting table to set a time interval at which the position of the receiver is determined in correspondence with a display reduced scale of the display unit; and

operating the controller to control the time interval to be shortened as the display reduced scale becomes smaller, based on the setting table.

7. A method of operating of a position determining system which comprises a receiver, a position determining unit, and a controller, said method comprising:

operating the receiver to receive position information sent from GPS satellites;

operating the position determining unit to determine a position of the receiver based on the position information received by the receiver; and

operating the controller to detect a voltage of a power source which supplies electrical power to said system, determine whether the detected voltage is equal to or greater than a predetermined voltage, and set a time interval at which the position determining unit determines the position of the receiver based on whether the detected voltage is equal to or greater than the predetermined voltage.

8. A method of operating of a portable battery driven position determining system which comprises a receiver, a position determining unit, and a controller, said method comprising:

operating the receiver to receive position information sent from a plurality of GPS satellites;

operating the position determining unit to determine a position of the receiver based on the position information received by the receiver; and

operating the controller to control a time interval at which the position of the receiver is determined by the position determining unit based on a distance between a present position of the receiver and a destination point, in a manner to shorten the time interval as the distance between the present position of the receiver and the destination point becomes shorter.

9. A method of operating of a portable battery driven position determining system which comprises a receiver, a position determining unit, a calculation unit and a controller, said method comprising:

operating the receiver to receive position information sent from a plurality of GPS satellites;

operating the position determining unit to determine a position of the receiver based on the position information received by the receiver;

operating the calculation unit to calculate a traveling speed of the system based on a distance between a plurality of determined positions including the position of the receiver determined by the position determining unit and time points at which the positions are determined; and

operating the controller to control a time interval at which the position of the receiver is determined to be shortened, as the traveling speed calculated by the calculation unit becomes higher.

10. A computer program for controlling a portable battery driven position determining system, wherein said position determining system comprises a receiver, a position determining unit, a display unit, a setting table, and a controller, said computer program comprising:

code for causing the receiver to receive position information sent from GPS satellites;

code for causing the position determining unit to determine a position of the receiver based on the position information received by the receiver;

code for causing the display unit to display the position of the receiver which is determined by the position determining unit;

code for causing the setting table to set a time interval at which the position of the receiver is determined in correspondence with a display reduced scale of the display unit; and

code for causing the controller to control the time interval to be shortened as the display reduced scale becomes smaller, based on the setting table.

11. A computer program for controlling a position determining system, wherein said position determining system comprises a receiver, a position determining unit, and a controller, said computer program comprising:

code for causing the receiver to receive position information sent from GPS satellites;

code for causing the position determining unit to determine a position of the receiver based on the position information received by the receiver; and

code for causing the controller to detect a voltage of a power source which supplies electrical power to said system, determine whether the detected voltage is equal to or greater than a predetermined voltage, and set a time interval at which the position determining unit determines the position of the receiver based on whether the detected voltage is equal to or greater than the predetermined voltage.

12. A computer program for controlling a portable battery driven position determining system, wherein said position determining system comprises a receiver, a position determining unit, and a controller, said computer program comprising:

code for causing the receiver to receive position information sent from a plurality of GPS satellites;

code for causing the position determining unit to determine a position of the receiver based on the position information received by the receiver; and

code for causing the controller to control a time interval at which the position of the receiver is determined by the position determining unit based on a distance between a present position of the receiver and a destination point, in a manner to shorten the time interval as the distance between the present position of the receiver and the destination point becomes shorter.

13. A computer program for controlling a portable battery driven position determining system, wherein said position determining system comprises a receiver, a position determining unit, a calculation unit, and a controller, said computer program comprising:

code for causing the receiver to receive position information sent from a plurality of GPS satellites;

code for causing the position determining unit to determine a position of the receiver based on the position information received by the receiver;

code for causing the calculation unit to calculate a traveling speed of the system based on a distance between a plurality of determined positions including the position of the receiver determined by the position determining unit and time points at which the positions are determined; and

code for causing the controller to control a time interval at which the position of the receiver is determined to be shortened, as the traveling speed calculated by the calculation unit becomes higher.