Support request processing system using GPS data for locating a person requesting a support

• US 6,570,532 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2001
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Honda, Kazuhiro, Oya, Akira, Takehara, Kiyotaka, Mise, Toshiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US09/768,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20010009406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/357.07
• US Class Current: 342/357.4
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/006 for emergency situations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

A support request processing system using GPS data for locating a person requesting a support. The system is supplemented with a mobile terminal to be carried by the person separately from a GPS terminal left in the vehicle. The mobile terminal transmits a support request signal by way of a radio communication to the GPS terminal which responds to receive the GPS data from the GPS satellite and transmits the data to a message center. Upon receiving the GPS data, the message center calculates the position of the GPS terminal and notifies a warning message for rescue of the person. With the inclusion of the mobile terminal, the system can estimate the location of the person around the GPS terminal or the vehicle even when the person is within buildings where the GPS data from the GPS satellites is not available.

Claims

1. A support request processing system using GPS data for locating a person requesting a support, said system comprising:

a GPS terminal, said GPS terminal receiving the GPS data from GPS satellites and transmits the GPS data to a wireless communication network;

a message center which receives the GPS data from said GPS terminal through said wireless communication network for processing the GPS data to obtain a position of said GPS terminal; and

a mobile terminal provided separately from said GPS terminal to be carried by a person, said mobile terminal providing wireless communication either directly or indirectly with said GPS terminal and having a request key which issues a support-request signal upon being activated;

said GPS terminal having a transmit means which, in response to said support-request signal, transmits said GPS data to said message center, at least one of said GPS terminal and said mobile terminal having an identification (ID) code which is transmitted through said wireless communication network to said message center as a result of that said support-request signal is transmitted to said message center,

said message center having a table storing a relation between said ID code and personal information about the person carrying said mobile terminal so that said message center can relate the position of the GPS terminal to the person giving the support-request signal, and

said message center having an alarm means which gives a support-request message including said personal information and the related position of the GPS terminal for prompting a suitable support action.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said mobile terminal transmits said support-request signal to said GPS terminal through said wireless communication network.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said message center has a GPS calling device which, in response to said support-request signal, issues a GPS call signal to said GPS terminal through said wireless communication network,

said GPS terminal being activated by said GPS call signal to receive the GPS data from the GPS satellites and transmit the GPS data to said message center.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3, wherein

said mobile terminal has an ID data transmitting means of transmitting to said message center an identification (ID) data assigned to said mobile terminal,

said GPS calling device having a discriminating means which verifies said ID data and issues said GPS call signal only when said ID data from the mobile terminal matches one of registered ID data stored in said message center.

5. The system as set forth in claim 3, wherein

said GPS calling device has a registration means for registration of a call number assigned to said mobile terminal,

said message center including a call number verifying means which verifies said call number and allows said GPS calling device to issue said GPS call signal only when the call number is registered in said registration means.

6. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said mobile terminal has an input mean for entering a positional difference data indicating a positional difference between said mobile terminal and said GPS terminal, said positional difference data being transmitted to said GPS terminal together with said support-request signal,

said GPS terminal responding to said support-request signal for transmitting said GPS data together with said positional difference data to said message center so that said message center can estimate a location of the person around said GPS terminal.

7. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said mobile terminal has a pedometer which counts the number of footsteps in walking by a person carrying the mobile terminal away from said GPS terminal to obtain a distance between said mobile terminal and said GPS terminal,

said mobile terminal having a means of transmitting the distance along with said support-request signal to said GPS terminal,

said GPS terminal having a means of transmitting said distance together with said GPS data to said message center in response to said support-request signal so that said message center can estimate a location of the person around said GPS terminal.

8. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said mobile terminal includes:

a pedometer which counts the number of footsteps in walking by a person carrying the mobile terminal away from said GPS terminal,

a direction detector for detection of a direction in which the person walks away from said GPS terminal; and

an estimating means for analyzing the number of said footsteps and said direction to give an estimated distance between said GPS terminal and aid mobile terminal carried by the person, said estimated distance being transmitted together with said support-request signal to said GPS terminal,

said GPS terminal, in response to said support request signal, transmitting the GPS data as well as said estimated distance to said message center so that said message center can estimate a location of the person around said OPS terminal.

9. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said GPS terminal has a direction entry means for entering a direction in which the person carrying said mobile terminal moves away from said GPS terminal, and

said GPS terminal, in response to said support request signal, transmitting said direction along with said GPS data to said message center so that said message center can estimate a location of the person around said GPS terminal.

10. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said GPS terminal includes:

a timer counting a time;

a set-and-reset means for setting a scheduled absent time period during which the person carrying said mobile terminal intends to be away from said GPS terminal and activating said timer to count the time, and for resetting said timer to stop counting the time; and

a return-check means which judges whether or not the timer is reset within said scheduled absent time period and issues a warning signal when the timer is not reset within said scheduled absent time period, said GPS terminal acting in consequence of said warning signal to transmit said GPS data together with said warning signal to said message center so that said message center can give a warning message indicative of that the person has not returned to said GPS terminal within said scheduled absent time and locate the position of the GPS terminal.

11. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said GPS terminal includes:

a timer counting a time;

a set-and-reset means for setting a scheduled absent time period during which a person carrying said mobile terminal intends to be away from said GPS terminal and activating said timer to count the time, and for resetting said timer to stop counting the time; and

a return-check means which judges whether or not the timer is reset within said scheduled absent time period and issues a confirmation signal to said mobile terminal when me timer is not reset within said scheduled absent time period,

said mobile terminal having an extension means capable of issuing an extension-request signal in reply to said confirmation signal;

said GPS terminal acting in the presence of said extension-request signal to extend said scheduled absent time period and otherwise acting to provide an absent warning and to transmit said GPS data together with said absent warning to said message center so that said message center can give a warning message indicative of that the person has not returned to said GPS terminal within said scheduled absent time and locate the position of the GPS terminal.

12. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said mobile terminal communicates with said GPS terminal by way of a minute power radio communication for transmitting said support-request signal to said GPS terminal.

13. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein

said mobile terminal includes:

a communication check means which checks regularly whether the mobile terminal is within an effective range for communication with said GPS terminal and provides a disable signal when said mobile terminal goes out of said effective range, and

a display which displays a out-of-range message in response to said disable signal.

14. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein

said GPS terminal includes:

an antenna having varying directivity for communication with said mobile terminal, and

a direction detector which detects a direction in which said antenna shows the directivity,

said GPS terminal acting, in response to said support-request signal, to transmit the GPS data as well as the direction detected by said direction detector to said message center so that said message center can estimate a location of the person around said GPS terminal.

15. The system as set fort in claim 12, wherein

said GPS terminal includes a recording means which records a received field strength varying with time for wireless communication with said mobile terminal,

said GPS terminal, in response to said support-request signal, transmitting data of the received field strength along with said GPS data to said message center,

said message center having a means which analyzes said data of the received field strength varying with time to estimate a location of the person around said GPS terminal.

16. The system as set forth in claim 13, wherein

said GPS terminal includes:

a time counter which counts a time while said mobile terminal is out of range for communication with said GPS terminal, and

a check means which issues a time warning signal when the counted time exceeds a predetermined level,

said GPS terminal, in response to said time warning signal, transmitting the time warning signal together with the GPS data to said message center so that said message center can acknowledge and indicate that the person carrying said mobile terminal has not returned into the range capable for communication with said GPS terminal within a predetermined time.

17. The system as set forth in claim 1, further including:

a charger adapted to be coupled to said GPS terminal for charging a rechargeable battery incorporated in said GPS terminal to energize the same,

said charger having a radio communication means for receiving said support-request signal from said mobile terminal by way of a minute power radio communication, and

said GPS terminal having an inlet which is in direct connection with an outlet of said charger to receive said support-request signal received at said radio communication means.

18. The system as set forth in claim 1, further including:

an intermediate receiver which receives said support-request signal from said mobile terminal by way of a minute power radio communication, and

a charger adapted to be coupled to an AC power line so as to obtain therefrom a charging current for charging a rechargeable battery incorporated in and energizing said GPS terminal,

said intermediate receiver being coupled to said AC power line and having a superimpose means which superimposes said support-request signal upon an AC source voltage supplied through said AC power line,

said charger having a signal extract means which extracts said support-request signal from said AC source voltage and feeds the same to said GPS terminal, and

said charger has an outlet which is in direct contact with an inlet of said GPS terminal to feed said support-request signal thereto.