Data communication system and method, and mobile body apparatus

• US 6,615,134 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2002
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ando, Kazutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US10/031,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20020173907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/33, 701/35, 701/200, 701/207, 701/209, 455/502, 455/510, 455/517, 455/524, 455/525
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The present invention relates to a data communication system in which a first request signal containing position information is transmitted from a first mobile unit (6) to a base station (2), and in which the base station (2) searches for a second mobile unit (5) in accordance with the position information contained in the first request signal, then transmits a second request signal to the second mobile unit (5), and returns data returned from the second mobile unit (5) to the first mobile unit (6).

Claims

1. A data communication system comprising:

a first mobile unit having first transmission/reception means for transmitting a first request signal containing position information to a base station and receiving data corresponding to the first request signal from the base station;

a base station having search means for searching for a second mobile unit in accordance with the position information contained in the first request signal, and second transmission/reception means for receiving the first request signal, transmitting a second request signal to the second mobile unit thus searched for, and returning data returned from the second mobile unit to the first mobile unit; and

a second mobile unit having input means for inputting data, and third transmission/reception means for receiving the second request signal and returning the data inputted by the input means in accordance with the second request signal to the base station;

wherein the base station has storage means for storing the data returned from the second mobile unit and the base station reads out data corresponding to the first request signal from data stored in the storage means in the past and returns the data to the first mobile unit.

2. The data communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the search means of the base station predicts a traveling route of the first mobile unit on the basis of the position information contained in the first request signal, and searches for the second mobile unit by using the predicted traveling route.

3. The data communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first mobile unit has selection means for selecting desired data from a plurality of data received in accordance with the first request signal.

4. A data communication system comprising:

a first mobile unit having first transmission/reception means for transmitting a first request signal containing position information to a base station and receiving data corresponding to the first request signal from the base station;

a base station having search means for searching for a second mobile unit in accordance with the position information contained in the first request signal, and second transmission/reception means for receiving the first request signal, transmitting a second request signal to the second mobile unit thus searched for, and returning data returned from the second mobile unit to the first mobile unit;

a second mobile unit having input means for inputting data, and third transmission/reception means for receiving the second request signal and returning the data inputted by the input means in accordance with the second request signal to the base station;

wherein the base station has storage means for storing the data returned from the second mobile unit; and

wherein the storage means stores a plurality of route information on which the first mobile unit traveled in the past, and the search means of the base station extracts route information which overlaps the position information contained in the first request signal, from the plurality of route information, then predicts a traveling route of the first mobile unit on the basis of the extracted route information, and searches for the second mobile unit by using the predicted traveling route.

5. A data communication system comprising:

a first mobile unit having first transmission/reception means for transmitting a first request signal containing position information to a base station and receiving data corresponding to the first request signal from the base station;

a base station having search means for searching for a second mobile unit in accordance with the position information contained in the first request signal, and second transmission/reception means for receiving the first request signal, transmitting a second request signal to the second mobile unit thus searched for, and returning data returned from the second mobile unit to the first mobile unit;

a second mobile unit having input means for inputting data, and third transmission/reception means for receiving the second request signal and returning the data inputted by the input means in accordance with the second request signal to the base station;

wherein the search means of the base station predicts a traveling route of the first mobile unit on the basis of the position information contained in the first request signal, and searches for the second mobile unit by using the predicted traveling route; and

wherein the search means of the base station searches for the second mobile unit on the basis of the information of the traveling route of the first mobile unit as the position information contained in the first request signal.

6. A data communication system comprising:

a first mobile unit having first transmission/reception means for transmitting a first request signal containing position information to a base station and receiving data corresponding to the first request signal;

a base station having search means for searching for a second mobile unit in accordance with the position information contained in the first request signal, and second transmission/reception means for receiving the first request signal and transmitting a second request signal containing information related to the first mobile unit to the second mobile unit thus searched for; and

a second mobile unit having input means for inputting data, and third transmission/reception means for receiving the second request signal and returning the data inputted by the input means in accordance with the second request signal to the first mobile unit;

wherein the second mobile unit has storage means for storing the data inputted by the input means and the second mobile unit reads out data corresponding to the second request signal from data stored in the storage means in the past and returns the data to the first mobile unit.

7. The data communication system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the search means of the base station predicts a traveling route of the first mobile unit on the basis of the position information contained in the first request signal, and searches for the second mobile unit by using the predicted traveling route.

8. The data communication system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the search means of the base station searches for the second mobile unit on the basis of the information of the traveling route of the first mobile unit as the position information contained in the first request signal.

9. The data communication system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first mobile unit has selection means for selecting desired data from a plurality of data received in accordance with the first request signal.

10. A data communication system comprising:

a first mobile unit having first transmission/reception means for transmitting a first request signal containing position information to a base station and receiving data corresponding to the first request signal;

a base station having search means for searching for a second mobile unit in accordance with the position information contained in the first request signal, and second transmission/reception means for receiving the first request signal and transmitting a second request signal containing information related to the first mobile unit to the second mobile unit thus searched for; and

a second mobile unit having input means for inputting data, and third transmission/reception means for receiving the second request signal and returning the data inputted by the input means in accordance with the second request signal to the first mobile unit,

wherein the second mobile unit has storage means for storing the data inputted by the input means; and

wherein the storage means stores a plurality of route information on which the first mobile unit traveled in the past, and the search means of the base station extracts route information which overlaps the position information contained in the first request signal, from the plurality of route information, then predicts a traveling route of the first mobile unit on the basis of the extracted route information, and searches for the second mobile unit by using the predicted traveling route.

11. A data communication system comprising:

a first mobile unit having first transmission/reception means for transmitting a first request signal containing position information to a base station and receiving data corresponding to the first request signal from the base station;

a base station having search means for searching for a second mobile unit in accordance with the position information contained in the first request signal, second transmission/reception means for receiving the first request signal, transmitting a second request signal to the second mobile unit thus searched for, and returning data returned from the second mobile unit to the first mobile unit, storage means for storing accounting information of users corresponding at least to the first and second mobile units, and control means for performing control to update the accounting information of the users corresponding to the first and second mobile units stored by the storage means; and

a second mobile unit having input means for inputting data, and third transmission/reception means for receiving the second request signal and returning the data inputted by the input means in accordance with the second request signal to the base station.

12. The data communication system as claimed in claim 11,

wherein the base station has storage means for storing the data returned from the second mobile unit.

13. The data communication system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the base station reads out data corresponding to the first request signal from data stored in the storage means in the past and returns the data to the first mobile unit.

14. The data communication system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the search means of the base station predicts a traveling route of the first mobile unit on the basis of the position information contained in the first request signal, and searches for the second mobile unit by using the predicted traveling route.

15. The data communication system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the search means of the base station searches for the second mobile unit on the basis of the information of the traveling route of the first mobile unit as the position information contained in the first request signal.

16. The data communication system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first mobile unit has selection means for selecting desired data from a plurality of data received in accordance with the first request signal.

17. A data communication system comprising:

a first mobile unit having first transmission/reception means for transmitting a first request signal containing position information to a base station and receiving data corresponding to the first request signal from the base station;

a base station having search means for searching for a second mobile unit in accordance with the position information contained in the first request signal, second transmission/reception means for receiving the first request signal, transmitting a second request signal to the second mobile unit thus searched for, and returning data returned from the second mobile unit to the first mobile unit, storage means for storing accounting information of users corresponding at least to the first and second mobile units, and control means for performing control to update the accounting information of the users corresponding to the first and second mobile units stored by the storage means;

wherein the control means performs updating to reduce amount information of accounting information including amount information and account information corresponding to the first mobile unit so that accounting is made to the first mobile unit; and

a second mobile unit having input means for inputting data, and third transmission/reception means for receiving the second request signal and returning the data inputted by the input means in accordance with the second request signal to the base station.

18. The data communication system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the control means performs updating to increase amount information of accounting information including amount information and account information corresponding to the second mobile unit so that compensation corresponding to the data returned to the base station is paid to the second mobile unit.

19. The data communication system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the control means transmits accounting information including an identifier, amount information and account number corresponding to the first mobile unit, and accounting information including an identifier, amount information and account number corresponding to the second mobile unit, to an accounting center via the second transmission/reception means.

20. A data communication system comprising:

a first mobile unit having first transmission/reception means for transmitting a first request signal containing position information to a base station and receiving data corresponding to the first request signal from the base station;

a base station having search means for searching for a second mobile unit in accordance with the position information contained in the first request signal, second transmission/reception means for receiving the first request signal, transmitting a second request signal to the second mobile unit thus searched for, and returning data returned from the second mobile unit to the first mobile unit, storage means for storing accounting information of users corresponding at least to the first and second mobile units, and control means for performing control to update the accounting information of the users corresponding to the first and second mobile units stored by the storage means; and

a second mobile unit having input means for inputting data, and third transmission/reception means for receiving the second request signal and returning the data inputted by the input means in accordance with the second request signal to the base station;

wherein the base station has storage means for storing the data returned from the second mobile unit; and

wherein the storage means stores a plurality of route information on which the first mobile unit traveled in the past, and the search means of the base station extracts route information which overlaps the position information contained in the first request signal, from the plurality of route information, then predicts a traveling route of the first mobile unit on the basis of the extracted route information, and searches for the second mobile unit by using the predicted traveling route.

21. A mobile device comprising:

position information acquisition means for acquiring position information;

signal generation means for generating a first request signal containing the position information;

input means for inputting data;

communication means for communicating a signal to/from an external device;

wherein when requesting data from the external device, the communication means transmits the first request signal containing the position information to the external device and receives data returned from the external device in accordance with the first request signal; and

when providing data to the external device, the communication means receives a second request signal transmitted from the external device and returns data inputted by the input means in accordance with the second request signal to the external device;

prediction means for predicting a traveling route of the mobile device from the position information, and the information of the traveling route is contained in the position information; and

storage means for storing a plurality of route information on which the mobile device traveled in the past;

wherein the prediction means extracts route information which overlaps the position information of the mobile device acquired by the position information acquisition means, from the plurality of route information, then predicts a traveling route of the mobile device on the basis of the extracted route information, and updates the position information of the mobile device to the information of the predicted traveling route.

22. The mobile device as claimed in claim 21, further comprising selection means for selecting desired data from a plurality of data received in accordance with the first request signal.

23. The mobile device as claimed in claim 21, further comprising setting means for setting the transferability of the data inputted by the input means to the external device.

24. A mobile device comprising:

position information acquisition means for acquiring position information;

signal generation means for generating a first request signal containing the position information;

input means for inputting data;

communication means for communicating a signal to/from an external device or another mobile device;

prediction means for predicting a traveling route of the mobile device from the position information, and the information of the traveling route is contained in the position information; and

storage means for storing a plurality of route information on which the mobile device traveled in the past;

wherein when requesting data obtained by another mobile device, the communication means transmits the first request signal containing the position information to the external device and receives data returned from said another mobile device in accordance with the first request signal;

when providing data to another mobile device, the communication means receives a second request signal containing information related to said another mobile device transmitted from the external device and returns data inputted by the input means in accordance with the second request signal to said another mobile device; and

wherein the prediction means extracts route information which overlaps the position information of the mobile device acquired by the position information acquisition means, from the plurality of route information, then predicts a traveling route of the mobile device on the basis of the extracted route information, and updates the position information of the mobile device to the information of the predicted traveling route.

25. The mobile device as claimed in claim 24, further comprising selection means for selecting desired data from a plurality of data received in accordance with the first request signal.

26. The mobile device as claimed in claim 24, further comprising setting means for setting the transferability of the data inputted by the input means to said another mobile device.

27. A server device comprising:

communication means capable of communicating a signal to/from a plurality of mobile units;

holding means for holding information related to the plurality of mobile units;

search means for searching for a second mobile unit corresponding to position information contained in a first request signal transmitted from a first mobile unit by using the information related to the plurality of mobile units held by the holding means;

generation means for generating a second request signal to be transmitted to the second mobile unit thus searched for;

wherein the second request signal is transmitted to the second mobile unit thus searched for and data returned from the second mobile unit is returned to the first mobile unit; and

storage means for storing the data returned from the second mobile unit;

wherein data corresponding to the first request signal is read out from data stored in the storage means in the past and is returned to the first mobile unit.

28. The server device as claimed in claim 27, wherein the search means predicts a traveling route of the first mobile unit on the basis of the position information contained in the first request signal, and searches for the second mobile unit by using the predicted traveling route.

29. The server device as claimed in claim 28, wherein the search means searches for the second mobile unit on the basis of the information of the traveling route of the first mobile unit as the position information contained in the first request signal.

30. A server device comprising:

communication means capable of communicating a signal to/from a plurality of mobile units;

holding means for holding information related to the plurality of mobile units;

search means for searching for a second mobile unit corresponding to position information contained in a first request signal transmitted from a first mobile unit by using the information related to the plurality of mobile units held by the holding means;

generation means for generating a second request signal to be transmitted to the second mobile unit thus searched for; and

storage means for storing the data returned from the second mobile unit;

wherein the holding means stores a plurality of route information on which the first mobile unit traveled in the past, and the search means extracts route information which overlaps the position information contained in the first request signal from the plurality of route information, then predicts a traveling route of the first mobile unit on the basis of the extracted route information, and searches for the second mobile unit by using the predicted traveling route; and

wherein the second request signal is transmitted to the second mobile unit thus searched for and data returned from the second mobile unit is returned to the first mobile unit.

31. A server device comprising:

communication means capable of communicating a signal to/from a plurality of mobile units;

holding means for holding information related to the plurality of mobile units;

search means for searching for a second mobile unit corresponding to position information contained in a first request signal transmitted from a first mobile unit by using the information related to the plurality of mobile units held by the holding means;

wherein the holding means stores a plurality of route information on which the first mobile unit traveled in the past, and the search means extracts route information which overlaps the position information contained in the first request signal from the plurality of route information, then predicts a traveling route of the first mobile unit on the basis of the extracted route information, and searches for the second mobile unit by using the predicted traveling route; and

generation means for generating a second request signal containing information related to the first mobile unit which is to be transmitted to the second mobile unit thus searched for;

wherein the second request signal is transmitted to the second mobile unit thus searched for.

32. The server device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the search means predicts a traveling route of the first mobile unit on the basis of the position information contained in the first request signal, and searches for the second mobile unit by using the predicted traveling route.

33. The server device as claimed in claim 32, wherein the search means searches for the second mobile unit on the basis of the information of the traveling route of the first mobile unit as the position information contained in the first request signal.

34. A server device comprising:

communication means capable of communicating a signal to/from a plurality of mobile units;

holding means for holding information related to the plurality of mobile units;

search means for searching for a second mobile unit corresponding to position information contained in a first request signal transmitted from a first mobile unit by using the information related to the plurality of mobile units held by the holding means;

generation means for generating a second request signal to be transmitted to the second mobile unit thus searched for;

storage means for storing accounting information of users corresponding at least to the first and second mobile units; and

control means for performing control to update the accounting information of the users corresponding to the first and second mobile units stored by the storage means;

wherein the control means updates the accounting information of the users corresponding to the first and second mobile units on the basis of data returned from the second mobile unit in accordance with the second request signal and data transmitted to the first mobile unit in accordance with the first request signal.

35. The server device as claimed in claim 34, wherein the control means performs updating to reduce amount information of accounting information including amount information and account information corresponding to the first mobile unit so that accounting is made to the first mobile unit.

36. The server device as claimed in claim 35, wherein the control means performs updating to increase amount information of accounting information including amount information and account information corresponding to the second mobile unit so that compensation corresponding to the data returned to the server device is paid to the second mobile unit.

37. The server device as claimed in claim 36, wherein the control means transmits accounting information including an identifier, amount information and account number corresponding to the first mobile unit, and accounting information including an identifier, amount information and account number corresponding to the second mobile unit, to an accounting center via the communication means.

38. The server device as claimed in claim 34, further comprising storage means for storing the data returned from the second mobile unit.

39. The server device as claimed in claim 38, wherein the control means reads out data corresponding to the first request signal from data stored in the storage means in the past and returns it to the first mobile unit.

40. The server device as claimed in claim 38, wherein the holding means stores a plurality of route information on which the first mobile unit traveled in the past, and the search means extracts route information which overlaps the position information contained in the first request signal from the plurality of route information, then predicts a traveling route of the first mobile unit on the basis of the extracted route information, and searches for the second mobile unit by using the predicted traveling route.

41. The server device as claimed in claim 34, wherein the search means predicts a traveling route of the first mobile unit on the basis of the position information contained in the first request signal, and searches for the second mobile unit by using the predicted traveling route.

42. The server device as claimed in claim 41, wherein the search means searches for the second mobile unit on the basis of the information of the traveling route of the first mobile unit as the position information contained in the first request signal.

43. A data communication system for carrying out communication among a first mobile unit, a second mobile unit and a base station,

the first mobile unit comprising first communication means for transmitting a first request signal containing the position information of the first mobile unit to the base station and receiving data corresponding to the first request signal from the base station,

the base station comprising

prediction means for predicting the position of the first mobile unit after a predetermined time from the position information of the first mobile unit contained in the first request signal,

search means for searching for the second mobile unit on the periphery of the position of the first mobile unit after the predetermined time predicted by the prediction means, and

second communication means for receiving the first request signal, transmitting a second request signal to the second mobile unit thus searched for, and returning image data returned from the second mobile unit to the first mobile unit,

the second mobile unit comprising

image pickup means for picking up an image of an external object and outputting image data, and

third communication means for receiving the second request signal and returning the image data outputted from the image pickup means to the base station.

44. A data communication method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first request signal containing position information from a first mobile unit to a base station;

searching for a second mobile unit in accordance with the position information contained in the first request signal at the base station;

transmitting a second request signal from the base station to the second mobile unit thus searched for;

returning data inputted in accordance with the second request signal from the second mobile unit to the base station;

transmitting the data returned from the second mobile unit to the base station in accordance with the second request signal, from the base station to the first mobile unit as data corresponding to the first request signal; and

storing the data returned from the second mobile unit and reading out data corresponding to the first request signal and returning the data to the first mobile unit.

45. A data communication method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first request signal containing position information from a first mobile unit to a base station;

searching for a second mobile unit in accordance with the position information contained in the first request signal at the base station;

transmitting a second request signal to the second mobile unit thus searched for from the base station;

transmitting data inputted in accordance with the second request signal from the second mobile unit to the first mobile unit as data corresponding to the first request signal; and

storing the data returned from the second mobile unit and reading out data corresponding to the first request signal and returning the data to the first mobile unit.

46. A data communication method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first request signal containing position information from a first mobile unit to a base station;

searching for a second mobile unit in accordance with the position information contained in the first request signal at the base station;

transmitting a second request signal from the base station to the second mobile unit thus searched for;

returning data inputted in accordance with the second request signal from the second mobile unit to the base station;

transmitting the data returned from the second mobile unit to the base station in accordance with the second request signal, from the base station to the first mobile unit as data corresponding to the first request signal; and

updating accounting information of users corresponding to the first and second mobile units on the basis of the data returned from the second mobile unit in accordance with the second request signal and the data transmitted to the first mobile unit in accordance with the first request signal.

47. A data communication method comprising the steps of:

when requesting data from an external device,

acquiring position information; and

transmitting a first request signal containing the position information to the external device; and

when providing data to an external device,

receiving a second request signal transmitted from the external device; and

returning the data inputted in accordance with the second request signal to the external device;

predicting a traveling route of a mobile device from the position information, and the information of the traveling route is contained in the position information; and

storing a plurality of route information on which the mobile device traveled in the past;

wherein the route information which overlaps the position information of the mobile device is extracted from predicting said traveling route of said mobile device, and then predicting a traveling route of the mobile device on the basis of the extracted route information, and updating the position information of the mobile device to the information of the predicted traveling route.

48. A data communication method comprising the steps of:

when requesting data acquired at another mobile device,

acquiring position information;

transmitting a first request signal containing the position information to an external device; and

receiving data transmitted from said another mobile device in accordance with the first request signal; and

when providing data to another mobile device,

receiving a second request signal containing information related to said another mobile device transmitted from an external device; and

returning the data inputted in accordance with the second request signal to said another mobile device;

predicting a traveling route of the mobile device from the position information, and the information of the traveling route is contained in the position information; and

storing a plurality of route information on which the mobile device traveled in the past;

wherein the route information which overlaps the position information of the mobile device is extracted from predicting said traveling route of said mobile device, and then predicting a traveling route of the mobile device on the basis of the extracted route information, and updating the position information of the mobile device to the information of the predicted traveling route.

49. A data communication method comprising the steps of:

searching for a second mobile unit corresponding to position information contained in a first request signal transmitted from a first mobile unit in accordance with information related to a plurality of mobile units;

generating a second request signal to be transmitted to the second mobile unit thus searched for;

transmitting the second request signal to the second mobile unit thus searched for;

transmitting data returned from the second mobile unit to the first mobile unit; and

storing the data returned from the second mobile unit;

wherein data corresponding to the first request signal is read out from data stored in the storage means in the past and is returned to the first mobile unit.

50. A data communication method comprising the steps of:

searching for a second mobile unit corresponding to position information contained in a first request signal transmitted from a first mobile unit in accordance with information related to a plurality of mobile units;

generating a second request signal containing information related to the first mobile unit to be transmitted to the second mobile unit thus searched for;

transmitting the second request signal to the second mobile unit thus searched for; and

storing the data returned from the second mobile unit;

wherein data corresponding to the first request signal is read out from data stored in the storage means in the past and is returned to the first mobile unit.

51. A data communication method comprising the steps of:

searching for a second mobile unit corresponding to position information contained in a first request signal transmitted from a first mobile unit in accordance with information related to a plurality of mobile units;

generating a second request signal to be transmitted to the second mobile unit thus searched for; and

updating accounting information of users corresponding to the first and second mobile units stored in storage means on the basis of data returned from the second mobile unit in accordance with the second request signal and data transmitted to the first mobile unit in accordance with the first request signal.

52. A program storage medium in which a program readable by information processing means is stored, the program comprising:

a step of transmitting a first request signal containing position information from a first mobile unit to a base station;

a step of searching for a second mobile unit in accordance with the position information contained in the first request signal at the base station;

a step of transmitting a second request signal from the base station to the second mobile unit thus searched for;

a step of returning data inputted in accordance with the second request signal from the second mobile unit to the base station;

a step of transmitting the data returned from the second mobile unit to the base station in accordance with the second request signal, from the base station to the first mobile unit as data corresponding to the first request signal; and

storing the data returned from the second mobile unit and reading out data corresponding to the first request signal and returning the data to the first mobile unit.

53. A program storage medium in which a program readably by information processing means is stored,

the program comprising:

a step of transmitting a first request signal containing position information from a first mobile unit to a base station;

a step of searching for a second mobile unit in accordance with the position information contained in the first request signal at the base station;

a step of transmitting a second request signal from the base station to the second mobile unit thus searched for;

a step of transmitting data inputted in accordance with the second request signal from the second mobile unit to the first mobile unit as data corresponding to the first request signal; and

storing the data returned from the second mobile unit and reading out data corresponding to the first request signal and returning the data to the first mobile unit.

54. A program storage medium in which a program readably by information processing means is stored,

the program comprising:

a step of transmitting a first request signal containing position information from a first mobile unit to a base station;

a step of searching for a second mobile unit in accordance with the position information contained in the first request signal at the base station;

a step of transmitting a second request signal from the base station to the second mobile unit thus searched for;

a step of returning data inputted in accordance with the second request signal from the second mobile unit to the base station;

a step of transmitting the data returned from the second mobile unit to the base station in accordance with the second request signal, from the base station to the first mobile unit as data corresponding to the first request signal; and

a step of updating accounting information of users corresponding to the first and second mobile units on the basis of the data returned from the second mobile unit in accordance with the second request signal and the data transmitted to the first mobile unit in accordance with the first request signal.

55. A program storage medium in which a program readably by information processing means is stored,

the program comprising:

when requesting data from an external device,

a step of acquiring position information;

a step of transmitting a first request signal containing position information to the external device; and

a step of receiving the data transmitted from the external device in accordance with the first request signal; and

when providing data to an external device,

a step of receiving a second request signal transmitted from the external device; and

a step of returning the data inputted in accordance with the second request signal to the external device;

predicting a traveling route of a mobile device from the position information, and the information of the traveling route is contained in the position information; and

storing a plurality of route information on which the mobile device traveled in the past;

wherein the route information which overlaps the position information of the mobile device is extracted from predicting said traveling route of said mobile device, and then predicting a traveling route of the mobile device on the basis of the extracted route information, and updating the position information of the mobile device to the information of the predicted traveling route.

56. A program storage medium in which a program readably by information processing means is stored,

the program comprising:

when requesting data obtained by another mobile device,

a step of acquiring position information;

a step of transmitting a first request signal containing position information to an external device; and

a step of receiving the data transmitted from said another mobile device in accordance with the first request signal; and

when providing data to another mobile device,

a step of receiving a second request signal containing information related to another mobile unit transmitted from an external device; and

a step of returning data inputted in accordance with the second request signal to said another mobile device;

predicting a traveling route of the mobile device from the position information, and the information of the traveling route is contained in the position information; and

storing a plurality of route information on which the mobile device traveled in the past;

wherein the route information which overlaps the position information of the mobile device is extracted from predicting said traveling route of said mobile device, and then predicting a traveling route of the mobile device on the basis of the extracted route information, and updating the position information of the mobile device to the information of the predicted traveling route.

57. A program storage medium in which a program readable by information processing means is stored,

the program comprising:

a step of searching for a second mobile unit corresponding to position information contained in a first request signal transmitted from a first mobile unit in accordance with information related to a plurality of mobile units;

a step of generating a second request signal to be transmitted to the second mobile unit thus searched for;

a step of transmitting the second request signal to the second mobile unit thus searched for; and

a step of transmitting data returned from the second mobile unit to the first mobile unit; and

storing the data returned from the second mobile unit;

wherein data corresponding to the first request signal is read out from data stored in the storage means in the past and is returned to the first mobile unit.

58. A program storage medium in which a program readable by information processing means is stored,

the program comprising:

a step of searching for a second mobile unit corresponding to position information contained in a first request signal transmitted from a first mobile unit in accordance with information related to a plurality of mobile units;

a step of generating a second request signal containing information related to the first mobile unit to be transmitted to the second mobile unit thus searched for; and

a step of transmitting the second request signal to the second mobile unit thus searched for; and

storing the data returned from the second mobile unit;

wherein data corresponding to the first request signal is read out from data stored in the storage means in the past and is returned to the first mobile unit.

59. A program storage medium in which a program readable by information processing means is stored,

the program comprising:

a step of searching for a second mobile unit corresponding to position information contained in a first request signal transmitted from a first mobile unit in accordance with information related to a plurality of mobile units;

a step of generating a second request signal to be transmitted to the second mobile unit thus searched for; and

a step of updating accounting information of users corresponding to the first and second mobile units stored in storage means on the basis of data returned from the second mobile unit in accordance with the second request signal and data transmitted to the first mobile unit in accordance with the first request signal.