Method for transmitting location-related data between a main station and a mobile terminal, mobile terminal and main station

• US 6,960,997 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Thoms, Dieter, Mundt, Frieder, Gieseke, Arnold, Hans, Martin, Schmidt, Gunnar
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US10/220,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20030164779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 340/988, 340/989, 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/995.11, 340/995.12, 340/995.13, 340/995.14, 340/995.15, 340/995.17, 340/995.19, 340/526, 701117-119, 701208-211, 701/212
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096822 where the segments of the route are transmitted to the vehicle at different locations and times
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA

Abstract

A method for transmitting location-related data information between a main station and a mobile terminal is described, as well as a main station and a mobile terminal are described, which provide a position tracing of the mobile terminal or a navigational application on the display device of the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal may include a mobile telecommunications terminal. In a first step, a position of a mobile terminal is ascertained and transmitted to the main station. In a second step, location-related data information for the mobile terminal is formed in the main station, in dependence upon the ascertained position of the mobile terminal. In a third step, the location-related data information is transmitted from the main station to the mobile terminal. In a fourth step, the location-related data information received is brought to reproduction on a reproduction device of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting location-related data information between a main station and a mobile terminal, comprising:

(i) ascertaining a position of the mobile terminal and transmitting the position, as well as information on a size of a map section reproducible on a reproduction device of the mobile terminal, from the mobile terminal to the main station;

(ii) forming location-related data information for the mobile terminal in the main station as a function of the ascertained position of the mobile terminal;

(iii) transmitting the location-related data information from the main station to the mobile terminal;

(iv) reproducing the received location-related data information on the reproduction device of the mobile terminal;

(v) ascertaining a new position of the mobile terminal and transmitting the new position to the main station;

(vi) selecting a new map section in the main station, the selected new map section including the new position of the mobile terminal;

(vii) transmitting image data from the main station to the mobile terminal as a function of differences between the selected new map section and a present map section; and

(viii) updating the present map section dependent upon the transmitted image data and reproducing the updated map section on the reproduction device,

wherein;

step (ii) further includes selecting a section of a geographical map in the main station, the selected map section including the ascertained position of the mobile terminal;

step (iii) further includes transmitting the selected map section from the main station to the mobile terminal;

step (iv) further includes reproducing the transmitted map section having the ascertained position on the reproduction device;

step (vi) further includes subdividing the present map section into individual image blocks, computing a movement vector for each of the image blocks in dependence upon a change in position from a previous position to the new position of the mobile terminal, estimating the new map section starting from the present map section and the movement vectors, and comparing the estimated map section to the new map section by difference formation, so that a difference image is created;

step (vii) further includes transmitting the difference image to the mobile terminal, and transmitting the movement vectors from the main station to the mobile terminal; and

step (viii) further includes computing the map section to be reproduced on the reproduction device from the present map section, by shifting the present map section block-wise with an aid of the movement vectors and overlaying the shifted map section with the difference image.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal includes a mobile telecommunications terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

step (ii) further includes computing a route proposal in the main station between the ascertained position of the mobile terminal and a specified destination;

step (iii) further includes transmitting the route proposal from the main station to the mobile terminal; and

step (iv) further includes reproducing the route proposal on the reproduction device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein step (i) further includes inputting a destination on the mobile terminal and transmitting the inputted destination to the main station.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the selected geographical map section is transmitted to the mobile terminal in a coded form by a compression method.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the compression method includes one of an H.261 image compression method and an H.263 image compression method according to International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) Standard H.32x.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step (ii), the geographical map section is selected so that the position of the mobile terminal ascertained in step (i) lies essentially in a middle region of the selected geographical map section.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step (vi), the new map section is selected so that the new position of the mobile terminal ascertained in the step (v) lies essentially in a middle region of the selected new map section.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

using one of an H.261 image compression method and an H.263 image compression method according to International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) Standard.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein:

step (vii) further includes transmitting the new map section at specified times from the main station to the mobile terminal with the aid of the image data; and

step (viii) further includes reproducing the new map section having the new position on the reproduction device.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the image data transmitted to the mobile terminal are coded by a compression method.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the compression method includes at least one of an H.261 image compression method and an H.263 image compression method according to International Telecommunications Union (ITU-T) Standard H.32x.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position of the mobile terminal is ascertained by a position-finding receiver.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the position-finding receiver includes a Global Positioning System receiver.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

inputting the position of the mobile terminal into an input device of the mobile terminal.

16. A method for transmitting location-related data information between a main station and a mobile terminal, comprising:

(i) ascertaining a position of the mobile terminal and transmitting the position, as well as information on a size of a map section reproducible on a reproduction device of the mobile terminal, from the mobile terminal to the main station;

(ii) forming location-related data information for the mobile terminal in the main station as a function of the ascertained position of the mobile terminal;

(iii) transmitting the location-related data information from the main station to the mobile terminal;

(iv) reproducing the received location-related data information on the reproduction device of the mobile terminal;

(v) ascertaining a new position of the mobile terminal and transmitting the new position to the main station;

(vi) selecting a new map section in the main station, the selected new map section including the new position of the mobile terminal;

(vii) transmitting image data from the main station to the mobile terminal as a function of differences between the selected new map section and a present map section; and

(viii) updating the present map section dependent upon the transmitted image data and reproducing the updated map section on the reproduction device;

wherein;

step (ii) further includes selecting a section of a geographical map in the main station, the selected map section including the ascertained position of the mobile terminal;

step (iii) further includes transmitting the selected map section from the main station to the mobile terminal;

step (iv) further includes reproducing the transmitted map section having the ascertained position on the reproduction device;

step (vi) further includes ascertaining map regions which are included only in the new map section and not in the present map section;

step (vii) further includes transmitting the ascertained map regions from the main station to the mobile terminal with the aid of the image data; and

step (viii) further includes shifting a presently reproduced map section with an aid of an overall movement vector computed based on a position change of the previous position to the new position of the mobile terminal, and supplementing the shifted map section formed in this manner by the transmitted map sections.

17. A mobile terminal, comprising:

an evaluation unit for ascertaining a position of the mobile terminal;

a transmitting unit for transmitting the ascertained position to a main station;

a receiving unit for receiving location-related data information from the main station, the location-related data information being generated as a function of the ascertained position; and

a reproduction device for reproducing the location-related data information,

wherein the transmitting unit is configured to transmit to the main station information regarding a size of a map section reproducible on the reproduction device;

wherein the evaluation unit is configured to update a map section presently reproduced on the reproduction device, as a function of image data received from the main station after transmission of the ascertained position;

wherein the receiving unit, by use of the image data, receives a difference image between a new map section and an estimated new map section from the main station, and also receives movement vectors from the main station, the movement vector being allocated to individual blocks of a present map section; and

wherein the evaluation unit is configured to compute the map section to be reproduced on the reproduction device from the present map section by shifting the present map section block-wise with the aid of the movement vectors and overlaying the shifted map section with the difference image.

18. The mobile terminal according to claim 17, wherein the mobile terminal includes a mobile telecommunications terminal.

19. The mobile terminal according to claim 17, wherein the location-related data information includes one of a section of a geographical map and a route proposal.

20. The mobile terminal according to claim 17, further comprising:

a location finding receiver for receiving location finding data for position ascertainment.

21. The mobile terminal according to claim 20, wherein the location finding receiver includes a Global Positioning System receiver.

22. The mobile terminal according to claim 17, further comprising:

an input device for receiving input for the position of the mobile terminal.

23. A mobile terminal, comprising:

an evaluation unit for ascertaining a position of the mobile terminal;

a transmitting unit for transmitting the ascertained position to a main station;

a receiving unit for receiving location-related data information from the main station, the location-related data information being generated as a function of the ascertained position; and

a reproduction device for reproducing the location-related data information,

wherein the transmitting unit is configured to transmit to the main station information regarding a size of a map section reproducible on the reproduction device;

wherein the evaluation unit is configured to update a map section presently reproduced on the reproduction device, as a function of image data received from the main station after transmission of the ascertained position;

wherein the receiving unit is configured to receive map sections from the main station with the aid of the image data; and

wherein the evaluation unit is configured to compute the map section to be reproduced on the reproduction device from the presently reproduced map section by ascertaining an overall movement vector from a position change of a previous position to the a position of the mobile terminal, shifting the presently reproduced map section with the aid of the computed overall movement vector, and supplementing the shifted map section with the transmitted map sections.

24. A main station, comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving data regarding a position of a mobile terminal and a size of a map section reproducible on a reproduction device of the mobile terminal;

an evaluation unit for forming location-related data information as a function of the position of the mobile terminal, and for selecting the map section so that it is completely reproducible on the reproduction device;

a transmitting unit for transmitting the location-related data information to the mobile terminal;

a memory for storing geographical map material,

wherein the evaluation unit is configured to select a map section from the memory which includes the position of the mobile terminal, the selected map section at least partially forming the location-related data information;

wherein the evaluation unit is configured to, upon receiving a new position of the mobile terminal by the receiving unit, select a new map section which includes the new position of the mobile terminal;

wherein the evaluation unit is configured to transmit image data via the transmitting unit to the mobile terminal, as a function of differences between the selected new map section and the present map section;

wherein the evaluation unit is configured to subdivide the present map section into individual image blocks, compute a movement vector for each of the image blocks as a function of a change in position from a previous position to the new position of the mobile terminal, estimate the new map section starting from the present map section and the movement vectors, and compare the estimated map section to the new map section by difference formation so that a difference image is created; and

wherein the transmitting unit is configured to transmit the difference image to the mobile terminal with the aid of the image data, and transmit the movement vectors to the mobile terminal.

25. The main station according to claim 24, wherein the mobile terminal includes a mobile telecommunications device.

26. The main station according to claim 24, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to compute a route proposal from the position of the mobile terminal and an input destination received from the mobile terminal, the route proposal at least partially forming the location-related data information.

27. The main station according to claim 24, wherein:

the evaluation unit is configured to, during selection of the new map section, ascertain map regions which are included only in the new map section and not in the present map section; and

the transmitting unit is configured to transmit the ascertained map regions to the mobile terminal with the aid of the image data.

28. A method for transmitting location-related information between a control center and a mobile telecommunications terminal, the method comprising:

determining a position of the mobile terminal and transmitting it to the control center;

forming location-related information for the mobile terminal in the control center as a function of the determined position of the mobile terminal;

transmitting the location-related data information from the control center to the mobile terminal; and

reproducing received location-related date information on a reproduction device of the mobile terminal;

wherein in the determining of the position, information relating to a size of the reproduction device on which a map excerpt which is reproduce-able is transmitted from the mobile terminal to the control center.

29. A mobile telecommunications terminal, comprising:

an evaluation arrangement to determine a position of the mobile terminal;

a transmitter arrangement to transmit a determined position to a control center;

a receiver arrangement to receive from the control center location-related data information which is generated as a function of the determined position; and

a reproduction arrangement to reproduce the location-related data information;

wherein the transmitter arrangement is operable to transmit to the control center information relating to a size of the reproduction arrangement on which a map excerpt can be reproduced.

30. A control center, comprising:

a receiver arrangement to receive information relating to a position of a mobile telecommunications terminal;

an evaluation arrangement to form location-related information as a function of the position of the mobile terminal; and

a transmitter arrangement to transmit the location-related information to the mobile terminal;

wherein the receiver arrangement is operable to receive information relating to a size of the reproduction arrangement of the mobile terminal on which a map excerpt can be produced, and wherein the evaluation arrangement is operable to select the map excerpt so that it is completely reproduce-able in the reproduction arrangement of the mobile terminal.