Radio communication terminal unit and method of transmitting location information

• US 6,963,749 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2002
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Hayashida, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US10/186,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20030027582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.6, 455/456.1, 455/457, 342/357.1, 342/357.15
• US Class Current: 455/456.6
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/252 Employing an initial estimate of location in generating assistance data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• 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 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

A cellular phone unit receives GPS satellite information of GPS satellites and base station information of base stations. It extracts the GPS satellite information and the base station information that meet transmission conditions, which are provided by a location information server, out of the obtained GPS satellite information and base station information. Those extracted information are sent to the location information server. Based on the receiving from the location information server a transmission condition in terms of the condition of accurate specifying of the location of cellular phone unit by the location information server, the cellular phone unit can extract proper GPS satellite information and base station information and send the extracted information to the location information server.

Claims

1. A radio communication terminal unit capable of communicating with a location information server and a base station, the unit comprising:

telephone radio communication means;

location information acquisition means for acquiring location-related information necessary for specifying a location of the unit, the location-related information includes GPS satellite information regarding the GPS satellites; and

control means for transmitting, after transmitting base station information to the location information server to acquire an approximate location of the unit from the location information server when operated to start specifying a location, the location-related information to the location information server from the telephone radio communication means,

wherein the control means extracts a part of the GPS satellite information transmitted from the location information server and received by the telephone radio communication means, and transmits the extracted part to the location information server from the telephone radio communication means, and

wherein the part includes information that satisfies a transmission condition corresponding to a threshold value of power of a GPS satellite wave, the threshold value being set in accordance with an environment surrounding the approximate location of the unit.

2. A radio communication terminal unit capable of communicating with a location information server and a base station, the unit comprising:

telephone radio communication means;

location information acquisition means for acquiring location-related information necessary for specifying a location of the unit, the location-related information includes GPS satellite information regarding the GPS satellites; and

control means for transmitting, after transmitting base station information to the location information server to acquire an approximate location of the unit from the location information server when operated to start specifying a location, the location-related information to the location information server from the telephone radio communication means,

wherein the control means extracts a part of the GPS satellite information transmitted from the location information server and received by the telephone radio communication means, and transmits the extracted part to the location information server from the telephone radio communication means, and

wherein the part includes information that satisfies a transmission condition corresponding to a threshold value of variation of phase difference in a GPS satellite wave, the threshold value being set in accordance with an environment surrounding the approximate location of the unit.

3. A radio communication terminal unit capable of communicating with a location information server and a base station, the unit comprising:

telephone radio communication means;

location information acquisition means for acquiring, when operated, location-related information necessary for specifying a location of the unit, the location-related information includes base station information regarding the base station; and

control means for operating the location information acquisition means to acquire the location-related information after transmitting base station information to the location information server to acquire an approximate location of the unit from the location information server when operated to start specifying a location, and transmitting the location-related information to the location information server from the telephone radio communication means,

wherein the control means extracts a part of the base station information acquired by the location information acquisition means, and transmits the extracted part to the location information server from the telephone radio communication means, and

wherein the part includes information that satisfies a transmission condition corresponding to a threshold value of a signal-to-noise ratio of a GPS satellite wave, the threshold value being set in accordance with an arrangement of the base station near the approximate location of the unit.

4. A radio communication terminal unit capable of communicating with a location information server and a base station, the unit comprising:

telephone radio communication means;

location information acquisition means for acquiring, when operated, location-related information necessary for specifying a location of the unit, the location-related information includes base station information regarding the base station; and

control means for operating the location information acquisition means to acquire the location-related information after transmitting base station information to the location information server to acquire an approximate location of the unit from the location information server when operated to start specifying a location, and transmitting the location-related information to the location information server from the telephone radio communication means,

wherein the control means extracts a part of the base station information acquired by the location information acquisition means, and transmits the extracted part to the location information server from the telephone radio communication means, and

wherein the part includes information that satisfies a transmission condition corresponding to a threshold value of variation of phase difference in a GPS satellite wave, the threshold value being set in accordance with an arrangement of the base station near the approximate location of the unit.

5. A method of transmitting location information for a radio communication terminal unit capable of communicating with a location information server and a base station, comprising:

transmitting base station information to the location information server from the radio communication terminal unit;

determining an approximate location of the radio communication terminal unit based on the base station information transmitted to the location information server from the radio communication terminal unit;

setting and transmitting a transmission condition to the radio communication terminal unit based on the approximate location;

receiving the transmission condition from the location information server in the radio communication terminal unit;

receiving GPS satellite information and base station information in the radio communication terminal unit;

extracting a portion of the GPS satellite information and the base station information according to the transmission condition;

transmitting the portion of the GPS satellite information and the base station information to the location information server from the radio communication terminal unit; and

determining a location of the radio communication terminal unit based on the extracted portion of the GPS satellite information and the base station information,

wherein the transmission condition corresponds to a threshold value of power of a GPS satellite wave, the threshold value being set in accordance with an environment surrounding the approximate location of the unit.

6. A method of transmitting location information for a radio communication terminal unit capable of communicating with a location information server and a base station, comprising:

transmitting base station information to the location information server from the radio communication terminal unit;

determining an approximate location of the radio communication terminal unit based on the base station information transmitted to the location information server from the radio communication terminal unit;

setting and transmitting a transmission condition to the radio communication terminal unit based on the approximate location;

receiving the transmission condition from the location information server in the radio communication terminal unit;

receiving GPS satellite information and base station information in the radio communication terminal unit;

extracting a portion of the GPS satellite information and the base station information according to the transmission condition;

transmitting the portion of the GPS satellite information and the base station information to the location information server from the radio communication terminal unit; and

determining a location of the radio communication terminal unit based on the extracted portion of the GPS satellite information and the base station information,

wherein the transmission condition corresponds to a threshold value of variation of phase difference in a GPS satellite wave, the threshold value being set in accordance with an environment surrounding the approximate location of the unit.

7. A method of transmitting location information for a radio communication terminal unit capable of communicating with a location information server and a base station, comprising:

transmitting base station information to the location information server from the radio communication terminal unit;

determining an approximate location of the radio communication terminal unit based on the base station information transmitted to the location information server from the radio communication terminal unit;

setting and transmitting a transmission condition to the radio communication terminal unit based on the approximate location;

receiving the transmission condition from the location information server in the radio communication terminal unit;

receiving GPS satellite information and base station information in the radio communication terminal unit;

extracting a portion of the GPS satellite information and the base station information according to the transmission condition;

transmitting the portion of the GPS satellite information and the base station information to the location information server from the radio communication terminal unit; and

determining a location of the radio communication terminal unit based on the extracted portion of the GPS satellite information and the base station information,

wherein the transmission condition corresponds to a threshold value of a signal-to-noise ratio of a GPS satellite wave, the threshold value being set in accordance with an arrangement of the base station near the approximate location of the unit.

8. A method of transmitting location information for a radio communication terminal unit capable of communicating with a location information server and a base station, comprising:

transmitting base station information to the location information server from the radio communication terminal unit;

determining an approximate location of the radio communication terminal unit based on the base station information transmitted to the location information server from the radio communication terminal unit;

setting and transmitting a transmission condition to the radio communication terminal unit based on the approximate location;

receiving the transmission condition from the location information server in the radio communication terminal unit;

receiving GPS satellite information and base station information in the radio communication terminal unit;

extracting a portion of the GPS satellite information and the base station information according to the transmission condition;

transmitting the portion of the GPS satellite information and the base station information to the location information server from the radio communication terminal unit; and

determining a location of the radio communication terminal unit based on the extracted portion of the GPS satellite information and the base station information,

wherein the transmission condition corresponds to a threshold value of variation of phase difference in a GPS satellite wave, the threshold value being set in accordance with an arrangement of the base station near the approximate location of the unit.