Communication system for providing information on position of communication party

• US 7,065,348 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2000
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoki, Hidehiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William D.
• Application Number:
  US10/381,211
• Time in Patent Office: 2,091 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.2, 455/456.1, 455/457, 455/419, 342/357.01, 342/357.07, 342/357.06, 342/357.09, 342/356, 709/223, 737/54
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6009 Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

A method for providing location information. In the method a demand of providing location information of a terminal of a second user is accepted from a terminal of a first user. An approval of the location information provided to a terminal of the second user is requested, which depends on a request of providing the location information. A reply for approving providing the location information is received from the second terminal. Map information of the first and the second user which includes each other'"'"'s location information is then generated, the location information which was provided from the first and second user'"'"'s terminal is synthesized, and map data chosen based on the location information from the data base, when providing the location information, is approved. The generated map information is displayed at least on the first user'"'"'s terminal.

Claims

1. A method for providing location information, comprising:

accepting a demand of providing location information of a terminal of a second user from a terminal of a first user;

requesting an approval of the location information provided to the terminal of the second user, which depends on a request of providing the location information;

receiving a reply for approving providing of the location information, from the second user'"'"'s terminal;

generating map information of the first and the second user which includes each user'"'"'s location information, synthesizing the location information which was provided from the first and the second user'"'"'s terminal, and map data chosen based on the location information from the database, when providing of the location information is approved;

displaying the generated map information at least on the first user'"'"'s terminal;

acquiring new location information of the first and the second user, when the first and the second user'"'"'s request for updating location information is detected;

generating new map information, by using the location information which is newly acquired; and

displaying the new generated map information on the first and the second user'"'"'s terminal,

wherein the accepting a demand of providing location information includes acquiring a demand of providing location information also accepts the first user'"'"'s location information with the demand;

the receiving a reply for approving providing of the location information includes acquiring a reply for approving providing the location information also includes acquiring the second user'"'"'s location information with approval, when the second user approves the request of providing location information; and

the request for updating location information is detected by whether a moving distance of the first and the second user surpasses a predetermined value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after receiving a reply for approving providing of the location information, notifying of an impossibility of providing the location information of the second user to the first user'"'"'s terminal when the second user does not approve the providing the position information.

3. A method for providing location information, comprising:

accepting a demand of providing location information of a terminal of a second user from a terminal of a first user;

requesting an approval of the location information provided to the terminal of the second user, which depends on a request of providing the location information;

receiving a reply for approving providing of the location information, from the second user'"'"'s terminal;

generating map information of the first and the second user which includes each user'"'"'s location information, synthesizing the location information which was provided from the first and the second user'"'"'s terminal, and map data chosen based on the location information from the database, when providing of the location information is approved;

displaying the generated map information at least on the first user'"'"'s terminal;

acquiring new location information of the first and the second user, when the first and the second user'"'"'s request for updating location information is detected;

generating new map information, by using the location information which is newly acquired; and

displaying the new generated map information on the first and the second user'"'"'s terminal,

wherein the accepting a demand of providing location information includes acquiring a demand of providing location information also accepts the first user'"'"'s location information with the demand;

the receiving a reply for approving providing of the location information includes acquiring a reply for approving providing the location information also includes acquiring the second user'"'"'s location information with approval, when the second user approves the request of providing location information; and

the request for updating location information is determined at predetermined time intervals from a point of the second user'"'"' approval.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, after receiving a reply for approving providing of the location information, notifying of an impossibility of providing the location information of the second user to the first user'"'"'s terminal when the second user does not approve the providing the position information.

5. A method for providing a map service to terminals, comprising:

receiving a service request from a first terminal, the service request being accompanied by a first phone number of the first terminal, a second phone number of the second terminal, and a first location information of the first terminal;

transmitting the service request to a second terminal whether a user of the second terminal allows to provide a location information to a user of the first terminal;

receiving an approval message from the second terminal, the approval message being accompanied by a second location information of the second terminal;

generating a map data showing both positions of the first and second terminals using the first and second location informations; and

transmitting the map data at least to the first terminal to be displayed.

6. A server for providing a map service to radio terminals, comprising:

a database storing a map data;

a communication module configured to communicate directly or indirectly with radio terminals, the radio terminals including at least a first radio terminal being assigned a first phone number and having a sensor to generate a first location information indicating the location of the first radio terminal, and a second radio terminal being assigned a second phone number and having a sensor to generate a second location information indicating the location of the second radio terminal;

a processing unit configured to control the data base and the communication module and to provide the map service, wherein the processing unit includes;

a receiving unit configured to receive a service request from a first radio terminal via the communication module, the service request being accompanied by the first phone number of the first radio terminal, the second phone number of the second radio terminal, and the first location information of the first radio terminal;

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the service request to the second radio terminal whether a user of the second radio terminal allows to provide the second location information to a user of the first radio terminal, via the communication module, wherein the service request is accompanied with the first telephone number or a user name of the first radio terminal;

a message receiving unit configured to receive an approval message from the second radio terminal, the approval message being accompanied by the second location information of the second radio terminal, via the communication module;

a map synthesizing unit configured to synthesize a map data showing both positions of the first and second radio terminals with the first and second location informations, using the database; and

a distributing unit configured to distribute the map data at least to the first radio terminal to be displayed, via the communication module.