Positioning information transmitting device and positioning information transmitting/receiving system

• US 7,065,370 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2002
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohata, Tadahiro, Okuda, Shizue, Ogaki, Tadao
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramos-Feliciano, Eliseo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phuong, Dai
• Application Number:
  US10/235,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20030073447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/457, 455/414.4, 455/456.3, 455/456.6, 455/404.32, 455/420, 455/500, 455/404.2, 455/557, 455/556.2
• US Class Current: 455/457
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• 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 8/14 between corresponding nodes

Abstract

A positioning information transmitting device for transmitting the current site data to a peripheral device(s) using wireless signals. The current side data, as the positioning information of the current site, calculated by a portable telephone signal positioning processor 20 or a GPS unit 30, is transmitted to a CPU 12 through an interfacing (I/F) unit 11. The positioning information transmitting device 10 includes a local wireless communication unit 40 for transmitting/receiving data to or from the peripheral device(s). The current side data is transmitted from a CPU 12 through a communication controller 13 so as to be processed by a baseband processor 41 of the local wireless communication unit 40. The so processed data is superposed by an RF processor 41 on a carrier wave so as to be transmitted over a wireless path to a peripheral device(s) from a local wireless communication antenna 43.

Claims

1. A positioning information processing system comprising:

a first device including;

a first wireless transceiver configured to communicate with a base station of a cellular telecommunication network, said first wireless transceiver operating to receive cellular telephone service and positioning service from said base station;

a second wireless receiver configured to receive positioning service from the GPS system;

a first positioning processor configured to process the positioning services from said base station and the GPS system to obtain current positioning information of said first device; and

a third wireless transmitter configured to transmit over a local area wireless network the obtained current positioning information of said first device;

a second device including;

a graphical processor configured to receive or capture media data;

a fourth wireless receiver for receiving the transmitted current positioning information of said first device; and

a second positioning processor for processing and converting the received positioning information into place name, time and/or location coordinates that can be attached or associated with said media data to better identify said media data.

2. The positioning information processing system according to claim 1,

wherein said second device is in close proximity to said first device such that the current positioning information of said first device provides good approximation of a current position of said second device including said media data.

3. The positioning information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said graphical processor includes

a portable image pickup device configured to image an object and record and/or output an image of said object.

4. The positioning information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said second device is

a portable information terminal device having a display unit for displaying map information, said terminal device configured to associate said place name or location coordinates to a point on a map.

5. The positioning information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said first device includes a cellular telephone.

6. The positioning information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said second device includes a digital camera.

7. The positioning information processing system according to claim 6, wherein said media data includes a digital photograph image.

8. The positioning information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said second device includes a personal digital assistant (PDA).

9. The positioning information processing system according to claim 8, wherein said media data includes a graphical map display.

10. A positioning information processing method comprising:

providing a first device including;

configuring a first wireless transceiver to communicate with a base station of a cellular telecommunication network, said first wireless transceiver operating to receive cellular telephone service and positioning service from said base station;

configuring a second wireless receiver to receive positioning service the GPS system;

configuring a first positioning processor to process the positioning services from said base station and the GPS system to obtain current positioning information of said first device; and

configuring a third wireless transmitter to transmit over a local area wireless network the obtained current positioning information of said first device;

providing a second device including;

configuring a graphical processor to receive or capture media data;

configuring a fourth wireless receiver to receive the transmitted current positioning information of said first device; and

configuring a second positioning processor to process and convert the received positioning information into place name, time and/or location coordinates that can be attached or associated with said media data to better identify said media data.

11. The positioning information processing method according to claim 10, wherein said second device includes a digital camera.

12. The positioning information processing method according to claim 10, wherein said media data includes a digital photograph image.

13. The positioning information processing method according to claim 12, wherein said attaching or associating said processed and converted positioning information with said media data includes

attaching said place name, time and/or location coordinates to the digital photograph image.

14. A recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program, for processing positioning information, the program comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to:

provide a first device including;

configuring a first wireless transceiver to communicate with a base station of a cellular telecommunication network, said first wireless transceiver operating to receive cellular telephone service and positioning service from said base station;

configuring a second wireless receiver to receive positioning service from the GPS system;

configuring a first positioning processor to process the positioning services from said base station and the GPS system to obtain current positioning information of said first device; and

configuring a third wireless transmitter to transmit over a local area wireless network the obtained current positioning information of said first device;

provide a second device including;

configuring a graphical processor to receive or capture media data;

configuring a fourth wireless receiver to receive the transmitted current positioning information of said first device; and

configuring a second positioning processor to process and convert the received positioning information into place name, time and/or location coordinates that can be attached or associated with said media data to better identify said media data.