Portable communication device

• US 7,197,295 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2001
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawasaki, Hideji, Otsuka, Shuji, Kashu, Hiroomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peaches; Randy
• Application Number:
  US10/020,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20020077123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,924 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.2, 455/456.1, 455/457, 455/406, 455/404.2, 455/464, 348/231.99, 348/143, 379/60, 379/39, 345/7, 345/6
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A portable communication device including a GPS antenna, a GPS processing circuit for determining a location of the device based on a signal received by the antenna, a location information processing circuit for detecting the location information corresponding to a determined result, a key input device for inputting a telephone number of a communication terminal device for transmitting the location information, a control circuit, and a transmitting circuit. The key input device is provided with a LOST key. The control circuit feeds the location information detected by the location information processing circuit to the transmitting circuit when the LOST key is manipulated. The transmitting circuit transmits the location information to the communication terminal device having the inputted telephone number. This realizes a portable communication device which is adapted to notify others of the accurate present location of the device.

Claims

1. A portable communication device, comprising:

an image pickup device,

location data receiving means for receiving reference location data from a plurality of location base stations provided on satellites and/or the ground,

location detection means for detecting location information indicating a location of the device based on the reference location data received by the location data receiving means,

information input means for inputting identifying information of a communication terminal device to which the location information is to be transmitted,

a send key to be manipulated when the location information is transmitted to the communication terminal device, and

transmitting means for converting the location information detected by the location detection means and image data obtained from photography taken by the image pickup device at a location of a user to a radio signal and transmitting the radio signal to the communication terminal device having the inputted identifying information via a switching office of the telephone line network, when the transmitting key is manipulated, thereby permitting a person viewing the communication terminal device to determine the location of the user of the portable communication device,

wherein said portable communication device further comprises;

two or more displays for showing information,

transmit display processing means for showing the location information detected by the location detection means on one of the two or more displays and the image photographed by the image pickup device in response to user manipulation on another of the two or more displays, and

storage means for storing the location information and data of the image,

wherein the transmitting means converts to the radio signal and transmits the location information and the image data when the transmitting key is manipulated with the location information and the image shown on the display.

2. A portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein when the send key is manipulated, the transmitting means converts to a radio signal notification information that a location indicated by the location information is a present location of the user to transmit the radio signal to the communication terminal device having the inputted identifying information via the switching office of the telephone line network.

3. A portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the location detection means comprises:

information storage means for storing therein a plurality of items of location information including map information and/or address information, and

information extraction means for extracting one item of location information indicating the location of the portable communication device out of the plurality of items of location information based on the reference location data received.

4. A portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the device is equipped with two displays, and the transmit display processing means has the detected location information shown on one display, and has the image photographed by the image pickup device shown on the other display.

5. A portable communication device according to claim 4, further comprising:

radio signal receiving means for receiving a radio signal from the switching office of the telephone line network, and

receiving display processing means for showing on one of the displays the location information constituting the radio signal received by the radio signal receiving means, and showing on the other display the image having image data constituting the radio signal.

6. A portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein each item of location information includes map information at least, and the transmit display processing means has the location of the device shown to be superposed on the map information shown on the one or more displays.

7. A portable communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

radio signal receiving means for receiving a radio signal from the switching office of the telephone line network, and

receiving display processing means for showing on one or more displays the location information constituting the radio signal received by the radio signal receiving means and the image having image data constituting the radio signal.

8. A portable communication device, comprising:

an image pickup device,

location data receiving means for receiving reference location data from a plurality of location base stations provided on satellites and/or the ground,

location detection means for detecting location information indicating a location of the device based on the reference location data received by the location data receiving means,

information input means for inputting identifying information of a communication terminal device to which the location information is to be transmitted,

a send key to be manipulated when the location information is transmitted to the communication terminal device,

two or more displays for showing information,

display processing means for showing the location information detected by the location detection means on one of the two or more displays, and the image photographed by the image pickup device at a location of a user on another of the two or more displays, in response to user manipulation,

storage means for storing the location information and data of the image, and

transmitting means for converting the location information and the image data stored in the storing means to a radio signal and transmitting the radio signal to the communication terminal device having the inputted identifying information via a switching office of the telephone line network, when the transmitting key is manipulated with the location information and the image shown on the display, thereby permitting a person viewing the communication terminal device to determine the location of the user of the portable communication device.