Mobile communication device and position search method

• US 7,486,947 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2005
• Issued: 02/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Sato, Kazuyuki, Katsumata, Hiroyuki, Sasaki, Hayato
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper; Vincent P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Au; Gary
• Application Number:
  US11/166,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20060217129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/456.4, 455/551
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• 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

Abstract

A mobile communication device capable of issuing a report as quickly as possible to a report destination of which telephone number or electronic mail address varies depending on the current position is provided. When identification information of the report destination is inputted, the identification information is converted to a communication address such as a telephone number or electronic mail address for the report destination corresponding with the current position of the mobile communication device such as a cellular phone by means of pattern matching and call request or transmission processing is performed. In the case of a mobile communication device with a high processing performance, the current position is located by activating the GPS prior to receiving a position communication request from the report destination, and the current position is communicated on the basis of the position communication request.

Claims

1. A position search device that, based on a report to a predetermined report destination from a mobile communication device that locates a current position by GPS positioning and searches for the current position of the mobile communication device from the report destination, comprising:

a communication device of the report destination acquiring mobile device information identifying the processing performance of the mobile communication device, and transmitting a position communication request to the mobile communication device while communicating with the mobile communication device when it is judged that the processing performance of the mobile communication device is high, on the basis of the mobile device information, and transmitting a position communication request to the mobile communication device following the end of communications with the mobile communication device when it is judged that the processing performance of the mobile communication device is low; and

the mobile communication device communicating the current position, that is obtained as a result of the GPS positioning, to the communication device of the report destination on the basis of the receipt of the position communication request.

2. The position search device according to claim 1, wherein:

a mobile communication device with a high processing performance starts GPS positioning while communicating with the communication device of the report destination; and

a mobile communication device with a low processing performance starts GPS positioning on the basis of receipt of the position communication request.

3. The position search device according to claim 1, wherein the processing performance of the mobile communication device is judged from the operating speed of a processor built in the mobile communication device.

4. The position search device according to claim 1, wherein:

the mobile communication device comprises a storing unit which stores identification information for a predetermined report destination and a communication address for each area for the report destination; and

the mobile communication device detects the area containing the current position in response to the input of the identification information of the report destination, extracts the communication address of the report destination corresponding with the detected area from the storage unit, and communicates with the communication device of the report destination by using the extracted communication address.

5. The position search device according to claim 4, wherein the communication address is a telephone number or an electronic mail address.

6. A position search method, based on a report to a predetermined report destination from a mobile communication device, that locates a current position using GPS positioning and searches for a current position of the mobile communication device from the report destination, comprising:

acquiring mobile device information identifying processing performance of the mobile communication device;

transmitting a position communication request to the mobile communication device while communicating with the mobile communication device when it is judged that the processing performance of the mobile communication device is high, on the basis of the mobile device information;

transmitting a position communication request to the mobile communication device following the end of communications with the mobile communication device when it is judged that the processing performance of the mobile communication device is low; and

communicating the current position, that is obtained as a result of the GPS positioning, to the communication device of the report destination on the basis of the receipt of the position communication request.

7. The position search method according to claim 6, wherein:

starting GPA positioning by a mobile communication device with a high processing performance while communicating with the communication device of the report destination; and

starting GPS positioning by a mobile communication device with a low processing performance on the basis of receipt of the position communication request.

8. The position search method according to claim 6, wherein the processing performance of the mobile communication device is judged from the operating speed of a processor in the mobile communication device.

9. The position search method according to claim 6, wherein:

storing identification information for a predetermined report destination and a communication address for each area for the report destination by the mobile communication device storing identification information for a predetermined report destination and a communication address for each area for the report destination; and

the detecting, by mobile communication device, the area containing the current position in response to the input of the identification information of the report destination, extracting the communication address of the report destination corresponding with the detected area from the storage unit, and, using the extracted communication address, communicating with the communication device of the report destination.

10. The position search method according to claim 6, wherein the communication address is a telephone number or an electronic mail address.