Mobile terminals including location management systems and location management methods for mobile terminals

• US 7,561,063 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2007
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Eckhart, Colin John
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tai T
• Application Number:
  US11/714,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20080218405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 340/901, 340/995.1, 340/995.18, 340/988, 340/989, 340/990, 340/539.13, 340/539.17, 455/456, 455/457, 455/459, 701/201, 701/208, 701/211
• US Class Current: 340/901
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

Methods of managing a location of a mobile terminal include obtaining a position of the mobile terminal, estimating a distance from the mobile terminal to a destination point, generating an estimated time for the mobile terminal to reach the destination point, and generating an alert if the estimated time for the mobile terminal to reach the destination point reaches a threshold time. Related mobile terminals are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of managing a location of a mobile terminal, comprising:

obtaining a position of the mobile terminal measuring a current speed of the mobile terminal;

estimating a distance from the mobile terminal to a destination point wherein estimating the distance from the mobile terminal to a destination point comprises generating a route between the position of the mobile terminal and the destination point based on a movement constraint of the mobile terminal;

generating an estimated time for the mobile terminal to reach the destination point wherein generating the estimated time for the mobile terminal to reach the destination point comprises generating the estimated time in response to the current speed of the mobile terminal and the generated route; and

generating an alert if the estimated time for the mobile terminal to reach the destination point reaches a threshold time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the route is performed in response to an operational mode of the mobile terminal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the operational mode comprises a pedestrian operational mode, and wherein the movement constraint comprises at least one of a building, a bridge, a gate, or a fence.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the operational mode comprises a vehicular operational mode, and wherein the movement constraint comprises a road.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the estimated time for the mobile terminal to reach the destination point comprises generating the estimated time assuming the mobile terminal travels the route at an average speed and/or at a maximum speed.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining traffic information indicative of traffic in an area between the mobile terminal and the destination point;

wherein generating the estimated time for the mobile terminal to reach the destination point comprises generating the estimated time in response to the traffic in the area between the position of the mobile terminal and the destination point.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the route comprises generating a quickest route between the position of the mobile terminal and the destination point in response to the traffic in the area between the mobile terminal and the destination point.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the alert comprises generating the alert if the estimated time for the mobile terminal to reach the destination point exceeds the threshold time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the alert comprises generating the alert if the estimated time for the mobile terminal to reach the destination point is less than the threshold time.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an information box associated with the mobile terminal, the information box comprising an estimated time for the mobile terminal to reach the destination point.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically updating the geo-temporal boundary in response to a passage of time.

12. A method of managing locations of a plurality of mobile terminals, comprising:

obtaining positions of the plurality of mobile terminals measuring a current speed of the mobile terminal;

estimating distances from the plurality of mobile terminals to a destination point wherein estimating the distances from the plurality of mobile terminals to a destination point comprises generating routes between the positions of the mobile terminals and the destination point based on movement constraints of the mobile terminals;

generating estimated times for the mobile terminals to reach the destination point wherein generating the estimated times for the mobile terminals to reach the destination point comprises generating the estimated times in response to the current speeds of the mobile terminals and the generated routes; and

generating an alert if the estimated time for at least one of the mobile terminals to reach the destination point reaches a threshold time.

13. A mobile terminal, comprising

a location management unit configured to obtain a position of a mobile terminal;

and

a controller configured to estimate a distance from the position of the mobile terminal to a destination point by generating a route between the position of the mobile terminal and the destination point based on a movement constraint of the mobile terminal, configured to measure a current speed of the mobile terminal, configured to generate an estimated time for the mobile terminal to reach the destination point in response to the current speed of the mobile terminal and the generated route, and configured to generate an alert if the estimated time for the mobile terminal to reach the destination point reaches a threshold time.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, further comprising:

a traffic information unit configured to obtain traffic information indicative of traffic in an area between the position of the mobile terminal and the destination point;

wherein the controller is further configured to generate the estimated time in response to the traffic in the area between the position of the mobile terminal and the destination point.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate a geo-temporal boundary around the destination point in response to the position of the mobile terminal, the location of the destination point, and a rate of motion of the mobile terminal.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 13, further comprising a map database, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a route between the position of the mobile terminal and the destination point in response to map information stored in the map database.

17. A method of managing a location of a mobile terminal, comprising:

obtaining a position of the mobile terminal;

measuring a current speed of the mobile terminal;

estimating a distance from the mobile terminal to a destination point;

generating an estimated time for the mobile terminal to reach the destination point;

generating an alert if the estimated time for the mobile terminal to reach the destination point reaches a threshold time;

calculating a geo-temporal boundary around the destination point in response to the position of the mobile terminal, the location of the destination point, and the current speed of motion of the mobile terminal, wherein the geo-temporal boundary indicates a farthest distance that the mobile terminal can be from the destination point while still being less than the threshold time away from reaching the destination point; and

displaying the geo-temporal boundary on a display screen of the mobile terminal.