Portable terminal, and radio quality display method, program, and system

• US 7,634,292 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Taoka, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thanh C
• Application Number:
  US11/630,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20070232345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,670 Days
• Field of Search: 455/11.1, 455/426.1, 455/452.1, 455/455, 455/502, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/566, 455/575.1, 370/329, 370/335, 370/337, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A mobile terminal can obtain information on locations where radio wave reception levels are high from other mobile terminals regardless of the radio wave reception level of the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal communicates with one or more other mobile terminals via a base station, and comprises a communications interface enabling the mobile terminal to bypass the base station and communicate with the other mobile terminal, a position detection unit, a radio wave reception level detection unit, a request transmitter unit, an information receiver unit, and an output unit. The position detection unit detects a current position of the mobile terminal. The radio wave reception level detection unit detects a reception level of radio waves from the base station at the current position. The request transmitter unit requests current position information and a radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal from the other mobile terminal via the communications interface. The information receiver unit receives the current position information and the radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal from the other mobile terminal via the communications interface. The output unit links the current position information and the radio wave reception level of the mobile terminal with the current position information and the radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal that the information receiver unit has received, and outputs the linked information and levels.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal that communicates with one or more other mobile terminals via a base station, the mobile terminal comprising:

a communications interface configured to enable the mobile terminal to bypass the base station and communicate with the other mobile terminal;

a position detection unit configured to detect the current position of the mobile terminal;

a radio wave reception level detection unit configured to detect a reception level of radio waves from the base station at the current position;

a request transmitter unit configured to request current position information and a radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal from the other mobile terminal via the communications interface;

an information receiver unit configured to receive the current position information and the radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal from the other mobile terminal via the communications interface; and

an output unit configured to link the current position information and the radio wave reception level of the mobile terminal with the current position information and the radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal that the information receiver unit has received, respectively, and output the linked information and levels.

2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a first storage unit having a map of a predetermined area that includes the current position of the mobile terminal,

wherein the output unit displays and superposes the detected radio wave reception level at a position that corresponds to the current position information of the mobile terminal on the map of the predetermined area, and displays and superposes the received radio wave reception level at a position that corresponds to the current position information of the other mobile terminal on the map of the predetermined area.

3. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the output unit provides voice output of the current position information and the radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal that the information receiver unit has received.

4. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a second storage unit having a database configured to link the current position information and the radio wave reception levels of the mobile terminal and the other mobile terminal, and store the linked information and levels.

5. The mobile terminal according to claim 4 wherein the second storage unit updates the database based on the current position information and the radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal that the information receiver unit has received, after a predetermined time period has elapsed since the request transmitter unit transmitted the request.

6. The mobile terminal according to claim 4, further comprising a request receiver unit configured to receive the request for the current position information and the radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal from a user,

wherein the second storage unit updates the database based on the current position information and the radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal that the information receiver unit has received, after a predetermined time period has elapsed since the request receiver unit received the request.

7. A radio quality display system comprising:

the mobile terminals according to claim 1; and

a base station configured to relay communication between the mobile terminals.

8. A mobile terminal that communicates with one or more other mobile terminals via a base station, the mobile terminal comprising:

a communications interface configured to enable the mobile terminal to bypass the base station and communicate with the other mobile terminal;

a request receiver unit configured to receive a request for current position information and a radio wave reception level of the mobile terminal from the other mobile terminal via the communications interface;

a position detection unit configured to detect the current position of the mobile terminal in response to the request;

a radio wave reception level detection unit configured to detect a reception level of radio waves from the base station at the current position of the mobile terminal in response to the request; and

an information transmitter unit configured to transmit the detected current position information and the detected radio wave reception level of the mobile terminal to the other mobile terminal via the communications interface.

9. The mobile terminal according to claim 8, further comprising an information receiver unit configured to receive current position information and a radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal via the communications interface;

and

an output unit configured to link the detected current position information and the detected radio wave reception level of the mobile terminal with the received current position information and the received radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal, and output the linked information and levels.

10. The mobile terminal according to claim 9, further comprising a first storage unit having a map of a predetermined area that includes the current position of the mobile terminal,

wherein the output unit displays and superposes the detected radio wave reception level at a position that corresponds to the current position information of the mobile terminal on the map of the predetermined area, and displays and superposes the received radio wave reception level at a position that corresponds to the current position information of the other mobile terminal on the map of the predetermined area.

11. The mobile terminal according to claim 9, wherein the output unit provides voice output of the received current position information and the radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal.

12. The mobile terminal according to claim 8 further comprising

an information receiver unit configured to receive the current position information and the radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal via the communications interface;

and

a second storage unit having a database configured to link the current position information and the radio wave reception levels of the mobile terminal and the other mobile terminal, and store the linked information and levels.

13. The mobile terminal according to claim 12, wherein the second storage unit updates the database based on the received current position information and the received radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal, after a predetermined time period has elapsed since the request receiver unit received the request.

14. A radio quality display system comprising:

the mobile terminals according to claim 8; and

a base station configured to relay communication between the mobile terminals.

15. A radio quality display method of a mobile terminal that communicates with one or more other mobile terminals via a base station, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a current position of the mobile terminal;

detecting a reception level of radio waves from the base station at the current position;

requesting current position information and a radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal from the other mobile terminal via a communications interface configured to enable the mobile terminal to bypass the base station and communicate with the other mobile terminal;

receiving the current position information and the radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal from the other mobile terminal via the communication interface; and

linking the current position information and the radio wave reception levels of the mobile terminal and the other mobile terminal, and outputting the linked information and levels.

16. A radio quality display method of a mobile terminal that communicates with one or more other mobile terminals via a base station, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for a current position information and a radio wave reception level of the mobile terminal from the other mobile terminal via a communications interface configured to enable the mobile terminal to bypass the base station and communicate with the other mobile terminal;

detecting a current position of the mobile terminal in response to the request;

detecting a reception level of radio waves from the base station at the current position in response to the request; and

transmitting the detected current position information and the detected radio wave reception level of the mobile terminal to the other mobile terminal via the communications interface.

17. A mobile terminal executed by a computer that communicates with one or more other mobile terminals via a base station, said computer having stored thereon a program causing the computer to implement a method comprising:

detecting a current position of the mobile terminal;

detecting a reception level of radio waves from the base station at the current position;

requesting current position information and a radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal from the other mobile terminal via a communications interface configured to enable the mobile terminal to bypass the base station and communicate with the other mobile terminal;

receiving the current position information and the radio wave reception level of the other mobile terminal from the other mobile terminal via the communications interface; and

linking the current position information and the radio wave reception levels of the mobile terminal and the other mobile terminal, and outputting the linked information and levels.

18. A mobile terminal executed by a computer that communicates with one or more other mobile terminals via a base station, said computer having stored thereon a program causing the computer to implement a method comprising:

receiving a request for current position information and a radio wave reception level of the mobile terminal from the other mobile terminal via a communications interface configured to enable the mobile terminal to bypass the base station and communicate with the other mobile terminal;

detecting a current position of the mobile terminal in response to the request;

detecting a radio wave reception level of the mobile terminal at the current position in response to the request; and

transmitting the detected current position and the detected radio wave reception level of the mobile terminal to the other mobile terminal via the communications interface.