Radioterminals and associated operating methods that transmit position information responsive to change/rate of change of position

• US 7,696,924 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Karabinis, Peter D., Levin, Lon C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIU, HARRY K
• Application Number:
  US12/249,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20090040100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 342/357.1
• US Class Current: 342/357.64
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers

Abstract

A radioterminal includes a wireless communications transmitter, a wireless communications receiver and a GPS receiver. A controller is configured to enable the GPS receiver when the wireless communications receiver is receiving wireless communications, and to disable the GPS receiver when the wireless communications transmitter is transmitting wireless communications. Related methods also are described.

Claims

1. A method of using a first radioterminal, the method comprising:

authorizing at least one second radioterminal to receive geographic position information of the first radioterminal; and

transmitting a measure of a geographic position of the first radioterminal to the at least one second radioterminal that was authorized, responsive to a change of position of the first radioterminal and responsive to a rate of change of position of the first radioterminal.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein authorizing is performed responsive to receiving at the first radioterminal, an identification of the at least one second radioterminal.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein authorizing is performed responsive to receiving at the at least one second radioterminal, an identification of the first radioterminal.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein authorizing is performed responsive to receiving at a radioterminal communications system, an identification of the first radioterminal and of the at least one second radioterminal.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising determining the measure of the geographic position of the first radioterminal.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein determining is performed by a Global Positioning System (GPS) system at the first radioterminal.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein determining is performed by the first radioterminal and/or a radioterminal communications system communicating therewith.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein transmitting is performed at predetermined values of time, at predetermined intervals of time, periodically and/or non-periodically.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein transmitting comprises repeatedly transmitting.

10. A method a according to claim 1 wherein transmitting is performed responsive to a user command and/or a time-of-day value.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein authorizing and transmitting are performed by the first radioterminal.

12. A radioterminal comprising:

a wireless communications transceiver;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver; and

a controller that is configured to authorize at least one other radioterminal to receive geographic position information of the radioterminal, to activate the GPS receiver to obtain a measure of a geographic position of the radioterminal and to activate the wireless communications transceiver to transmit the measure of the geographic position of the radioterminal to the at least one other radioterminal that was authorized, responsive to a change of position of the radioterminal and responsive to a rate of change of position of the radioterminal.

13. A radioterminal according to claim 12 wherein the controller is configured to authorize in response to receiving an identification of the at least one other radioterminal.

14. A radioterminal according to claim 12 wherein the controller is configured to activate the GPS receiver and to activate the wireless communications transceiver at predetermined values of time, at predetermined intervals of time, periodically and/or at non-periodically.

15. A radioterminal according to claim 12 wherein the controller is further configured to repeatedly activate the GPS receiver and to repeatedly activate the wireless communications transceiver, responsive to a change of position of the radioterminal and responsive to a rate of change of position of the radioterminal.

16. A radioterminal according to claim 12 wherein the controller is further configured to activate the GPS receiver and to activate the wireless communications transceiver responsive to a user command at the radioterminal and/or a time-of-day value.

17. A system comprising:

a controller that is configured to authorize at least one receiver to receive geographic position information of a radioterminal and to cause a measure of a geographic position of the radioterminal to be transmitted to the at least one receiver that was authorized, responsive to a change of position of the radioterminal and responsive to a rate of change of position of the radioterminal.

18. A system according to claim 17 wherein the controller is configured to authorize in response to receiving an identification of the at least one receiver.

19. A system according to claim 17 wherein the controller is configured to authorize in response to receiving an identification of the radioterminal.

20. A system according to claim 17 wherein the controller is configured to authorize in response to receiving an identification of the radioterminal and of the at least one receiver.

21. A system according to claim 17 wherein the controller is further configured to determine the measure of the geographic position of the radioterminal.

22. A system according to claim 21 wherein the controller is configured to determine the measure of the geographic position of the radioterminal by repeatedly activating a Global Positioning System (GPS) system.

23. A system according to claim 21 wherein the controller is configured to determine the measure of the geographic position of the radioterminal by activating a geographic position determining system at the radioterminal and/or at the controller.

24. A system according to claim 17 wherein the controller is configured to cause a measure of a geographic position of the radioterminal to be transmitted to the at least one receiver that was authorized at predetermined values of time, at predetermined intervals of time, periodically and/or non-periodically.

25. A system according to claim 17 wherein the controller is further configured to cause a measure of a geographic position of the radioterminal to be transmitted repeatedly to the at least one receiver that was authorized, responsive to a change of position of the radioterminal and responsive to a rate of change in the position of the radioterminal.

26. A system according to claim 17 wherein the controller is further configured to cause a measure of a geographic position of the radioterminal to be transmitted to the at least one receiver that was authorized responsive to a user command and/or a time-of-day value.