Telephone device

• US 7,920,871 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2002
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Okuda, Shizue
• Primary Examiner(s): Addy, Anthony S
• Application Number:
  US10/242,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20030078054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,127 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/403, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/422.1, 4554561-457, 455/517, 455/566, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/41.1, 455/73, 455/74
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

A telephone device which enables a user to consciously send a determined present position to a device in the surrounding area is provided. A portable telephone device 10 sends position determination information acquired by a GPS unit including a GPS antenna 31 and/or a portable telephone signal position determination processing unit including a portable telephone communication antenna 21, to another portable telephone device 50 as a desired communicating party via a base station by using a data communication function in accordance with a decision operation of a POS button 17a. Another portable telephone device 50 displays a map image of the vicinity of the received position determination information on an LCD display unit 52 by using an embedded digital map display application or the like, and also displays a present position point 53 of the portable telephone device 10 on the map image.

Claims

1. A telephone device for sending and receiving at least an audio signal to and from a desired communicating party, the telephone device comprising:

present position determination means for determining a present position and acquiring position determination information, wherein the present position determination means acquires position determination information by averaging present position data and time data obtained by a Global Positioning System with present position data and time data obtained by a base station signal;

position determination information sending means for sending the position determination information acquired by the present position determination means by at least two communication means, the communication means being data communication means and local radio communication means, the data communication means enabling the telephone device to communicate with a first external device located within a first distance range, the local radio communication means enabling the telephone device to communicate with a second external device located within a second distance range, and the second distance range being smaller than the first distance range;

user interface means provided on the telephone device for allowing a user to send the position determination information using at least the position determination information sending means to the desired communicating party, wherein the position determination information is sent to the desired communicating party when the user interface means is activated by the user;

first control means for controlling at least the position determination information sending means on the basis of a decision by the user;

display means for displaying position determination information on a map of a map display function;

second control means for controlling enlargement/reduction of the map; and

third control means for;

determining whether the telephone device is in communication with the first external device when the user interface means is activated; and

selecting the data communication means and transmitting the position determination information to the first external device via the data communication means if the third control means determines that the telephone device is in communication with the first external device, or selecting the local radio communication means and transmitting the position determination information to the second external device via the local radio communication means if the third control means determines that the telephone device is not in communication with the first external device.

2. The telephone device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first control means causes the position determination information sending means to send the position determination information only when transmission of the position determination information is decided by the user interface means.

3. The telephone device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user interface means allows the user to also decide position determination of the present position using the present position determination means.

4. The telephone device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first control means causes the present position determination means to determine the present position only when position determination of the present position is decided by the user by activating the user interface means.

5. The telephone device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the present position determination means constantly determines the present position and thus acquires the position determination information.

6. The telephone device as claimed in claim 5, wherein in accordance with a decision operation by the user using the user interface means, the position determination information sending means is caused to send the position determination information acquired by the present position determination means.

7. The telephone device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user interface means is a button.

8. The telephone device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the telephone device is a portable telephone device.

9. A telephone device capable of sending and receiving at least an audio signal to and from a desired communicating party, and connecting to a network and transmitting a text, audio and/or video information to and from an information provider side and/or another terminal device, the telephone device comprising:

present position determination means for determining a present position and acquiring position determination information;

present position determination information sending means for sending the present position determination information acquired by the present position determination means by at least two communication means, the communication means being data communication means and local radio communication means, the data communication means enabling the telephone device to communicate with a first external device located within a first distance range, the local radio communication means enabling the telephone device to communicate with a second external device located within a second distance range, and the second distance range being smaller than the first distance range;

user interface means provided on the telephone device for allowing a user to send the present position information using at least the present position determination information sending means to the desired communicating party, wherein the position determination information is acquired and sent to the desired communicating party when the user interface means is activated by the user;

first control means for controlling at least the present position determination means on the basis of a decision by the user;

display means for displaying position determination information on a map of a map display function;

second control means for controlling enlargement/reduction of the map; and

third control means for;

determining whether the telephone device is in communication with the first external device when the user interface means is activated; and

selecting the data communication means and transmitting the position determination information to the first external device via the data communication means if the third control means determines that the telephone device is in communication with the first external device, or selecting the local radio communication means and transmitting the position determination information to the second external device via the local radio communication means if the third control means determines that the telephone device is not in communication with the first external device.

10. The telephone device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first control means causes search of information on the information provider side connected to the network on the basis of the position determination information acquired by the present position determination means in accordance with the decision by the user by activating the user interface means.

11. The telephone device as claimed in claim 10, wherein if the user interface means is operated during search of information for which an area or a place is to be selected, from the information provider side connected to the network, the first control means causes selection of information of the area or place corresponding to the present position.

12. The telephone device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first control means causes sending of the position determination information of the telephone device itself to the another terminal device connected to the network on the basis of the decision by the user activating the user interface means.

13. The telephone device as claimed in claim 12, wherein when the another terminal device includes a map display function, the position determination information of the telephone device itself is displayed on the map by the map display function.

14. The telephone device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the position determination information sending means is caused to send the position determination information handled as an emergency signal in the another terminal device, on the basis of the decision by the user activating the user interface means.

15. The telephone device as claimed in claim 9, wherein when the user interface means is operated, the first control means causes the position determination information sending means to send the position determination information of the telephone device itself to the another terminal device existing in a surrounding area by using the local radio communication means.

16. A telephone device for sending and receiving at least a signal to and from a desired communicating party, the telephone device comprising:

a position determination unit for acquiring position information and determining a present position of the telephone device based on the acquired position information, wherein the position determination unit acquires position determination information by averaging position data and time data obtained by a Global Positioning System with position data and time data obtained by a base station signal;

a position information sending unit for sending the position information to the desired communicating party by at least two communication units, the communication units being a data communication unit and a local radio communication unit,

wherein the data communication unit enables the telephone device to communicate with a first external device located within a first distance range from the telephone device, and

wherein the local radio communication unit enables the telephone device to communicate with a second external device located within a second distance range from the telephone device, the second distance range being smaller than the first distance range;

a user interface unit provided on the telephone device for allowing a user to send the position information using at least the position information sending unit to the desired communicating party, wherein the position information is sent to the desired communicating party when the user interface unit is activated by the user;

a display unit for displaying position determination information on a map of a map display function; and

a control unit for controlling sending the position information based on a communication status of the telephone device,

wherein the control unit;

determines whether the telephone device is in communication with the first external device when the user interface unit is activated; and

transmits the position information to the first external device via the data communication unit if the telephone device is in communication with the first external device, or transmits the position information to the second external device via the local radio communication unit if the telephone device is not in communication with the first external device.