Tracking a group of mobile terminals

• US 7,933,609 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2007
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Foxenland, Eral Denis, Almas, Randi-Lise Hjelmeland, Lindahl, Lisa Wiveca, Lagerstedt, Anna-Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Huy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nair; Sowmini
• Application Number:
  US11/675,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20080200189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/419, 455/457, 455/461
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes

Abstract

A method performed by a mobile terminal may include identifying a group of mobile terminals, generating a message that includes a link to a map showing a position each of the mobile terminals in the group and transmitting the message to each of the plurality of mobile terminals in the group.

Claims

1. A method performed by a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving information identifying a geographic location of each mobile terminal, in a group of mobile terminals;

providing, to at least one mobile terminal, in the group of mobile terminals, a geographic location of a destination;

calculating a distance between the geographic location of the at least one mobile terminal, in the group of mobile terminals, and the geographic location of the destination;

identifying whether the calculated distance is less than or equal to a certain distance; and

automatically generating and transmitting a message, containing a link to a document, to the at least one of the mobile terminals, in the group of mobile terminals, based on the calculated distance being less than or equal to the certain distance, where a content of the document is based on the calculated distance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inputting information identifying the group of mobile terminals.

3. The method of claim 2, where the message includes:

a map that displays the geographic location of each of the group of mobile terminals.

4. The method of claim 1, where the message includes text.

5. The method of claim 4, where the message includes information related to the destination.

6. A mobile terminal, comprising:

an input device for entering information identifying another mobile terminal and a destination address associated with a geographic location;

a display; and

logic to;

receive a signal indicating a geographic location of the identified other mobile terminal,

transmit the destination address associated with the geographic location to the other mobile terminal,

calculate a distance between the geographic location of the other mobile terminal and the destination address associated with the geographic location;

identify whether the calculated distance is less than or equal to a certain distance; and

automatically generate and transmit a message, containing a link to a document, to the other mobile terminal, based on the calculated distance being less than or equal to the certain distance, where a content of the document is based on the calculated distance.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, where the logic is further to:

receive information from the input device that identifies a group of mobile terminals.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, where the logic is further to:

store the information that identifies the group of mobile terminals in a contact list.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, where the logic is further to:

automatically transmit a text message to each one of the mobile terminals in the identified group of mobile terminals.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 7, where the logic is further to:

receive and display a message that includes a link to a map displaying a geographic location of each of the mobile terminals in the identified group.

11. A method performed by a mobile terminal, comprising:

identifying a group of mobile terminals;

calculating a distance between the mobile terminal and at least one other mobile terminal in the group of mobile terminals;

identifying whether the calculated distance is less than or equal to a certain distance;

automatically generating, at a certain time interval, messages to the at least one other mobile terminal, in the group of mobile terminals, based on the calculated distance being less than or equal to the certain distance, where at least one of the messages contains a link to a document that is to be shared between the mobile terminal and the at least one other mobile terminal in the group of mobile terminals; and

automatically transmitting the messages to the at least one other mobile terminal in the group of mobile terminals.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying a destination address associated with the group of mobile terminals, where at least one message includes a map showing a geographic location of the destination address.

13. The method of claim 12, where the at least one message further includes directions to the destination address or provides a link to the directions.

14. The method of claim 12, where the at least one message further includes a link related to the destination address.

15. The method of claim 12, where the map further comprises:

a display showing a geographic location of each of the mobile terminals in the group.

16. A method implemented by a server device, comprising:

receiving identification information, identifying each mobile terminal in a group of mobile terminals, from a mobile terminal in the group of mobile terminals;

receiving destination information, identifying a geographic location associated with a destination address, from the mobile terminal of the group of mobile terminals;

monitoring a position of each mobile terminal, in the group of mobile terminals, based on the identification information;

calculating a distance between the at least one mobile terminal, in the group of mobile terminals, and the geographic location associated with the destination address; and

automatically sending a message, containing at least one link to at least one document, to the at least one mobile terminal, of the group of mobile terminals, based on a calculated distance, between the at least one mobile terminal, in the group of mobile terminals, and the geographic location associated with the destination address, being less than or equal to a certain distance, where a content of the at least one document is based on the calculated distance.

17. The method implemented by a server device of claim 16, where the message includes information relating to the destination address.

18. The method implemented by a server device of claim 16, where the message includes at least one image of the geographical location associated with the destination address.