Mobile terminal device, remote notification method and recording medium

• US 8,073,484 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Casio Hitachi Mobile Communications Company Limited (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Sagou, Yuuichi, Sato, Erina, Yonezawa, Yaeko
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gu, Andy
• Application Number:
  US12/012,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20080214235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2474 Telephone terminals specially adapted for disabled people user interfaces for cordless or mobile telephones specially adapted for disabled users H04M1/72475; network based special services or facilities for hearing-impaired persons H04M3/42391; devices for conversing with the deaf-blind G09B21/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

When detecting that an other cellular phone device 1 is present in the vicinity of a local cellular phone device 1 through a short-range wireless communication unit 24, a CPU 11 receives and acquires a communication-partner ID from the other cellular phone device 1 through the short-range wireless communication unit 24. Next, the CPU 11 creates a e-mail indicating that the communication partner is present in the vicinity of the local cellular phone device based on the communication-partner ID. Further, the CPU 11 sends a predetermined communication terminal 4 of the created e-mail from a telephone communication unit 15 through a public mobile communication network 2.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal device comprising:

a short-range communication unit which performs direct short-range communication with another communication terminal present within a vicinity of an area in which radio waves arrive from the direct short-range communication;

a long-range communication unit which performs long-range communication with a predetermined communication terminal through a network;

a table in which communication-partner information is registered to identify a possessor of the another communication terminal;

a detection unit which detects the another communication terminal by performing an automatic communication with another short-range communication unit of the another communication terminal using the short-range communication unit of the mobile terminal device;

an acquisition unit which acquires communication-partner identification information from the another communication terminal through the short-range communication unit to identify that the possessor of the another communication terminal is registered when the detection unit detects that the another communication terminal is present within the vicinity of the mobile terminal device; and

a notification unit which creates an e-mail containing neighborhood information relating to a partner who is the possessor of the another communication terminal based on the communication-partner identification information acquired by the acquisition unit and information registered in the table, and notifies the predetermined communication terminal of the created e-mail through the long-range communication unit.

2. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination unit which determines whether the communication-partner identification information registered in the table beforehand is included in the acquired communication-partner identification information,

wherein the notification unit notifies the predetermined communication terminal of neighborhood information indicating that a registered communication-partner is present in within the vicinity of the mobile terminal device when the determination unit determines that the registered communication-partner identification information is included in the acquired communication-partner identification information.

3. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination unit which determines whether information other than the communication-partner identification information registered in the table beforehand is included in the acquired communication-partner identification information,

wherein the notification unit notifies the predetermined communication terminal of neighborhood information indicating that an unknown communication partner, which is not a registered communication terminal, is present within the vicinity of the mobile terminal device when the determination unit determines that information other than the registered communication-partner identification information is included in the acquired communication-partner identification information.

4. The mobile terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the notification unit notifies the predetermined communication terminal of neighborhood information indicating that the unknown communication partner, which is not the registered communication terminal, is present within the vicinity of the mobile terminal device when the determination unit determines continuously for a predetermined time that the acquired communication-partner identification information is not communication-partner identification information registered in the table.

5. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit starts notification when the detection unit detects that the another communication terminal is present within the vicinity of the mobile terminal device.

6. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recording unit which sequentially records communication-partner identification information acquired by the acquisition unit,

wherein the notification unit reads out individual communication-partner identification information sequentially recorded at predetermined timings, and notifies a predetermined communication terminal of the read-out communication-partner identification information collectively.

7. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination unit which determines whether the communication-partner identification information acquired by the acquisition unit is new communication-partner identification information,

wherein the notification unit notifies the predetermined communication terminal of neighborhood information indicating that a new communication partner is present within the vicinity of the mobile terminal device when the determination unit determines that the acquired communication-partner identification information is new communication-partner identification information.

8. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination unit which determines whether a detection result by the detection unit satisfies a plan condition registered in the table and including identification information of a person supposed to meet or leave the possessor, and

wherein the notification unit creates activity information indicating an activity in accordance with a plan based on a detection result by the detection unit and a determination result by the determination unit, and notifies the predetermined communication terminal of the activity information through the long-range communication unit.

9. The mobile terminal device according to claim 8, wherein the plan condition includes at least one of a time span and a pre-designated place, and when the detection unit determines that an other communication terminal is present within the vicinity of the mobile terminal device under a circumstance satisfying the plan condition, the notification unit notifies a predetermined communication terminal of information to that effect.

10. The mobile terminal device according to claim 8, wherein the plan condition includes at least one of a time span and a pre-designated place, and when the detection unit determines that no other communication terminal is present within the vicinity of the mobile terminal device under a circumstance satisfying the plan condition, the notification unit notifies the predetermined communication terminal of information to that effect.

11. The mobile terminal device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a determination unit which determines whether communication-partner identification information pre-registered in the table is included in the acquired communication-partner identification information,

wherein the notification unit notifies the predetermined communication terminal of neighborhood information indicating that a registered communication partner is present within the vicinity of the mobile terminal device when the determination unit determines that the registered communication-partner identification information is included in the acquired communication-partner identification information.

12. The mobile terminal device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a determination unit which determines whether the communication-partner identification information acquired by the acquisition unit is new communication-partner identification information,

wherein the notification unit notifies the predetermined communication terminal of neighborhood information indicating that a new communication partner is present within the vicinity of the mobile terminal device when the determination unit determines that the acquired communication-partner identification information is new communication-partner identification information.

13. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination unit which determines whether the another communication terminal detected by the detection unit is the predetermined communication terminal pre-registered in the table,

wherein when the determination unit determines a change in presence/absence of the predetermined communication terminal, the notification unit notifies the predetermined communication terminal of that change through the long-range communication unit.

14. The mobile terminal device according to claim 13, wherein when the determination unit determines that a state indicating that the predetermined communication terminal is absent changes to a state indicating that the predetermined communication terminal is present, the notification unit notifies the predetermined communication terminal of that change.

15. The mobile terminal device according to claim 13, wherein when the determination unit determines that a state indicating that the predetermined communication terminal is present changes to a state indicating that the predetermined communication terminal is absent, the notification unit notifies the predetermined communication terminal of that change.

16. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a time acquisition unit which acquires information on a current time; and

a position acquisition unit which acquires information on a current position,

wherein the notification unit notifies the predetermined communication terminal of time information acquired by the time acquisition unit and position information acquired by the position acquisition unit together with created information.

17. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mode setting unit which sets a predetermined operation mode,

wherein when a predetermined operation mode is set by the mode setting unit, the detection unit detects whether the another communication terminal is present within the vicinity of the mobile terminal device.

18. A remote notification method comprising the steps of:

detecting whether a communication terminal is present within a vicinity of an area in which radio waves arrive through a direct short-range communication with another communication terminal;

acquiring communication-partner identification information from the another communication terminal through the direct short-range communication to identify that a possessor of the another communication terminal is registered upon detecting that the another communication terminal is present within the vicinity of communication terminal; and

creating an e-mail containing neighborhood information relating to a partner who is the possessor of the another communication terminal based on the acquired communication-partner identification information and information registered in a table, and notifying a predetermined communication terminal of the created e-mail through a long-range communication.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with a computer program executed by a mobile terminal that causes remote notification, the computer program comprising:

program code for performing a function of performing direct short-range communication with another communication terminal present within a vicinity of an area in which radio waves arrive from the direct short-range communication;

program code for performing a function of performing long-range communication with a predetermined communication terminal device through a network;

program code for performing a function of detecting the another communication terminal by performing an automatic communication through the direct short-range communication with the another communication terminal;

program code for performing a function of acquiring communication-partner identification information from the another communication terminal through the direct short-range communication to identify that a possessor of the another communication terminal is registered upon detecting that the another communication terminal is present within the vicinity of mobile terminal; and

program code for performing a function of creating an e-mail containing neighborhood information relating to a partner who is a possessor of the another communication terminal based on the acquired communication-partner identification information and information registered in a table, and of notifying the predetermined communication terminal of the created e-mail information through a long-range communication.