Parental alert and child tracking device which determines if a child has deviated from a predicated travel route
First Claim
1. A notification system for notifying a terminal of information regarding a position of a user having another terminal based on a traveling route of the user, said notification system comprising:
- a first position detection unit operable to detect a position of a first terminal used by a first user;
a second position detection unit operable to detect positions of second terminals used by a plurality of second users;
a notification control area determination unit operable to determine a plurality of notification control areas, each respective notification control area of the plurality of notification control areas (i) being an area on a map, (ii) being an area in which position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user is not notified when the first terminal is in the respective notification control area, and (iii) including a predetermined area, the plurality of notification control areas being determined based on the positions of each of the second terminals used by the plurality of second users;
a traveling route prediction unit operable to (i) predict, for each respective notification control area, a respective first user traveling route from a current detected position of the first terminal to the respective notification control area, such that the respective first user traveling route indicates a route to be traveled by the first user from a current time onward, and (ii) predict, for each respective notification control area, a respective second user traveling route to be traveled by a respective second user of the plurality of second users from the current time onward;
a required-for-return time period calculation unit operable to calculate, for each respective notification control area, a respective required-for-return time period representing a time period required for arriving at the respective notification control area when the first user travels along the respective first user traveling route;
a companion specification unit operable to specify, as a companion, a second user, of the plurality of second users, that is able to join the first user within a predetermined period of time and accompany the first user, the second user being specified as the companion based on the respective first user and the respective second user traveling routes predicted by said traveling route prediction unit and the respective required-for-return time periods calculated by said required-for-return time period calculation unit;
an accompanying starting position calculation unit operable to calculate an accompanying starting position at which the second user specified by said companion specification unit starts accompanying the first user;
a notification unit operable to notify the second terminals, including the second terminal used by the specified second user, of information regarding the specified second user and regarding the accompanying starting position; and
a notification control unit operable to permit, for each respective notification control area, a notification of the position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user when (i) the respective required-for-return time period has elapsed from the current time and (ii) the first user has not arrived at the respective notification control area, and operable to suppress, for each respective notification control area, the notification of the position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user when the respective required-for-return time period has not elapsed from the current time.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system is provided including a first detection unit detecting a position of a first terminal, a second detection unit detecting a position of a second terminal, and a notification area determination unit determining a notification area based on the detected position of the second terminal, wherein, within the notification area, position information regarding the position of the first terminal is not notified. The system also includes a first route prediction unit predicting a route from a position of the first terminal to the notification area, a time calculation unit calculating a time period required for arriving at the notification area when the first terminal travels along the predicted route, and a notification unit permitting the notification when the first terminal does not arrive at the notification area after the time period elapses from the current time, and suppressing the notification while the time period does not elapse.
34 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A notification system for notifying a terminal of information regarding a position of a user having another terminal based on a traveling route of the user, said notification system comprising:
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a first position detection unit operable to detect a position of a first terminal used by a first user; a second position detection unit operable to detect positions of second terminals used by a plurality of second users; a notification control area determination unit operable to determine a plurality of notification control areas, each respective notification control area of the plurality of notification control areas (i) being an area on a map, (ii) being an area in which position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user is not notified when the first terminal is in the respective notification control area, and (iii) including a predetermined area, the plurality of notification control areas being determined based on the positions of each of the second terminals used by the plurality of second users; a traveling route prediction unit operable to (i) predict, for each respective notification control area, a respective first user traveling route from a current detected position of the first terminal to the respective notification control area, such that the respective first user traveling route indicates a route to be traveled by the first user from a current time onward, and (ii) predict, for each respective notification control area, a respective second user traveling route to be traveled by a respective second user of the plurality of second users from the current time onward; a required-for-return time period calculation unit operable to calculate, for each respective notification control area, a respective required-for-return time period representing a time period required for arriving at the respective notification control area when the first user travels along the respective first user traveling route; a companion specification unit operable to specify, as a companion, a second user, of the plurality of second users, that is able to join the first user within a predetermined period of time and accompany the first user, the second user being specified as the companion based on the respective first user and the respective second user traveling routes predicted by said traveling route prediction unit and the respective required-for-return time periods calculated by said required-for-return time period calculation unit; an accompanying starting position calculation unit operable to calculate an accompanying starting position at which the second user specified by said companion specification unit starts accompanying the first user; a notification unit operable to notify the second terminals, including the second terminal used by the specified second user, of information regarding the specified second user and regarding the accompanying starting position; and a notification control unit operable to permit, for each respective notification control area, a notification of the position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user when (i) the respective required-for-return time period has elapsed from the current time and (ii) the first user has not arrived at the respective notification control area, and operable to suppress, for each respective notification control area, the notification of the position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user when the respective required-for-return time period has not elapsed from the current time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13)
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11. A notification system for notifying a terminal of information regarding a position of a user having another terminal based on a traveling route of the user, said notification system comprising:
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a first position detection unit operable to detect a position of a first terminal used by a first user; a second position detection unit operable to detect a position of a second terminal used by a second user; a notification control area determination unit operable to determine a notification control area based on the position detected by said second position detection unit, the notification control area being an area on a map and being an area in which position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user is not notified; a traveling route prediction unit operable to predict a traveling route from a current detected position of the first terminal to the notification control area, such that the predicted traveling route indicates a route to be traveled by the first user from a current time onward; a required-for-return time period calculation unit operable to calculate a required-for-return time period representing a time period required for arriving at the notification control area when the first user travels along the traveling route predicted by said traveling route prediction unit; a notification control unit operable to permit a notification of the position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user when (i) the required-for-return time period has elapsed from the current time and (ii) the first user has not arrived at the notification control area, and operable to suppress the notification of the position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user when the required-for-return time period has not elapsed from the current time; a detour degree calculation unit operable to calculate a detour degree indicating how far the first user is detoured with regards to a destination of the first user, based on the traveling route of the first user predicted by said traveling route prediction unit and the position information of the first terminal used by the first user detected by said first position detection unit; an information notification rule accumulation unit in which an information notification rule is accumulated in accordance with the calculated detour degree, the information notification rule regarding either a detail of a notification transmitted to the second terminal or a party other than the second terminal to whom the notification is transmitted; a departure point calculation unit operable to calculate a departure point based on the position of the first terminal detected by said first position detection unit; and a waiting time information accumulation unit in which information regarding a predetermined point and a waiting time to wait at the predetermined point, is accumulated, wherein said notification control unit is operable to refer to the information notification rule and change either the detail of the notification or the party to whom the notification is transmitted, in accordance with the detour degree calculated by said detour degree calculation unit, wherein said detour degree calculation unit is operable to calculate, based on a route cost representing a cost required for traveling from a start point to an end point of a route, the detour degree by subtracting a route cost required for traveling from the calculated departure point to a destination predicted by said traveling route prediction unit from a sum of a route cost required for traveling from the calculated departure point to a current position and a route cost required for traveling from the current position to the destination predicted by said traveling route prediction unit, and wherein said detour degree calculation unit is operable to calculate, based on the route cost represented as a time period required to travel from a start point to an end point of a route, the detour degree by subtracting the waiting time to wait at the predetermined point on the route predicted by said traveling route prediction unit from the route cost using the information regarding the waiting time.
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12. A notification system for notifying a terminal of information regarding a position of a user having another terminal based on a traveling route of the user, said notification system comprising:
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a first position detection unit operable to detect a position of a first terminal used by a first user; a second position detection unit operable to detect a position of a second terminal used by a second user; a notification control area determination unit operable to determine a notification control area based on the position detected by said second position detection unit, the notification control area being an area on a map and being an area in which position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user is not notified; a traveling route prediction unit operable to predict a traveling route from a current detected position of the first terminal to the notification control area, such that the predicted traveling route indicates a route to be traveled by the first user from a current time onward; a required-for-return time period calculation unit operable to calculate a required-for-return time period representing a time period required for arriving at the notification control area when the first user travels along the traveling route predicted by said traveling route prediction unit; a notification control unit operable to permit a notification of the position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user when (i) the required-for-return time period has elapsed from the current time and (ii) the first user has not arrived at the notification control area, and operable to suppress the notification of the position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user when the required-for-return time period has not elapsed from the current time a detour degree calculation unit operable to calculate a detour degree indicating how far the first user is detoured with regards to a destination of the first user, based on the traveling route of the first user predicted by said traveling route prediction unit and the position information of the first terminal used by the first user detected by said first position detection unit; an information notification rule accumulation unit in which an information notification rule is accumulated in accordance with the calculated detour degree, the information notification rule regarding either a detail of a notification transmitted to the second terminal or a party other than the second terminal to whom the notification is transmitted; a departure point calculation unit operable to calculate a departure point based on the position of the first terminal detected by said first position detection unit; a destination arrival detection unit operable to detect that the first user has arrived at the destination of the first user, based on the position of the first terminal detected by said first position detection unit; a detour degree accumulation unit in which the detour degree calculated by said detour degree calculation unit is accumulated in association with a destination arrived at; and a threshold calculation unit operable to calculate a threshold value of the detour degree based on the detour degree accumulated in said detour degree accumulation unit, the threshold value being associated with the destination arrived at, wherein said notification control unit is operable to refer to the information notification rule and change either the detail of the notification or the party to whom the notification is transmitted, in accordance with the detour degree calculated by said detour degree calculation unit, wherein said detour degree calculation unit is operable to calculate, based on a route cost representing a cost required for traveling from a start point to an end point of a route, the detour degree by subtracting a route cost required for traveling from the calculated departure point to a destination predicted by said traveling route prediction unit from a sum of a route cost required for traveling from the calculated departure point to a current position and a route cost required for traveling from the current position to the destination predicted by said traveling route prediction unit, and wherein the threshold value of the detour degree calculated per destination is accumulated in said information notification rule accumulation unit as the information notification rule.
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14. A notification device which notifies a terminal of information regarding a position of a user having another terminal based on a traveling route of the user, said notification device comprising:
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a first position detection unit operable to detect a position of a first terminal used by a first user; a second position detection unit operable to detect positions of second terminals used by a plurality of second users; a notification control area determination unit operable to determine a plurality of notification control areas, each respective notification control area of the plurality of notification control areas (i) being an area on a map, (ii) being an area in which position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user is not notified when the first terminal is in the respective notification control area, and (iii) including a predetermined area, the plurality of notification control areas being determined based on the positions of each of the second terminals used by the plurality of second users; a traveling route prediction unit operable to (i) predict, for each respective notification control area, a respective first user traveling route from a current detected position of the first terminal to the respective notification control area, such that the respective first user traveling route indicates a route to be traveled by the first user from a current time onward, and (ii) predict, for each respective notification control area, a respective second user traveling route to be traveled by a respective second user of the plurality of second users from the current time onward; a required-for-return time period calculation unit operable to calculate, for each respective notification control area, a respective required-for-return time period representing a time period required for arriving at the respective notification control area when the first user travels along the respective first user traveling route; a companion specification unit operable to specify, as a companion, a second user, of the plurality of second users, that is able to join the first user within a predetermined period of time and accompany the first user, the second user being specified as the companion based on the respective first user and the respective second user traveling routes predicted by said traveling route prediction unit and the respective required-for-return time periods calculated by said required-for-return time period calculation unit; an accompanying starting position calculation unit operable to calculate an accompanying starting position at which the second user specified by said companion specification unit starts accompanying the first user; a notification unit operable to notify the second terminals, including the second terminal used by the specified second user, of information regarding the specified second user and regarding the accompanying starting position; a notification control unit operable to permit, for each respective notification control area, a notification of the position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user when (i) the respective required-for-return time period has elapsed from the current time and (ii) the first user has not arrived at the respective notification control area, and operable to suppress, for each respective notification control area, the notification of the position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user when the respective required-for-return time period has not elapsed from the current time; and a notification unit operable to notify position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user, in accordance with control of said notification control unit.
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15. A notification method for notifying a terminal of information regarding a position of a user having another terminal based on a traveling route of the user, said notification method comprising:
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a first position detection step of detecting a position of a first terminal used by a first user; a second position detection step of detecting positions of second terminals used by a plurality of second users; a notification control area determination step of determining a plurality of notification control areas, each respective notification control area of the plurality of notification control areas (i) being an area on a map, (ii) being an area in which position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user is not notified when the first terminal is in the respective notification control area, and (iii) including a predetermined area, the plurality of notification control areas being determined based on the positions of each of the second terminals used by the plurality of second users; a traveling route prediction step of (i) predicting, for each respective notification control area, a respective first user traveling route from a current detected position of the first terminal to the respective notification control area, such that the respective first user traveling route indicates a route to be traveled by the first user from a current time onward, and (ii) predicting, for each respective notification control area, a respective second user traveling route to be traveled by a respective second user of the plurality of second users from the current time onward; a required-for-return time period calculation step of calculating, for each respective notification control area, a respective required-for-return time period representing a time period required for arriving at the respective notification control area when the first user travels along the respective first user traveling route; a companion specification step of specifying, as a companion, a second user, of the plurality of second users, that is able to join the first user within a predetermined period of time and accompany the first user, the second user being specified as the companion based on the respective first user and the respective second user traveling routes predicted by said traveling route prediction step and the respective required-for-return time periods calculated by said required-for-return time period calculation step; an accompanying starting position calculation step of calculating an accompanying starting position at which the second user specified by said companion specification step starts accompanying the first user; a notification step of notifying the second terminals, including the second terminal used by the specified second user, of information regarding the specified second user and regarding the accompanying starting position; a notification control step of permitting, for each respective notification control area, a notification of the position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user when (i) the respective required-for-return time period has elapsed from the current time and (ii) the first user has not arrived at the respective notification control area, and suppressing, for each respective notification control area, the notification of the position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user when the respective required-for-return time period has not elapsed from the current time; and a notification step of notifying the position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user, in accordance with control in said notification control step.
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16. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon, the program for a notification device which notifies a terminal of information regarding a position of a user having another terminal based on a traveling route of the user, the program causing a computer to execute a method comprising:
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a first position detection step of detecting a position of a first terminal used by a first user; a second position detection step of detecting positions of second terminals used by a plurality of second users; a notification control area determination step of determining a plurality of notification control areas, each respective notification control area of the plurality of notification control areas (i) being an area on a map, (ii) being an area in which position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user is not notified when the first terminal is in the respective notification control area, and (iii) including a predetermined area, the plurality of notification control areas being determined based on the positions of each of the second terminals used by the plurality of second users; a traveling route prediction step of (i) predicting, for each respective notification control area, a respective first user traveling route from a current detected position of the first terminal to the respective notification control area, such that the respective first user traveling route indicates a route to be traveled by the first user from a current time onward, and (ii) predicting, for each respective notification control area, a respective second user traveling route to be traveled by a respective second user of the plurality of second users from the current time onward; a required-for-return time period calculation step of calculating, for each respective notification control area, a respective required-for-return time period representing a time period required for arriving at the respective notification control area when the first user travels along the respective first user traveling route; a companion specification step of specifying, as a companion, a second user, of the plurality of second users, that is able to join the first user within a predetermined period of time and accompany the first user, the second user being specified as the companion based on the respective first user and the respective second user traveling routes predicted by said traveling route prediction step and the respective required-for-return time periods calculated by said required-for-return time period calculation step; an accompanying starting position calculation step of calculating an accompanying starting position at which the second user specified by said companion specification step starts accompanying the first user; a notification step of notifying the second terminals, including the second terminal used by the specified second user, of information regarding the specified second user and regarding the accompanying starting position; a notification control step of permitting, for each respective notification control area, a notification of the position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user when (i) the respective required-for-return time period has elapsed from the current time and (ii) the first user has not arrived at the respective notification control area, and suppressing, for each respective notification control area, the notification of the position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user when the respective required-for-return time period has not elapsed from the current time; and a notification step of notifying the position information regarding the position of the first terminal used by the first user, in accordance with control in said notification control step.
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Specification