Computer-readable storage medium having stored therein mobile terminal program, mobile terminal device, and system

• US 8,279,882 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2010
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Matsunada, Takuma
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, DUC CHI
• Application Number:
  US12/723,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20110176455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A location information provision system includes an access point, a first game apparatus, and a second game apparatus. The access point stores information for specifying a current location of the access point, and transmits the information to the first game apparatus. The first game apparatus IB receives the information transmitted from the access point, and specifies the location of the access point based on the information. The first game apparatus transmits location information representing the specified location to the second game apparatus. The second game apparatus receives the location information transmitted from the first game apparatus, and specifies the current location of the second game apparatus based on the received location information.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a mobile terminal program causing a computer of a mobile terminal device to:

communicate with another mobile terminal device and acquire first location information representing a location of the other mobile terminal device from the other mobile terminal device through the communication; and

causing the mobile terminal device to specify a current location of the mobile terminal device based on the first location information acquired from the other mobile terminal device.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the mobile terminal program according to claim 1, the program further causing the computer of the mobile terminal device to acquire second location information related to the current location of the mobile terminal device, and

specify the current location of the mobile terminal device based on the first location information and/or the second location information.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the mobile terminal program according to claim 2, the program further causing the computer of the mobile terminal device to communicate with a fixed station that is provided in a fixed manner, and

acquire information representing a location of the fixed station, as the second location information.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the mobile terminal program according to claim 3, wherein

the other mobile terminal device communicates with the fixed station or another fixed station to thereby acquire location information, and the mobile terminal device acquires the location information from the other mobile terminal device as the first location information.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the mobile terminal program according to claim 3, wherein,

when the mobile terminal device has acquired the second location information, the current location of the mobile terminal device is specified based on the second location information acquired, regardless of whether or not the first location information has been acquired.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the mobile terminal program according to claim 5, wherein,

when the second location information has not been acquired and when the first location information has been acquired, the current location of the mobile terminal device is specified based on the first location information.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the mobile terminal program according to claim 3, the program causing the computer of the terminal device to:

determine a time elapsed since the first location information was acquired and/or time elapsed since the second location information was acquired; and

invalidate the first location information if the determined time for the first location information has reached a predetermined time period; and

invalidate the second location information if the determined time for the second location information has reached a predetermined time period.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the mobile terminal program according to claim 3, wherein

the acquired first location information is stored in the mobile terminal device for a predetermined period of time, and

the current location of the mobile terminal device is specified based on one of the first location information satisfying predetermined conditions including a condition that the number of pieces of the first location information stored is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, and the second location information.

9. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the mobile terminal program according to claim 8, the program further causing the computer to change the predetermined number.

10. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the mobile terminal program according to claim 9, the program further causing the computer of the mobile terminal device to store the number of times the first location information has been acquired from the other mobile terminal device, and

change the predetermined number based on the number of times the first location information has been stored.

11. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the mobile terminal program according to claim 3, wherein

the fixed station is an access point.

12. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the mobile terminal program according to claim 2, wherein

the second location information is automatically acquired from the other mobile terminal device.

13. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the mobile terminal program according to claim 1, wherein

the mobile terminal device communicates with the mobile terminal device by Near Field Communication.

14. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the mobile terminal program according to claim 1, wherein

the first location information is automatically acquired from the other mobile terminal device.

15. A system, including a mobile terminal device, for specifying a current location of the mobile terminal device, the system comprising:

a first communication unit that communicates with another mobile terminal device;

first location information acquisition unit that communicates with the other mobile terminal device using the first communication unit to thereby acquire first location information representing a location of the other mobile terminal device from the other mobile terminal device; and

a current location specifying unit on the mobile terminal device that specifies the current location of the mobile terminal device based on the first location information.

16. A method of specifying a current location of a mobile terminal device, the method comprising the steps of:

communicating with another mobile terminal device to thereby acquire first location information representing a location of the other mobile terminal device from the other mobile terminal device; and

specifying, by the mobile terminal device, the current location of the mobile terminal device based on the first location information.

17. A system including a fixed station provided in a fixed manner, a first mobile terminal device, and a second mobile terminal device,

the fixed station comprising:

first storage means for storing therein information for specifying a current location of the fixed station; and

first transmission means for transmitting the stored information to the first mobile terminal device,

the first mobile terminal device comprising;

first reception means for receiving the information transmitted from the first transmission means;

fixed station location specifying means for specifying a location of the fixed station based on the information received by the first reception means; and

second transmission means for transmitting, to the second mobile terminal device, location information representing the location specified by the fixed station location specifying means, and

the second mobile terminal device comprising;

second reception means for receiving the location information transmitted from the second transmission means; and

current location specifying means for specifying a current location of the second mobile terminal device based on the location information received by the second reception means.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein

the information for specifying the current location of the fixed station includes identification information specific to the fixed station;

the first mobile terminal device further comprises second storage means for storing therein location information associated with the identification information; and

the fixed station location specifying means reads from the second storage means the location information associated with the identification information included in the information received by the first reception means, and specifies the location of the fixed station based on the read location information.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein

the information for specifying the current location of the fixed station includes identification information specific to the fixed station;

the first mobile terminal device further comprises second storage unit for storing therein location information associated with the identification information; and

the fixed station location specifying unit reads from the second storage unit the location information associated with the identification information included in the information received by the first reception unit, and specifies the location of the fixed station based on the read location information.

20. A system including a fixed station provided in a fixed manner, a first mobile terminal device, and a second mobile terminal device,

the fixed station comprising:

first storage unit for storing therein information for specifying a current location of the fixed station; and

first transmission unit for transmitting the stored information to the first mobile terminal device,

the first mobile terminal device comprising;

first reception unit for receiving the information transmitted from the first transmission unit;

fixed station location specifying unit that specifies a location of the fixed station based on the information received by the first reception unit; and

second transmission unit transmits, to the second mobile terminal device, location information representing the location specified by the fixed station location specifying unit, and

the second mobile terminal device comprising;

second reception unit for receiving the location information transmitted from the second transmission unit; and

current location specifying unit that specifies a current location of the second mobile terminal device based on the location information received by the second reception unit.