Mobile terminal and method for displaying data added location information

• US 8,320,941 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FCNT LLC
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Toshiba Mobile Communications Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Ichinose, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica M
• Application Number:
  US12/723,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20110070895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 455/457, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/566, 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/26, 701/207, 701/208, 701/211, 701/213
• US Class Current: 455/457
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27467 Methods of retrieving data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A mobile terminal has a current-location information acquisition unit configured to acquire current-location information indicating a current location of the mobile terminal, a direction information acquisition unit configured to acquire direction information indicating a direction of orientation of the mobile terminal, a storage unit configured to store data added location information, a search unit configured to search for at least one of the data having the location information that is located in the direction from the current location of the mobile terminal and that falls within a predetermined range around the direction based on the current-location information and the direction information, and a display control unit configured to cause the retrieved data to be displayed.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a current-location information acquisition unit configured to acquire current-location information indicating a current location of the mobile terminal;

a direction information acquisition unit configured to acquire direction information indicating a direction of orientation of the mobile terminal;

a storage unit configured to store data having location information added thereto;

a search unit configured to search for at least one of the data having the location information that is located in the direction from the current location of the mobile terminal and that falls within a predetermined range around the direction based on the current-location information and the direction information; and

a display control unit configured to cause the retrieved data to be displayed,

wherein availability of the location information is further added to the data stored in the storage unit, and the search unit is configured to analyze, when the location information is not registered, an address in the storage unit and acquire the location information based on the address.

2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit causes the data to be displayed in ascending order of distance beginning from the data with the location information closest to the current-location information.

3. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the data further is added use frequency information about a use frequency, and

the display control unit causes the data to be displayed in descending order of use frequency beginning from the data with the use frequency information indicating the highest use frequency.

4. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit classifies the retrieved data into predetermined regions based on the location information and causes names of the regions to be displayed at a first level, and if one of the names is selected, causes the data belonging to the region having the selected name to be displayed at a second level.

5. The mobile terminal according to claim 4, wherein

the predetermined regions include the region of two subordinate positions or more further,

the display control unit causes names of the region of subordinate positions to be displayed hierarchically.

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

an action detection unit configured to detect a first action and a second action different from the first action applied to the mobile terminal, wherein

the display control unit causes the data to be displayed in a first order if the action detection unit detects the first action, and causes the data to be displayed in a second order different from the first order if the action detection unit detects the second action.

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

a tilt detection unit configured to detect a predetermined amount of change in tilt of the mobile terminal in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction around a predetermined axis of the mobile terminal, wherein

after the data is displayed, the display control unit causes the data to be displayed in a first order if the tilt detection unit detects the amount of change in tilt in the first direction, and causes the data to be displayed in a second order different from the first order if the tilt detection unit detects the amount of change in tilt in the second direction.

8. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the data is contact information registered in telephone book data.

9. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the data is a plurality of types of data in different formats.

10. A method for displaying data added location information comprising the steps of:

preparing a mobile terminal storing the data having the location information added thereto;

storing availability of the location information to the data stored in the mobile terminal;

acquiring current-location information indicating a current location of the mobile terminal;

acquiring direction information indicating a direction of orientation of the mobile terminal;

searching for at least one of the data having the location information that is located in the direction from the current location of the mobile terminal and that falls within a predetermined range around the direction based on the current-location information and the direction information;

analyzing, when the location information is not registered, an address in the mobile terminal and acquiring the location information based on the address; and

displaying the retrieved data.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of displaying comprises displaying the data in ascending order of distance beginning from the data with the location information closest to the current-location information.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein:

the data further is added use frequency information about a use frequency, and

the step of displaying comprises displaying the data in descending order of use frequency beginning from the data with the use frequency information indicating the highest use frequency.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

classifying the retrieved data into predetermined regions based on the location information;

the step of displaying comprises displaying names of the regions at a first level, and if one of the names is selected, displaying the data belonging to the region having the selected name at a second level.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein

the predetermined regions include the region of two subordinate positions or more further,

the steps of displaying comprises displaying names of the region of subordinate positions hierarchically.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of

detecting a first action and a second action different from the first action applied to the mobile terminal, wherein

the step of displaying comprises displaying the data in a first order if the first action detects, and displaying the data in a second order different from the first order if the second action detects.

16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

detecting a predetermined amount of change in tilt of the mobile terminal in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction around a predetermined axis of the mobile terminal, wherein

the step of displaying comprises after the data is displayed, displaying the data in a first order if the amount of change in tilt in the first direction detects, and displaying the data in a second order different from the first order if the amount of change in tilt in the second direction detects.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the data is contact information registered in telephone book data.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein the data is a plurality of types of data in different formats.