Method for reading position data from remote portable electronic device through signal switching network system

• US 8,766,796 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Getac Technology Company Limited (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Getac Technology Company Limited (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Chou, Chun-Pu
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US11/404,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20070096898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,997 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.2
• US Class Current: 340/539.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method for reading current position data from a remote portable electronic device through a signal switching network system is provided. The remote portable electronic device, after obtaining its own position data, can transmit the current position data through a signal transmission interface and a signal transmission network of the signal switching network system to a position database on a server. A portable electronic device at the request end can login to the server through the signal transmission network of the signal switching network system, and read the current position data of the specific remote portable electronic device from the position database of the server.

Claims

1. A method for reading current position data from a plurality of portable electronic devices through a signal switching network system, the plurality of portable electronic devices being divided into a plurality of groups, each portable electronic device having a group identification according to the group to which it belongs, the signal switching network system comprising a server and a signal transmission network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) a plurality of remote portable electronic devices obtaining at least a current position data thereof;

(b) each remote portable electronic device sending the current position data through a signal transmission interface and the signal transmission network of the signal switching network system to a position database of the server;

(c) a requesting portable electronic device logging into the server through the signal transmission network of the signal switching network system; and

(d) the requesting portable electronic device reading the current position data of a specific remote portable electronic device from the position database of the server when the requesting portable electronic device and the specific remote portable electronic device have the same group identification, wherein each portable electronic device can read the current position data of each other portable electronic device in the same group.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the current position data of each remote portable electronic device is a global position signal obtained by a global signal position circuit from a satellite in step (a).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the current position data of each remote portable electronic device is obtained by calculation using at least three mobile communication base stations in step (a).

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each remote portable electronic device transmits an updated current position data to the position database of the sever at a pre-determined interval in step (b).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each remote portable electronic device transmits an updated current position data to the position database of the sever when the remote portable electronic device move beyond a pre-determined distance in step (b).

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises the following steps:

(c1) a requesting portable electronic device sending a request for reading the current position data of the specific remote portable electronic device to the server; and

(c2) the server confirming the group identification of the requesting portable electronic device.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal transmission network of the signal switching network system is an Internet system, and the server is a network server installed in the Internet system.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal transmission network of the signal switching network system comprises a mobile communication network, and the server is a network server installed in the mobile communication network.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each portable electronic device is connected to the signal transmission network of the signal switching network system through a wireless signal transmission interface.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each portable electronic device comprises a graphic map database storing map data so that, after receiving the position data, the received current position data is displayed on the map data.

11. A method for reading current position data through a signal switching network system, applicable to a plurality of portable electronic devices divided into plurality of groups, each portable electronic device having a group identification according to which group it belongs, the signal switching network system having a server and a signal transmission network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) each portable electronic device obtaining a current position data;

(b) each portable electronic device sending the current position data through a signal transmission interface and the signal transmission network of the signal switching network system to a position database of the server; and

(c) on a pre-determined condition, the server proactively transmitting to each portable electronic device the current position data of all other portable electronic devices having the same group identification to.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the current position data of each remote portable electronic device is a global position signal obtained by a global signal position circuit from a satellite in step (a).

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the current position data of each remote portable electronic device is obtained by calculation using at least three mobile communication base stations in step (a).

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein each remote portable electronic device transmits an updated current position data to the position database of the sever at a pre-determined interval in step (b).

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein each remote portable electronic device transmits an updated current position data to the position database of the sever when the remote portable electronic device move beyond a pre-determined distance in step (b).

16. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the pre-determined condition in step (c) is the server transmitting the current position data at a pre-determined interval.

17. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the pre-determined condition in step (c) is the remote portable electronic device moving beyond a pre-determined distance.

18. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the signal transmission network of the signal switching network system is an Internet system, and the server is a network server installed in the Internet system.

19. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the signal transmission network of the signal switching network system comprises a mobile communication network, and the server is a network server installed in the mobile communication network.

20. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein each portable electronic device is connected to the signal transmission network of the signal switching network system through a wireless signal transmission interface.

21. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein each portable electronic device comprises a graphic map database storing map data so that, after receiving the position data, the received current position data is displayed on the map data.