Mobile terminal and method for sharing location information between users

• US 9,094,799 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kwon, Seung-Joon, Choi, Won-Geun, Lim, Young-Jae, Park, Ji-Sang
• Primary Examiner(s): Elhag, Magdi
• Application Number:
  US13/838,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20130288716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 455/457
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and method for sharing location information between users. The mobile terminal includes a user input unit for receiving destination information of a first user from the first user. A location information input unit receives origin information of the first user from a Global Positioning System (GPS) or a Near-Field Communication (NFC) payment module of public transportation which the first user gets on. A communication unit transmits the origin information and the destination information of the first user to a public transportation information system, and receives movement route information of the first user from the public transportation information system. A location estimation unit estimates a current location of the first user using time required by the first user corresponding to the movement route information.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal for sharing location information between users, comprising:

a user input unit for receiving destination information of a first user from the first user;

a location information input unit for receiving origin information of the first user from a Global Positioning System (GPS) or a Near-Field Communication (NFC) payment module of public transportation which the first user gets on;

a communication unit for transmitting the origin information and the destination information of the first user to a public transportation information system, and receiving movement route information of the first user from the public transportation information system; and

a location estimation unit for estimating a current location of the first user using time required by the first user to move to the current location, based on the movement route information,

wherein the communication unit transmits the movement route information and the current location information to a location information sharing server, and receives movement route information and current location information of a second user from the location information sharing server,

wherein the user input unit is capable of receiving a command to select whether to move by walking or by public transportation from the first user, and

wherein if the first user selects movement by walking, the location information input unit receives the origin information of the first user from the GPS, and if the first user selects movement by public transportation, the location information input unit receives the origin information of the first user from the NFC tag reader.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the origin information is input to the location information input unit via an NFC tag reader put close to an NFC tag of public transportation which the first user gets on when the first user gets on the public transportation.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the communication unit receives operating route information and operating time information of the public transportation which the first user gets on from the public transportation information system.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the location estimation unit further estimates the current location of the first user using the origin information of the first user input from the NFC tag reader and the operating route information and the operating time information received from the public transportation information system.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4, further comprising a display unit for displaying the movement route and the current location of the first user or displaying the movement route and the current location of the second user.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein the display unit displays the current location of the first user on the movement route of the first user or the current location of the second user on the movement route of the second user using a mobile web viewer.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein if the current location of the first user estimated by the location estimation unit is identical to the destination of the first user input to the user input unit, the display unit displays a message indicating arrival of the first user at the destination.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein:

the communication unit sends the message indicating the arrival of the first user at the destination to the location information sharing server, and receives a message indicating arrival of the second user at the destination from the location information sharing server, and

the display unit displays the message, indicating the arrival of the second user at the destination and received from the location information sharing server.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the location information input unit is capable of receiving the origin information of the first user from the first user.

10. A method of sharing location information between users, comprising:

a first mobile terminal receiving destination information of a first user and a command to select whether to move by walking or by public transportation from the first user;

if the first user selects movement by walking, the first mobile terminal receiving origin information of the first user from a Global Positioning System (GPS), and if the first user selects movement by public transportation, the first mobile terminal receiving the origin information of the first user from a Near-Field Communication (NFC) payment module of public transportation which the first user gets on;

the first mobile terminal transmitting the origin information and the destination information of the first user to a public transportation information system;

the first mobile terminal receiving movement route information corresponding to the origin information and the destination information of the first user from the public transportation information system;

the first mobile terminal estimating a current location of the first user using time required by the first user to move to the current location, based on the movement route information;

the first mobile terminal transmitting the movement route information and the current location information of the first user to a location information sharing server; and

the first mobile terminal displaying movement route information and current location information of a second user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the estimating the current location of the first user comprises:

if the first user gets on public transportation, the first mobile terminal obtaining origin information of the first user from an NFC tag reader put close to an NFC tag of the public transportation which the first user gets on.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the estimating the current location of the first user further comprises:

the first mobile terminal receiving operating route information and operating time information of the public transportation which the first user gets on from the public transportation information system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the estimating the current location of the first user further comprises:

the first mobile terminal estimating the current location of the first user using the origin information of the first user input from the NFC tag reader and the operating route information and the operating time information received from the public transportation information system.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first mobile terminal transmitting the movement route information and the current location information of the first user to the location information sharing server comprises:

the first mobile terminal requesting communication connection with the second mobile terminal from the location information sharing server; and

if the communication connection with the second mobile terminal has been established by the location information sharing server, the first mobile terminal transmitting the movement route information and the current location information of the first user to the location information sharing server.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

after the first mobile terminal has estimated the current location of the first user, the first mobile terminal displaying the estimated current location of the first user.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether the estimated current location of the first user is identical to the destination of the first user; and

if the estimated current location of the first user is identical to the destination of the first user, the first mobile terminal displaying a message indicating arrival of the first user at the destination.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

the first mobile terminal sending the message indicating the arrival of the first user at the destination to the location information sharing server;

the location information sharing server sending the message indicating the arrival of the first user at the destination to the second mobile terminal; and

the second mobile terminal displaying the message indicating the arrival of the first user at the destination.