Communication terminal, place management server, and method of detecting place information thereof

• US 9,307,349 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Joo, Inhak, Park, Yun Kyung, Kim, Chae Kyu, Lee, Seung-Ik, Kim, RockWon
• Primary Examiner(s): Akinyemi, Ajibola
• Application Number:
  US14/021,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20140213187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A first Bluetooth terminal having a short range communication module that is set as an anchor searches for a peripheral Bluetooth terminal and transmits information of the found Bluetooth terminal to a place management server. The place management server updates place information of a user of the found Bluetooth terminal to place information of the first Bluetooth terminal and transmits the updated place information to the found Bluetooth terminal.

Claims

1. A method of detecting place information in a place information detection system, the method comprising:

searching for, by a first Bluetooth terminal having a short range communication module that is set as an anchor, a peripheral Bluetooth terminal;

transmitting information of the peripheral Bluetooth terminal that is found by the first Bluetooth terminal to a place management server; and

updating, by the place management server, place information of the peripheral Bluetooth terminal with place information of the first Bluetooth terminal,

wherein the method further comprises registering, by the first Bluetooth terminal, the place information of the first Bluetooth terminal at the place management server, and

wherein the registering of the place information comprises;

transmitting, by the first Bluetooth terminal, a place name to the place management server;

transmitting, by the place management server, a place classification list corresponding to the place name to the first Bluetooth terminal; and

selecting, by the first Bluetooth terminal, one from the place classification list.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the place management server, the updated place information to the peripheral Bluetooth terminal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the transmitting of the updated place information comprises transmitting the updated place information to only the peripheral Bluetooth terminal that is connected to the place management server among peripheral Bluetooth terminals found by the first Bluetooth terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the first Bluetooth terminal, authentication of anchor authority from the place management server, before the searching for the peripheral Bluetooth terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting the first Bluetooth terminal to the anchor according to an anchor function instruction from a user of the first Bluetooth terminal, before the searching for the peripheral Bluetooth terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the place information comprises a place name and place classification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating of the place information comprises:

transmitting, by the place management server, peripheral place information to the peripheral Bluetooth terminal, the peripheral place information being determined based on the place information of the anchor; and

updating, by the place management server, the place information of the peripheral Bluetooth terminal with place information that is selected by the peripheral Bluetooth terminal among the peripheral place information.

8. A place management server that detects place information, the place management server comprising:

a communication unit that communicates with a plurality of Bluetooth terminals having a short range communication module;

a member information database that stores place information corresponding to identifiers of the Bluetooth terminals; and

a member management unit that updates place information corresponding to an identifier of a peripheral Bluetooth terminal, which is stored in the member information database, with place information of a first Bluetooth terminal, the peripheral Bluetooth terminal being found by the first Bluetooth terminal in which anchor authority is authenticated among the plurality of Bluetooth terminals,

wherein the member management unit authenticates the anchor authority of the first Bluetooth terminal and stores the place information of the first Bluetooth terminal at the member information database to correspond to an identifier of the first Bluetooth terminal.

9. The place management server of claim 8, wherein the member management unit extracts and updates the place information of the peripheral Bluetooth terminal from the member information database.

10. The place management server of claim 8, wherein the communication unit transmits the updated place information to the peripheral Bluetooth terminal.

11. The place management server of claim 8, further comprising:

a place classification database that stores place classification; and

a place management unit that searches for the place classification database and provides a place classification list of a place name to at least one Bluetooth terminal, when the place name is received from the at least one Bluetooth terminal.

12. A communication terminal that detects place information, the communication terminal comprising:

a Bluetooth search unit that searches for a peripheral Bluetooth terminal having a short range communication module;

an anchor setting unit that activates the Bluetooth search unit and that registers place information of the communication terminal at a place management server; and

a communication unit that transmits information of the peripheral Bluetooth terminal to the place management server,

wherein place information of the peripheral Bluetooth terminal is updated with the place information of the communication terminal by the place management server, and

wherein the communication terminal further comprises;

a place database that stores the place information of the communication terminal; and

a place setting unit that stores the place information of the communication terminal at the place database, when the place information of the communication terminal is received from the place management server or a user of the communication terminal.

13. The communication terminal of claim 12, wherein the place information comprises a place name and place classification.

14. The communication terminal of claim 13, wherein the place classification comprises a business type of the place name.