Position information notifying system and method

• US 20030013462A1
• Filed: 08/28/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Yasuhiro Adachi
• Original Assignee: Yasuhiro Adachi
• Inventors: Adachi, Yasuhiro
• Application Number:
  US10/204,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20030013462A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes

Abstract

One or more predetermined wireless terminal apparatus 101 and 102 are registered as a group in advance with administrating station 108 connected to exchange network 104. A position information acquisition request is made from a position information acquiring terminal such as mobile phone apparatus 103 for a desired group. Administrating station 108 requests all wireless terminal apparatus 101 and 102 of the group corresponding to the request to send current position information. Wireless terminal apparatus 101 and 102, upon receiving the request, acquire their own current position information by way of acquiring electric waves from GPS satellites 109 and 110 and send the acquired current position information to administrating station 108. Administrating station 108 returns the received current position information to mobile phone apparatus 103, the source of the position information acquisition request. In accordance with this current position information, mobile phone apparatus 103 displays each terminal'"'"'s current position.

Claims

1. A position information notification system, comprising:

a position information acquiring terminal that sends an acquisition request for position information that denotes a current position of a wireless terminal and information that denotes a group specified by a user of said position information acquiring terminal to an administrating station and that upon one request acquires position information for all wireless terminals of said group and notifies said user of the acquired position information,

an administrating station that, in response to the acquisition request from said position information acquiring terminal, requests all wireless terminals that belong under said group to send position information and that sends position information returned thereto in response to the request to said position information acquiring terminal, and

a plurality of wireless terminals that, in response to the request from said administrating station, send position information for said plurality of terminals to said administrating station.

2. A position information notification system, comprising:

a position information acquiring terminal that sends an acquisition request for position information that denotes a current position of a wireless terminal to all wireless terminals that belong under a group specified by a user of said position information acquiring terminal, and

a plurality of wireless terminals that, in response to the acquisition request from said position information acquiring terminal, send position information for said plurality of wireless terminals to said position information acquiring terminal.

3. A position information notification method, wherein, a plurality of wireless terminals subject to acquisition of current position are divided into a plurality of groups, and when a user of a position information acquiring terminal makes an acquisition request for position information that denotes a current position of a wireless terminal, in response to one request, said user is notified by way of said position information acquiring terminal of position information for all wireless terminals that belong under said group specified by said user.