Location management method and apparatus

• US 20030022676A1
• Filed: 07/23/2002
• Published: 01/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juken Sangyo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Juken Sangyo Company Limited
• Inventors: Aoki, Tsuyoshi, Nakamoto, Yusho, Muneishi, Tomio
• Granted Patent: US 6,879,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

A location management method manages the location of a member which move around carrying a GPS-equipped portable telephone. The method includes inquiring of the GPS-equipped portable telephone about its current location, making the GPS-equipped portable telephone return positional information of the current location measured by the GPS function, managing the returned positional information of the current location in a file, searching a map database based on the positional information of the current location, and preparing and displaying map data linked with the positional information of the current location.

Claims

1. A location management method to manage a location of a GPS-equipped portable telephone carried by a member, the method comprising:

inquiring of the GPS-equipped portable telephone about its current location;

making the GPS-equipped portable telephone return positional information of the current location measured by the GPS function;

managing the returned positional information of the current location in a file;

searching a map database based on the positional information of the current location; and

preparing and displaying map data linked with the positional information of the current location.

2. A location management method according to claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing the movement of the member and creating activity log data, based on the positional information of current locations managed in the file.

3. A location management method according to claim 2, further comprising:

creating daily reports of the member based on the activity log data.

4. A location management method to manage the location of a GPS-equipped portable telephone carried by a member, the method comprising:

measuring current location of the GPS-equipped portable telephone of the member by its GPS function;

sending positional information of the measured current location from the GPS-equipped portable telephone to an administrative server;

managing server the received positional information of the current location in a file at the administrative;

searching a map database based on the positional information of the current location; and

preparing and displaying map data which is linked with the positional information of the current location.

5. A location management method according to claim 4, wherein the administrative server analyzes the movements of the member and creates and manages travel path data, based on the positional information of current locations managed in the file.

6. A location management method according to claim 5,

wherein the member is delivery people;

and

wherein the administrative server estimates the arrival at the destination of delivery, based on the travel path data as well as on delivery planning data prepared in advance.

7. A location management method according to claim 6,

wherein an arrival time inquiry menu is provided on terminals of customers;

and

wherein the administrative server inquires of the GPS-equipped portable telephone carried by a delivery person about its current location in response to an arrival time inquiry request from a customer'"'"'s terminal, searches a map database and retrieves map data corresponding to the current location based on returned positional information of the current location, and determines an estimated arrival time by calculating the time required from the current location to the delivery destination, and informs the customer'"'"'s terminal about the estimated arrival time.

8. A location management apparatus to manage the location of a GPS-equipped portable telephone carried by a member, the apparatus comprising:

inquiry means for inquiring of the GPS-equipped portable telephone about its current location;

positional information management means for managing positional information of the current location returned from the GPS-equipped portable telephone;

map database search means for searching a map database based on returned positional information of the current location and linking the positional information of the current location with map information; and

display means for displaying the map information linked with the positional information of the current location.

9. A location management apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

activity log creation means for analyzing the movements of the member and creating activity log data, based on the positional information of current locations managed in a file.

10. A location management apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

daily report creation means for creating daily reports of the member based on the activity log data.

11. A location management apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the GPS-equipped portable telephone comprises a function to measure its current location and provide resulting positional information to the inquirer in response to an inquiry about its current location.

12. A location management apparatus to manage a location of a GPS-equipped portable telephone carried by a member, the apparatus comprising:

positional information management means for receiving, from the GPS-equipped portable telephone, positional information of the current location measured by its GPS function and managing the positional information in a file;

map data preparation means for searching a map database based on the positional information of the current location and preparing map data linked with the positional information of the current location; and

display means for displaying the map data.

13. A location management apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

travel path creation means for analyzing the movements of the member and creating travel path data, based on the positional information of current locations managed in the file.

14. A location management apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

the location management apparatus comprises delivery management means for estimating the arrival at the destination of delivery, based on the travel path data as well as on delivery planning data prepared in advance,

wherein the member is delivery people.

15. A location management apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

current location inquiry means for inquiring of the GPS-equipped portable telephone carried by a delivery person about its current location in response to an arrival time inquiry request from a customer'"'"'s terminal;

map data preparation means for searching a map database and retrieving map data corresponding to the current location based on returned positional information of the current location; and

delivery time calculation means for determining an estimated arrival time by calculating the time required from the current location to the delivery destination.

16. A location management apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the GPS-equipped portable telephone comprises a function to measure its current location and provide resulting positional information to the inquirer in response to an inquiry about its current location.