Moving situation information providing method and server

• US 20030143994A1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Kimura, Keisuke, Yamamoto, Hiroyuki, Kariya, Aki, Odakura, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,130,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

Research server 4 transmits to moving status search server 3 a request for providing moving status information containing a conditional expression, designating attributes of users to be researched. Moving status search server 3 extracts users having user attribute information (information such as address, occupation or the like, of each user) matching the conditional expression and obtains location information from mobile stations 1 which the users possess. In this way, moving status search server 3 generates moving status information on the basis of location information of users having user attribute information matching the conditional expression, and transmits the generated moving status information to research server 4.

Claims

1. A moving status information providing method, comprising:

a step of obtaining location information indicating a location of a mobile station served by a mobile communication network;

a step of receiving a designation of arbitrary target attribute information and a period of monitoring a moving status by a server storing target attribute information indicating the attribute of a target carrying said mobile station in correspondence with said mobile station;

a step of generating, by said server, moving status information of said mobile station corresponding to designated said target attribute information on the basis of time series location information obtained by said mobile communication network within designated said period of monitoring; and

a step of providing, by said server, moving status information generated in said step of generating moving status information to an agent outside of said mobile communication network.

2. A moving status information providing method according to claim 1, wherein,

said location information is generated by said mobile station and reported to said server.

3. A moving status information providing method according to claim 1, wherein,

said location information is generated on the basis of a location of a base station serving a mobile station by said mobile communication network.

4. A moving status information providing method according to claim 1, wherein,

said server further comprises a step of registering target attribute information of a target carrying said mobile station in correspondence with said mobile station.

5. A moving status information providing method according to claim 4, wherein,

said server registers target attribute information of only a target carrying said mobile station, a user of which agrees to provide moving status information in said step of registering target attribute information.

6. A moving status information providing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of extracting, by said server, a mobile station corresponding to said target attribute information matching a condition designated by an agent outside of said mobile communication network, and

wherein in said step of obtaining location information, said mobile communication network obtains location information of a mobile station extracted by said server in said extracting step.

7. A moving status information providing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of extracting, by said server, a mobile station corresponding to said target attribute information matching a condition designated by an agent outside of said mobile communication network; and

a step of registering mobile station identification information for uniquely specifying said mobile station extracted by said server in said extracting step, and

wherein in said step of obtaining location information, said mobile communication network obtains location information of a mobile station corresponding to mobile station identification information registered by said server in said step of registering mobile station identification information.

8. A moving status information providing method according to claim 1, wherein,

said server provides said moving status information in a format designated by an agent outside of said mobile communication network in said providing step.

9. A moving status information providing method according to claim 1, wherein,

said server transmits said moving status information to a node outside of said mobile communication network capable of communicating with said server in said providing step.

10. A moving status information providing method according to claim 6, wherein:

said server transmits said moving status information to a node outside of said mobile communication network capable of communicating with said server in said providing step; and

said node links said moving status information transmitted from said server with a condition designated in said extracting step.

11. A moving status information providing method according to claim 1, wherein,

said server calls a mobile station of a target whose said location information is obtained, and obtains location information from said mobile station in said step of obtaining location information.

12. A moving status information providing method according to claim 1, wherein,

said moving status information is information showing a moving status of said target on a map.

13. A moving status information providing method according to claim 12, wherein,

information shown in said map shows how a plurality of said targets having a designated attribute converged on a certain dot on said map.

14. A moving status information providing method according to claim 1, wherein,

information shown on said map shows which path a plurality of said targets having a designated attribute moved between a plurality of dots designated on said map.

15. A moving status information providing method according to claim 12, wherein,

information shown on said map shows which path a plurality of said targets having a designated attribute moved in an area designated on said map.

16. A moving status information providing method according to claim 12, wherein,

information shown on said map shows which path a plurality of said targets having a designated attribute moved in a space designated on said map.

17. A moving status information providing method according to claim 1, wherein,

said user receives a value for providing moving status information of a target carrying said mobile station from an owner of said server.

18. A moving status information providing method according to claim 17, wherein:

said server stores a point corresponding to an amount of compensation which an owner of said server should pay to a user of said mobile station in correspondence with said user; and

a user of said mobile station receives a service corresponding to said point, which said server has stored in correspondence with said user from an owner of said server.

19. A moving status information providing method according to claim 17, wherein:

an owner of said server is a mobile communication carrier providing a communication service via said mobile communication network; and

an owner of said server determines a charge for providing a communication service of said mobile communication network to a user of said mobile station in consideration of compensation to be paid to an user of said mobile station.

20. A moving status information providing method according to claim 17, wherein:

an owner of said server is a mobile communication carrier providing a communication service via said mobile communication network; and

an owner of said server provides a service corresponding to compensation to be paid to a user of said mobile station by attaching said service to said communication service.

21. A moving status information providing method according to claim 1, wherein,

a target carrying said mobile station is a user of said mobile station.

22. A moving status information providing method according to claim 1, wherein,

said mobile station is a cellular phone performing communication via said mobile communication network.

23. A server, comprising:

a storing unit which stores target attribute information indicating an attribute of a target carrying a mobile station in correspondence with said mobile station;

a designation receiving unit which receives a designation of arbitrary target attribute information and a period of monitoring a moving status;

a moving status information generating unit which generates moving status information of said mobile station corresponding to designated said target attribute information based on time series location information obtained by said mobile communication network within said designated period of monitoring; and

a providing unit which provides moving status information generated in said step of generating moving status information to an agent outside of said mobile communication network.

24. A server according to claim 23, wherein,

said location information is generated by said mobile station and reported to said server.

25. A server according to claim 23, wherein,

said location information is generated by said mobile communication network on the basis of a location of a base station serving a mobile station.