POSITION MEASUREMENT SYSTEM AND PORTABLE TERMINAL

• US 20080051102A1
• Filed: 08/22/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: MATSUBARA, Hiroki
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems

Abstract

A first portable terminal receives a GPS signal transmitted from a satellite via radio waves with a signal reception means, and a short distance wireless communication means transfers this received signal to a second portable terminal. Furthermore, upon receipt of this signal transferred from the first portable terminal, the second portable terminal processes the received signal with a position measurement means, and thereby measures the position of the first portable terminal. Since the communication between the first portable terminal and the second portable terminal is by short distance wireless communication, accordingly these two portable terminals are positioned approximately at the same location. And a position measurement result notification means of the second portable terminal notifies its own position, which the position measurement means has acquired, to the first portable terminal.

Claims

1. A position measurement system comprising first and second portable terminals which comprise short distance wireless communication means for performing short distance wireless communication, and which performs position measurement using a signal transmitted from a satellite via radio waves, wherein:

said first portable terminal comprises;

a signal reception means which receives a signal transmitted from a satellite via radio waves; and

a signal transfer means which transfers said signal received by said signal reception means to said second portable terminal using said short distance wireless communication means; and

said second portable terminal comprises;

a position measurement means which, when said signal which has been transmitted by said signal transfer means of said first portable terminal has been received by said short distance wireless communication means, measures the position of said first portable terminal based upon said received signal; and

a position measurement result notification means which notifies the position of said first portable terminal which has been measured by said position measurement means to said first portable terminal, using said short distance wireless communication means.

2. A position measurement system according to claim 1, wherein said first portable terminal further comprises a mobile telephone communication means which performs communication with other terminals via a mobile telephone network.

3. A position measurement system according to claim 2, wherein said second portable terminal further comprises:

an image capture means which captures an image of an image capture area; and

a captured image storage means which stores a captured image of an image capture area which has been captured by said image capture means, and the position of said first portable terminal which has been measured by said position measurement means directly before the capturing of said captured image, in mutual correspondence.

4. A position measurement system comprising first and second portable terminals which comprise short distance wireless communication means for performing short distance wireless communication, and which performs position measurement using a signal transmitted from a satellite via radio waves, wherein:

said first portable terminal comprises;

a signal reception means which receives a signal transmitted from a satellite via radio waves;

a position measurement means which measures its own position, based upon said signal received by said signal reception means; and

a position measurement result notification means which notifies its own position, which has been measured by said position measurement means, to said second portable terminal, using said short distance wireless communication means; and

said second portable terminal comprises;

a storage means which stores the position of said first portable terminal which has been notified by said position measurement result notification means of said first portable terminal, via said short distance wireless communication means;

an image capture means which captures an image of an image capture area; and

a captured image storage means which stores a captured image of an image capture area which has been captured by said image capture means, and the position of said first portable terminal which has been stored by said storage means, in mutual correspondence.

5. A position measurement system according to claim 4, wherein said first portable terminal further comprises a mobile telephone communication means which performs communication with other terminals via a mobile telephone network.

6. A portable terminal, comprising:

a short distance wireless communication means which performs short distance wireless communication;

a signal acquisition means which acquires, by using said short distance wireless communication means, a signal from another portable terminal which comprises a signal reception means which receives a signal transmitted from a satellite via radio waves;

a position measurement means which, based upon said signal which has been acquired by said signal acquisition means, measures the position of said other portable terminal from which said signal has been transmitted; and

a position measurement result notification means which notifies, to said other portable terminal, using said short distance wireless communication means, the position of said other portable terminal as measured by said position measurement means.

7. A portable terminal according to claim 6, further comprising:

an image capture means which captures an image of an image capture area; and

a captured image storage means which stores a captured image of an image capture area which has been captured by said image capture means, and the position of said other portable terminal which has been measured by said position measurement means directly previously, in mutual correspondence.