Information reporting system

• US 5,867,110 A
• Filed: 08/09/1996
• Issued: 02/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Maxell Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Akamatsu, Chiyo, Nozoe, Takahiko, Naito, Akira, Shimizu, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US08/696,028
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995, 340/988, 340/990, 364/443, 364/449.6, 364/449.1, 701/201, 701/209, 701/211
• US Class Current: 340/286.05
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0968 Systems involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

There is disclosed an information reporting system comprising a communication host apparatus including a database storing a plurality of data sets each concerning predetermined position, and a host computer, and at least one portable terminal including a data processing unit for executing predetermined processing based upon data received from a communication unit via a communication networks, and a display unit displaying images obtained by the data processing. The portable terminal further includes a current position detecting unit for detecting its current position, and is adapted to transmit position information data indicative of the current position. The host computer is responsive to read out from the database one of the data sets concerning the position corresponding to the provided position information data and supplies the portable terminal with the data set.

Claims

1. An information reporting system comprising:

a communication host apparatus including a database storing a plurality of data sets each concerning a predetermined position and a host computer capable of accessing said database and connecting with a radio telephone communication line; and

at least one portable terminal including communication means capable of connecting with the radio telephone communication line, data processing means for executing a predetermined data processing based upon data received from said communication means, and display means for displaying images based upon data obtained by said data processing means;

wherein said portable terminal further comprises a current position detecting means for detecting its current position and is adapted to cause the radio telephone communication line to be connected to said host computer in response to a request from said host computer for connection to the radio telephone communication line and also to cause said communication means to transmit position information indicative of the current position of said portable terminal to said communication host apparatus, and

when data set including disaster classification data indicative of disaster class is stored in said database, as one of said data sets to be stored in said database, said host computer of the communication host apparatus is adapted to request said communication means of said portable terminal to be connected to the radio telephone communication line to receive said position information data transmitted from said portable terminal, and when the position indicated by said position information is relative to the disaster occurred, said host computer is adapted to transmit data set corresponding to the disaster to said portable terminal and cut off the radio telephone communication line after the transmission wherein said transmitted data set includes route specifying data for directing the portable terminal from its current position to a designated shelter location associated with said disaster classification data when said host computer apparatus considers such direction appropriate with respect to said disaster.

2. An information reporting system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said portable terminal includes a first database storing data items concerning disaster type for each disaster class, said data processing means reads out from said first database one of the data items corresponding to the disaster class received by said communication means, and said display means displays an image based upon the read-out data.

3. An information reporting system according to claim 1,

wherein said portable terminal further includes a timer which outputs a time-up signal at predetermined intervals, and said communication means is responsive to the time-up signal to transmit the position information data indicative of the current position of the portable terminal to said communication host apparatus, and

said host computer of the communication host apparatus is adapted to retrieve from the database a data set concerning the position indicated by the position information transmitted from said portable terminal, and to supply the data set to said portable terminal, if the data set concerning the position is retrieved.

4. An information reporting system in accordance with claim 1, each of said data sets stored in said database including road section data for specifying a road in a map.

5. An information reporting system in accordance with claim 4, said road section data indicating at least one road which is impassable owing to a disaster.

6. An information reporting system in accordance with claim 4, wherein said portable terminal includes a second database storing map data, and said display means displays an image based upon said road section data and portions of said map data corresponding to a map of a predetermined area.

7. An information reporting system in accordance with claim 1, each of said data sets stored in said database including route specifying data for specifying at least one route between two predetermined points on a map.

8. An information reporting system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said portable terminal includes a second database storing map data, and said display means displays an image based upon said road section data and portions of said map data corresponding to a map of a predetermined area.

9. An information reporting system in accordance with claim 7, one end of said route corresponding to a position based upon the position information data indicative of the current position of said portable terminal.

10. An information reporting system in accordance with claim 9, said route specifying data at least indicating a route toward a shelter appropriate in light of a disaster.