Portable terminal apparatus and related information management system and method with concurrent position detection and information collection

• US 6,937,985 B2
• Filed: 03/09/1998
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Frontech Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kuma, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E.
• Application Number:
  US09/037,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20020004752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,731 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28, 705/22, 701/213, 701/207, 375/356, 340/825.35, 700/115, 700/215, 704/275, 704/244, 704/251, 704/258, 455/403, 455/186.1, 709/224, 709/223, 709/227
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing

Abstract

An information collecting portion collects predetermined information. A position detecting portion detects the position of a portable terminal device at the present time. A managing portion manages the predetermined information collected by the information collecting portion and the information of the position, detected by the position detecting portion when the information collecting portion collects the predetermined information, together.

Claims

1. A portable terminal apparatus, comprising:

information collecting means for collecting information from a selected information source;

position detecting means for detecting a current position of said portable terminal apparatus at the time of collecting the information;

managing means for managing the information from the selected information source and the current position of said portable terminal apparatus to inform that the article is to be collected and/or delivered and to report the information;

radio communication means; and

reporting means for reporting the information, the position, and the time via the radio communication means, wherein said information collecting means comprises;

speech recognizing means for recognizing voices, and

information reading means for reading identification information from the voices recognized by said speech recognizing means,

wherein a position of a user handling the portable terminal apparatus is detected by combining said detected current position and said recognized voices, and the position of the user is used for a staff management in an article delivery system.

2. The portable terminal apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said information collecting means collects identification information of an operator.

3. The portable terminal apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said information collecting means comprises a bar code reader.

4. The portable terminal apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said position detecting means detects the current position via a GPS (Global Positioning System).

5. The portable terminal apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said position detecting means receives position information and time information from nodes of a LAN (Local Area Network) and detects the current position.

6. The portable terminal apparatus, according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting means for transmitting the information from the selected information source and the current position of said portable terminal apparatus.

7. The portable terminal apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said information collecting means comprises:

fingerprint recognizing means for recognizing fingerprints; and

information reading means for reading identification information from a pattern of a fingerprint recognized by said fingerprint recognizing means.

8. The portable terminal apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

time means for determining the time in which the information from the selected information source and the current position of the portable terminal device are received.

9. The portable terminal apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said selected information source comprises a bar code.

10. The portable terminal apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said portable terminal apparatus is used for distribution of articles.

19. The portable terminal unit as set forth in claim 10, further comprising:

a time unit determining the time in which the information from the selected information source and the current position of the portable terminal device are detected.

11. A portable terminal unit, comprising:

an information collecting unit collecting information from selected information source;

a position detecting unit detecting a current position of said portable terminal unit at the time of collecting the information;

a radio communication unit;

a managing unit managing the information from the selected information source and the current position of said portable terminal unit;

an informing unit for informing that the article is to be collected and/or delivered; and

a reporting unit for reporting the information, the current position, and the time via the radio communication unit, wherein said information collecting unit comprises;

speech recognizing unit to recognize voices, and

an information reading unit to read identification information from the voice recognized by said speech recognizing unit,

wherein a position of a user handling the portable terminal unit is detected by combining said detected current position and said recognized voices, and the position of the user is used for a staff management in an article delivery system.

12. The portable terminal unit, according to claim 11, wherein said information collecting unit collects identification information of an operator.

13. The portable terminal unit, according to claim 11, wherein said information collecting unit comprises a bar code reader.

14. The portable terminal unit, according to claim 11, wherein said position detecting unit detects the current position via a GPS (Global Positioning System).

15. The portable terminal unit, according to claim 11, wherein said position detecting unit receives position information and time information from nodes of a LAN (Local Area Network) and detects the current position.

16. The portable terminal unit, according to claim 11, further comprising a communication unit transmitting the information from the selected information source and the current position of said portable terminal unit.

17. The portable terminal unit, according to claim 11, wherein said information collecting unit comprises:

a speech recognition unit recognizing voices; and

an information reading unit reading identification information from a voice recognized by said speech recognition unit.

18. The portable terminal unit, according to claim 11, wherein said information collecting unit comprises:

a fingerprint recognition unit recognizing fingerprints; and

an information reading unit reading identification information from a pattern of a fingerprint recognized by said fingerprint recognition unit.

20. The portable terminal unit, according to claim 11, wherein said selected information source comprises a bar code.

21. The portable terminal unit, according to claim 11, wherein said portable terminal unit is used for distribution of articles.

22. An information management system, comprising:

portable terminal means, comprising information collecting means for collecting information from a selected information source, position detecting means for detecting a current position of said portable terminal means at the time of collecting the information, managing means for managing the information from the selected information source and the current position of said portable terminal means and outputting a signal indicative thereof, and transmitting means for transmitting the signal;

receiving means for receiving the signal;

radio communication means;

managing means for managing distribution of an article using the signal;

informing means for informing that the article is to be collected and/or delivered; and

reporting means for reporting the information, the current position, and the time via the radio communication means, and deleting the information, the current position, and the time, wherein said information collecting means comprises;

speech recognizing means for recognizing voices, and

information reading means for reading identification information from the voices recognized by said speech recognizing means,

wherein a position of a user handling the portable terminal means is detected by combining said detected current position and said recognized voices, and the position of the user is used for a staff management in a system to deliver said article.

23. The information management system, according to claim 22, wherein said portable terminal means is used for distribution of articles.

24. The information management system, according to claim 22, wherein said information collecting means comprises a bar code reader.

25. An information management system, comprising:

a portable terminal unit, comprising an information collecting unit collecting information from a selected information source, a position detecting unit detecting the current position of said portable terminal unit at the time of collecting the information, and a managing unit managing the information from the selected information source and the current position of said portable terminal unit and outputting a signal indicative thereof, and a transmitter transmitting the signal;

a receiver receiving the signal;

a radio communication unit;

a managing unit managing the distribution of an article using the signal;

an informing unit informing that the article is to be collected and/or delivered; and

a reporting unit reporting the information, the current position, and the time via the radio communication unit, and deleting the information, the current position, and the time, wherein said information collecting unit comprises;

a speech recognizing unit to recognize voices, and

an information reading unit to read identification information from the voice recognized by said speech recognizing unit,

wherein a position of a user handling the portable terminal unit is detected by combining said detected current position and said recognized voices, and the position of the user is used for a staff management in a system to deliver said article.

26. The information management system, according to claim 25, wherein said portable terminal unit is used for distribution of articles.

27. The information management system, according to claim 25, wherein said information collecting unit comprises a bar code reader.

28. An information management method, comprising:

collecting information using a portable unit from a selected information source,

detecting a current position of the portable unit at a time of collecting the information,

managing the information from the selected information source and the current position of the portable unit and outputting a signal indicative thereof, and transmitting the signal;

receiving the signal;

managing distribution of an article using the signal;

informing that the article is to be collected and/or delivered;

reporting the information, the current position, and the time; and

deleting the information, the current position, and the time, wherein said collecting of information comprises;

recognizing voices, and

reading identification information from the recognized voices,

wherein a position of a user handling the portable unit is detected by combining said detected current position and said recognized voices, and the position of the user is used for a staff management in a system to deliver said article.

29. The information management method, according to claim 28, further comprising:

determining the time in which the information from the selected information source and the current position of the portable unit are detected.

30. The information management method, according to claim 28, further comprising using said portable unit for distribution of articles.

31. A portable terminal apparatus, comprising:

reading means for reading information from a bar code;

position detecting means for detecting a current position of said portable terminal apparatus at the time of reading the information;

transmitter means for transmitting the information from the bar code and the current position of said portable terminal apparatus;

radio communication means;

managing means managing the information from the bar code and the current position of said portable terminal apparatus;

informing means for informing that an article is to be collected and/or delivered; and

reporting means for reporting the information, the current position, and the time via the radio communication means, and deleting the information, the current position, and the time, wherein said reading means comprises;

bar code reading means for reading the information from the bar code;

speech recognizing means for recognizing voices, and

information reading means for reading identification information from the voices recognized by said speech recognizing means,

wherein a position of a user handling the portable terminal apparatus is detected by combining said detected current position and said recognized voices, and the position of the user is used for a staff management in a system to deliver said article.

32. The portable terminal apparatus, according to claim 31, wherein said portable terminal apparatus is used for distribution of articles.

33. A portable terminal unit, comprising:

a reading unit reading information from a bar code;

a position detecting unit detecting a current position of said portable terminal unit at the time of reading the information;

a transmitter unit transmitting the information from the bar code and the current position of said portable terminal unit;

a radio communication unit;

a managing unit managing the information from the bar code and the current position of said portable terminal unit;

an informing unit informing that an article is to be collected and/or delivered; and

a reporting unit reporting the information, the current position, and the time via the radio communication unit, and deleting the information, the current position, and the time, wherein said reading unit comprises;

a bar code reading unit to read the information from the bar code;

a speech recognizing unit to recognize voices, and

an information reading unit to read identification information from the voices recognized by said speech recognizing unit,

wherein a position of a user handling the portable terminal unit is detected by combining said detected current position and said recognized voices, and the position of the user is used for a staff management in a system to deliver the article.

34. The portable terminal unit, according to claim 33, wherein said portable terminal unit is used for distribution of articles.

35. A portable terminal apparatus, comprising:

an information collecting unit to collect information from a selected information source; and

a position detecting unit to detect a current position of said portable terminal apparatus at the time of collecting the information,

wherein said information collecting unit comprises;

speech recognizing unit to recognize voices, and

an information reading unit to read identification information from the voices recognized by said speech recognizing unit,

wherein a position of a user handling the portable terminal apparatus is detected by combining said detected current position and said recognized voices, and the position of the user is used for a staff management in an article delivery system.

36. A portable terminal apparatus, comprising:

an information collecting unit to collect information from an information source, the information collecting unit comprising;

a speech recognizing unit to recognize a voice, and

an information reading unit to read identification information from the voice recognized by said speech recognizing unit;

a position detecting unit to detect a position of said portable terminal apparatus; and

a radio communication unit to report the detected position,

wherein a position of a user handling the portable terminal apparatus is detected by combining said detected position and said recognized voices, and the position of the user is used for a staff management in an article delivery system.

37. A portable terminal apparatus, comprising:

an information collecting unit to collect information from an information source, the information collecting unit comprising;

a fingerprint recognizing unit to recognize a fingerprint, and

an information reading unit to read identification information from a pattern of the recognized fingerprint;

a position detecting unit to detect a position of said portable terminal apparatus; and

a radio communication unit to report the detected position,

wherein a position of a user handling the portable terminal apparatus is detected by combining said detected position and said recognized fingerprint, and the position of the user is used for a staff management in an article delivery system.