Method of providing position information of mobile terminals

• US 6,987,976 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Kohar, Handoko, De Regt, Michael Cornelis
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Huy D.
• Application Number:
  US10/015,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20020086683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method and system for providing position information of at least first and second mobile terminals, which are part of a mobile network. The mobile network includes a position determining unit to determine the position information of the first mobile terminal, where the first and second mobile terminals are not necessarily communicating with each other. The position determining unit determines the position information of the first mobile terminal, and the mobile network transmits the position information to the second mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A method of providing position information of at least a first mobile terminal and at least a second mobile terminal, wherein a network comprises position determining means to determine the position information of the first mobile terminal, wherein the first and second mobile terminals are not necessarily communicating with each other, the method comprising:

determining the position information of the first mobile terminal by the position determining means, and

transmitting the position information by the network to the second mobile terminal;

wherein the position information comprises position of the first mobile terminal, and wherein the second mobile terminal comprises a compass or a GPS-receiver for providing further position information of the second mobile terminal, and wherein the second mobile terminal comprises means for determining position of the first mobile terminal with respect to the second mobile terminal from the position information and the further position information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second mobile terminals are subscribed to a position information providing service offered by the network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position information is determined and transmitted at the second mobile terminal'"'"'s request.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second mobile terminal comprises a database with entries for mobile terminals, and wherein the second mobile terminal is arranged for requesting the position information for at least part of the mobile terminals included in the database.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position information comprises position of the first mobile terminal with respect to the second mobile terminal.

6. A transmission system comprising:

at least a first mobile terminal;

at least a second mobile terminal; and

a network having position determining means to determine a position information of the first mobile terminal;

wherein the first and second mobile terminals are not necessarily communicating with each other, and wherein the position information is transmitted by the network to the second mobile terminal;

wherein the second mobile terminal comprises a compass or a Gps-receiver for providing further position information of the second mobile terminal, and wherein the second mobile terminal comprises means for determining position of the first mobile terminal with respect to the second mobile terminal from the position information and the further position information.

7. The transmission system according to claim 6, wherein the first and second mobile terminals are subscribed to a position information providing service offered by the network.

8. The transmission system according to claim 6, wherein the position information is determined and transmitted at the second mobile terminal'"'"'s request.

9. The transmission system according to claim 6, wherein the second mobile terminal comprises a database with entries for mobile terminals, and wherein the second mobile terminal is arranged for requesting the position information for at least part of the mobile terminals included in the database.

10. The transmission system according to claim 6, wherein the position information comprises position of the first mobile terminal with respect to the second mobile terminal.

11. A mobile terminal for conducting communications over a network, wherein the mobile terminal is arranged for receiving a position information of at least one other mobile terminal from the network, said position information being determined by a position determining means of the network, and wherein the mobile terminal is not necessarily communicating with the at least one other mobile terminal;

wherein the mobile terminal further comprising a compass or a Gps-receiver for providing further position information of the mobile terminal, and means for determining position of the at least one other mobile terminal with respect to the mobile terminal from the position information and the further position information.

12. The mobile terminal according to claim 11, wherein the mobile terminal and the at least on other mobile terminal are subscribed to a position information providing service offered by the network.

13. The mobile terminal according to claim 11, wherein the position information is determined and transmitted at the mobile terminal'"'"'s request.

14. The mobile terminal according to claim 11, wherein the mobile terminal comprises a database with entries for mobile terminals, and wherein the mobile terminal is arranged for requesting the position intonation for at least part of the mobile terminals included in the database.

15. The mobile terminal according to claim 11, wherein the position information comprises position of the at least one other mobile terminal with respect to the mobile terminal.