Portable terminal device with built-in GPS

• US 7,013,151 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2002
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Hirokawa, Yohei
• Primary Examiner(s): BEAMER, TEMICA M
• Application Number:
  US10/309,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20030119529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/457, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes

Abstract

A portable terminal device with built-in GPS (global positioning system) has: a telephone radio part for wirelessly transmitting and receiving latitude information and longitude information; a GPS radio part for receiving data from a GPS satellite; a storage unit for storing the data received in the telephone radio part; a map information part for storing map information; and a control unit for setting the designated movement range of another portable terminal device with built-in GPS on the map stored in the map information part then sending it to the another portable terminal device, and receiving data on the current position of the another portable terminal device to be computed by itself.

Claims

1. A portable terminal device with built-in GPS, comprising:

a telephone radio part for wirelessly transmitting and receiving latitude information and longitude information;

a GPS radio part for receiving data from a GPS (global positioning system) satellite;

a storage unit for storing the data received in the telephone radio part;

a map information part for storing map information; and

a control unit for performing processing such that a designated movement range of another portable terminal device with built-in GPS is set on the map stored in the map information part, data on the designated movement range are sent to said another portable terminal device with built-in GPS, and data on the current position of said another portable terminal device with built-in GPS, in which the designated movement range has been set, computed by said another portable terminal device with built-in GPS are received.

2. The portable terminal device with built-in GPS according to claim 1, wherein, upon the receipt of notification or information from said another portable terminal device with built-in GPS, the control unit identifies its own current position and displays the identified its own current position and the current position of said another portable terminal device with built-in GPS on an identical map.

3. The portable terminal device with built-in GPS according to claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises means which, instead of setting of the designated movement range, sets a movement destination on the map.

4. The portable terminal device with built-in GPS according to claim 1, wherein, in setting the designated movement range, the control unit sets a dangerous place in the map and sends this set information to said another portable terminal device with built-in GPS through the portable telephone radio part.

5. A portable terminal device with built-in GPS, comprising:

a telephone radio part for wirelessly transmitting and receiving latitude information and longitude information;

a GPS radio part for receiving data from a GPS (global positioning system) satellite;

a storage unit for storing the data received in the telephone radio part;

a map information part for storing map information; and

a control unit which computes a current position based on data obtained through the GPS radio part and, when the computed current position is deviated from a designated movement range set by another portable terminal device with built-in GPS, sends notification of the deviation from the designated movement range to said another portable terminal device with built-in GPS, and further sends said computed data on the current position to said another portable terminal device with built-in GPS.

6. The portable terminal device with built-in GPS according to claim 5, wherein, when the computed its own current position is close to the periphery of the designated movement range, the control unit shortens positioning intervals.

7. The portable terminal device with built-in GPS according to claim 5, wherein, when a destination has been set instead of the designated movement range, the control unit, upon the arrival of its own current position at the destination, sends notification of the arrival through the telephone radio part to the source of setting of the destination.

8. The portable terminal device with built-in GPS according to claim 5, wherein, when the located current position has been found to be close to a preset dangerous place, the control unit makes a warning sound and further shortens intervals at which the current position is located.

9. The portable terminal device with built-in GPS according to claim 5, wherein, when its own current position has been found to be close to a preset dangerous place, the control unit informs said another portable terminal device with built-in GPS, which has set the dangerous place, of the approach to the dangerous place.

10. A portable terminal device with built-in GPS, comprising:

a telephone radio part for wirelessly transmitting and receiving latitude information and longitude information;

a GPS radio part for receiving data from a GPS (global positioning system) satellite;

a storage unit for storing the data received in the telephone radio part;

a map information part for storing map information; and

a control unit comprising setting means for setting the designated movement range of another portable terminal device with built-in GPS on the map stored in the map information part and for sending the set designated movement range to said another portable terminal device with built-in GPS, means for acquiring data on the current position of said another portable terminal device with built-in GPS with the designated movement range set, said current position having been computed by said another portable terminal device with built-in GPS based on data received from the GPS satellite, means for computing its own current position based on data received from the GPS satellite through the GPS radio part, and means which, when the designated movement range has been set by another portable terminal device with built-in GPS, makes a judgment on whether or not the current position has deviated from the designated movement range.

11. A portable terminal device with built-in GPS, comprising:

a telephone radio part for wirelessly transmitting and receiving latitude information and longitude information;

a GPS radio part for receiving data from a GPS (global positioning system) satellite;

a storage unit for storing the data received in the telephone radio part; and

a control unit comprising setting means for setting the designated movement range of another portable terminal device with built-in GPS on a map downloaded, through the portable telephone radio part, from a position information server for providing map information and for sending the set designated movement range to said another portable terminal device with built-in GPS, means for undergoing setting of the designated movement range by another portable terminal device with built-in GPS, means for acquiring data on the current position of said another portable terminal device with built-in GPS with the designated movement range set, said current position having been computed by said another portable terminal device with built-in GPS based on data received from the GPS satellite, means for computing its own current position based on data received from the GPS satellite through the GPS radio part, and judgment means which, when the designated movement range has been set by another portable terminal device with built-in GPS, makes a judgment on whether or not the current position has deviated from the designated movement range.

12. The portable terminal device with built-in GPS according to claim 11, wherein the control unit comprises means which, when the computed current position is deviated from the designated movement range set by said another portable terminal device with built-in GPS, sends notification of the deviation from the designated movement range to the source of setting of the designated movement range through the telephone radio part and further automatically sends information on the computed current position.

13. The portable terminal device with built-in GPS according to claim 11, wherein the control unit, when has received notification or information from the terminal device with the designated movement range set therein, identifies its own current position and displays, on an identical map, said identified its own current position and the current position of the terminal device with the designated movement range set therein.

14. The portable terminal device with built-in GPS according to claim 11, wherein every time the control unit has received information on the current position of another portable terminal device with built-in GPS, the control unit performs positioning to locate its own current position and simultaneously displays, on an identical screen, said located its own current position and the current position of said another portable terminal device with built-in GPS.

15. A portable terminal device with built-in GPS, comprising:

a telephone radio part for wirelessly transmitting and receiving latitude information and longitude information;

a GPS radio part for receiving data from a GPS (global positioning system) satellite;

a storage unit for storing the data received in the telephone radio part and past current position data; and

a control unit comprising means for acquiring data on the current position of another portable terminal device with built-in GPS computed by said another portable terminal device with built-in GPS based on data received from the GPS satellite, means for computing its own current position based on data received from the GPS satellite through the GPS radio part, speed computation means for determining movement speed based on movement distance for each past positioning stored in the storage unit, judgment means for making a judgment on whether or not the movement speed determined by the speed computation means has exceeded a set upper movement speed limit, and means for, when the result of the judgment by the judgment means is that the movement speed has exceeded the upper movement speed limit, informing another portable terminal device with built-in GPS of the fact that the movement speed has exceeded the upper movement speed limit.

16. The portable terminal device with built-in GPS according to claim 15, wherein the control unit, when the movement speed determined by the speed computation means has exceeded the upper movement speed limit, automatically notifies, through the portable telephone radio part, the source of setting of the upper movement speed limit of the fact that the movement speed has exceeded the upper movement speed limit.