Positional information determining apparatus

• US 7,352,323 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Teranishi, Koichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing; Gregory C
• Application Number:
  US11/606,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20070075895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/357.07
• US Class Current: 342/357.25
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A positional information determining apparatus capable of reducing power consumption markedly in simple structure in radio transmission of positioning results to a navigation device. Satellite waves S1 to S4 are received from a plurality of GPS satellites 2 to 5 and analyzed at prescribed time intervals, thus obtaining positional data D5 denoting own current position. Only when positional data D5 can be determined, the positional data D5 is transmitted by radio to the navigation device that uses the positional data D5. Thus it is made possible to reduce power consumption with certainty because radio transmission is made only when positional data D5 can be obtained.

Claims

1. A positional information determining apparatus comprising:

positional information determining means for determining positional information by analyzing satellite waves received from a plurality of satellites at prescribed time intervals;

Bluetooth communication means for wirelessly transmitting, using Bluetooth, said positional information determined by said positional information determining means to an appointed device that uses the positional information; and

control means for transmitting said positional information to said appointed device through said communication means only when the positional information can be determined by said positional information determining means,

wherein the control means transmits the positional information to the appointed device at a first time interval when an accuracy of the positional information exceeds a threshold and at a second time interval when the accuracy does not exceed the threshold, the first time interval being shorter than the second time interval.

2. The positional information determining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means transmits said positional information to said appointed device through said communication means only when the positional information can be determined and at the same time when the positional information has any change.

3. The positional determining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the accuracy is determined on the basis of a Dilution of Precision (DOP) value.

4. A positional information transmission control method comprising:

determining positional information by analyzing satellite waves received from a plurality of satellites at prescribed time intervals;

wirelessly transmitting, using Bluetooth, said positional information to an appointed device that uses the positional information by means of prescribed communication means; and

transmitting by radio said positional information to said appointed device through said communication means only when the positional information can be determined,

wherein the positional information is transmitted to the appointed device at a first time interval when an accuracy of the positional information exceeds a threshold and at a second time interval when the accuracy does not exceed the threshold, the first time interval being shorter than the second time interval.

5. A computer readable medium storing a program to cause a processor to execute a positional information transmission control method, the method comprising:

determining positional information by analyzing satellite waves received from a plurality of satellites at prescribed time intervals;

wirelessly transmitting, using Bluetooth, said positional information to an appointed device that uses the positional information by means of prescribed communication means; and

transmitting by radio said positional information to said appointed device through said communication means only when the positional information can be determined,

wherein the positional information is transmitted to the appointed device at a first time interval when an accuracy of the positional information exceeds a threshold and at a second time interval when the accuracy does not exceed the threshold, the first time interval being shorter than the second time interval.