Position data exchange systems, mobile communication devices, and methods

• US 7,446,702 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GIGA-BYTE Communications, Inc. (Giga-Byte Technology Co.), Gigabyte Technology Company Limited (Giga-Byte Technology Co.)
• Original Assignee: GIGA-BYTE Communications, Inc. (Giga-Byte Technology Co.), Gigabyte Technology Company Limited (Giga-Byte Technology Co.)
• Inventors: Huang, Cheng-Wen, Chang, Chuan-Yi, Yu, Hung-Chih
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIU, HARRY K
• Application Number:
  US11/318,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20070146199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 34235701-35717
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes

Abstract

A position data exchange system comprises first and second mobile communication devices. The first communication device retrieves current coordinates of itself from a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and transmits the coordinates through a wireless communication channel from which the second communication device receives the coordinates. The second communication device displays data concerning the current location of the first communication device according to the coordinates and further provides navigation.

Claims

1. A position data exchange system, comprising:

a first cell phone, comprising;

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver deriving coordinates of the first cell phone;

an electronic map and a first electronic schedule, each of which is stored in the first cell phone, the first electronic schedule scheduling when to transmit the coordinates;

a communication unit transmitting the coordinates; and

a second cell phone receiving the coordinates transmitted from the first cell phone, and displaying corresponding information of the coordinates of the first cell phone;

wherein;

the second cell phone comprises a second electronic schedule scheduling when to transmit a request to the first cell phone; and

the first cell phone transmitting the coordinates to the second cell phone when receiving the request from the second cell phone, or when a current position of the first cell phone satisfies a position-based condition, or when the first electronic schedule is due; and

wherein the first cell phone extracts a map image corresponding to the coordinates from the electronic map, and transmits the map image to the second cell phone.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second cell phone comprises an electronic map and is capable of displaying a symbol representing the first cell phone at a position on the electronic map corresponding to the coordinates.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first cell phone comprises a battery, and, when the battery power of the first cell phone is determined to be low, only transmissions of position query requests and responses thereto are allowed.

4. A cell phone, comprising:

a storage device storing an electronic map and a predetermined electronic schedule;

a communication unit initiating a wireless communication channel;

a processor coupled to the storage device, the communication unit, and a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, the processor retrieving current coordinates of the cell phone from the GPS receiver, and extracting map image data corresponding to the coordinates from the electronic map stored in the cell phone;

wherein the predetermined electronic schedule schedules transmissions of the map image data and the coordinates through the wireless communication channel, and the processor automatically transmits the map image data in response when receiving a position query request through the communication unit.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the map image data comprises map images of different scales.

6. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the processor further transmits text data corresponding to the coordinates through the wireless communication channel.

7. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

the storage device further stores a position-based condition, and

transmissions of the map image data and the coordinates are initialized when the coordinates satisfy the position-based condition.

8. The device as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a battery, and, when determining that the battery power is low, only the coordinates are transmitted in response to the position query request while the map image data is not.

9. A position data exchange method, implemented in a first cell phone comprises a predetermined electronic schedule, an electronic map, and a position-based condition, each of which is stored in the first cell phone, comprising:

retrieving coordinates of the first cell phone from a global positioning system (GPS) receiver by the first cell phone;

extracting map image data corresponding to the coordinates from the electronic map by the first cell phone; and

transmitting the coordinates and the map image data to a second cell phone, through a wireless communication channel when receiving a position query request from the second cell phone via the wireless communication channel, or when a current position of the first cell phone satisfies the position-based condition, or when the predetermined electronic schedule is due.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the map image data comprises map images of different scales.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting text data corresponding to the coordinates through the wireless communication channel.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first cell phone comprises a battery, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the battery power is low, and when the battery power is low

only allowing transmissions of position query requests and responses thereto.