Electronic apparatus, communication system, and program

• US 7,787,911 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2006
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Casio Hitachi Mobile Communications Company Limited (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Yasuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar; Kamran
• Application Number:
  US11/603,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20070117574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042, 4554561-457, 455/572, 455/573, 455/574, 455/566, 455/343.4, 455/343.5, 455/343.6, 455/550.1, 455/552.1
• US Class Current: 455/572
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72424 with manual activation of emergency-service functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• 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

Abstract

When an emergency mode is set, a CPU outputs an alert from an alerting unit and notifies the current position obtained by a GPS processing unit to a predetermined destination by a communication unit. When the main power is switched off, the CPU determines whether or not the emergency mode is set, and when determined that the emergency mode is set, stops power supply to display sections, etc. to pretend that the apparatus is completely switched off, but continues power supply to the GPS processing unit and communication unit to keep notifying the current position.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a position determining unit which determines a position of the electronic apparatus;

a notifying unit which notifies position information which specifies the position determined by the position determining unit to a predetermined destination;

an operation mode specifying unit which allows a user to specify a predetermined operation mode; and

an operation mode-satisfied determining unit which determines whether the predetermined operation mode is set and whether the predetermined operation mode is satisfied, when an instruction for switching off a main power of the electronic apparatus is given,

wherein where the operation mode-satisfied determining unit determines that the predetermined operation mode is satisfied, even after the main power is switched off, the position determining unit determines the position of the electronic apparatus and the notifying unit notifies the position information to the predetermined destination.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a power supply unit which supplies an operation power to the position determining unit, the notifying unit, and the operation mode-satisfied determining unit,

wherein the power supply unit i) stops supplying the operation power to the position determining unit and the notifying unit when the operation mode-satisfied determining unit determines that the predetermined operation mode is not satisfied, and ii) continues supplying the operation power to the position determining unit and the notifying unit when the operation mode-satisfied determining unit determines that the predetermined operation mode is satisfied.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a display section which displays data,

wherein when the main power is switched off, the power supply unit stops supplying power to the display section irrespective of whether the predetermined operation mode is satisfied or not satisfied, so that the position determining unit and the notifying unit are seemingly unrecognizable as to whether they are operating or not.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an alerting unit which generates an alert,

wherein the predetermined operation mode is an emergency mode in which the alerting unit generates an alert, and where the instruction for switching off the main power is given in the emergency mode, even after the alerting unit stops alerting, the position determining unit determines the position of the electronic apparatus and the notifying unit notifies the position information to the predetermined destination.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined operation mode is an operation mode in which the position determining unit determines a current position and the notifying unit notifies the position information, and where an instruction for switching off the main power is given in the predetermined operation mode, even after the main power is switched off, the position determining unit determines the position of the electronic apparatus and the notifying unit notifies the position information to the predetermined destination.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the notifying unit notifies the position information repetitively to the predetermined destination.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the notifying unit notifies the position information repetitively to the predetermined destination even while the main power is on, and a notifying cycle while the main power is on is set shorter than a notifying cycle while the main power is off.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a power supply unit, having a battery, for supplying an operation power to the position determining unit, the notifying unit, and the operation mode-satisfied determining unit,

wherein the power supply unit comprises a unit which sets the notifying cycle in accordance with an amount of remaining energy stored in the battery.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notifying unit comprises a unit which generates an e-mail including the position information, and a unit which sends the generated e-mail to a predetermined address.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position determining unit determines an administration area of a base station, among a plurality of base stations constituting a mobile communication network, in which the electronic apparatus is positioned and

wherein, by notifying identification information of the electronic apparatus to the base station determined by the position determining unit, the notifying unit performs a process of registering information which associates the electronic apparatus with the base station administering the area in which the electronic apparatus is positioned, to a telephone exchange of the mobile communication network.

11. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply unit, having first and second batteries, for supplying operation power to the position determining unit, the notifying unit, and the operation mode-satisfied determining unit,

wherein the power supply unit supplies the operation power to the position determining unit, the notifying unit, and the operation mode-satisfied determining unit, by using energy stored in the first battery; and

the power supply unit supplies the operation power to the position determining unit and the notifying unit by using energy stored in the second battery when the first battery is removed.

12. A communication system comprising:

a network having a plurality of base stations and a telephone exchange; and

a communication apparatus which communicates with another communication apparatus through the base stations and the telephone exchange,

wherein the communication apparatus comprises;

a position determining unit which determines a position of the communication apparatus;

a notifying unit which notifies position information which specifies the position determined by the position determining unit to a predetermined destination;

an operation mode specifying unit which allows a user to specify a predetermined operation mode; and

an operation mode-satisfied determining unit which determines whether the predetermined operation mode is set and whether the predetermined operation mode is satisfied, when an instruction for switching off a main power of the communication apparatus is given,

wherein where the operation mode-satisfied determining unit determines that the predetermined operation mode is satisfied, even after the main power is switched off, the position determining unit determines the position of the communication apparatus and the notifying unit notifies the position information to the predetermined destination.

13. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for controlling a computer having a communication function to function as:

a position determining unit which determines a position of the computer;

a notifying unit which notifies position information which specifies the position determined by the position determining unit to a predetermined destination;

an operation mode specifying unit which allows a user to specify a predetermined operation mode; and

an operation mode-satisfied determining unit which determines whether a predetermined operation mode is set and whether the predetermined operation mode is satisfied, when an instruction for switching off a main power of the computer is given,

wherein where the operation mode-satisfied determining unit determines that the predetermined operation mode is satisfied, even after the main power is switched off, the position determining unit determines the position of the computer and the notifying unit notifies the position information to the predetermined destination.