USOO6999779B1
`
`(12) United States Patent
`Hashimoto
`
`(10) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 6,999,779 B1
`*Feb. 14, 2006
`
`(54) POSITION INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
`SYSTEM
`
`(75) Inventor: Ken Hashimoto, Kawasaki (JP)
`(73) Assignee: Fujitsu Limited, Kawasaki (JP)
`(*) Notice:
`This patent issued on a continued pros
`ecution application filed under 37 CFR
`1.53(d), and is subject to the twenty year
`patent term provisions of 35 U.S.C. 154
`(a)(2).
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`(21) Appl. No.: 08/902,153
`(22) Filed:
`Jul. 29, 1997
`(30)
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`Feb. 6, 1997
`(JP)
`................................... 9-024106
`(51) Int. Cl.
`(2006.01)
`H04M II/04
`(52) U.S. Cl. ............................... 455/456.2; 455/456.6;
`455/404.2
`(58) Field of Classification Search ................ 701/213,
`701/214, 215, 216, 207,208; 342/357,385,
`342/386,417,419,357.14,357.1,357.12,
`342/357.09,357.13,357.08; 455/440, 404,
`455/456,457; 370/311
`See application file for complete Search history.
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`4,731,613 A * 3/1988 Endo et al. ............ 455/357.14
`4,806,940 A 2/1989 Harral et al. ............... 342/451
`4,953,179 A 8/1990 Mita et al.
`5,208,756 A 5/1993 Song
`5,223,844 A
`6/1993 Mansell et al. ............. 455/404
`5,317,321. A
`5/1994 Sass ...................... 342/357.09
`
`7/1994 Stilp et al.
`5,327,144. A
`2/1995 Kass .......................... 342/357
`5,389,934. A
`5/1995 Geier et al. ................. 701/216
`5,416,712 A *
`5,418,537 A * 5/1995 Bird ...................... 342/357.09
`
`(Continued)
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`EP
`
`OOO6 448
`
`1/1980
`
`(Continued)
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`UK Examination Report for corresponding application No.
`GB 9716207.7 dated Apr. 30, 2001.
`
`(Continued)
`Primary Examiner-Sonny Trinh
`Assistant Examiner-Sam Bhattacharya
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Staas & Halsey LLP
`(57)
`ABSTRACT
`
`A position information management System in which a
`portable remote terminal includes a plurality of kinds of
`positioning means for positioning based on a GPS, position
`ing based on a portable-telephone or PHS base station,
`positioning based on a radio marker, and independent posi
`tioning based on a direction detector, So that the holder of the
`portable remote terminal can be navigated anywhere. The
`holder of the portable remote terminal can know the position
`of a third party similarly holding Such a portable remote
`terminal, by inquiring of a central System, and he/she can
`Supervise, for example, the action of an old perSon, a child,
`or a skier in a skiing area. Further, only the map data of a
`district which is often used by the holder is stored in the
`portable remote terminal. In this regard, when the holder is
`in a district not contained within the retained map data,
`he/she downloads corresponding map data from the central
`System and uses the downloaded map data.
`
`10 Claims, 10 Drawing Sheets
`
`D-GS 3 As
`
`PQRTABE REMOTE
`J
`TERMINA11
`------ - - - - - - -
`8
`
`
`
`RAO
`EUIPMNT
`PORTAL
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`18
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`Erwina
`17
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`
`
`
`
`23
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`RAO
`UPMEN
`PRTABLE
`TELENE
`BASE
`STATION
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`RA
`UPMENT
`SERE
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`PORABE
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`
`NFORMATION
`PROVIDNS
`UNIT
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`MAP DATA
`Position AA
`ES
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`INFORMATION PROVIDINGPOSTN
`RADIO MARKER33y
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`
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`As
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`HOME
`ERMINAL
`
`
`
`POSION
`AA
`
`Petitioner Uber Ex-1005, 0001
`
`

`

`US 6,999,779 B1
`Page 2
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`5,420,594. A * 5/1995 FitzGerald et al. .... 342/357.14
`5,422,813 A
`6/1995 Schuchman et al. ........ 455/440
`5,426,690 A * 6/1995 Hikuma et al. ....
`... 455/421
`5,461,390 A 10/1995 Hoshen ...................... 342/419
`5,504,491. A
`4/1996 Chapman .................... 342/357
`5,519,403 A
`5/1996 Bickley et al. .
`... 342/352
`5,548,822 A 8/1996 Yogo ..........
`... 455/68
`5,604,765 A * 2/1997 Bruno et al. .
`... 370/311
`5,642,398 A * 6/1997 Tiedemann et al. ...... 455/426.1
`5,644,317 A * 7/1997 Weston et al. ......... 455/357.14
`5,661,652 A * 8/1997 Sprague et al. .......... 455/456.2
`5,669,061 A * 9/1997 Schipper ..................... 455/440
`5,689.269 A * 11/1997 Norris ...........
`342/357.08
`5,742.233 A * 4/1998 Hoffman et al.
`... 340/573.1
`5,760,742 A * 6/1998 Branch et al. .............. 455/456
`5,832,394 A * 11/1998 Wortham .......
`... 455/456
`5,848,373 A * 12/1998 DeLorime et al.
`... 701/200
`5,862,511 A *
`1/1999 Croyle et al. ............... 701/213
`6,148,261 A * 11/2000 Obradovich et al. ........ 701/208
`6,167,277 A 12/2000 Kawamoto .................. 455/457
`6,414,630 B1, 7/2002 Usui ..................... 342/357.09
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`
`
`EP
`EP
`EP
`GB
`GB
`GB
`JP
`JP
`JP
`JP
`
`OS28 O90
`O 6O1293
`O766096
`1528 18O
`2O2S 185
`2 283 873
`63-292.790
`7-332993
`4-122873
`5-205174
`
`2/1993
`6/1994
`9/1996
`10/1978
`1/1980
`5/1995
`11/1988
`12/1991
`4/1992
`8/1993
`
`JP
`JP
`JP
`JP
`JP
`JP
`JP
`JP
`JP
`JP
`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`
`6-291716
`6-331367
`7-1591.93
`7-280583
`8-037682
`8-211827
`8-212497
`8-293829
`8-305285
`9-018427
`83/O2501
`92/13284
`94/15412
`95/17685
`95/27219
`97/O1104
`
`10/1994
`12/1994
`6/1995
`10/1995
`2/1996
`8/1996
`8/1996
`11/1996
`11/1996
`1/1997
`7/1983
`8/1992
`7/1994
`6/1995
`10/1995
`1/1997
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`Japanese Office Action for corresponding application H10
`O22996.
`Notice of Rejection Grounds, dated May 19, 2004.
`Office Action for corresponding Chinese Application No.
`03101019.9 dated May 13, 2005.
`Office Action for corresponding Chinese Application No.
`03101018.0 dated May 13, 2005.
`Office Action for corresponding Chinese Application No.
`03101017.2 dated May 13, 2005.
`Communication (Notice of Rejection Grounds) for cor
`responding Japanese Application No. 2004-114174 dated
`Jul. 5, 2005.
`* cited by examiner
`
`Petitioner Uber Ex-1005, 0002
`
`

`

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`US 6,999,779 B1
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 14, 2006
`
`Sheet 2 of 10
`
`US 6,999,779 B1
`
`SIGNAL
`OF GPS RECEIVED
`
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`S
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`POSITION OF PHS
`OR PORTABLE TELEPHONE BASE
`STATION FOUND
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`USE POST ON OF
`BASE STATION
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`SIGNAL OF
`RADIO MARKER RECEIVED
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`RADIO EQUIPMENT
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`DES DE IMPOSSIBILITY OF
`POSIT ON ING
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`F G. 2
`
`Petitioner Uber Ex-1005, 0004
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 14, 2006
`Feb. 14, 2006
`
`Sheet 3 of 10
`Sheet 3 of 10
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`US 6,999,779 B1
`US 6,999,779 B1
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`Petitioner Uber Ex-1005, 0005
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`

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`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 14, 2006
`
`Sheet 4 of 10
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`US 6,999,779 B1
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`DISPLAY MAP WITH CURREN
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`
`F G. 4
`
`Petitioner Uber Ex-1005, 0006
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 14, 2006
`
`Sheet 5 of 10
`
`US 6,999,779 B1
`
`PORTABLE TERMINAL
`
`CENTRAL SYSTE
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`HOME TERMINAL
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`Petitioner Uber Ex-1005, 0007
`
`

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`U.S. Patent
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`Feb. 14, 2006
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`Sheet 6 of 10
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`US 6,999,779 B1
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`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 14, 2006
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`Sheet 7 of 10
`
`US 6,999,779 B1
`
`
`
`
`
`CAL CULATED STANCE INSTRA GHT LINE/
`FROM POSITIONS OF TWO POINTS
`
`FIND SORT OF WAPON BASIS OF DISTANCE
`AND TABLE
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`
`Petitioner Uber Ex-1005, 0009
`
`

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`U.S. Patent
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`Feb. 14, 2006
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`Sheet 8 of 10
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`US 6,999,779 B1
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`Petitioner Uber Ex-1005, 0010
`
`

`

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`Petitioner Uber Ex-1005, 0011
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`U.S. Patent
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`Feb. 14, 2006
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`Sheet 10 0f 10
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`US 6,999,779 B1
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`
`
`DSPLAY
`SCREEN 50
`
`GPS ANTENNA 51
`
`GPS ANTENNA 51
`
`F. G. OA
`
`F. G. 1 OB
`
`DISPLAY
`SCREEN 52
`
`
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`INPUT
`BUTTON 55
`
`GPS ANTENNA 53
`
`GPS ANTENNA 53
`
`F G 1 OC
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`F. G. 1 OD
`
`Petitioner Uber Ex-1005, 0012
`
`

`

`1
`POSITION INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
`SYSTEM
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`The present invention relates to a position information
`management System, and more particularly to a System for
`managing the position information of pedestrians.
`2. Description of the Related Art
`Nowadays, a car navigation System wherein a terminal is
`mounted in an automobile So as to display the current
`position of the automobile has been put into practical use
`and put on the market. According to the car navigation
`System, anybody can reach a destination without getting lost
`even in an area which he/she visits for the first time, because
`the map of his/her Surroundings is displayed with the current
`position.
`The car navigation System executes the processing of
`receiving radio waves from Satellites So as to acquire the
`current position in terms of a latitude and a longitude, and
`reading out map information which contains the acquired
`latitude and longitude, from a memory device.
`Such car navigation operates to navigate the driving of the
`automobile. There has also been developed and put on Sale
`a System wherein a person holds or carries a terminal of a
`portable type, on which his/her current position and perti
`nent map information are displayed So as to navigate the
`perSon.
`The personal navigation System also executes the pro
`cessing of receiving radio waves from Satellites So as to
`acquire the current position in terms of a latitude and a
`longitude, and displaying the Stored map information with
`the current position.
`The system wherein the current position is determined by
`receiving the radio waves from the Satellites in this manner,
`is called the “GPS (Global Positioning System)”.
`Meanwhile, in the navigation System as Stated above, the
`current position is acquired by catching the radio waves
`from the satellites. Therefore, the system has the disadvan
`tage of failing to operate in a location where the radio waves
`cannot be received from any of the Satellites.
`Besides, in the System for navigating the movements of a
`perSon, the terminal to be held or carried by the person tends
`to be somewhat large in size because a CD-ROM or the like
`for Storing map information is built therein.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`An object of the present invention is to provide a position
`information management System of higher Serviceability.
`According to the present invention, in a System wherein
`information from a positioning System is acquired in an
`information terminal and is processed in a central System So
`as to manage information on a position of the information
`terminal, a position information management System is
`characterized by employing an information terminal which
`is adapted to utilize a plurality of kinds of positioning
`Systems and to automatically change from any of the posi
`tioning Systems in an unavailable State, to an available one
`of the positioning Systems, So as to acquire a current position
`thereof by the use of the available positioning System.
`Further, an information terminal for use in the present
`invention is one which can communicate with a central
`System for managing position information, and which
`acquires information from a positioning System So as to
`display information on a position of the information termi
`
`15
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`60
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`US 6,999,779 B1
`
`2
`nal, and is characterized by being adapted to utilize a
`plurality of kinds of positioning Systems, and to automati
`cally change from any of the positioning Systems in an
`unavailable State, to an available one of the positioning
`Systems, So as to acquire a current position of the informa
`tion terminal by the use of the available positioning System.
`Alternatively, a portable radio terminal in the present
`invention is characterized by comprising position informa
`tion acquisition means for obtaining current position infor
`mation; and means for transmitting the position information
`obtained by the position information acquisition means, to
`another equipment through a radio channel, in compliance
`with a request for the position information made through the
`radio channel by the other equipment.
`In another aspect, a portable radio terminal is character
`ized by comprising position information acquisition means
`for obtaining current position information on the basis of a
`radio wave from a Satellite; means for connecting the
`portable radio terminal through a radio channel with a center
`which manages current position information of a plurality of
`portable radio telephone terminals, means for registering the
`current position information obtained by the position infor
`mation acquisition means in the center through the connec
`tion means, and means for acquiring a current position of the
`portable radio terminal of a third party from the center
`through the connection means.
`In this way, according to the present invention, a naviga
`tion function etc. does not become unusable for the reason
`that any of the positioning Systems is unavailable, and the
`position information can be acquired and displayed by any
`method without fail. Therefore, the position information
`management system is high in serviceability.
`Especially, according to the present invention, the infor
`mation terminal or portable terminal can comprise a direc
`tion detector for independently reckoning its own position.
`Thus, even in a case where the GPS and other positioning
`Systems are not available at all, the navigation function can
`be utilized as long as merely a starting point is known.
`Moreover, the portable terminal or information terminal is
`endowed with the function of retaining the minimum map
`data required of the terminal itself, in the form of an IC card,
`etc., whereby the number of times of downloading from the
`central System can be decreased. Also, the IC card is
`employed as a detachable Storage medium, whereby the
`terminal itself can be made Smaller in size than in case of
`employing a CD-ROM drive.
`The System of the present invention can offer a large
`number of other services, which will be exemplarily
`described in conjunction with the drawings below.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the System architecture
`of a position information management System according to
`the present invention;
`FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a system change over control
`process for acquiring position information, the control being
`performed by a controller (22) shown in FIG. 1;
`FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between map
`data to be displayed on a portable terminal and the display
`Screen of a display unit;
`FIG. 4 is a flowchart in the case of acquiring a current
`position and then displaying a map;
`FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the general process of an
`inquiry System for inquiring about the position of the holder
`of a portable terminal, the inquiry System utilizing the
`System of the present invention;
`
`Petitioner Uber Ex-1005, 0013
`
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`3
`FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processes in the case where
`the System of the present invention is applied to the position
`information acquisition between portable terminals,
`FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams for explaining the process
`of a central System among the processes shown in FIG. 6;
`FIGS. 8A and 8B are flowcharts showing a process for
`Supervising a third party on the Side of a portable terminal;
`FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams each showing a display
`example which is presented on the display Screen of a
`portable terminal in the System of the present invention; and
`FIGS. 10A-10D are views showing examples of the
`external appearances of the respective portable terminals of
`the present invention.
`
`DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENTS
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`FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the System architecture
`of a position information management System embodying
`the present invention.
`The System of the present invention comprises a central
`System 10 which manages information in a unified fashion,
`a portable remote terminal 11 which is carried by a perSon,
`a satellite 12 which serves for a GPS, a radio wave trans
`mission tower 13 which serves for a D-GPS (Differential
`GPS), and an information providing point (radio marker) 33
`which determines the position of the portable terminal 11 by
`radio waves.
`The portable terminal 11 includes the respective receivers
`of a GPS antenna 14, radio equipment 15 for a portable
`telephone, radio equipment 16 for a “PHS', and radio
`equipment 17 for receiving radio waves from the radio
`marker 33. The respective receivers receive radio waves
`from corresponding radio-wave transmission Stations, and
`deliver them to a controller 22. (Incidentally, the initials
`“PHS' stand for “Personal Handy-phone System” which is
`a digital type of mobile terminal communications System
`Standardized in Japan and Some other countries. Hereinafter
`we refer mainly to PHS, but the present invention is not
`restricted to PHS, instead any type of digital type mobile
`terminal communications System can be applicable.)
`The controller 22 acquires the current position of the
`portable terminal 11 by the use of the highest precision of
`position information among position information items
`obtained from the respective radio waves, and it lets the
`holder of the portable terminal 11 know the acquired current
`position by Supplying a display unit 18 with the current
`position and a map of the Surrounding area. Numeral 19
`indicates a Speaker, which is used in the case of Sounding an
`alarm to the holder of the portable terminal 11. In the
`portable terminal 11, the minimum map information, Such as
`the map information of a district to which the holder often
`goes, is Stored as map data 21. In a case where the portable
`terminal 11 lies within the limits of the map data 21, the
`controller 22 reads out the map data 21 and delivers it to the
`display unit 18. Further, the map data 21 stored in the
`portable terminal 11 should preferably be realized by mount
`ing a detachable Storage medium Such as an IC card or
`miniature card. Thus, only the minimum map data of the
`Zone where the holder wants to move need be installed, and
`an unnecessarily large Storage capacity is not required. The
`embodiment therefore has the advantage that the portable
`terminal 11 can be reduced in size.
`A direction detector 20 in the portable terminal 11 serves
`to independently detect the movement of the portable ter
`minal 11 and Specify the current position thereof in a case
`where none of the radio waves has arrived at the portable
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`terminal 11. The direction detector 20 includes a gyrocom
`pass and an acceleration Sensor. The controller 22 calculates
`the moving direction and moved distance of the portable
`terminal 11 by processing information from the direction
`detector 20, and it outputs the resultant current position to
`the display unit 18. Particularly in a case where a three
`dimensional gyro is employed and where acceleration Sen
`Sors are arranged in three dimensions, the moving direction
`and moved distance of the portable terminal 11 in three
`dimensions can be calculated. In this case, therefore, the
`portable terminal 11 can effect navigation independently in
`the Situation where none of the radio waves can be received.
`The central System 10 is connected to radio equipment (a
`portable-telephone base Station) 23 through a portable
`telephone exchange 25 and also to radio equipment (a PHS
`base station) 24 through a PHS exchange 26, and it provides
`the exchange of position information with the portable
`terminal 11, etc. An information providing unit 27 in the
`central system 10 retains map data 28 which contains the
`position data of the portable-telephone and PHS base sta
`tions 23 and 24. In a case where the map data 21 retained in
`the portable terminal 11 is insufficient to display the current
`position, the central system 10 sends the map data 28 to the
`portable terminal 11 So as to permit the display of the current
`position. The position data of the portable-telephone or PHS
`base stations 23 or 24 respectively is used when the portable
`terminal 11 has to find its position from the site of the nearest
`portable-telephone base station 23 or PHS base station 24
`for the reason that the radio waves from the GPS 12 and the
`D-GPS 13 are not receivable.
`In addition, the information providing unit 27 is con
`nected with a home terminal 32 through a network or the
`like. Thus, it offers the position information of the portable
`terminal 11 in order to locate, for example, an old perSon or
`a child, who holds the portable terminal 11.
`The information providing point (radio marker) 33 is used
`in order that the portable terminal 11 may acquire the current
`position in the case where signals from the GPS 12, D-GPS
`13, portable-telephone base station 23 and PHS base station
`24 are not available. The information providing point 33
`includes radio equipment 29, a controller 30 and position
`data 31. The position data 31 is the stored data of a latitude
`and a longitude where the information offer point 33 is
`disposed, and it is transmitted from the radio equipment 29
`to the portable terminal 11 through the controller 30. On the
`side of the portable terminal 11, the current position thereof
`is acquired on the basis of the latitude and longitude infor
`mation transmitted from the information offer point 33.
`FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a System changeover
`control process for the acquisition of the position informa
`tion as performed by the controller 22 depicted in FIG. 1.
`The portable terminal 11 can acquire the position infor
`mation by using any of the GPS, portable telephone, PHS
`and radio marker Systems. The precision of the position
`information decreases in the order of the position informa
`tion from the GPS 12, those from the portable-telephone
`base station 23 and the PHS base station 24, and that from
`the radio marker 33. Therefore, the positioning Systems or
`devices are automatically changed over Successively toward
`those of lower precisions in such a manner that the GPS is
`used first for the acquisition of the current position, and then
`the second highest precision system is used if the GPS is
`unavailable.
`At step S1 in FIG. 2, whether or not the signal from the
`GPS is being received is first determined. If the signal from
`the GPS is receivable, the position of the portable terminal
`(11 in FIG. 1) is determined using the GPS (step S5).
`
`Petitioner Uber Ex-1005, 0014
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`

`

`S
`If the signal from the GPS is not receivable at the step S1,
`the flow of the control process advances to step S2, which
`Serves to judge whether or not the position of the base Station
`of the PHS or portable telephone system is available. The
`position of the base station of the PHS or portable telephone
`System can be obtained in Such a way that a signal is
`transmitted from the portable terminal to the nearest base
`Station, that the base Station having received the Signal
`transmits a signal to the central System 10, and that the
`central System at which the Signal from the base Station has
`arrived sends the position of the base Station having received
`the transmitted Signal from the portable terminal, back to the
`portable terminal. The position of the base Station nearest to
`the portable terminal is regarded as the position of the holder
`of the portable terminal upon the determination that the
`perSon holding the portable terminal lies in the vicinity of
`the position of the base Station.
`Accordingly, in a case where the position of the base
`station of the PHS or portable telephone system is found at
`step S2, the position of the portable terminal or the holder
`thereof is acquired using the base Station, as Stated above, at
`step S6.
`In a case where the position of the base station of the PHS
`or portable telephone System is not found at Step S2, as in the
`case where telephonic communication is impossible outside
`the service areas of the PHS and portable telephone system,
`whether or not the signal from the radio marker 33 can be
`received is judged at Step S3. Radio markers are disposed at
`each of the main or important spots of a town, and generate
`radio signals indicative of the latitude and longitude of the
`corresponding Spot.
`If the portable terminal can receive the radio wave from
`the radio marker, the Signal from the radio marker received
`by the radio equipment 17 is used at step S7. More specifi
`cally, the current position of the portable terminal or the
`holder thereof is regarded as being Substantially identical to
`the latitude and longitude of the nearest radio marker, and is
`displayed on the display unit 18 as Such.
`However, if the radio wave from the radio marker is not
`receivable at Step S3 either, the acquiring of the position is
`regarded as being impossible, and a display is presented to
`the holder to that effect (step S4).
`In the case where the positioning is determined to be
`impossible at step S4, the direction detector 20 in FIG. 1 is
`used for calculating the moving direction and moved dis
`tance from the site where the position of the portable
`terminal was measured last. The current position of the
`portable terminal is reckoned on the basis of the calculated
`moving direction and moved distance, and is displayed on
`the display unit.
`FIG. 3 illustrates the relationship between the map data to
`be displayed on the portable terminal 11 (shown in FIG. 1)
`and the display screen of the display unit 18.
`The left part of FIG. 3 illustrates the relationship between
`a Screen display actually presented and the acquired map
`data. The map data includes data retained in the portable
`terminal and data downloaded from the central system 10.
`The map data items are divided into blocks in accordance
`with predetermined latitudinal and longitudinal limits and
`are managed by affixing numbers to the respective blocks, as
`shown at the right part of this figure.
`By way of example, in the case shown in FIG. 3, the map
`data in a range which is larger than the actual display Screen
`is loaded for display, and the range defined by (x, y) and
`(x, y) in terms of latitudes and longitudes is displayed. AS
`seen in the table at the right part of FIG. 3, the loaded map
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`US 6,999,779 B1
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`data corresponds to map No. 1. Herein, the latitudinal limits
`are from X to X, while the longitudinal limits are from y
`to y2.
`When the latitude and longitude of the portable terminal
`at the current time have been found, the table as shown at the
`right part of FIG. 3 is referred to, and the map data whose
`latitudinal and longitudinal limits embrace the current lati
`tude and longitude of the portable terminal is loaded.
`When the current position of the portable terminal has
`changed up to the end of the loaded map data, the next map
`is loaded. The map data items are Set So that the peripheral
`edges of the maps overlap each other, and at least two map
`data items contain the latitude and longitude of a current
`position near the end of the map data. In a case where the
`current position is near the end of the map data and where
`either of the map data items to be loaded is not definite, the
`direction in which the holder of the portable terminal has
`proceeded or moved till then is computed, and a map ahead
`in the proceeding direction is loaded. Further, in a case
`where the position of the portable terminal, is already at the
`end of the map data at the time of the turn-ON of the power
`Source of the portable terminal, and where the proceeding
`direction of the holder till then is unknown, it is possible, by
`way of example, that a map of Smaller number is once
`loaded So as to acquire the proceeding direction, whereupon
`the next map of an adjacent Zone is loaded as may be needed.
`Incidentally, the map data need not always be prepared So
`as to cover a range larger than the display Screen as
`exemplified in FIG. 3, but the map of the Zone which the
`display Screen coverS may well be displayed by managing in
`Smaller divided regions beforehand and joining a plurality of
`map data items so as to output the joined map data items to
`the display Screen. Also in this case, the map data with the
`plurality of map data items joined together is set to be
`Somewhat larger than the display Screen, and new map data
`is loaded on occasions as the position of the holder of the
`portable terminal changes.
`FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing flow in the
`case of acquiring the current position and displaying a map.
`The map data display flow in the figure is performed by
`the controller 22 of the portable terminal 11. First, the user
`of the portable terminal 11 instructs the controller 22 to
`display the current position thereof at step S10. Then, the
`current position is obtained from the GPS at step S11. Here,
`as described with reference to FIG. 2, in the case where the
`current position cannot be obtained with the GPS, it is
`obtained on the basis of the position of a base station of the
`PHS or portable telephone systems. Further, in the case
`where the position of Such a base Station is unavailable, the
`radio marker is utilized. Still further, in the case where the
`radio marker cannot be utilized, the direction detector 20 of
`the portable terminal 11 is used for calculating the proceed
`ing direction and moved distance of the holder and for
`estimating the current position from the last position infor
`mation obtained. On this occasion, a display is presented to
`the effect that the current position cannot be acquire