EP2721592A1

EP2721592A1 - Warning method and arrangement for a moving target

Info

Publication number: EP2721592A1
Application number: EP12800040.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hannu Lohi
Original assignee: Tracker Oy
Current assignee: Tracker Oy
Priority date: 2011-06-16
Filing date: 2012-06-14
Publication date: 2014-04-23
Also published as: FI122998B; WO2012172183A1; FI20115609A0; EP2721592A4

Abstract

The safety area arrangement (10) according to the invention comprises means for determining the geographical location of a safety area customer (2A, 2B, 2C, 3A) in the customer's wireless data processing device. The safety area arrangement also comprises a safety area server (5), where the location, time, safety area and danger zone information of the safety area arrangement customers (2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 4) is stored in real-time. When a safety area arrangement customer (2A, 2B, 2C, 3A) activates the safety area service program in his data processing device, the safety area server (5) sends to the customer (3A), based on the customer's positioning result, the positioning data of those second safety area arrangement customers (2A, 2B, 2C, 4), who are in the customer's (3A) safety area. These second customers' positioning data can be presented on a display of the safety area service customer's data processing device. If the customer (3A) is in a danger zone determined for some second customer (2A, 2B, 2C, 4), then the customer's (3A) data processing device generates an alarm detectable with human senses.

Description

Warning method and arrangement for a moving target

The invention relates to a safety method and arrangement, by using which information can be relayed to a safety arrangement customer regarding other safety arrangement customers in the customer's safety area, the location of which other customers can be shown and about the danger caused by which the safety arrangement customer can be warned. The invention also relates to a safety area server utilised in the safety arrangement and computer programs used for utilising the method.

Prior art

In connection with hunting it has occurred that a hunter has, instead of game, shot some other person moving close to the shooter. The victim may have been either another hunter or an outsider. In order to avoid such accidents hunting parties agree before starting the hunting, who will hunt where and in which direction a particular hunter is allowed to shoot. In practice it is difficult to adhere to the appointed rules.

Also the used hunting weapon has a significance when assessing a danger zone created by a gun. The range of a shotgun is comparatively short, at the most a few hundred meters, but the shooting sector in the range area is wide. With a rifle the range can be several kilometres in an open, even terrain. The danger zone achieved by a bullet is however narrow in the area close to the shooter. In both cases it would be good for the safety of the other persons moving in the hunting terrain that they would receive real-time information about hunters in their vicinity. In connection with hunting there may also be dogs in the hunting area, which dogs are used either for finding game or for fetching shot game. Hunting dogs are generally equipped with so-called dog trackers, by means of which their location can be determined quite precisely. In the newest dog trackers the device carried by the dog contains a GPS positioning device. The location data determined by the GPS positioning device is relayed via a suitable cellular network to a server, where location data of the hunting dog is maintained. From the server the location data for the dog can be transferred via a suitable data transfer network to a data processing device of one or several hunters, where the location of the dog can be presented on a map. Such a data processing device can for example be a mobile phone, where a suitable program for monitoring a dog has been stored. When the hunter knows his own location, he can with the aid of the mobile phone locate the dog used for hunting. Based on this information the hunter can plan his hunting.

In order to avoid shooting accidents in connection with hunting, the shooter needs to have access to the best possible and real-time view of persons moving in the vicinity, both other hunters and other persons moving and fixed obstacles such as buildings or settlements. Such a system or means would make it significantly easier for a hunter to make decisions in a shooting situation, where there is a risk for a gun accident.

Another kind of danger is caused by large game or domestic animals. Especially persons moving on a road are put in danger by large game such as elks, deer or bears, which have started moving in connection with hunting. If a person moving on a road knew about a hunt going on in the vicinity of the road, due to which hunt a large game animal may suddenly come onto the road, the persons moving on the road could prepare for such a situation by altering their driving speed.

Half-tame domestic animals such as reindeer, which often move in a herd, also move in nature. In order to monitor the movement of reindeer they or at least a few individuals of a reindeer herd can be equipped with a GPS positioning device, by means of which a reindeer breeder can monitor the movements of his reindeer herd.

In the summer the reindeer try to get away from mosquitoes into more open plac- es. Correspondingly in winter, the reindeer can find their way to road areas because of the highway salt. In both cases reindeer can be encountered both on highways and on their shoulders. The reindeer's protective colouring is so good both in summer and winter that a person moving on the road may not notice reindeer in the vicinity of the road. If the reindeer surprisingly move onto the road area, this may result in a reindeer collision.

In order to avoid for example a reindeer collision, it would be good for a person moving on the road to have access to information about reindeer or other large animals moving in the vicinity of the road.

In different accident or danger situations the authorities give public emergency announcements for example via radio and also TV. These emergency announcements do not, however, reach all people who should know about a nearby danger situation, such as for example a traffic accident or elks on the road. Traffic is also endangered when the police chase a motorist trying to escape. Such a chase situation occurs so fast that there is often not time to send a public warning about the chase. Therefore an outsider, who by surprise ends up in a chase situation, is susceptible to an accident.

There is no unified system, which any person moving around could utilise almost anywhere he moves, for reducing problem situations caused by the above- described danger situations.

People want their privacy to be protected. Usually a person does not want anyone to be able to follow him or his property. Instead a person may want his location or the location of his property to be seen in mobile phones or safety devices, within the danger zone of which the person is.

Summary of the invention

The object of the invention is to introduce a new safety method and safety arrangement, by means of which a person moving in nature, on a highway or street has real-time information about whether there are targets or accidents to be taken into account in the vicinity, which could cause a danger situation.

The objects of the invention are attained with a safety method and arrangement, where location data regarding those connected to the safety area service according to the invention and moving in the terrain, on a highway or a road, both humans, animals and vehicles, is stored with time stamps in a safety area database maintained on a safety area server according to the invention. An individual safety area service customer can, if he so desires, retrieve real-time positioning data for other safety area service customers in the vicinity and thereto possibly associated safety and danger zone information from the safety area server. The safety area service customer always receives a notification from the safety area server, if the safety area service customer in question has based on the positioning data arrived at a safety area achieved by the activity of some other customer using the safety area service in the vicinity.

An advantage of the invention is that the safety area service user receives information in real-time from one source about different targets to be minded causing a danger in the area close to him. It is further an advantage of the invention that a real-time safety area database of the geographical location of other safety area service customers in the vicinity is maintained for an individual safety area service customer, and that this location data is available to the safety area service customer 24/7. It is further an advantage of the invention that the real-time positioning data of other safety area service customers in the vicinity can be presented on a map on a display of the safety area service customer's data processing device.

It is further an advantage of the invention that the safety area service customer is notified in real-time, if any of the other safety area service customers in the vicinity or some accident situation could cause a danger situation for the safety area service customer.

It is further an advantage of the invention that in a situation, where any one safety area service customer poses a likely danger to another safety area service customer, both of the safety area service customers are advantageously warned about the arisen situation.

The safety method according to the invention for generating a location-dependent warning, in which safety method the geographical location of a first safety area service customer is determined with the first customer's wireless data processing device and the positioning result is sent to a safety area server, which identifies the first safety area service customer and stores the positioning result of the first customer, and in which method corresponding identification and positioning data of some other safety service customer is relayed and stored in the safety area server, is characterised in that

- the safety area information related to the first customer is stored in the safety ar- ea server, if the first customer's data processing device has sent such to the safety area server

- the safety area server determines if the safety area of at least one other safety area service customer is at least partly in the first safety area service customer's safety area, and if the second customer is in the first customer's safety area

- the safety area server relays the second customer's positioning data and safety area information to the first customer's data processing device and

- the second customer's positioning data is presented on a safety area map on a display of the first customer's data processing device. The safety service arrangement according to the invention, which comprises a first safety service arrangement customer's wireless data processing device, which comprises means for determining the first customer's location and means for sending the positioning result to a safety area server, and at least one other safety service arrangement customer's wireless data processing device, which comprises means for determining the second customer's location and means for sending the positioning result to the safety area server, which comprises means for identifying the safety area arrangement customers and means for storing the safety area arrangement customers' positioning result, is characterised in that

- the safety area server further comprises

- means for storing the first customer's safety area information, if the first customer's data processing device has sent such to the safety area server

- means for determining if the first customer's positioning result is in some other safety service arrangement customer's safety area, and if the first cus- tomer is in the second customer's safety area

- means for sending the second customer's positioning data and safety area information to the first customer's data processing device and that

- the first customer's data processing device further comprises

- means for determining those other customers, whose danger zone is in the first customer's safety area and

- means for generating an alarm in the first customer's data processing device when the first customer's positioning data is in at least one other customer's danger zone. The safety area server according to the invention, which comprises means for identifying safety service arrangement customers and means for storing the positioning results of safety service arrangement customers, is characterised in that it further comprises

- means for storing the first safety service arrangement customer's safety area in- formation, if the first customer's data processing device has sent such to the safety area server

- means for determining if the first customer's positioning result is in some other safety area arrangement customer's safety area, and if the first customer is in the second customer's safety area

- means for sending the second customer's positioning data and safety area information to the first customer's data processing device. The safety server program according to the invention for producing a safety area service is characterised in that it comprises

- code means for storing the first customer's safety area information, if the first customer's data processing device has sent such to the safety area server in con- nection with its positioning data

- code means for determining if the first customer's positioning result is in some other safety area service customer's safety area, and if the first customer is in the second customer's safety area

- code means for sending the second customer's positioning data and safety area information to the first customer's data processing device.

Some advantageous embodiments of the invention are presented in the dependent claims.

The basic idea of the invention is the following: The geographical location and po- sitioning time stamps of all those safety area service customers, which have activated the safety area program according to the invention in their own mobile phone and allowed safety positioning, is stored in the safety area server according to the invention. The positioning of the safety area service customer's mobile phone can advantageously be done for example using satellite positioning. One known satellite positioning system is called GPS (Global Positioning System). Other known satellite positioning systems are for example GLONASS, Beidou; QZSS, Galileo and IRNSS. Alternatively the positioning of the safety service customer's mobile phone can be done with some positioning method in use in a mobile phone network. The current own safety area of the safety area service cus- tomer in question is determined with the aid of location data obtained from the mobile phone. The determined safety area can advantageously be a circular area, in the centre point of which the safety area service customer is. The size of the safety area can also depend on the movement speed and/or movement location of the safety area service customer. If it is for example question of a person in a ve- hide moving on a highway or street, the safety area of the customer in question can be limited mainly to the highway and its surroundings in the travel direction of the vehicle.

The location data, time stamps and possible danger zone definitions of other safe- ty area service customers connected to the safety area service (i.e. targets to be minded) in this safety area are transferred from the safety area server to the safety area service customer's mobile phone. If there are moving targets among the tar- gets to be monitored, the location data of each moving target is updated in the safety area server advantageously based on the detected movement speed of said moving target. The faster the movement speed of the target being monitored, the more important a frequent updating of the location data of the monitored target in the safety area server is.

The application according to the invention in the safety area service customer's mobile phone determines from among the monitored targets it has knowledge of those targets, of which the safety service customer should be warned. The warn- ing can be provided for example as a visual signal, a sound signal or a vibration signal, or some combination of these. Alternatively the determined targets to be minded can only be shown on a map on a display of a mobile phone or some other wireless data processing device. Description of advantageous embodiments of the invention

In the following, the invention will be described in detail. In the description, reference is made to the enclosed drawings, in which

Figure 1 shows as an example functional parts of a safety arrangement according to the invention, Figure 2a shows as an example a warning map created on a display of a safety service customer's mobile phone,

Figure 2b shows as an example functional main parts of a mobile phone, in which the results of the safety arrangement according to the invention can be utilised, Figure 3a shows as an example functional main parts of a safety area server according to the invention,

Figure 3b shows as an exemplary flowchart the main steps of a safety area program utilised in a safety area server according to the invention,

Figure 4 shows as an exemplary flowchart the utilisation of the safety area in- formation in the safety area service user's mobile phone.

The embodiments in the following description are given as examples only and someone skilled in the art can carry out the basic idea of the invention also in some other way than what is described in the description. Though the description may refer to a certain embodiment or embodiments in several places, this does not mean that the reference would be directed towards only one described embodiment or that the described feature would be usable only in one described embodiment. The individual features of two or more embodiments may be combined and new embodiments of the invention may thus be provided.

Figure 1 shows an example of a safety service arrangement 10 according to the invention, which its customers' mobile phones 2 and 3 and a positioning device 4 for example on an animal advantageously utilise. In the example of Figure 1 four exemplary safety area service customers, persons 3A, 2A, 2B and 2C, move in the safety area, each of which persons has his own wireless data processing device, which may for example be their mobile phone. In the same safety area there is in this example also an animal, for example a hunting dog, a cow, a sheep or a reindeer, which has a positioning device 4. Both the mobile phones 2 and 3 and the positioning device 4 on the animal advantageously comprise a satellite positioning device, such as for example a GPS receiver, for performing the positioning. In the description of examples of the invention, a GPS system is presented as the satellite positioning method. It is obvious to someone skilled in the art that some other known positioning method can also be utilised.

The GPS system comprises at least twenty-four satellites 1 orbiting the earth, which satellites send their time and location data to GPS receivers (only one exemplary satellite is presented in Figure 1 ). In order for the GPS receiver to perform the positioning precisely, it must receive time and location data from at least three different GPS satellites. From the time and location data is receives, the GPS receiver calculates with mathematical equations its geographical location on the earth's surface. In order to improve the positioning accuracy and/or speed up the positioning, several mobile phone operators relay correction information in their network, which the GPS positioning device can utilise (so-called A-GPS). This sys- tern allows for an accuracy level of a few meters in the positioning.

In the example of Figure 1 references 3A, 2A, 2B and 2C illustrate safety area service customers, which have a mobile phone and a GPS positioning device in each of these. For someone skilled in the art it is obvious that instead of a mobile phone, reference 2 or 3 can also be some other data processing device capable of establishing a connection to a wireless data transfer network. Examples of such devices are a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a portable computer, a car navigator, a so-called tablet computer or an on-board computer. In the following description the safety service arrangement 10 customer 3A is often called the first customer and all the other safety service arrangement 10 customers 2A, 2B, 2C, 4 or 8 are often called the second customer. This choice has been made in order to simplify the description. Any of the safety service arrangement's customers sees the other safety service arrangement 10 customers as the second customers mentioned in the description.

Each of the mentioned customers 2A, 2B and 2C, which may be humans or vehi- cles, has activated in their data processing device, such as for example their mobile phone 2, a safety area application according to the invention. In the example of Figure 1 also the hunter 3A has activated the safety area application according to the invention in his mobile phone 3. The safety area application according to the invention advantageously relays the GPS positioning result done in the mobile phones 2 or 3 and the animal's positioning device 4 with time stamps to the safety area server 5 according to the invention via a wireless data transfer connection 2a, 3a and 4a. The wireless data transfer connection is advantageously some data transfer connection established in a wireless data transfer network serving mobile phones 2 and 3. The wireless data transfer network can for example be a GPRS or UMTS network.

Reference 8 illustrates different authorities, which can give danger announcements to be observed locally. Examples of such authorities are the police, the emergency department and the traffic control centre. Location, safety area and time data related to different danger announcements can advantageously be stored 8a in a safety area server 5 according to the invention. The location, safety area and time data can originate for example from mobile phones of authorities. In an advantageous embodiment of the invention the safety area information is sent to the safety area server according to the invention from a second server adminis- tered by the authority. From the safety area server 5 the danger zone announcements given or sent by the authorities can immediately be transferred to the data processing devices of safety area service customers 2 or 3, who have activated the safety area application according to the invention. The safety area server 5 according to the invention advantageously comprises a processor or processor means, which comprise an arithmetic logic unit, a number of different registers and control circuits. A data storing arrangement, such as a memory unit or memory means, has advantageously been connected to the pro- cessor means, in which data storing arrangement the positioning, time, safety area and danger zone information of the safety area arrangement customers can be stored. The safety area server 5 utilises the safety area database 6 (reference 5a) according to the invention.

When a safety area service customer wants to utilise data from the database of the safety area server 5 according to the invention, he activates the safety area application according to the invention in his data processing device 2 or 3. The safety area application starts the GPS positioning device in the wireless data pro- cessihg device 2 or 3 in order to determine the current geographical location. When the geographical location has been determined, the location data is next stored in the memory unit of the data processing device 2 or 3. In an advantageous embodiment of the invention the location data is also immediately sent to the safety area server 5. In another advantageous embodiment of the invention the safety area service customer selects a setting "send location to safety positioning" in his mobile phone before sending the location data.

The safety area server 5 stores the safety area service customer's location data with time stamp in the database 6. The safety area server 5 monitors all safety ar- ea server customers. From these it recognises second customers 2 in the safety area of the first customer 3 and sends their location to the first safety area customer's 3 data processing device. If a particular danger zone definition is related to some second safety area service customer, this is also sent to the first customer connected to the safety area service. Examples of safety area service customers, to which a danger zone definition can relate, are different authorities, hunters and large animals moving in nature. The danger zone definitions of the safety area service customer are advantageously done in the data processing device utilised by the safety service customer. With the aid of its own location data, the location and speed data of other safety area service users and possible danger zone definitions the data processing device 2 or 3 of the safety area service user determines if any of the other second safety area service users are in such a place in relation to the first safety service customer that they could cause a danger situation for the first safety service cus- tomer. If it is found that such a situation is possible, the safety area application according to the invention in the data processing device 2 or 3 advantageously generates an alarm, which the safety area service customer's data processing device expresses with a signal identifiable with human senses. Figure 2a shows an example of a case, where a safety area map defined by the safety area server 5 has been transferred via a wireless data transfer connection to the display of the safety area service customer's mobile phone 20. The transfer of the map to the safety area service customer's data processing device 2 or 3 is advantageous to do as its own operation, which does not relate to a use situation of the safety service itself. In this case the transferred map is stored after the transfer permanently in the memory unit of the data processing device 2 or 3. Thus it is sufficient in the safety service arrangement that only location data, safety are- as and danger zones are relayed, whereby the data transfer can be made quick and data consumption efficient. Of the functional parts of the mobile phone of Figure 2a, the display 21 and the keyboard 22 are seen. For someone skilled in the art it is obvious that a fixed keyboard 22 can also be implemented by utilising a touch screen. In the example of Figure 2a a map of the safety area 210 of a first safety area service customer is shown on the display 21 of a data processing device 20, which map has advantageously been retrieved from a safety area server 5 according to the invention, shown in Figure 1. The safety area 210 map can also be retrieved from some commercial map service. Because the map can also be separately stored in the data processing device 2, 3, it is in such a situation enough that only location data regarding second customers is sent to the first customer's data processing device. The first customer's safety area map is determined based on a GPS positioning performed by the first safety area service customer 211. The safety area 210 map advantageously shows the close surroundings of the safety area service customer 211. The size of the safety area 210 shown on the display is advantageously determined based on the size and shape of the safety area determined by the first safety area service customer 211 for himself. Additionally the first customer's own movement speed and the safety area and danger zone definitions of other safety area service customers 212, 213 and 214 in the vicinity can advantageously also be taken into account. Said danger zone means that part of some second customer's safety area, some safety service customer staying within which can end up in a danger situation due to activities or actions done by said second customer.

The location of the first safety area service customer 211 is shown on the map showing the safety area 210 with figure 211. The figures of references 212, 213 and 214 show second safety area service customers moving in the defined safety area 210. The customers shown with references 213 and 214 do not pose a danger to the customer 211. The safety service customer shown with reference 212 may be a danger factor to the customer 211. In connection with customer 212 has been joined the customer's safety area figure 212a, which advantageously shows in which area the activity and movement of the second customer 212 must be taken into account in order to avoid a danger situation.

The shape of the second customer's safety area is determined case by case. For a person moving in the terrain it can for example be a circle, in the centre point of which the person is. The safety area of a person driving a car is mainly concen- trated to the road area, which is in front of the vehicle. Thus in this situation, the safety area can conform to the geometry of the road. Correspondingly safety area definitions related to buildings or residential areas conform to their outer limits.

Reference 215 shows a building in the safety area and reference 216 shows public roads in the safety area. The size and shape of these targets to be minded re- mains unchanged. Reference 217 shows that for example cows, sheep or reindeer have been discovered in a dashed area close to the road 216. Thus a motorist moving on the road must take into account the reindeer, in order to avoid an accident. The shape and length of the area 217 in the direction of the road may vary case by case. If the first customer 211 shown in Figure 2a is located in the shown safety area 210 in a danger zone 212a defined for a second customer 212, then the safety area application according to the invention generates an alarm, which the data processing device 20 used by the first customer 21 expresses in a manner detectable with human senses. The alarm is advantageously generated also in the se- cond customer's 212 data processing device. Examples of warning signals are a light signal, a sound signal or a vibration signal or some combination of these.

An example of such a situation according to Figure 2a is when a hunter 3A (reference 212) and a berry picker 2A, 2B or 2C (references 211 , 213 and 214) move in the same area, so that there is no direct visual contact between them. Another example of a case according to Figure 2a is a situation, where a car moves on a highway, in the vicinity of which elks are hunted or close to which road a reindeer herd is staying. In the case of the reindeer herd there may be several reindeer over a relatively large area. Thus in an advantageous embodiment of the invention the size and/or colour of the danger zone 217 expresses how many reindeer there presumably are in the area.

Figure 2a does not show danger zone definitions received from different authorities 8. They can also, just as the above-described location data of the safety ser- vice customers 2A, 2B, 2C or 3A, be presented on each customer's own safety area map, so that the danger zone defined by the authorities is clearly detectable. If the safety area service customer is situated in such a danger zone defined by the authorities 8, an alarm regarding this can be generated in the data processing device 2 or 3 of the customer in question. In all above-described examples it is advantageous that the warning is generated immediately when an indication of an arisen danger situation is received. If no acute danger situation is at hand, then the positioning data of the second customers 212, 213 or 214 is in the example of Figure 2a advantageously only updated in the first customer's 211 data processing device. The first customer 211 can then at a desired time check if there are other safety arrangement 10 customers 212, 213 or 2 4 to be taken into account in the vicinity.

Figure 2b shows the functional main parts of the safety area service customer's data processing device 20 utilised in the safety arrangement 10 according to the invention. Examples of such data processing devices are a mobile phone, a PDA, a portable computer, a so-called tablet computer, a car navigator or an on-board computer. The data processing device 20 utilised by the safety area service customer advantageously comprises a processing unit 200, a memory 201 , a satellite receiver, such as a GPS receiver 207, a transmitter 205 and receiver 204 required by the utilised cellular network, a display 202, user interface means 203, which advantageously comprise alternative alarm means, and an antenna arrangement 206, which may comprise one or more antennas functioning in different frequency ranges.

The processing unit 200 advantageously comprises at least one suitable processor or a programmable logic and a thereto connected memory 201. The memory 201 can utilise either non-volatile and/or volatile memory technology. The electronic map utilised in the data processing device 20 can be transferred to and permanently stored in the memory 201 for example from a special safety area server 5 or from some commercial map service. The positioning data calculated with the GPS positioning device 207 of the data processing device 20 is transferred to the processing unit 200 of the data processing device 20, which unit stores the location and time data in the memory 201.

The computer program utilised in the data processing device 20 according to the invention is advantageously stored in the memory 201 , with which computer program the announcement about a possible danger situation is determined, indicated and expressed to the safety area service customer. The processor unit 200, the memory 201 and the computer program stored in the memory 201 are configures to determine in real-time the safety area service customer's own location on the utilised map. Additionally the computer program is configures to express the location of all second safety area service customers being monitored in the thus defined safety area and their possible danger zones.

The transmitter 205 and receiver 204 comprise means for establishing a data transfer connection to a wireless cellular network serving the data processing de- vice 20.

Reference 206 shows antenna means, which may comprise one or more separate antenna, which are utilised either in the cellular network or for receiving GPS signals.

When it is in the first safety area service customer's data processing device 20 in- dicated that its location is in some second safety area service customer's danger zone, the situation is expressed to the safety area service customer with an alarm message detectable with human senses, which message is advantageously provided with alarm means included in the user interface 203.

Figure 3a shows the functional main parts of the safety area server 5 according to the invention. The safety area server 5 comprises a processor or processor means 51 , which comprise an arithmetic logic unit, a number of different registers and control circuits. A data storing arrangement 52, such as a memory unit or memory means, whereon computer-readable information or programs or user information can be stored, has been connected to the processor means. The memory means 52 typically contain memory units, which allow both reading and writing functions (Random Access Memory, RAM), and memory units containing non-volatile memory, from which data can only be read (Read Only Memory, ROM). The safety area server 5 also comprises an interface element 54, which comprises an input or input means 56 for receiving information from a data communications network, a data processing device or a separate database device 6. The information received with the input means 56 is transferred to be processed by the processor means 51 of the safety area server 5. The interface element 54 of the safety area server 5 also comprises an output or output means 55, with which information is transferred from the processing means of the safety area server 5 either to a data transfer network or to external data processing devices. The safety area server 5 advantageously also comprises a user interface 53, which comprises means for receiving information from the safety area server 5 administrator. The user interface 53 can comprise a keyboard, a touch screen, a microphone and a speaker. The processor means 51 , the memory means 52, the interface element 54 and the user interface 53 are electrically joined together to systematically execute received and/or stored data in accordance to predetermined and essentially preprogrammed operational sequences. Such operational sequences include the operations and operational sequences described in connection with Figure 3b and utilised in implementing the safety area service according to the invention. The detailed implementation of the logical units of the server in Figure 3a is prior art to someone skilled in the art.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention some of the memory 52 of the safety area server 5 is reserved for the database 6 utilised in the invention.

Figure 3b shows as an exemplary flowchart the functional main steps of the safety area application utilised in the safety area server 5 according to the invention. When the safety area service customer, who will hereafter be called the first cus- tomer, activates the safety area service application according to the invention in his data processing device, then the GPS positioning device included in the first customer's data processing device performs a positioning measuring. When the positioning result is ready, it is in an advantageous embodiment of the invention immediately sent with time stamps to the safety area server 5 according to the in- vention. In another embodiment of the invention the safety service customer 2 or 3 selects in his mobile phone the function "send own location to safety positioning", whereafter the positioning result is sent to the safety area server 5. Step 500 describes the standby mode of the safety area server 5 according to the invention, where it awaits a message from the safety area service customers' data processing devices. When the safety area server 5 receives a message from the first customer's data processing device, then in step 501 the first safety area ser- vice customer who sent the message is identified from a unique identifier included in the message.

When the first customer has been identified, then in step 502 the location data and time stamp of the first customer included in the customer message are received.

In step 503 other information related to the message and needed for determining the safety area is received.

In step 504 the safety area and danger zone information received from the first customer is stored in the safety area server 5.

The safety area information can comprise for example the shape and size of the first customer's safety area. Additionally the safety area information can advanta- geously comprise a special danger zone, where the first safety area service customer may be a danger factor for some second safety area service customer. The possible danger zone information has been determined by the first safety area service customer and stored in his own data processing device. If the first customer is in his own opinion not a danger factor to other second customers in the vicini- ty, then in that case the danger zone information is not separately determined or stored in the data processing device. In a corresponding manner all customers of the safety area service according to the invention determine their own real-time safety area and danger zone information and store it in their own data processing devices, from where they are transferred to the safety area server 5 according to the invention in connection with the safety area information.

Step 505 consists of checking if other customers have registered as safety area arrangement 10 customers. If not, the safety area server returns to its standby mode 500.

If it is in step 505 found that at least one second safety area service customer has activated the service in his own data processing device, then in step 506 the first customer's and second customer's safety areas are compared to each other. Step 507 consists of examining if the first and second customer's safety areas intersect. If the safety areas do not intersect, the safety area server returns to the standby mode 500.

If it is in step 507 found that the safety area of at least one second customer inter- sects with the first customer's safety area, then step 508 consists of determining how frequently the location data of these safety area service customers should be updated. The updating speed can be determined for example based on the movement speed of either customer. How close the first customer is to the danger zone defined for the second customer also affects the updating speed of the posi- tioning data. How old the time stamp of the second customer is may also affect the updating speed of the first customer's location. If the latest time stamp of the second moving customer is for example several hours old, it may be assumed that the second customer has left the place and/or shut off the safety area service application according to the invention. In this situation a new positioning result for the first customer does not bring additional information about the situation. The required updating speed can be different for the first and second customer.

In step 509 at least the updating speed data is sent to the data processing device of the first safety area service customer. If the second customer's danger zone definition is done, then this information is also sent to the first safety area service customer. When the transmission of data to the first customer's data processing device is done, the safety area server 5 according to the invention again goes into the standby mode 500.

Figure 4 shows as an exemplary flowchart the functional main steps of the safety area application utilised in the wireless data processing device 2, 3 or 20 utilising the safety area service according to the invention. When the first safety area service customer in step 40 activates the safety area service application according to the invention in his data processing device, then the GPS positioning device included in the first customer's data processing device performs a positioning measuring in step 41. When the positioning result is ready, it is sent with time stamp to the safety area server 5 according to the invention in step 42. The message to be sent contains identification data, location and time data of the first safety area service customer and possible known safety area information and danger zone information related to the first customer.

In step 43 the safety area server 5 according to the invention receives a message from the first customer's data processing device and stores it in the database 6 uti- lised by the safety area server 5. The first safety area service customer who sent the message is identified from a unique identifier of the data processing device included in the message.

When the first customer has been identified in the safety area server 5, then in step 43 the safety area server determines if the first customer is in the safety area of some second safety area service customer. If not, the safety area server 5 awaits new positioning data from the first customer's data processing device.

If the safety area server 5 detects in step 43 that the first customer is in some second customer's safety area, then the safety area information of this second cus- tomer is sent to the first customer's data processing device.

When the first safety area service customer's data processing device has received and processed the data received from the safety area server 5 in step 44, then step 45 consists of determining if the first customer is in a currently valid safety area of some second customer or not. If an at least partial overlapping of the first customer's and second customer's safety areas is not detected in step 45, the process returns to step 41 for new positioning measuring. How quickly a new positioning measuring needs to be done depends on the delay defined for the customer. A new positioning measuring is done more quickly for a quickly moving first customer than for a slowly moving one.

If it is in step 45 found that the currently valid safety areas of the first and second customer overlap at least partly, then a warning is in step 46 generated in the first customer's data processing device. In connection thereto it is advantageously determined when the next positioning measuring of the first customer should be done. The positioning time can advantageously be determined by changing the delay 48.

If it is not a question of an acute danger situation, the generated warning may only contain an indication of the second customer's location on a safety area map on the display of the first customer's data processing device in step 47. If it is a question of an acute danger situation, then in step 47 an alarm signal detectable with human senses can advantageously be provided. The alarm signal may either be a sound, light or vibration signal or some combination of them. An acute danger situation is indicated for example when the first customer is posi- tioned in a danger zone belonging to some second customer's safety area. In this danger zone the second customer can cause a real danger situation for the first customer.

All the process steps presented above in Figures 3b and 4 can be implemented with computer program commands, which are executed in a suitable special- purpose or general-purpose processor. The computer program commands can be stored in a computer-readable media, such as a data disk or a memory, from where the processor can retrieve said computer program commands and implement them. The references to computer-readable media can for example also con- tain special components, such as programmable USB Flash memories, logic arrays (FPLA), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) and signal processors (DSP).

Some advantageous embodiments of the safety area service method and safety area arrangement according to the invention have been described above. The invention is not limited to the solutions described above, but the inventive idea can be applied in numerous ways within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for generating a location-dependent warning, in which method

- a geographical location (211 ) of a first safety area service customer (3A) is determined (41 ) with the first customer's wireless data processing device (20) and a positioning result is sent (42, 3a) to a safety area server (5)

- the safety area server (5) identifies (501 ) the first safety area service customer

- the first customer's positioning result is stored (505) in the safety area server

- a second customer's (2A, 2B, 2C, 4, 8, 212, 213, 214, 215, 217) positioning data is relayed to the safety area server (5)

characterised in that further in the method

- the safety area information related to the first customer is stored in the safety area server (504), if the first customer's data processing device has sent such to the safety area server (5)

- the safety area server determines (505, 506, 507) if the safety area of at least one second safety area service customer (2A, 2B, 2C, 4, 212, 213, 214, 215, 217) is at least partly in the first safety area service customer's (3A, 211 ) safety area, and if the second customer is in the first customer's safety area

- the safety area server relays (508, 509, 3b) the second customer's positioning data (212, 213, 214) and safety area information to the first customer's data pro- cessing device (20) and

- the second customer's positioning data (2A, 2B, 2C, 4, 8, 212, 213, 214) is shown on a safety area map (210) on a display (202) of the first customer's (3A) data processing device (20).

2. The method according to claim 1 , characterised in that the first customer (3A) determines with his data processing device (20) his own positioning data to be sent to the safety area server (5).

3. The method according to claim 1 , characterised in that before the second customer's (2A, 2B, 2C, 4, 8, 212, 213, 214, 215, 217) positioning data is presented

- the first customer's data processing device (20) determines (45) those second customers (2 2), whose danger zone (212a) is in the first customer's (21 ) safety area (210) and

- the first customer's (3A, 2 1) data processing device (20) generates an alarm (46) when the first customer's (3A, 211 ) positioning data is in the danger zone

4. The method according to claim 1 , characterised in that the second customers' (2A, 2B, 2C, 4, 212, 213, 214, 217) data processing devices (20) determine their location with a satellite positioning device (207).

5. The method according to claim 1 , characterised in that the time between two successive positionings of the first customer is determined (508) based on the movement speed of both the first customer (3A, 211) and the second customers and on the second customers' danger zone definitions.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 5, characterised in that the safety ser- vice customer's (2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 4, 212, 213, 214, 217) danger zone is determined with the data processing device of the customer in question.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 5, characterised in that the safety service customer's (8) danger zone is determined in the safety area server (5).

8. A safety service arrangement (10), which comprises

- a first safety service arrangement customer's (3A) wireless data processing device (20), which comprises means (207) for determining the first customer's location (3A) and means (200, 204, 205) for sending a positioning result to a safety area server (5)

- at least one second safety service arrangement customer's (2A, 2B, 2C, 4) wire- less data processing device, which comprises means for determining the second customer's location and means for sending the positioning result to the safety area server and

- a safety area server (5), which comprises

- means for identifying the safety service arrangement customers (2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 4, 8) and

- means for storing the positioning result of the safety area service arrangement customers,

characterised in that

- the safety area server further comprises

- means (51 , 52) for storing the first customer's (3A) safety area information, if the first customer's data processing device (20) has sent such to the safety area server (5)

- means (51 , 52) for determining if the first customer's (3A) positioning result is in some second safety area service arrangement customer's (2A, 2B, 2C, 4) safety area, and if the first customer is in the second customer's safety area

- means for sending the second customer's positioning data and safety area information to the first customer's data processing device (20) and that - the first customer's (3A) data processing device (20) further comprises

- means (200, 201 ) for determining those second customers, whose danger zone is in the first customer's safety area and

- means (200, 201 , 202, 203) for generating an alarm in the first customer's data processing device (20) when the first customer's positioning data is in at least one second customer's danger zone.

9. The safety service arrangement according to claim 8, characterised in that the alarm to be generated is arranged to be expressed with a light signal, a sound signal, a vibration signal or as location data on the display of the first customer's data processing device.

10. The safety service arrangement according to claim 8, characterised in that the first and second safety service arrangement customers' positioning means comprise a satellite positioning device (207).

1 1. The safety service arrangement according to claim 8, characterised in that the second safety service arrangement customer is a hunter, a hunting dog, a freely grazing animal, such as a reindeer, or a vehicle.

12. The safety service arrangement according to claim 8, characterised in that the second safety service arrangement customer is an authority (8), who has an- nounced a target causing danger at a certain time and place.

13. A safety area server (5), which comprises

- means (51 , 52) for identifying safety service arrangement (10) customers (2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 4) and

- means (51 , 52) for storing positioning results of the safety service arrangement customers,

characterised in that the safety area server (5) further comprises

- means (51 , 52, 6) for storing the first safety service arrangement customer's (3A) safety area information, if the first customer's data processing device (20) has sent such to the safety area server (5) - means (51 , 52, 6) for determining if the first customer's (3A) positioning result is in some second safety area arrangement customer's (2A, 2B, 2C, 4) safety area, and if the first customer is in the second customer's safety area

- means (51 , 55) for sending the second customer's (2A, 2B, 2C, 4) positioning data and safety area information to the first customer's (3A) data processing device (20).

14. The safety area server according to claim 13, characterised in that it further comprises means for determining the updating speed of the positioning data of at least one safety service arrangement customer (2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 4) based on the location or speed data of at least one second safety service arrangement customer.

15. The safety area server according to claim 13, characterised in that it further comprises means (51 , 52, 54) for receiving temporary and locally restricted danger threat information from authorities (8) and for messaging the received danger threat to the data processing devices of safety area arrangement customers (2A, 2B, 2C, 3A) in the danger zone defined in the danger threat information.

16. A computer program product comprising computer program code means stored on a computer-readable storage means for producing a safety area service, which computer program product comprises

- code means for identifying wireless data processing devices (20) of safety area service customers (2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 4, 211 , 212, 213, 214, 217) and

- code means for storing positioning results (211 , 212, 213, 214, 217) of the safety area service customers,

characterised in that the computer program further comprises

- code means for storing the first customer's (3A, 211 ) safety area information, if the first customer's data processing device has sent such to the safety area server (5) in connection with its positioning data

- code means for determining if the first customer's positioning result is in some second safety area service customer's (2A, 2B, 2C, 4, 212, 213, 214, 217) safety area, and if the first customer is in the second customer's safety area

- code means for sending the second customer's positioning data (212, 213, 214, 217) and safety area information to the first customer's (3A, 211 ) data processing device.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, characterised in that it further comprises code means for determining the updating speed of the positioning data of the first safety area service customer (3A, 211 ) based on the location, speed or safety area information of at least one second safety area service customer (2A, 2B, 2C, 4, 212, 213, 214, 217).

18. The computer program product according to claim 16, characterised in that in order to generate a warning in the safety service arrangement (10) customer's (2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 211) data processing device (20), the computer program product further comprises in the customer's data processing device

- code means for determining the location of the safety area service customer's (2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 4, 21 ) wireless data processing device (20) with a satellite positioning device (207) of the data processing device and

- code means for sending the positioning result to the safety area server (5) - code means for sending the safety area service customer's (3A, 211 ) own safety area information (210) to the safety area server (5)

- code means for receiving second safety area service customers' (2A, 2B, 2C, 4, 212, 213, 2 4, 2 7) positioning and danger zone information from the safety area server (5)

- code means for determining those second safety area service customers (2A, 2B, 2C, 212), whose safety area (212a) is in the first customer's (3A, 211 ) safety area and

- code means for presenting positioning data (2A, 2B, 2C, 4, 8, 212, 213, 214) of a second customer in the first customer's safety area on a safety area map (210) on a display (202) of the first customer's (3A) data processing device (20).

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, characterised in that it further comprises code means for generating an alarm in the first safety area service customer's (3A, 21 ) data processing device (20) when the first customer's (3A, 211) positioning data is in the danger zone (212a) of at least one second safety area service customer (212).

20. The computer program product according to claim 8, characterised in that it further comprises code means for determining the updating speed of the posi- tioning data of the first safety area service customer (3A, 211) based on the danger zone information (212a) of at least one second safety area arrangement customer (2A, 2B, 2C, 4, 212).

21. The computer program product according to claim 18, characterised in that it further comprises code means for determining the updating speed of the positioning data of the first safety area service customer (3A, 211 ) based on a danger threat caused by the first customer (3A, 211 ) to at least one second safety area ar- rangement customer (2A, 2B, 2C, 4).