JPH1123309A - Method and apparatus for transmitting positional information - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to mutually transmit positional information between a portable apparatus and a fixed apparatus or a mobile apparatus, by combining a telephone function with a position measuring function by a satellite position-measuring system. SOLUTION: A portable apparatus P provided with a function of transmitting a position signal obtained by receiving an electric wave from a GPS S through a telephone transmitting circuit, and a fixed apparatus or mobile apparatus B provided with a function of receiving the transmitted signal from the portable apparatus P by a telephone T and displaying the present position of the owner of the portable apparatus P on the map scope of a display D, and transmitting the displayed present position to the owner of the portable apparatus P by the telephone T, are combined and used.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting position information via a portable device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the spread of transportation networks, the spread of private cars, and the increasing orientation of outdoor life have increased the range of movement of people, and many people have traveled to remote mountainous areas and the open sea. It has become.

[0003] When you go to such a distant place and get lost in a place where geography is unknown, you need to know your current location first. It is necessary to inform the rescue squad etc. of the current location of the ship. In such a case, in the past, you would use a map you brought, or compare your location with surrounding lands and buildings in your memory to find out where you are. Places that do not know the detailed geography of
Or, on the sea where there is no target nearby, it is very difficult to know exactly where one is.

[0004] Further, for example, when searching for a destination without contact from a person who has been distressed during mountain climbing, the victim cannot be found unless a large search is performed in the surrounding area, and in some cases, rescue cannot be made in time and unfortunately Results can

[0005] In order to solve such a problem, a position measuring device based on a satellite positioning method is used in part. The position measurement by the satellite positioning method is performed by a global positioning system (Gl).
obal Positioning System (GPS)
The position, moving direction, and speed can be known by receiving radio waves of three or more satellites that are most easily received among the four satellites and measuring the propagation delay time.

[0006] This GPS was originally built for military use, and is used for grasping the position of ships, aircraft, vehicles, navigation, missile guidance, etc., but specific frequencies are open to civilians. It is currently used for car navigation systems, navigation systems for ships, and measurements of crustal movements by the Geographical Survey Institute.

[0007] A car navigation system using GPS combines the position information by GPS and the map information by CD-ROM to display the current position of the car on a map screen in real time. Also,
A small and light handy-sized GPS receiver also appeared,
It is expected to be used for mountain climbing and ocean voyage.

[0008]

[0005] By the way, the commercial navigation equipment currently used, whether it is a vehicle-mounted type or a portable type, has a function of directly transmitting measured position information to a person at a remote place. Absent. Therefore, for example, when an accident is encountered in a remote mountainous area, if both a navigation device and a mobile phone are mounted or carried, the location of the accident site is identified and reported to other people. You can, but you cannot report this if you do not have a mobile phone.

[0009] Portable navigation equipment is most suitable for carrying on mountain climbing in consideration of distress, etc. However, the portable type has a short battery life of about 1 hour and is used for a long time outdoors. For this purpose, a large number of batteries are required, and it is impossible to carry with a large number of batteries due to the limited quantity of each portable item.

[0010] In addition to the above-mentioned accident report,
By combining the navigation function and the telephone function, it is possible to guide a lost person, but at present, there is no convenient device for carrying.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to make it possible to mutually transmit position information between a portable device and a fixed device or a mobile device by combining a position measuring function by a satellite positioning method and a telephone function. .

[0012]

According to the position information transmitting method of the present invention, a position signal is transmitted from a portable device incorporating a position measuring means based on a satellite positioning method and a telephone transmitting / receiving means, and the transmitted signal is received and transmitted. The present position of the person is displayed on the map screen, and the displayed current position is transmitted to the sender by telephone.

The above-mentioned position information transmission includes a portable device which incorporates a position measuring means and a telephone transmitting / receiving means by a satellite positioning method, and which can transmit a position signal measured by the satellite positioning method via the telephone transmitting / receiving means; And a telephone transmitting / receiving means for displaying the current position on the map screen based on the position signal measured by the system, and receiving the transmission signal from the portable device via the telephone transmitting / receiving means to map the current position. This can be performed by using a fixed device or a mobile device that can be displayed on a screen in combination.

In the present invention, the position measuring means based on the satellite positioning method is means for calculating a position represented by longitude and latitude using GPS, and the telephone transmitting / receiving means is a normal mobile telephone or fixed telephone. This is a transmission / reception means built in.

The transmission of the position signal via the telephone transmitting / receiving means means that the position signal represented by the longitude and the latitude is converted into a digital signal for telephone transmission and then transmitted from the telephone transmitting / receiving means. Also, receiving a transmission signal from a mobile device via a telephone transmitting / receiving means and displaying the current position on a map screen means that the position signal transmitted after being converted into a digital signal for telephone transmission is transmitted in the original longitude and latitude. And to display the current position on the map screen.

In the present invention, the portable device is a portable device having a built-in battery and which can be used independently in the field. The portable device converts a position signal into a digital signal for telephone transmission and a position measurement function by a satellite positioning method. A device having a function and a telephone function. Further, the portable device can be provided with an automatic transmission circuit for automatically transmitting a position signal to a contact of a preset telephone number. This automatic transmission circuit can be a circuit that operates in response to operation of a push button provided on a portable device and a transmission command from a fixed device or a mobile device.

In the present invention, a fixed device or a mobile device is a fixed device having a fixed installation location or a mobile device mounted on a vehicle or the like. In the present invention, a telephone function and a digital signal for telephone transmission are used. Is a device that has a function of converting a position signal into an original position signal and a position display function of displaying a position on a map screen based on the position signal.

The portable device and the fixed device or the mobile device are combined, and the owner (sender) of the portable device and the receiver of the fixed device or the mobile device communicate with each other, thereby displaying the portable device holder on the map. The mobile device side and the fixed device or the mobile device side can know the current location of the vehicle, and can quickly and accurately perform an accident, an emergency to a distress site, and guidance of a lost person.

[0019]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram for explaining a position information transmitting method according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functions of a portable device in the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a fixed device or a mobile device in the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating functions of the device.

According to the present invention, as shown in FIG.
On the premise that the S satellite S and the telephone relay facility A are used, positional information is mutually transmitted by a combination of the portable device P and the fixed device or the mobile device B.

The portable device P has a function of transmitting a position signal obtained by receiving a radio wave from the GPS satellite S via a telephone transmitting / receiving means. As shown in FIG. Telephone receiving circuit 11 and telephone transmitting circuit 1
2. In addition to the operation panel 13 and the battery 14, a receiving antenna 15 for receiving radio waves from the GPS, a receiving circuit 16 for calculating a position (latitude and longitude) from the received radio waves and outputting a position signal, and transmitting the position signal for telephone transmission , A controller 18 for controlling transmission of a position signal in addition to control of telephone transmission and reception, a transmission switching button 19 for switching between telephone transmission and transmission of a position signal, and an emergency push button 20
It is provided with.

The portable device P has a transmission switching button 19
By switching the mode, it is possible to switch between use as a normal mobile phone and transmission of a position signal at the time of location information communication. When the transmission switching button 19 is switched to the position signal transmitting side during a call, the telephone transmission circuit 12 transmits the position signal converted into a digital signal for telephone transmission under the switching control by the controller 18.

Further, the portable device P can be provided with an automatic transmission circuit (not shown) for automatically transmitting a position signal to a contact of a preset telephone number. This automatic transmission circuit may be a circuit that operates in response to the operation of the emergency push button 20 and a transmission command from a fixed device or a mobile device B described later. Further, the automatic transmission circuit can be provided with an automatic transmission function of transmitting a position signal to a contact of a preset telephone number at predetermined time intervals. The position signal transmitted from the portable device P is received by the fixed device or the mobile device B via the telephone relay facility A.

The portable device P is carried by an individual or a member of a group, and communicates with a fixed device or a mobile device P installed in a home, a company, a public institution or the like by telephone or by transmitting position information. When the above-mentioned automatic transmission function is provided, the position of the portable device holder can be known on the fixed device or the mobile device side regardless of the intention or operation of the portable device holder.

A fixed device or a mobile device B is a portable device P
Receiving the transmission signal from the mobile device P, displaying the current position of the holder (sender) of the portable device P on a map screen, and transmitting the displayed current position to the sender by telephone. A telephone T (FIG. 1 shows both a fixed telephone Ta and a mobile telephone Tb), a position information processing device C, and a display device D.

As shown in FIG. 3, the telephone T receives a position signal from the portable device P in addition to the telephone receiving circuit 21, the telephone transmitting circuit 22, and the operation panel (not shown) of the ordinary telephone. A controller 23 that automatically sends a position signal to a signal converter 24 when necessary, and a signal converter 24 that converts a position signal converted into a digital signal for telephone transmission into an original position signal represented by latitude and longitude. It is provided.

The telephone T can be used as a normal telephone, and when a position signal from the portable device P is received, the position information processing is automatically performed by the controller 22 to display the position on the display device D. Activate device C and display device D. When a position signal when the emergency push button 20 is operated on the portable device P is received, an alarm is issued. When the location of the sender is displayed on the map, the location can be notified to the sender by telephone.

As shown in FIG. 3, the position information processing device C includes a position signal from the signal converter 24 and a built-in CD-R.
It has a video processor 25 for generating a video signal indicating the position based on the map signal from the OM drive device 26, and displays the map and the current position of the sender on the display device D. This series of signal processing and video processing is the same as the processing in a conventional car navigation device.

When the fixed device or the mobile device is installed at home, the fixed device or the mobile device can be used with family and friends,
When fixed equipment is installed in a company or public institution, mutual positional information can be transmitted between employees and staff. For example, if fixed equipment is installed in a welfare facility for the elderly, and a person who goes out carries a portable device, it is necessary for the facility to keep track of the current location of the person going out and to accurately guide when he gets lost. Can be. In addition, vehicles and mobile bases,
When fixed equipment or mobile equipment is installed in the police headquarters, firefighting headquarters, patrol cars, ambulances, etc., it is possible to accurately transmit location information in an emergency such as an accident or a case.

[0030]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) Portable equipment having a built-in position measuring means and a telephone transmitting / receiving means by the satellite positioning method, and position display means for displaying a current position on a map screen based on a position signal measured by the satellite positioning method. Combining a fixed device or a mobile device with telephone transmission / reception means, and the portable device holder and the fixed device or the mobile device side receiver communicate with each other to determine the current position of the portable device holder on the map. Both the mobile device side and the fixed device or the mobile device side can know each other, and can quickly and accurately perform an express to an accident or distress site, or guide a lost person.

(2) If the portable device is provided with an automatic transmission function, the position of the portable device holder can be known on the fixed device or the mobile device side irrespective of the intention or operation of the portable device holder.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram illustrating a position information transmission method according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating functions of the mobile device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating functions of a fixed device or a mobile device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Telephone receiving circuit 12 Telephone transmitting circuit 13 Operation board 14 Battery 15 Receiving antenna 16 Receiving circuit 17 Signal converter 18 Controller 19 Transmission switch button 20 Emergency push button 21 Telephone receiving circuit 22 Telephone transmitting circuit 23 Controller 24 Signal converter 25 Video processor 26 CD-ROM drive S GPS satellite P Portable equipment A Telephone relay facility B Fixed equipment (or mobile equipment) T, Ta, Tb Telephone C Position information processing device D Display device

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A position signal is transmitted from a portable device having a built-in position measuring means based on a satellite positioning method and a telephone transmitting / receiving means. The transmitted signal is received, and the current position of the sender is displayed on a map screen. And transmitting the determined current position to the sender by telephone. 2. A position information transmitting device comprising a portable device having a built-in position measuring means based on a satellite positioning method and a telephone transmitting / receiving means and capable of transmitting a position signal measured by the satellite positioning method via the telephone transmitting / receiving means. 3. A telephone system comprising: a position display means for displaying a current position on a map screen based on a position signal measured by a satellite positioning method; and a telephone transmission / reception means, wherein the position signal measured by the satellite positioning method is transmitted to the telephone transmission / reception means. A position information transmission device including a fixed device or a mobile device capable of receiving a current position and displaying the current position on a map screen. 4. A portable device having a built-in position measuring means based on a satellite positioning method and a telephone transmitting / receiving means and capable of transmitting a position signal measured by the satellite positioning method via the telephone transmitting / receiving means, and a position measured by the satellite positioning method. It has a position display means for displaying the current position on the map screen based on the signal and a telephone transmitting / receiving means, and can receive a transmission signal from the portable device via the telephone transmitting / receiving means and display the current position on the map screen. Position information transmission device consisting of a combination with a simple fixed device or a mobile device. 5. The position information transmitting device according to claim 2, wherein said portable device is provided with an automatic transmission circuit for automatically transmitting a position signal to a contact of a preset telephone number. 6. The position information transmitting device according to claim 5, wherein the automatic transmission circuit is a circuit that operates in response to operation of a push button provided on the portable device and a transmission command from a fixed device or a mobile device.