Mobile Terminal Location Management with Geo-Temporal Alerts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless communication terminals lack effective methods to manage and alert users about their location and estimated time to reach a destination, especially considering movement constraints and traffic conditions.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves a mobile terminal with a location management unit that calculates the distance and estimated time to a destination, generates alerts based on thresholds, and displays a geo-temporal boundary, taking into account operational modes, traffic information, and movement constraints, to help users navigate efficiently.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If GPS receivers are included to determine location with high precision, then location accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocation accuracyVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the location determination system into multiple components: GPS receiver for primary location data, cellular network for area-based location, and inertial sensors for movement tracking. Each component operates independently and contributes to the overall location estimate, allowing the system to achieve high precision without relying solely on a single complex GPS implementation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent makes the location management system multi-functional by integrating it with navigation, routing, traffic information, and alert generation capabilities. The same location data obtained through the position determination unit serves multiple purposes: calculating distance to destination, determining route, estimating time of arrival, and generating geo-temporal boundaries, thereby reducing the need for separate specialized components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If multiple location determination systems (GPS, cellular network, inertial guidance) are integrated, then location reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocation reliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple location determination approaches into a unified position determination unit that manages GPS receivers, cellular network interfaces, and inertial guidance sensors. This consolidation allows the system to achieve high reliability through redundant measurement methods while presenting a single integrated interface to the rest of the navigation system, effectively hiding the complexity of managing multiple independent subsystems

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the position determination unit continuously monitors location data from multiple sources and adjusts its estimation based on consistency checks and cross-validation. The system uses feedback from GPS signals, cellular tower triangulation, and inertial sensor drift to maintain accurate location tracking, improving reliability through continuous self-correction without requiring complex manual calibration procedures

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Manufacturing precision

If route generation considers movement constraints (buildings, bridges, gates, fences), then routing accuracy is improved, but calculation time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverouting accuracyVSAvoidcalculation time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-processing geographic data to identify and catalog movement constraints such as buildings, bridges, gates, and fences in the route area before actual navigation begins. This pre-processing creates a structured database of constraints that the route generation algorithm can efficiently query during route calculation, reducing the computational burden during real-time navigation while maintaining high routing accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic route generation where the system adapts route calculations based on real-time conditions such as traffic information, current position updates, and changing environmental constraints. The route can be dynamically adjusted to account for newly discovered obstacles or changing conditions, allowing the system to maintain high accuracy without requiring exhaustive pre-calculation of all possible constraint scenarios

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Measurement precision

If real-time traffic information is obtained and considered in route planning, then estimated time accuracy is improved, but information processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveestimated time accuracyVSAvoidinformation processing requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary traffic information management component that receives, filters, and processes raw traffic data from multiple sources before integrating it with the route calculation system. This intermediary layer aggregates traffic information from cellular network data, GPS float data, and other sources, transforming raw data into meaningful traffic flow metrics that can be efficiently used by the route generation algorithm, thereby reducing the information processing burden on the main navigation system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS7561063B2Mobile terminals including location management systems and location management methods for mobile terminals
Publication Date: 2009.07.14 SONY GROUP CORP
  • US7561063B2 patent drawing
  • US7561063B2 patent drawing
  • US7561063B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Methods of managing a location of a mobile terminal include obtaining a position of the mobile terminal, estimating a distance from the mobile terminal to a destination point, generating an estimated time for the mobile terminal to reach the destination point, and generating an alert if the estimated time for the mobile terminal to reach the destination point reaches a threshold time. Related mobile terminals are also disclosed.