Abstract:
A method for setting a destination based on an identifier of a moving object and a method for providing position information are disclosed. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for setting a destination based on an identifier of a moving object, including the steps of: a) selecting an identifier of moving object; b) requesting the providing of position information providing to the selected moving object; c) receiving the position information from the selected moving object; and d) setting a destination for the moving object based on the received position information.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a method for setting a destination based on an identifier of a moving object and a method for providing position information for setting the destination; and, more particularly, a method for setting a moving object as well as a fixed object as a destination, and protecting personal information by requesting/obtaining position information based on an identifier of the moving object, searching a path, and providing an authorized person with personal position information when the personal position information is requested.  
       DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART  
       [0002]     According to with an advanced mobile communication technology, if a current position and a destination are inputted to a telematics terminal, a path guide (in other words, navigation) service, which calculates an optimum path and the shortest path from the current position to the destination and provides a user with the optimum path and the shortest path as an image and a sound, is normalized. A name, an address and a telephone number are searched in order to set the destination.  
         [0003]     Meanwhile, the difference between telematics terminal and a general navigation terminal is to have a communication module. IS 95A/B, a code division multiple access (CDMA 1x/EvDO/EVDV), a global system for mobile communication (GSM), a general packet radio service (GPRS), a wide-CDMA (WCDMA), a universal mobile telecommunications systems (UMTS) and a wireless LAN (WLAN) are used as the communication module. A high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), a wireless broadband internet (WiBro), an ultra wand band (UWB), a broadband convergence network (BCN) and 4th-generation mobile communication will be available to the communication module.  
         [0004]     It is required to obtain position of a telematics terminal in order to provide a telematics service. A technology which obtains a position of a telematics terminal for providing a telematics service is a position determination technology (PDT). The PDT includes a network-based PDT which obtains the position of the telematics terminal based on a position of a base station, a handset-based PDT which tracks the position of the telematics terminal based on a satellite signal, a hybrid PDT which increases position accuracy by combining the network-based PDT and the handset-based PDT. Moreover, a sensor-based PDT which tracks a position of the telematics terminal using a position sensor according to the high performance and the variety of the sensor is developed.  
         [0005]     The network-based PDT uses an angle of arrival (AOA), a time of arrival (TOA), a time difference of arrival (TDOA). The handset-based PDT includes a satellite navigation position determination system, e.g., a global positioning system (GPS), a Galileo and a global satellite navigation system (GLONASS), and a dead reckoning (DR) system as an inertial navigation apparatus using a gyro sensor, a wheel sensor, a speed sensor, and an acceleration sensor for removing a shadow region and increasing accuracy of a satellite position determination system.  
         [0006]     Moreover, a location based service (LBS) has been activated recently. A current telematics terminal includes a telematics terminal for a vehicle and a portable telematics terminal. Accordingly, a technology, which receives position information of a moving terminal (in other words, moving object) and searches a path, may be requested.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method for setting a destination based on an identifier of a moving object and a method for providing position information for setting a destination of a moving object and a fixed object and protecting personal information by requesting/obtaining position information through an identifier search of a moving object, searching a path, and providing an authorized person with personal position information when the personal position information is requested.  
         [0008]     In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for setting a destination based on an identifier of a moving object, including the steps of: a) receiving an identifier of a selected moving object; b) requesting the selected moving object to provide position information of the selected moving object; c) receiving the position information from the selected moving object; and d) setting a destination for the selected moving object based on the received position information.  
         [0009]     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for providing position information, including the steps of: a) storing a position information providing table to provide position information; b) receiving a request to provide a position information from a requester; c) checking position information providing levels included in a position information providing table according as the requester is registered on the position information providing table; and d) providing the position information based on the position information providing levels of the requester. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a telematics service system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart describing a method for setting a destination based on an identifier of a moving object in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIGS. 3A  to  3 C shows a path search according to a moving state of a target terminal in an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart describing a method for providing position information in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  shows a position information providing table for providing personal position information in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]     Other objects and aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, which is set forth hereinafter.  
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a telematics service system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0018]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the telematics service system includes a first telematics terminal  100 , a second telematics terminal  900 , a personal position information protecting module  300 , a location based service (LBS) server  400 , a telematics service provider server  500 , and a real time traffic information provider server  600 .  
         [0019]     The telematics service provider server  500  communicates with the LBS server  400  and the real time traffic information provider server  600 , and transmits corresponding information to the first telematics terminal  100  and the second telematics terminal  900 .  
         [0020]     In another embodiment of the present invention, the first telematics terminal  100 , the second telematics terminal  900 , the LBS server  400  and the real time traffic information provider server  600  may be directly connected to each other. The personal position information protecting module  300  may be included in the first telematics terminal  100  and the second telematics terminal  900 . Moreover, the personal position information protecting module  300  may be included in the LBS server  400  or the telematics service provider server  500 .  
         [0021]     The first telematics terminal  100  using a first communication module  102  transceives information from/to the second telematics terminal  900  using a second communication module  902  through a short message service (SMS), a transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) and a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).  
         [0022]     That is, the first telematics terminal  100  receives position information from the second telematics terminal  900 , and checks a current position of the first telematics terminal  100  through a first position determination module  101 . The first telematics terminal  100  provides a user with a path guide service by setting the position information of the first telematics terminal  100  and the second telematics terminal  900  as a start point and a destination respectively. The first telematics terminal  100  may provide the path guide service based on the traffic information which is received from the real time traffic information provider server  600 .  
         [0023]     Referring to  FIGS. 2, 4  and  5 , an operation of the first telematics terminal  100  which is start point and the second telematics terminal which is the destination  900  will be described as below.  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart describing a method for setting a destination based on an identifier of a moving object in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0025]     The first telematics terminal  100  drives a path guide service program according to an external input, e.g. a user input at step S 201 , and receives a destination setting method at step S 202 . A various application services for requesting position information of the telematics terminal may be started according to an external input.  
         [0026]     The sort of the destination setting method is determined at step S 203 .  
         [0027]     The identifier of the moving object as the destination setting method is provided in addition to a name, an address, a telephone number and a recent destination as a conventional destination setting method. An object terminal, a second telemactics terminal, is identified by the identifier of the moving object, e.g., a mobile telephone number and a mobile identification number (MIN) and a fixed internet protocol (IP) address.  
         [0028]     If the conventional destination setting method is determined as the sort of the destination setting method at step S 203 , the position information providing service is processed by a conventional method at step S 210 .  
         [0029]     If the identifier of the moving object is determined as the sort of the destination setting method at the step S 203 , the identifier of the moving object is searched and selected at step S 204 . The first telematics terminal  100  requests the position information of the second telematics terminal  900  at step S 205 . The first communication module  102  of the first telematics terminal  100  transceives various requests and information by communicating with the second communication module  902  of the second telematics terminal  900  through a short message service (SMS), a transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) and a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).  
         [0030]     Then, the first telematics terminal  100  receives the position information of the second telematics terminal  900  from the second telematics terminal  900  at step S 206 . The first telmatics terminal  100  determines a start point and a destination based on the current position information of the first telematics terminal  100 , which is obtained by the first determination module  101 , and the received position information of the second telematics terminal  900  at step S 207 . That is, a path between the start point and the destination is set.  
         [0031]     A path, e.g., a minimum path or an optimum path is searched at step S 208 . A path guide service is provided to a user at step S 209 . The path guide service includes multimedia data such as an image or a sound. If the moving object is deviated from the path or an extraordinary situation occurs, the path setting and the path search process are repeated at step S 211 .  
         [0032]     The traffic information provided from the real time traffic information provider server  600  may be reflected on the path search. If the path search is not performed smoothly by a limitation of a CPU or a memory of the first telematics terminal  100 , the telematics service provider server  500  may perform the path search and provide the first telematics terminal  100  with the result of the path search.  
         [0033]      FIGS. 3A  to  3 C show a path search according to a moving state of an object terminal in an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0034]      FIG. 3A  shows a path search in the first telematics terminal  100  in a case that a second telematics terminal  900  is on standby at a specific position for an emergency rescue, e.g., an emergency call and etc. If the second telematics terminal  900  starts to move, the second telmatics terminal  900  transmits the position information (moving information) of the second telematics terminal  900  to the first telematics terminal  100  based on the information protection.  
         [0035]      FIG. 3B  shows a path search in a case that the first telematics terminal  100  and the second telematics terminal  900  move respectively and search a path between a start point and a middle place (A area) or a meeting place. The middle place denotes a temporal middle point, which reflects a traffic situation, such as a parking area and a point of interest (POI). The meeting place denotes a specific place which is designated by the first and second telematics terminals  100  and  900 . A destination is set based on post-position information on a moving path and necessary time information between the current position and the post-position.  
         [0036]      FIG. 3C  shows a path search of the first telematics terminal  100  when a moving path of the second telematics terminal  900  is unknown. The position information of the second telematcis terminal  900  is updated periodically or non-periodically and is transmitted to the first telematics terminal  100 . The path setting and the path search process are repeated.  
         [0037]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart describing a method for providing position information in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0038]     The second telematics terminal  900  stores a position information providing table for providing position information of a user at step S 401 .  
         [0039]     The second telematics terminal  900  receives a request of position information providing from the first telematics terminal  100  through the second communication module  902  at step S 402 .  
         [0040]     The second telematics terminal  900  retrieves the position information providing table at step S 403  and checks whether or not the first telematics terminal  100  is registered on the position information providing table at step S 404 .  
         [0041]     If the registration of the first telematics terminal  100  is confirmed through the position information providing table at the step S 404 , the second telematics terminal  900  checks a position information providing level of the first telematics terminal  100  at step S 405 . The position information is provided or refused based on the checked position information providing level of the first telematics at step S 406 .  
         [0042]     The position information providing levels include four levels, “refusal of position information providing (always refusal)”, “position information providing after agreement (allowance after agreement)”, “position information providing after notification (allowance after notification)” and “position information providing (always allowance).  
         [0043]     If the position information providing level of the first telematics terminal  100  is the “refusal of position information providing”, the position information is not provided to the first telematics terminal  100 .  
         [0044]     If the position information providing level of the first telematics terminal  100  is the “position information providing after agreement (allowance after agreement)”, the position information is provided or refused after the second telematics terminal  900  requests a user an agreement regarding the position information providing.  
         [0045]     If the position information providing level of the first telematics terminal  100  is “position information providing after notification (allowance after notification)”, the position information is provided to the first telematics terminal  100  after the second telematics terminal  900  notifies the position information providing to the first telematics terminal.  
         [0046]     If the position information providing level of the first telematics terminal  100  is “position information providing (always allowance)”, the position information is provided to the first telematics terminal  100 .  
         [0047]     If the registration of the first telematics terminal  100  is not confirmed through the position information providing table at the step S 404 , the position information is provided or refused after the second telematics terminal  900  requests an agreement of a user regarding position information providing to a user. Then, the position information is registered on the position information providing table according to an input of the user at step S 407 .  
         [0048]      FIG. 5  shows a position information providing table for providing personal position information in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0049]     The position information providing levels in the position information providing table may be changed according to a combination of each field in the position information providing levels, e.g., a subscriber (e.g. identifier and nick name), an application service (e.g. path guide service, position information providing service), a requester (e.g. identifier), a providing period (e.g. start and end) and etc (e.g. exception).  
         [0050]     That is, since various fields are set and the position information providing levels are changed according to the combination of the fields, different position information providing levels, which are classified by each requester, service, and time period, may be provided.  
         [0051]     The position information providing levels may be provided step by step. For example, although the same requester requests position information for same application service, a part or whole levels of the position information providing levels may be provided according to a requesting time.  
         [0052]     In detail, the second telematics terminal  900  checks an identifier, the sort of application service (e.g., path guide service and position information providing service) and a providing period of the first telematics terminal  100 , and performs an operation based on the position information providing levels in which the first telematics terminal  100  is included by receiving the request of position information from the first telematics terminal  100 .  
         [0053]     For example, if the second telematics terminal  900  receives a request of position information from the first telematics terminal  100  having an identifier of “010-1234-5678”, the second telematics terminal  900  confirms the providing period and the application service sorts, and provides the first telematics terminal  100  with the position information directly without the agreement process of a user according to the validation of the confirmed result.  
         [0054]     For example, if the second telematics terminal  900  receives a request of position information from the first telematics terminal  100  having an identifier of “010-9999-9999”, the second telematics terminal  900  confirms the providing period and the application service sorts, and refuses a request of position information providing of the first telematics terminal  100  without the agreement process of the user according to the sameness with the data recorded in the position information providing table.  
         [0055]     In a case of the etc (e.g. exception) filed, an exception case and an application rule of the position information providing level are defined by an extra format.  
         [0056]     In a case that the second telematics terminal  900  does not have the second position determination module  901 , the second telematics terminal  900  may receive the position information of the second telematics terminal  900  from the LBS server  400 , and provide the first telelmatics terminal  100  with the received position information.  
         [0057]     In a case that the second telematics terminal  900  does not have the second position determination module  901 , the second telematics terminal  900  may allow the first telematics terminal  100  to receive the position information of the second telematics terminal  900  from the LBS server  400  directly.  
         [0058]     As described above, the present invention provides a path guide service between a start position and a dynamic destination by setting a destination through an identifier search of a moving object (telematics terminal for a vehicle or a portable telematics terminal), and protects personal position information by providing the position information according to the position information providing level.  
         [0059]     As above-mentioned, the method of the present invention can be embodied as a program and stored in recording media readable by a computer, e.g., CD-ROM, RAM, floppy disk, hard disk, magneto-optical disk, etc.  
         [0060]     The present application contains subject matter related to Korean paten application No. 2005-119422 and 2006-52742, filed in the Korean Patent Office on Dec. 8, 2005, and Jun. 12, 2006, respectively, the entire contents of which being incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0061]     While the present invention has been described with respect to certain preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.