Communication device and communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9432802-B2
Application number	US-201313923596-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2013
Priority date	Jun 27, 2012
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

A communication device communicating position information indicative of a position of the communication device with a wireless terminal, includes: a storage section configured to store the position information and a certificate to guarantee correctness of the position information, the certificate being issued upon the position information being authenticated; a sending section configured to send the position information; and a control section configured to control the sending section so that the position information stored in the storage section is sent to the wireless terminal along with the certificate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication system comprising:
a wireless terminal;
an authentication server;
a communication device configured to communicate with the wireless terminal position information indicative of a position of the communication device;
wherein the communication device includes
a first storage medium configured to store the position information of the communication device, and a certificate to guarantee correctness of the position information, the certificate being issued upon the position information being authenticated by an authentication server,
a transmitter configured to send the position information and the certificate, and
a controller configured to control the transmitter so that the position information stored in the first storage medium is sent to the wireless terminal along with the certificate;

wherein the wireless terminal includes
a second storage medium configured to store a decryption key to decrypt the certificate, the decryption key being issued along with the certificate,
a receiver configured to receive the position information from the communication device, and the certificate, and
a decrypter configured to decrypt the certificate received by the receiver, with the decryption key stored in the second storage medium; and

the wireless terminal is configured to
obtain position information outdoors and indoors depending on a place of the wireless terminal,
transmit the obtained position information to the communication device when the wireless terminal detects a change of acceleration, and
when positional information is not set on the communication device,
the wireless terminal is configured to
activate an autonomous navigation application installed on the wireless terminal to start positioning by autonomous navigation,
transmit a request for authentication to set positional information positioned by the autonomous navigation on the communication device to the authentication server,
receive a response to the authentication request from the authentication server, and
transmit a request for setting positional information including the positional information positioned by the autonomous navigation to the communication device.

2. The communication system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wireless terminal is configured to send estimated position information of the communication device to a management server configured to manage the position information of the wireless terminal,
wherein upon receiving the estimated position information, the management server is configured to obtains the certificate.

3. The communication system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the management server is configured to send a request for authentication of the estimated position information to the authentication server to obtain the certificate.

4. The communication system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the estimated position information of the communication device is obtained with positioning by autonomous navigation executed on the wireless terminal.

5. The communication system as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the wireless terminal is configured to
make a request for authentication of a right to set the position information on the communication device to the authentication server, and
set the position information on the communication device if the authentication server authenticates that the wireless terminal has the right to set the position information on the communication device.

6. The communication system as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the authentication server is configured to issue the certificate if the authentication device determines that the wireless terminal has a right to set the position information on the communication device, and
wherein the wireless terminal is configured to set the issued certificate on the communication device.

7. The communication system as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the wireless terminal is configured to obtain, as the outdoor position information, GPS position information, and as the indoor position information, position information based on direction information and acceleration information obtained by an inertia sensor provided in the wireless terminal.

8. The communication system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the communication device is configured to set the positional information positioned by the autonomous navigation into itself, the positional information being included in the request for setting positional information received from the wireless terminal.

9. A method for operating a wireless terminal, comprising:
receiving, using at least one processor of the wireless terminal, position information from a communication device, and a certificate to guarantee correctness of the position information, the certificate being issued upon the position information being authenticated by an authentication server, the position information indicative of a position of the communication device;
storing on a second storage medium of the wireless terminal, using the at least one processor, a decryption key to decrypt the certificate, the decryption key being issued along with the certificate;
decrypting, using the at least one processor, the certificate with the decryption key;
obtaining, using the at least one processor, position information outdoors and indoors depending on a place of the wireless terminal;
transmitting, using the at least one processor, the obtained position information to the communication device when the wireless terminal detects a change of acceleration; and
when positional information is not set on the communication device,
activating, using the at least one processor, an autonomous navigation application installed on the wireless terminal, to start positioning by autonomous navigation,
transmitting, using the at least one processor, a request for authentication to set positional information positioned by the autonomous navigation on the communication device to the authentication server,
receiving, using the at least one processor, a response to the authentication request from the authentication server, and
transmitting, using the at least one processor, a request for setting positional information including the positional information positioned by the autonomous navigation to the communication device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:
transmitting estimated position information of the communication device to a management server configured to manage the position information of the wireless terminal, wherein upon receiving the estimated position information, the management server obtains the certificate.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the management server sends a request for authentication of the estimated position information to the authentication server to obtain the certificate.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the estimated position information of the communication device is obtained with positioning by autonomous navigation executed on the wireless terminal.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:
transmitting, using the at least one processor, a request for authentication of a right to set the position information on the communication device to the authentication server; and
setting, using the at least one processor, the position information on the communication device if the authentication server authenticates that the wireless terminal has the right to set the position information on the communication device.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:
setting, using the at least one processor, the issue

Assignees

• Matsushita Yusuke
• Miyawaki Seiji
• Ohashi Yasuo
• Fukuda Michitaka
• Kusakari Shin
• Miyauchi Kunihiro
• Kawasaki Satoshi
• Hiroi Takaaki
• Aoki Shinji
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Matsushita Yusuke
• Miyawaki Seiji
• Ohashi Yasuo
• Fukuda Michitaka
• Kusakari Shin
• Miyauchi Kunihiro
• Kawasaki Satoshi
• Hiroi Takaaki
• Aoki Shinji

Classifications

• H04W4/02 Primary

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• H04W4/029 Primary

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title