Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.

Kazuhiro Honda

Kiyotaka Takehara

Toshiro Mise

Akira Oya

Kouji Yamashita

Kuniharu Tatetsuki

Kazuo Nakahi

Masanori Kawai

A system using GPS data for locating a person requesting a support. The system includes a mobile terminal carried by a person to acquire the GPS data from GPS satellites and transmits the same upon a request by the person to a message center where the GPS data is processed to calculate the person(s position. The mobile terminal simply acquires the GPS data which is invalid for calculation of the position if the request is made where the GPS satellite is not available. For successfully locating the person's position, the mobile terminal acquires the GPS data regularly at different times in accordance with a time schedule and stores the time-series sets of the GPS data which are transmitted together with a current GPS data acquired in response to the support request, thereby giving the latest available position of the person if the current GPS data is found invalid.

Support request processing system using GPS data for locating a person requesting a support

A support request processing system using GPS data for locating a person requesting a support. The system is supplemented with a mobile terminal to be carried by the person separately from a GPS terminal left in the vehicle. The mobile terminal transmits a support request signal by way of a radio communication to the GPS terminal which responds to receive the GPS data from the GPS satellite and transmits the data to a message center. Upon receiving the GPS data, the message center calculates the position of the GPS terminal and notifies a warning message for rescue of the person. With the inclusion of the mobile terminal, the system can estimate the location of the person around the GPS terminal or the vehicle even when the person is within buildings where the GPS data from the GPS satellites is not available.

An antenna and its electronic circuit combination is presented to comprise a ground conductor plane 30, a radiating conductor plane 40 disposed in parallel spaced relation to the ground plane 30 and shorted at its one end to the ground plane 30. A ground plane 30 is preferably formed on a printed board 10 which is disposed in parallel relation to the radiating plane 40 to define therebetween an open air space. Mounted on the printed board 10 and received within the open air space are electronic components which form a receiving or transmitting electronic circuit 60 associated with the antenna structure and electrically coupled by means of a feed element 20 to a feed point 44 on the radiating plane 40. Consequently, a number of electronic components forming the electronic circuit for the antenna can well be incorporated within the antenna structure by better utilization of the open air space formed between the radiating and ground planes, giving a space saving compact arrangement to the antenna and its electronic combination suitable for installation in a limited space.

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Kashiba, Japan

Kazuhiro Honda