Location-dependent data collection
View Patent ↗A method is described for collecting location-dependent data in a central data collection point. The method comprises the steps of: collecting location dependent data from a data source, in a nearby portable communications device; transmitting the collected data to a base station of the portable communications device; and communicating the collected data along with a location identifier to the data collection point.
1. A method for collecting location-specific data from geographically dispersed remote monitoring stations situated at fixed geographic locations, said method comprising:
a monitoring station detecting information regarding ambient conditions at a fixed location at which it is situated;
said monitoring station wirelessly transmitting location-specific data indicative of said information;
receiving the location-specific data in a mobile telephone which is in a standby mode and is carried by a passing user;
said mobile telephone transmitting the location-specific data to a base station of the mobile telephone; and
said base station communicating the location-specific data along with a location identifier to the data collection point.
2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the location identifier is added to the data by the base station.
3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the location identifier is included in the data collected from the data source and transmitted to the base station.
4. A method according to claim 1 in which the location identifier is supplied by a location-aware component within the mobile telephone.
5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the mobile telephone incorporates an environmental sensor as the data source; and
said sensor provides information relating to environmental conditions in an immediate locality of the mobile telephone.
6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the environmental sensor provides information representing at least one of: temperature, air pressure, humidity, radiation, air contaminant levels, acoustic noise, magnetic fields, electromagnetic and/or radio signal levels, light levels, pollen count, pheromone levels.
7. A method according to claim 2 wherein:
the transmitted data comprises an identifier identifying the mobile telephone, sent with the location identifier; and
the data are used to determine the position and speed of motion of the portable communications device.
8. A method according to claim 7 wherein:
mobile telephone is carried in a vehicle; and
collected data are used to derive location, speed and direction information relating to that vehicle.
9. A method according to claim 8 wherein data collected from numerous mobile telephones carried in respective vehicles is used to derive average speed and direction information relating to traffic in a certain location.
10. A method according to claim 8 , wherein the derived speed and direction data are used to control traffic in the respective location.
11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the external data source transmits the data by very short range radio transmission.
12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the data transmitted by the very short range radio transmission comprises information relating to meter readings.
13. A method according to claim 12 , in which the transmitted data incorporates an identifier identifying the transmitter, which is used as the location identifier.
14. A method according to claim 4 , wherein the location aware component is a GPS receiver built in to the portable communications device.
15. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the data are communicated to the data collection point over a telephone network.
16. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising storing collected data in a memory of the mobile telephone before transmitting it to the base station.