System, method, and computer readable storage medium

A method for providing information to a plural pieces of equipment, each of which is movable, the method being performed by a system and comprising:

• receiving position information of each of the plural pieces of equipment from each of the plural pieces of equipment;
• transmitting, based on the position information of each of the plural pieces of equipment, assistance information related to a movement of each of the plural pieces of equipment to each of the plural pieces of equipment through a base station of a mobile communication;
• predicting, among the plural pieces of equipment, based on the position information of each of the plural pieces of equipment, equipment entering a communication available area of a mobile object, in which the mobile object is capable of performing a direct communication with the equipment;
• transmitting, to the mobile object, information related to the equipment predicted to enter the communication available area in the predicting;
• and
• transmitting, to the equipment predicted to enter the communication available area, an instruction indicating that a communication destination to which the equipment sends the position information should be switched from the system to the mobile object and causing the equipment to start periodically transmitting the position information to the mobile object,
• wherein the system, the plural pieces of equipment, and the mobile object are external to each other.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein a program for a system for providing information to a plural pieces of equipment, each of which is movable, external to the system, and communicable with the system, the program causing a computer to perform:

• receiving position information of each of the plural pieces of equipment from each of the plural pieces of equipment;
• transmitting, based on the position information of each of the plural pieces of equipment, assistance information related to a movement of each of the plural pieces of equipment to each of the plural pieces of equipment through a base station of a mobile communication;
• predicting, among the plural pieces of equipment, based on the position information of each of the plural pieces of equipment, equipment entering a communication available area of a mobile object, in which the mobile object is capable of performing a direct communication with the equipment, the mobile object being external to the system and the plural pieces of equipment;
• transmitting, to the mobile object, information related to the equipment predicted to enter the communication available area in the predicting;
• and
• transmitting, to the equipment predicted to enter the communication available area, an instruction indicating that a communication destination to which the equipment sends the position information should be switched from the system to the mobile object and causing the equipment to start periodically transmitting the position information to the mobile object.