SYSTEM FOR RETRIEVING INFORMATION BASED ON POSITION OF COMMUNICATION TERMINAL

• US 20010003825A1
• Filed: 07/29/1998
• Published: 06/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: IMAI, TAKESHI, IKEGAMI, MASAYUKI, GOTOU, SHINICHIROU, SAWADA, HIDESHI, YOUFU, TOSHIHIDE
• Granted Patent: US 6,789,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09685 where the complete route is computed only once and not updated
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

An information retrieval system is provided, by which necessary information can be easily and accurately obtained from among a large number of information items by using a communication terminal which is mounted to a movable object or is fixedly disposed. In the system, a communication terminal accesses a host server and sends the server the present position of the terminal so as to retrieve desired information stored in information servers connected to a network. The host server stores summary information, categories, and positional information on the information stored in the information servers, and the communication terminal identifies an information server according to the above information stored in the host server.

Claims

1. An information retrieval system comprising a communication terminal for retrieving, via a host server, information stored in plural information servers connected to a network, wherein:

the host server stores summary information relating to information items stored in the information servers, addresses of these information servers in the network, and positional information on each information item stored in each information server;

each of the information servers stores relevant information items, summary information, and an address in the network;

the communication terminal accesses the host server and sends present positional information of the communication terminal to the host server;

the communication terminal makes the host server send the communication terminal summary information relating to the information items stored in the information servers and the corresponding addresses in the network, specified according to the positional information on each information item stored in each information server and to the present positional information of the communication terminal;

the communication terminal identifies at least one of the information servers which stores a desired information item according to the received summary information on the information items stored in the information servers; and

the communication terminal accesses the identified information server with reference to the received address of the relevant information server in the network.

2. An information retrieval system as claimed in

claim 1

, wherein:

the host server further stores category data relating to the information items stored in the information servers;

the communication terminal makes the host server send these category data to the communication terminal;

the communication terminal sends a desired information category to the host server; and

the communication terminal makes the host server send the communication terminal summary information of each information item stored in the relevant information server, specified according to the sent desired information category, and the address of the relevant information server in the network.

3. An information retrieval system as claimed in

claim 1

, wherein:

the communication terminal is a navigation device mounted to a vehicle; and

the navigation device detects the present position of the vehicle and sends information of the present position to the host server, and receives information stored in any information server based on the present position of the vehicle and the address of the information server in the network.

4. An information retrieval method in which a communication terminal retrieves, host server, information stored in plural information servers connected to a network, wherein:

the host server stores summary information relating to information items stored in the information servers, addresses of these information servers in the network, and positional information on each information item stored in each information server; and

each of the information servers stores relevant information items, summary information, and an address in the network, and

the communication terminal performs the steps of;

accessing the host server and sending present positional information of the communication terminal to the host server;

making the host server send the communication terminal summary information relating to the information items stored in the information servers and the corresponding addresses in the network, specified according to the positional information on each information item stored in each information server and to the present positional information of the communication terminal;

identifying at least one of the information servers which stores a desired information item according to the received summary information on the information items stored in the information servers; and

accessing the identified information server with reference to the received address of the relevant information server in the network.

5. An information retrieval method as claimed in

claim 4

, wherein the host server further stores category data relating to the information items stored in the information servers, and the communication terminal further performs the steps of:

making the host server send these category data to the communication terminal; and

sending a desired information category to the host server, and

in the step of making the host server send the communication terminal summary information relating to the information items, the host server sends the summary information specified according to the sent desired information category.

6. An information retrieval method as claimed in

claim 4

, wherein:

the communication terminal is a navigation device mounted to a vehicle;

in the step of sending present positional information of the communication terminal, the navigation device detects the present position of the vehicle and sends information of the present position to the host server; and

in the step of making the host server send the communication terminal summary information relating to the information items, the navigation device receives information stored in any information server based on the present position of the vehicle and the address of the information server in the network.

7. A computer readable storage medium for a communication terminal, which stores an information retrieval program by which the communication terminal retrieves, via a host server, information stored in plural information servers connected to a network, the host server storing summary information relating to information items stored in the information servers, addresses of these information servers in the network, and positional information on each information item stored in each information server, and each of the information servers storing relevant information items, summary information, and an address in the network, the information retrieval program comprising the processes of:

accessing the host server and sending present positional information of the communication terminal to the host server;

making the host server send the communication terminal summary information relating to the information items stored in the information servers and the corresponding addresses in the network, specified according to the positional information on each information item stored in each information server and to the present positional information of the communication terminal;

identifying at least one of the information servers which stores a desired information item according to the received summary information on the information items stored in the information servers; and

accessing the identified information server with reference to the received address of the relevant information server in the network.