Method and system for communication facility information and devices therefor

• US 20020013656A1
• Filed: 06/19/2001
• Published: 01/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Namba, Hideaki
• Granted Patent: US 6,519,525 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence

Abstract

A communication system comprises a mobile terminal and a server. The server 2 receives location data indicating a location in conjunction with a search request from the mobile terminal. The server defines one of a plurality of zones as a search zone based on the received location data, and searches for hotel vacancy data in the zone defined as the search zone. Searching by zone shortens the search time required to search for hotel vacancy data. A user of the mobile terminal can thus quickly obtain the desired hotel vacancy data.

Claims

1. A method for communicating facility information between a server and a mobile terminal, the method comprising steps of:

receiving from the mobile terminal a zone code in conjunction with a search request instruction requesting a facility information search, the zone code corresponding to location data indicating a location of the mobile terminal;

determining at least of one of a plurality of zones as a search zone based on the zone code received from the mobile terminal and searching for facility information in the server according to a zone defined as the search zone, the facility information being stored in the server in correspondence with the zones;

sending the facility information obtained by the searching step to the mobile terminal so that the facility information received from the server is provided on the mobile terminal.

2. A communication system for communicating facility information comprising:

a mobile terminal including control means, receiving means, transmission means and output means, the control means being programmed to send from the transmission means a zone code corresponding to location data indicating a location in conjunction with a search request instruction requesting a facility information search and to output from the output means facility information received by the receiving means; and

a server including storage means for storing facility information in correlation with zones, control means, receiving means and transmission means, the control means being programmed to define at least one of a plurality of zones as a search zone based on the zone code received from the mobile terminal by the receiving means thereof, to search the storage means for facility information according to the zone defined as the search zone, and to send the facility information obtained by the search from the transmission means thereof to the mobile terminal.

3. The communication system as in claim 2, wherein:

the control means of the server is programmed to define as a search zone a zone adjacent to the zone defined as the search zone.

4. The communication system as in claim 2, wherein:

the control means of the server is programmed to determine a direction of movement of the mobile terminal, and to define as a search zone at least one zone of a plurality of zones based on a detected direction of movement of the mobile terminal by chronologically managing location data indicating a current position received by the receiving means of the server.

5. The communication system as in claim 2, wherein:

the storage means of the server stores the facility information organized by zone.

6. The communication system as in claim 2, wherein:

the control means of the server is programmed to update the facility information stored in the storage means when the receiving means of the server receives an update request from a facility.

7. The communication system as in claim 2, wherein:

the storage means of the server stores advertising data for an advertisement; and

the control means of the server is programmed to send advertising data to the mobile terminal from the transmission means of the server; and

the control means of the mobile terminal is programmed to output from the output means of the mobile terminal advertising data received from the server by the receiving means of the mobile terminal.

8. The communication system as in claim 7, wherein:

the control means of the server is programmed to send from the transmission means of the server to the mobile terminal the advertising data relevant to the facility information obtained by searching.

9. The communication system as in claim 7, wherein:

the storage means of the server stores the advertising data organized by zone.

10. The communication system as in claim 2, wherein:

the control means of the mobile terminal is programmed to send a reservation request for requesting a reservation to use a facility from the transmission means of the mobile terminal to the server; and

the control means of the server is programmed to accomplish a process for reserving use of the corresponding facility based on the reservation request received from the mobile terminal by the receiving means of the server.

11. A communication system as in claim 2, wherein:

the control means of the mobile terminal is programmed to send from the transmission means of the mobile terminal to the server a proxy payment processing request requesting payment by proxy of a usage fee required for using a facility; and

the control means of the server is programmed to accomplish a proxy payment process for paying by proxy the usage fee required for using the facility based on the proxy payment processing request received from the mobile terminal by the receiving means of the server.

12. A server for communicating facility information with a mobile terminal which is configured to send to the server location data indicating a location in conjunction with a search request instruction requesting a search for facility information and output the facility information received from the server, the server comprising:

receiving means;

transmission means;

storage means for storing facility information for a zone; and

control means for defining at least one of a plurality of zones as a search zone based on location data received from the mobile terminal by the receiving means, searching the storage means for facility information according to the zone defined as the search zone, and sending from the transmission means to the mobile terminal the facility information obtained by the search.

13. A mobile terminal for communicating facility information with a server which is configured to store facility information in correlation to a zone, define at least one of a plurality of zones as a search zone based on location data, search for facility information according to the zone defined as the search zone, and send the facility information obtained by the search, the mobile terminal comprising:

transmission means;

receiving means;

output means; and

control means for sending from the transmission means to the server location data indicating a location in conjunction with a search request requesting a facility information search, and outputting from the output means facility information received from the server by the receiving means.

14. A method for communicating facility information between a mobile terminal and a server, the method comprising:

receiving from the mobile terminal a reservation request for requesting a reservation to use a facility to the server; and

accomplishing a process for reserving use of the corresponding facility based on the reservation request received from the mobile terminal.

15. A method for communicating facility information between a mobile terminal and a server, the method comprising:

receiving from the mobile terminal a proxy payment request for requesting payment by proxy of a usage fee required to use a facility; and

accomplishing a process for paying by proxy the usage fee required to use the corresponding facility based on the proxy payment request received from the mobile terminal.

16. A facility information search device comprising:

storage means for storing a plurality of facility information for facilities located in a plurality of zones defined as zone codes;

input means for receiving input specifying one of the zones;

search means for defining as a search zone the zone specified by the input means, and searching the facility information in the search zone; and

output means for outputting facility information searched by the search means.

17. The facility information search device as in claim 16, further comprising:

receiving means for receiving data from an external terminal; and

transmission means for sending data to the external terminal,

wherein the input means receives input specifying a zone based on data received by the receiving means, and

wherein the output means outputs the searched facility information to the external terminal by way of the transmission means.

18. A facility information search device comprising:

storage means for storing with a correlation therebetween a specific code combining a zone code and a block code and facility information for a facility located in a region identified by the specific code, the zone code indicating an area of a zone segmenting map data into a large grid, and the block code indicating the area of a block segmenting the area indicated by the zone code into a grid;

input means for receiving input specifying a specific code;

search means for defining as a search zone the area corresponding to the specific code indicated by the input means, and searching facility information in the zone; and

output means for outputting the facility information searched by the search means.

19. A facility information search device comprising:

storage means for storing with a correlation therebetween a specific code combining a zone code and a block code and facility information for a facility located in a region identified by the specific code, the zone code indicating an area of a zone segmenting map data into a large grid, and the block code indicating the area of a block segmenting [the area indicated by] the zone code into a grid; and

input means for receiving input specifying a specific code;

search means for identifying the zone code corresponding to the specific code indicated by the input means, defining the area indicated by this zone code as the search zone, and searching for facility information in the zone; and

output means for outputting facility information searched by the search means.