Information processing apparatus and method, and program storage medium

• US 20020013657A1
• Filed: 06/26/2001
• Published: 01/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ironworks Patents LLC
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Narioka, Hiroto, Bando, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,111,069 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

A position information generating unit of a personal computer generates position information using GPS and/or PHS, and outputs the generated information to a supplementary information generating unit. The generating unit supplements the position information from the position information generating unit with additional information such as map data, and outputs the supplemented information to an HTML generating unit. The HTML generating unit generates an HTML file out of the supplemented position information from the supplementary information generating unit, and transmits the generated file to a content server. A position information transmission-reception control unit of the content server stores the HTML-format position information thus sent from the personal computer into a storage unit. An HTML acquiring unit of the personal computer acquires position information in HTML format about another member from the storage of the position information transmission-reception control unit, and causes the obtained information to appear on a display unit.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for transmitting position information to other information processing apparatuses over a network, comprising:

position information acquiring means for acquiring said position information;

position information converting means for converting said position information acquired by said position information acquiring means into a format processible by said other information processing apparatuses; and

transmitting means for transmitting to said other information processing apparatuses said position information converted by said position information converting means into said format processible by said other information processing apparatuses.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said position information converting means converts said position information into said format processible by said other information processing apparatuses by supplementing said position information acquired by said position information acquiring means with peripheral information about surroundings of a position corresponding to said position information.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said position information converting means converts said position information supplemented with said peripheral information into an HTML format processible by said other information processing apparatuses.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting means transmits said position information to said other information processing apparatuses either by electronic mail or by FTP, said position information having been converted by said position information converting means into said format processible by said other information processing apparatuses.

5. An information processing method for use with an information processing apparatus for transmitting position information to other information processing apparatuses over a network, comprising the steps of:

acquiring said position information;

converting said position information acquired in said position information acquiring step into a format processible by said other information processing apparatuses; and

transmitting to said other information processing apparatuses said position information converted in said position information converting step into said format processible by said other information processing apparatuses.

6. A program storage medium which stores a computer-readable program for controlling an information processing apparatus transmitting position information to other information processing apparatuses over a network, said computer-readable program comprising the steps of:

controlling acquisition of said position information;

controlling conversion of said position information acquired in said position information acquisition controlling step into a format processible by other information processing apparatuses; and

controlling transmission to said other information processing apparatuses of said position information converted in said position information conversion controlling step into said format processible by said other information processing apparatuses.