Server, user terminal, information providing service system, and information providing service method

• US 20020046212A1
• Filed: 03/15/2001
• Published: 04/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Mori, Shinichiro, Mizuma, Keiji, Meifu, Yoshinobu
• Granted Patent: US 7,290,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/921 Spatial
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The present invention relates to a positional information service. A service center comprises a database for retaining bubble data in which spatial range information in a three-dimensional space is associated with retrieval information for obtaining service information to be provided, an extracting section for extracting, on the basis of positional information transmitted from the user terminal, specified retrieval information corresponding to specified spatial range information including the positional information, of the spatial range related in the database, and a providing section for providing, to the terminal, specified service information corresponding to the specified retrieval information extracted in the extracting section. This enables acquisition of information on a building in a predetermined range from the user terminal position or service information on a store existing in a specified building in a visual range, and further allows precise seizing of the user'"'"'s moving direction.

Claims

1. A server for use in a system which provides information to a user terminal, said server comprising:

a database for retaining bubble data in which spatial range information in a three-dimensional space is associated with retrieval information for obtaining service information to be provided;

an extracting section for extracting, on the basis of positional information transmitted from said user terminal, specified retrieval information corresponding to specified spatial range information including said positional information, of said spatial range information retained in said database; and

a providing section for providing, to said user terminal, specified service information corresponding to said specified retrieval information extracted in said extracting section.

6. A server according to claim 1, wherein said database sets an address based on said spatial range information as an electronic mail address, and retains said spatial range information in corresponding relation to said electronic mail address.

7. A server according to claim 1, wherein said database retains, as said bubble data, service information on a public transportation terminal and information on transportation time.

8. A server according to claim 7, wherein said database updates said information on transportation time according to the present time.

9. A server according to claim 1, wherein said database is designed to sequentially update said bubble diameter of said bubble data on the basis of said positional information transmitted from a moving object.

2. A server for use in a system which provides information to a user terminal, said server comprising:

a database for retaining bubble data in which spatial range information including a latitude of an object, a longitude thereof, an altitude thereof and a bubble diameter thereof in a three-dimensional space is associated with an address for acquiring assorted information related to said object or service information related to said assorted information;

an extracting section for extracting, on the basis of positional information including a latitude of said user terminal, a longitude thereof, an altitude thereof, a direction thereof and an inclination angle thereof transmitted from said user terminal, a specified address corresponding to specified spatial range information including said positional information, of said spatial range information retained in said database; and

a providing section for providing, to said user terminal, specified service information corresponding to said specified address extracted in said extracting section.

3. A server for use in a system which provides information to a user terminal, said server comprising:

a database for retaining bubble data in which spatial range information including a latitude of a building, a longitude thereof, an altitude thereof and a bubble diameter thereof in a three-dimensional space is associated with a uniform resource locator for acquiring facility information related to said building or service information related to said facility information;

an extracting section for extracting, on the basis of positional information including a latitude of said user terminal, a longitude thereof, an altitude thereof, a direction thereof and an inclination angle thereof transmitted from said user terminal, a specified uniform resource locator corresponding to specified bubble data including said positional information, of said bubble data retained in said database; and

a providing section for providing, to said user terminal, specified service information corresponding to said specified uniform resource locator extracted in said extracting section.

4. A server according to claim 3, further comprising a web information outputting section for holding user information and an address generating section for generating an address retaining said user information held in said web information output section.

5. A server for use in a system which provides information to a user terminal, said server comprising:

a database for retaining bubble data in which spatial range information including a latitude of a target, a longitude thereof, an altitude thereof and a bubble diameter thereof in a three-dimensional space is associated with an message information retaining address established in a range of said bubble diameter;

an extracting section for extracting message information retained in said database on the basis of positional information including a latitude of said user terminal, a longitude thereof, an altitude thereof, a direction thereof and an inclination angle thereof transmitted from said user terminal; and

a providing section for providing, to said user terminal, said message information extracted in said extracting section.

10. A user terminal for use in a system which provides information to said user terminal, said user terminal comprising:

a detecting section for detecting positional information on an object;

a transmitting section for transmitting said positional information, detected in said detecting section, to a server;

a receiving section for receiving, in connection with said positional information transmitted from said transmitting section, specified service information corresponding to specified spatial range information including said positional information, of spatial range information in a three-dimensional space transmitted from said server; and

a displaying section for displaying said specified service information received in said receiving section.

13. A user terminal according to claim 10, wherein said detecting section is composed of a direction sensor for measuring a direction and a satellite information receiving section for receiving satellite information through the use of a global positioning system.

14. A user terminal according to claim 10, wherein said detecting section includes an inclination sensor for measuring an inclination angle of said user terminal with respect to the horizontal line.

15. A user terminal according to claim 10, further comprising a hand-in-use discriminating section for detecting the number of fingers on a housing of said user terminal to make a decision on a hand of a user being used.

16. A user terminal according to claim 10, further comprising a voice guide section for conducting a guide to a place for said specified service information, received in said receiving section, through the use of a speech file.

11. A user terminal for use in a system which provides information to said user terminal, said user terminal comprising:

a detecting section for detecting positional information including a latitude of an object, a longitude thereof, an altitude thereof, a direction thereof and an inclination angle thereof;

a transmitting section for transmitting said positional information, detected in said detecting section, to a server;

a receiving section for receiving, in connection with said positional information transmitted from said transmitting section, specified service information corresponding to specified spatial range information including said positional information, of spatial range information comprising a latitude of an object, a longitude thereof, an altitude thereof and a bubble diameter thereof in a three-dimensional space transmitted from said server; and

a displaying section for displaying said specified service information received in said receiving section.

18. An information providing service system according to claim 17, wherein said transmitting section transmits, to said server, a user'"'"'s viewing direction detected on the basis of an inclination angle of said user terminal with respect to the horizontal line, while said server retrieves a desired subject on the basis of said viewing direction.

20. An information providing service method according to claim 19, wherein said retrieving step includes:

an extracting step of extracting a second information bubble from a plurality of information bubbles representative of images of spatial occupancy information of bubble data according to a first condition on the basis of said positional information and said spatial range information of said bubble data;

an address extracting step of selecting a third information bubble from said second information bubble, extracted in said extracting step, according to a second condition for extracting a uniform resource locator corresponding to said third information bubble; and

a selecting step of selecting and outputting said specified service information corresponding to said uniform resource locator extracted in said address extracting step.

21. An information providing service method according to claim 20, wherein, in said retrieving step, an intersection information bubble intersecting a retrieval vector representative of a direction of said user terminal toward a subject to be retrieved is extracted as said second information bubble from said plurality of information bubbles.

22. An information providing service method according to claim 21, wherein said extracting step is made to extract a bubble, positioned in a direction of the retrieval vector, as said second information bubble from said plurality of information bubbles, and said selecting step is made to output all said second information bubbles.

23. An information providing service method according to claim 22, wherein said selecting step is made to output, of said second information bubble, a bubble existing in a predetermined range.

24. An information providing service method according to claim 21, wherein said extracting step is made to extract, as said second information bubble, the first visible object of objects in a direction said user terminal takes, through the use of map data.

25. An information providing service method according to claim 21, wherein said extracting step is made to extract said second information bubble taking configuration and location of a subject to be retrieved into consideration.

26. An information providing service method according to claim 19, further comprising, after said retrieval result notifying step, a selected information transmitting step in which said user terminal transmits, of said plurality of specified service information notified in said retrieval result notifying step, service information selected by a user to said server and a displaying step in which said user terminal displays said service information selected in said selected information transmitting step.

28. An information providing service method according to claim 27, wherein said measuring step is made such that said user terminal is aligned with an information presenting tower forming said subject to be retrieved, and said information transmitting step is made to transmit a desired message inputted by a user.

29. An information providing service method according to claim 19, wherein said retrieval result notifying step is made to give, to a user, information including characters, images or voice on a subject to be retrieved.

12. A user terminal for use in a system which provides information to said user terminal, said user terminal comprising:

a detecting section for detecting positional information including a latitude of said user terminal, a longitude thereof, an altitude thereof, a direction thereof and an inclination angle thereof;

a transmitting section for transmitting said positional information detected in said detecting section to a server;

a receiving section for receiving, in connection with said positional information transmitted from said transmitting section, specified service information corresponding to specified spatial range information including said positional information, of spatial range information comprising a latitude of an object, a longitude thereof, an altitude thereof and a bubble diameter thereof in a three-dimensional space transmitted from said server; and

a displaying section for displaying said specified service information received in said receiving section.

17. An information providing service system which provides information to a user terminal, said system comprising:

a server for retaining bubble data in which spatial range information including a latitude of an object, a longitude thereof, an altitude thereof and a bubble diameter thereof in a three-dimensional space is associated with an address holding assorted information related to said object or service information related to said assorted information; and

a user terminal connected through a network to said server for displaying said assorted information retrieved through the use of said bubble data,

said server including;

a database for retaining bubble data in which said spatial range information is associated with retrieval information for retrieving service information to be provided;

an extracting section for extracting, on the basis of positional information transmitted form said user terminal, specified retrieval information corresponding to specified spatial range information containing said positional information, of the spatial range information retained in the database; and

a providing section for providing, to said user terminal, specified service information corresponding to said specified retrieval information extracted in said extracting section,

said user terminal including;

a detecting section for detecting said positional information;

a transmitting section for transmitting said positional information detected in said detecting section to said server;

a receiving section for receiving said specified service information retained in said server in connection with said positional information transmitted from said transmitting section; and

a displaying section for displaying said service information received in said receiving section.

19. An information providing service method for use in a system which provides information to a user terminal, said method comprising:

a measuring step in which said user terminal measures positional information including its own latitude, longitude, altitude, direction and inclination angle;

a measured information transmitting step in which said user terminal transmits, to a server, said positional information measured in said measuring step and a retrieval condition;

a retrieving step in which said server retrieves, on the basis of said positional information transmitted in said measured information transmitting step, a plurality of specified service information from a plurality of bubble data in which spatial range information including a latitude of an object, a longitude thereof, an altitude thereof and a bubble diameter thereof in a three-dimensional space is associated with assorted information related to said object or an address for obtaining service information related to said assorted information; and

a retrieval result notifying step in which said server notifies said user terminal of said plurality of specified service information retrieved in said retrieving step.

27. An information providing service method for use in a system which provides information to a user terminal, said method comprising:

a measuring step in which said user terminal measures positional information including its own latitude, longitude, altitude, direction and inclination angle;

a measured information transmitting step in which said user terminal transmits said positional information, measured in said measuring step, to a server; and

a registering step in which said server writes, in a database, said positional information transmitted in said information transmitting step and information on a subject to be retrieved.

30. An information providing service method for use in a system which provides information to a user terminal, said method comprising:

a map information acquiring step in which a communication terminal acquires map information;

a service providing place selecting step in which said communication terminal selects a desired service providing place from said map information acquired in said map information acquiring step; and

a generating step in which a server connected through a network to said communication terminal generates bubble data in association with said place selected in said service providing place selecting step.

31. A server for a system which provides information to a user terminal, said server comprising:

a database for retaining bubble data in which region range information in a two-dimensional space is associated with retrieval information for obtaining service information to be provided;

an extracting section for extracting, on the basis of positional information transmitted from said portable terminal, specified retrieval information corresponding to specified region range information including said positional information, of said region range information retained in said database; and

a providing section for providing, to said portable terminal, specified service information corresponding to said specified retrieval information extracted in said extracting section.