Electronic guide system, contents server for electronic guide system, portable electronic guide device, and information processing method for electronic guide system

• US 20040070602A1
• Filed: 08/01/2003
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagasawa, Hiroshi, Masano, Toru, Itako, Motoya, Kobuya, Naoshi, Noda, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 8,010,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/738
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3878 Hierarchical structures, e.g. layering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/008 Touring maps or guides to public transport networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

Tour guide contents stored in a tour guide apparatus carried by a user at a tour destination are provided with points of interest information and map data. This information includes latitude and longitude information for the site of each point of interest, and information on the providers of the information and the categories of information. The latitude and longitude information is provided for each site in relation to map data. By matching these pieces of latitude and longitude information to the map data, points of interest information can be laid out on the map and displayed. This makes it possible to select interesting site information to be displayed on the map based on the information provider, for example, points of interest information provided by provider A for restaurants and another set of information provided by provider B for hotels.

Claims

1. A guide system for generating guide contents from site information, contents information and information on information sources attached to the site information, the guide system comprising:

a terminal;

a contents server connectable to said terminal by a network; and

a portable device carried by a user;

said terminal comprising;

information setting means for setting a combination of the information on information sources and the contents information, and

information transmitting means for transmitting information specifying the set combination to said contents server;

said contents server comprising;

information receiving means for receiving the information transmitted by said information transmitting means,

site information focusing means for narrowing down the site information using the received information,

guide contents generating means for generating guide contents using the narrowed down site information, and

guide contents output means for outputting the generated guide contents; and

said portable device comprising;

guide contents acquisition means for acquiring the output guide contents, and

contents utilizing means for using the acquired guide contents.

2. A contents server which generates guide contents from site information, information on information sources and contents information, said server comprising:

information acquisition means for acquiring information specifying a combination of the information on information sources and the contents information;

site information focusing means for narrowing down the site information using the acquired information;

guide contents generating means for generating guide contents using the narrowed down site information; and

guide contents output means for outputting the generated guide contents.

3. The contents server according to claim 2, wherein:

the site information includes site positional information, and

said guide contents generating means generates the guide contents using map data, the map data including positional information on a map for each site, said guide contents generating means laying out and displaying the site information on the map by matching the site positional information to the positional information on the map.

4. The contents server according to claim 2, further comprising:

user information acquisition means for acquiring user information created by a user, wherein said guide contents generating means generates the guide contents by relating the acquired user information with the site information.

5. A portable device which utilizes information on information sources, contents information, and site information including positional information specifying a position of a site, said portable device comprising:

information acquisition means for acquiring information specifying a combination of the information on information sources and the contents information;

focusing means for narrowing down the site information using the acquired information;

matching means for matching the positional information included with the site information to positional information on a map for each site to produce a map/site match for each site; and

display means for displaying the site information on the map using the narrowed down site information and the map/site match for each site.

6. The portable device according to claim 5, wherein:

said display means displays the site information on the map using an icon corresponding to the site information.

7. The portable device according to claim 6, wherein said display means displays the site information corresponding to the icon.

8. An information processing method for generating guide contents from site information, information on information sources and contents information, said information processing method comprising:

acquiring information specifying a combination of the information on information sources and the contents information;

narrowing down the site information using the acquired information;

generating guide contents using the narrowed down site information; and

outputting the generated guide contents.

9. The information processing method according to claim 8, wherein:

the site information includes site positional information, and

the guide contents generating step generates the guide contents using map data, the map data including positional information on a map for each site, the guide contents generating step including laying out and displaying the site information on the map by matching the site positional information to the positional information on the map.

10. The information processing method according to claim 8, further comprising:

acquiring user information created by a user, wherein the guide contents generation step generates the guide contents by relating the acquired user information to the site information.

11. An information processing method for using contents information, information on information sources, and site information including positional information specifying a position of a site, said information processing method comprising:

acquiring information specifying a combination of the information on information sources and the contents information;

narrowing down the site information using the acquired information;

matching the positional information included with the site information to positional information on a map for each site to produce a map/site match for each site; and

displaying the site information on the map using the narrowed down site information and the map/site match for each site.

12. The information processing method according to claim 11, wherein the displaying step displays the site information on the map using an icon corresponding to the site information.

13. The information processing method according to claim 12, wherein the displaying step displays the site information corresponding to the icon.

14. An information processing system for generating guide contents from site information, information on information sources and contents information, the system comprising:

a processor operable to execute instructions; and

instructions, the instructions including;

acquiring information specifying a combination of the information on information sources and the contents information;

narrowing down the site information using the acquired information;

generating guide contents using the narrowed down site information; and

outputting the generated guide contents.

15. The information processing system according to claim 14, wherein:

the site information includes site positional information, and

the guide contents generating step generates the guide contents using map data, the map data including positional information on a map for each site, the guide contents generating step including laying out and displaying the site information on the map by matching the site positional information to the positional information on the map.

16. The information processing system according to claim 14, wherein the instructions further include:

acquiring user information created by a user, and

the guide contents generating step generates the guide contents by relating the acquired user information to the site information.

17. An information processing system for generating guide contents from contents information, information on information sources, and site information including positional information specifying a position of a site, the system comprising:

a processor operable to execute instructions; and

instructions, the instructions including;

acquiring information specifying a combination of the information on information sources and the contents information;

narrowing down the site information using the acquired information;

matching the positional information included with the site information to positional information on a map for each site to produce a map/site match for each site; and

displaying the site information on the map using the narrowed down site information and the map/site match for each site.

18. The information processing system according to claim 17, wherein the displaying step displays the site information on the map using an icon corresponding to the site information.

19. The information processing system according to claim 18, wherein the displaying step displays the site information corresponding to the icon.

20. A computer-readable memory medium recorded with an information processing program for generating guide contents from site information, information on information sources and contents information, the program comprising:

acquiring information specifying a combination of the information on information sources and the contents information;

narrowing down the site information using the acquired information;

generating guide contents using the narrowed down site information; and

outputting the generated guide contents.

21. The computer-readable memory medium according to claim 20, wherein:

the site information includes site positional information, and

the guide contents generating step generates the guide contents using map data, the map data including positional information on a map for each site, the guide contents generating step including laying out and displaying the site information on the map by matching the site positional information to the positional information on the map.

22. The computer-readable memory medium according to claim 20, wherein the information processing program further includes:

acquiring user information created by a user, and

the contents generating step generates the guide contents by relating the acquired user information to the site information.

23. A computer-readable memory medium recorded with an information processing program for generating guide contents from contents information, information on information sources, and site information including positional information specifying a position of a site, the program comprising:

acquiring information specifying a combination of the information on information sources and the contents information;

narrowing down the site information using the acquired information;

matching the positional information included with the site information to positional information on a map for each site to produce a map/site match for each site; and

displaying the site information on the map using the narrowed down site information and the map/site match for each site.

24. The computer-readable memory medium according to claim 23, wherein the displaying step displays the site information on the map using an icon corresponding to the site information.

25. The computer-readable memory medium according to claim 24, wherein the displaying step displays the site information corresponding to the icon.