Guide information providing apparatus and program

• US 20050051623A1
• Filed: 09/08/2004
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Okuda, Shizue, Ihara, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 7,044,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/384
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A guide information providing apparatus, and a program, in which a marker indicating the POI position is displayed on a map image, and in which, even in case the POI is located in a complex of establishments e.g. a department store, the detailed position of the POI in such complex of establishments may be demonstrated. In a guide program 10, there are registered map images, images in the complex of establishments, as guide view images for the respective floors of the complex of establishments, and the information pertinent to the sites or establishments, and stores (POIs). In the POI information, the names and the latitude/longitude of the POIs are stated. In the POPI information pertinent to the POIs present in the complex of establishments, the complex of establishments, where there exists the establishment of interest, the floor where there exists the establishment of interest, and the coordinates on the image in the complex of establishments, where there exists the establishment of interest, are stated. The guide program 10 displays a marker for a point specified by the latitude/longitude stated in the POI information, when a map image is displayed, while displaying a marker for a point specified by the floor and the coordinate stated in the POI information, when an image in the complex of establishments is displayed.

Claims

1. A guide information providing apparatus comprising

data holding means for storage or acquisition from outside over a network of a map image in which a coordinate position on an image is correlated with the latitude and the longitude, an image in a complex of establishments, as a guide view image for each floor of said complex of establishments, and the POI information, stating the information pertinent to a sites and an establishment;

display means for demonstrating said map image, the image in the complex of establishments and the POI information; and

control means for controlling the contents demonstrated on said display means;

said POI information stating the name and the latitude/ longitude of the site and the establishment;

the POI information, pertinent to the establishment present in the complex of establishments, further stating the complex of establishments where the establishment exists, the floor where the establishment exists, and the coordinate on the image in the complex of establishments where the establishment exists;

said control means displaying said map image and an image in said complex of establishments responsive to input control from a user;

said control means displaying a marker for a point on the map image specified by the latitude/longitude stated in the POI information selected, when said map image is displayed;

said control means displaying a marker for a point on the image in the complex of establishments specified by the floor and the coordinates stated in the POI information selected, when said image in the complex of establishments is displayed.

2. The guide information providing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the image in said complex of establishments is an enlarged view of a preset scale ratio or an overall view of a scale ratio smaller than that of said enlarged view;

said control means when displaying said overall view displaying a cursor indicating a display range for said enlarged view and causing movement of a display position of said cursor responsive to input control by a user;

said control means displaying a position of said cursor on said overall view when a user has performed display switching control to said enlarged view.

3. The guide information providing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the POI information pertinent to an establishment present across plural floors of said complex of establishments states the plural floors across which said establishment exists.

4. A computer program for displaying for a user a map image in which a coordinate position on an image is correlated with the latitude and the longitude, an image in a complex of establishments, as a guide view image for each floor of said complex of establishments, and the POI information, stating the information pertinent to a site and an establishment;

said computer program being stored in an information storage medium or supplied from outside over a network;

said POI information stating the name and the latitude/longitude of the site and the establishment;

the POI information, pertinent to the establishment present in the complex of establishments, further stating the complex of establishments where the establishment exists, the floor where the establishment exists, and the coordinate on the image in the complex of establishments where the establishment exists;

said map image and the image in said complex of establishments being displayed responsive to input control from a user;

a marker being displayed for a point on the map image specified by the latitude/longitude stated in the POI information selected, when said map image is displayed;

a marker being displayed for a point on the image in the complex of establishments specified by the floor and the coordinates stated in the POI information selected, when said image in the complex of establishments is displayed.

5. The program according to claim 4 wherein

the image in said complex of establishments is an enlarged view of a preset scale ratio or an overall view of a scale ratio smaller than that of said enlarged view;

a cursor indicating a display range for said enlarged view is displayed, and a display position of said cursor is moved responsive to input control by a user, when said overall view is being displayed; and

wherein

a position of said cursor on said overall view is displayed when a user has performed display switching control to said enlarged view.

6. The apparatus program according to claim 4 wherein

the POI information pertinent to an establishment present across plural floors of said complex of establishments states the plural floors across which said establishment exists.