Information communication system, facility apparatus, user apparatus, and methods for controlling facility apparatus and user apparatus

• US 20080252413A1
• Filed: 04/08/2008
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ikeda, Hirotane
• Granted Patent: US 8,228,169 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An information communication system is capable of allowing a service provider at a facility to appropriately attend a user visiting the facility in accordance with an intention of the user. The information communication system includes a user apparatus carried by the user and a facility apparatus installed at a facility the user may visit. The user apparatus enters the user intention concerning the facility service provider and transmits intention information indicating the entered user intention to the facility apparatus capable of short range wireless communication. The user apparatus transmits appearance information indicating the user'"'"'s captured face picture to the facility apparatus. When receiving the intention information from the user apparatus, the facility apparatus allows a display section to display the user intention indicated by the intention information along with the user'"'"'s captured face picture indicated by the appearance information received from the user apparatus.

Claims

1. An information communication system comprising a user apparatus carried by a user and a facility apparatus provided for a facility a user may visit,

wherein the user apparatus includes:

an intention input control unit for supplying an intention of a user carrying the user apparatus to a service provider at the facility;

an intention information transmission control unit for transmitting intention specification information capable of specifying an input user intention to a facility apparatus capable of communicating with the user apparatus under condition that the intention input control unit inputs a user intention; and

an appearance information transmission control unit for transmitting appearance specification information capable of specifying external characteristics of a user carrying the user apparatus to a facility apparatus capable of communicating with the user apparatus; and

wherein, the facility apparatus includes;

a notification control unit for notifying, when receiving the intention specification information from the user apparatus, a service provider at the facility of a user intention specified based on the intention specification information along with external characteristics of a user specified based on appearance specification information received from the user apparatus.

2. The information communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the notification control unit displays a user'"'"'s captured image as external characteristics of a user specified based on the appearance specification information.

3. The information communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the intention input control unit is allowed to input a user intention based on a user'"'"'s operation of selection from previously prepared intention candidates.

4. The information communication system according to claim 3,

wherein the intention candidate includes at least an intention to wish attendance by a service provider at the facility.

5. The information communication system according to claim 4,

wherein the intention input control unit is allowed to input a time, from when a start of attendance by a service provider is wished, as well as an intention to wish the attendance by the service provider at the facility.

6. The information communication system according to claim 3,

wherein the intention candidate includes at least an intention to refuse attendance by a service provider at the facility.

7. The information communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the intention input control unit is allowed to input any information as a user intention.

8. The information communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the user apparatus includes a user information transmission control unit that transmits user information capable of specifying at least one of an attribute and a preference of a user carrying the user apparatus to a facility apparatus capable of communicating with the user apparatus;

and

wherein the notification control unit notifies information about a user specified based on user information received from the user apparatus along with the user'"'"'s intention specified based on the intention specification information and the user'"'"'s external characteristics specified based on the appearance specification information.

9. The information communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the facility apparatus includes a position detection control unit for locating a user carrying the user apparatus at a facility installed with the facility apparatus under condition that the intention specification information is received from the user apparatus;

and

wherein the notification control unit notifies a user position detected by the position detection control unit along with the user'"'"'s intention specified based on the intention specification information and the user'"'"'s external characteristics specified based on the appearance specification information.

10. The information communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the facility apparatus includes

a service provider information storage device for storing information about a service provider at a facility installed with the facility apparatus, and

a service provider determination control unit for determining a service provider appropriate for a user carrying the user apparatus based on information received from the user apparatus and information stored in the service provider information storage device under condition that the intention specification information is received from the user apparatus;

and

wherein the notification control unit notifies a service provider determined by the service provider determination control unit along with a user'"'"'s intention specified based on the intention specification information and user'"'"'s external characteristics specified based on the appearance specification information.

11. The information communication system of claim 1,

wherein the user apparatus is a mobile telephone terminal.

12. A facility apparatus used for an information communication system, the system including:

a user apparatus that is carried by a user and includes

an intention input control unit for entering a user intention concerning a service provider at a facility,

an intention information transmission control unit, and

an appearance information transmission control unit,

wherein, when the intention input control unit inputs a user intention, the intention information transmission control unit transmits intention specification information capable of specifying an input user intention to a facility apparatus capable of communication and the appearance information transmission control unit transmits appearance specification information capable of specifying user'"'"'s external characteristics to a facility apparatus capable of communication; and

a facility apparatus that is provided for a facility a user may visit,

the facility apparatus comprising;

a notification control unit for notifying a service provider at the facility of a user intention specified based on the intention specification information along with external characteristics of a user specified based on appearance specification information received from the user apparatus under condition that the intention specification information is received from the user apparatus.

13. The facility apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the notification control unit displays a user'"'"'s captured image as external characteristics of a user specified based on the appearance specification information.

14. The facility apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the user apparatus includes a user information transmission control unit that transmits user information capable of specifying at least one of an attribute and a preference of a user carrying the user apparatus to a facility apparatus capable of communicating with the user apparatus;

and

wherein the notification control unit notifies information about a user specified based on user information received from the user apparatus along with the user'"'"'s intention specified based on the intention specification information and the user'"'"'s external characteristics specified based on the appearance specification information.

15. The facility apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the facility apparatus includes a position detection control unit for locating a user carrying the user apparatus at a facility installed with the facility apparatus under condition that the intention specification information is received from the user apparatus;

and

wherein the notification control unit notifies a user position detected by the position detection control unit along with the user'"'"'s intention specified based on the intention specification information and the user'"'"'s external characteristics specified based on the appearance specification information.

16. The facility apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the facility apparatus includes

a service provider information storage device for storing information about a service provider at a facility installed with the facility apparatus, and

a service provider determination control unit for determining a service provider appropriate for a user carrying the user apparatus based on information received from the user apparatus and information stored in the service provider information storage device under condition that the intention specification information is received from the user apparatus;

and

wherein the notification control unit notifies a service provider determined by the service provider determination control unit along with a user'"'"'s intention specified based on the intention specification information and user'"'"'s external characteristics specified based on the appearance specification information.

17. A user apparatus used for an information communication system, the system including:

the user apparatus carried by a user; and

a facility apparatus that is provided for a facility possibly visited by a user and includes a notification control unit for notifying a service provider at the facility of a user intention specified based on intention specification information along with the user'"'"'s external characteristics specified based on appearance specification information capable of specifying the user'"'"'s external characteristics received from the user apparatus under condition that the intention specification information capable of specifying a user intention concerning the service provider at the facility is received from the user apparatus,

the user apparatus comprising;

an intention input control unit for supplying an intention of a user carrying the user apparatus to a service provider at the facility;

an intention information transmission control unit for transmitting intention specification information capable of specifying an input user intention to a facility apparatus capable of communicating with the user apparatus under condition that the intention input control unit inputs a user intention; and

an appearance information transmission control unit for transmitting appearance specification information capable of specifying external characteristics of a user carrying the user apparatus to a facility apparatus capable of communicating with the user apparatus.

18. The user apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein the appearance information transmission control unit of the user apparatus transmits information capable of specifying an image capturing a user as appearance specification information capable of specifying external characteristics of the user carrying the user apparatus.

19. The user apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein the intention input control unit is allowed to input a user intention based on a user'"'"'s operation of selection from prepared intention candidates.

20. The user apparatus according to claim 19,

wherein the intention candidate includes at least an intention to wish attendance by a service provider at the facility.

21. The user apparatus according to claim 20,

wherein the intention input control unit is allowed to input a time, from when a start of attendance by a service provider is wished, as well as an intention to wish the attendance by the service provider at the facility.

22. The user apparatus according to claim 19,

wherein the intention candidate includes at least an intention to refuse attendance by a service provider at the facility.

23. The user apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein the intention input control unit is allowed to input any information as a user intention.

24. The user apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein the user apparatus includes a user information transmission control unit that transmits user information capable of specifying at least one of an attribute and a preference of a user carrying the user apparatus to a facility apparatus capable of communicating with the user apparatus;

and

wherein the notification control unit notifies information about a user specified based on user information received from the user apparatus along with the user'"'"'s intention specified based on the intention specification information and the user'"'"'s external characteristics specified based on the appearance specification information.

25. A method for controlling a facility apparatus used for an information communication system including:

a user apparatus that is carried by a user and includes an intention input control unit for entering a user intention concerning a service provider at a facility and an intention information transmission control unit, and an appearance information transmission control unit wherein, when the intention input control unit inputs a user intention, the intention information transmission control unit transmits intention specification information capable of specifying an input user intention to a facility apparatus capable of communication and the appearance information transmission control unit transmits appearance specification information capable of specifying user'"'"'s external characteristics to a facility apparatus capable of communication; and

the facility apparatus provided for a facility a user may visit,

the method comprising;

notifying a service provider at the facility of a user intention specified based on the intention specification information along with external characteristics of a user specified based on appearance specification information received from the user apparatus under condition that the intention specification information is received from the user apparatus.

27. A computer readable medium comprising instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions including the method for controlling the facility apparatus according to claim 25, the method being computer-implemented.

26. A method for controlling a user apparatus used for an information communication system including:

the user apparatus carried by a user; and

a facility apparatus that is provided for a facility possibly visited by a user and includes a notification control unit for notifying a service provider at the facility of a user intention specified based on intention specification information along with the user'"'"'s external characteristics specified based on appearance specification information capable of specifying the user'"'"'s external characteristics received from the user apparatus under condition that the intention specification information capable of specifying a user intention concerning the service provider at the facility is received from the user apparatus,

the method comprising;

supplying an intention of a user carrying the user apparatus to a service provider at the facility;

transmitting intention specification information capable of specifying an input user intention to a facility apparatus capable of communicating with the user apparatus under condition that a user intention is input; and

transmitting appearance specification information capable of specifying external characteristics of a user carrying the user apparatus to a facility apparatus capable of communicating with the user apparatus.

28. A computer readable medium comprising instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions including the method for controlling the user apparatus according to claim 26, the method being computer-implemented.