TRAVEL INFORMATION SERVICE SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING TRAVEL INFORMATION OF THE SAME SYSTEM

• US 20100063721A1
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thinkware Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Thinkware Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Won, Joonghie
• Granted Patent: US 8,510,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• 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: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies

Abstract

A travel information service system and a method of providing a travel information service which can perform guidance of travel information appropriate for a travel purpose and a travel type are provided. The method of providing the travel information service includes: a first operation of providing a travel course for each area and point of interest (POI) information for each course using a user interface; a second operation of creating a travel route based on user selection of the travel course for each area and the POI information for each course; and a third operation of performing map guidance based on the created travel route.

Claims

1. A travel information service system, the system comprising:

a travel information database including a plurality of travel courses for each area and a plurality of point of interest (POI) information related to each travel course;

a user interface to provide a user with a menu screen for creating a travel route using information stored in the travel information database;

a route search unit, when the user selects at least one POI information to be designated a specific travel course from the menu screen, to set a course with the selected POI information and create the travel route;

a travel route storage unit to store the travel route; and

a route guidance unit to perform map guidance based on the travel route.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the travel information database collects or updates the travel information from a web server managing various information provided for the user terminal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the travel information database further includes detailed information about individual POI information and related multimedia data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein, while driving, the route guidance unit provides travel information of an area corresponding to a driving area from the information stored in the travel information database.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the route search unit determines a route movement order between POIs and sets the course with the selected POI information according to the route movement order, and the route movement order is determined based on an order by which the user selects the POI information, or a short distance order between the POI information selected by the user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the menu screen includes at least one form of a search type menu and a selection type menu for user selection of travel information.

7. A method of providing a travel information service, the method comprising:

a first operation of providing a travel course for each area and POI information for each course using a user interface;

a second operation of creating a travel route based on user selection of the travel course for each area and the POI information for each course; and

a third operation of performing map guidance based on the created travel route.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

a fourth operation of providing a travel course corresponding to a driving area while driving and the POI information of the corresponding travel course, and performing the map guidance based on the travel course of the driving area according to a user request.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the user interface provides a selection type menu screen including an area list, a travel course list for each area, and a POI information list for each travel course.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the selection type menu screen of the area list composes the area list by a national map form or a text icon form, and the selection type menu screen of the POI information list composes the POI information list to classify the POI information by a travel theme or an information type.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the second operation comprises:

selecting a specific area from the area list provided by the menu screen;

selecting a specific travel course from the travel course list corresponding to the selected area;

selecting at least one piece of POI information from the POI information list corresponding to the selected travel course; and

setting a course with the selected POI information and generating a travel route.

wherein the setting sets the course based on a selection order of a user, or sets the course based on a distance order between POIs.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the second operation further comprises:

providing an editing screen for inputting a trip name when a user instruction ‘

trip generation’

is inputted after the at least one piece of POI information is selected from the selected travel course; and

appointing the trip name inputted by a user using the editing screen, as a file name of the generated travel route.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein a menu screen providing the travel course list includes detailed information for each travel course, the detailed information including introduction of each travel course, photograph information, a travel map, and a recommended attraction.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the photograph information of the travel course displays at least two images on a screen or embodies the at least two images as a slide show type according to a user request.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the travel map of the travel course displays individual POI information or recommendation POI information included in the corresponding travel course according to a user request, and displays a driving route between POI information.

22. The method of claim 7, wherein the third operation comprises:

displaying a list of the created travel route using the user interface according to a user request; and

performing the map guidance of the POI information included in the selected travel route when a travel route selection instruction and a map guidance start instruction are received from a user from among the travel route list.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the third operation further comprises:

displaying a POI information list included in the selected travel route when a user selects one travel route from the travel route list,

wherein a menu screen displaying the travel route list includes a menu in which deletion/editing of the travel route is possible and the POI information list includes a menu in which deletion of individual POI information and editing of the travel route are possible.

26. The method of claim 8, wherein the fourth operation comprises:

searching for a travel course of a currently-driving area while driving when an execution instruction of ‘

an area travel mode’

is received from a user using the user interface;

displaying a menu screen including individual POI information of the travel course corresponding to the driving area; and

performing the map guidance based on the individual POI information selected by the user using the menu screen.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the menu screen displays a directory classified by a travel theme or a travel type with respect to the individual POI information, and when a specific directory is selected, the menu screen orders and displays a POI information list of the corresponding directory.

28. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for implementing the method according to claim 7.

11. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

18-21. -21. (canceled)