MOBILE INFORMATION DEVICE, IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE, AND INFORMATION ACQUISITION SYSTEM

• US 20100257195A1
• Filed: 02/16/2010
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: IWAOKA, Toru, HATORI, Masayuki, NOBORISAKA, Michiko, HAMADA, Tomohide, INOUE, Hideya
• Granted Patent: US 10,430,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3623 using a camera or code reader, e.g. for optical or magnetic codes
• 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: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096894 where input is assisted by the navigation device, i.e. the user does not type the complete name of the destination, e.g. using zip codes, telephone numbers, progressively selecting from initial letters
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

An information acquisition system includes: a mobile terminal; and an information search system. The information search system searches for information on a route based on route information input from the mobile terminal and transmits a search result to the mobile terminal, and the mobile terminal includes a navigation unit that navigates the route from a departure point to a destination. The information search system includes: a database in which information on the route is stored in correspondence with the route information; and an information search server that searches for the information on the route from the database based on the route information and acquires reservation information for transportation on the route based on the information on the route from a reservation system of the transportation, and the information search server transmits the reservation information to the mobile terminal together with the information on the route.

Claims

1. An information acquisition system comprising:

a mobile terminal; and

an information search system,

wherein the information search system searches for information on a route based on route information input from the mobile terminal and transmits a search result to the mobile terminal,

wherein the mobile terminal includes a navigation unit that navigates the route from a departure point to a destination,

wherein the information search system includes;

a database in which the information on the route is stored in correspondence with the route information; and

an information search server that searches for the information on the route from the database based on the route information and acquires reservation information of transportation on the route based on the information on the route from a reservation system of the transportation, and

wherein the information search server transmits the reservation information to the mobile terminal together with the information on the route.

2. The information acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein the route information includes at least the destination and an arrival date and time for the destination.

3. The information acquisition system according to claim 1,

wherein the mobile terminal includes:

an image pickup unit that picks up an image of a subject;

a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of a pickup position; and

an azimuth information acquisition unit that acquires azimuth information representing a direction of image pickup at the image pickup position,

wherein information on the subject is stored in correspondence with the position information and the azimuth information in the database, and

wherein the information search server searches for the information on the subject corresponding to the position information and the azimuth information, in which image data is picked up, from the database based on the position information and the azimuth information of the image data picked up by the mobile terminal.

4. The information acquisition system according to claim 3, wherein the information search server sets the image data picked up by the mobile terminal as input data of the departure point or the destination.

5. The information acquisition system according to claim 3, wherein the information search server searches for the image data of the information on the subject, which was input in the past, from the database as past image data and sets the found past image data as input data of the departure point or the destination.

6. The information acquisition system according to claim 1,

wherein the database has a memory area in which map data is stored, and

wherein the information search server sets a center portion of the image data of an input map as the destination and searches for the image data that is the same as or similar to the image data of the input map from the map data.

7. The information acquisition system according to claim 1,

wherein the information search server transmits accommodation facility information on accommodation facilities located near the destination to the mobile terminal,

wherein the mobile terminal displays the input accommodation facility information and transmits accommodation facility identification information of the accommodation facility that is selected from the accommodation facility information to the information search server, and

wherein the information search server makes a reservation for an accommodation facility corresponding to the input accommodation facility identification information.

8. The information acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein the information search server performs a reservation process for a reservation system of a store as the subject or the accommodation facility as a subject.

9. The information acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein the information search server performs a purchase process for a purchase system of a store as a subject.

10. The information acquisition system according to claim 1,

wherein the database has a schedule table in which schedule information for each identification information of the mobile terminal is stored, and

wherein the mobile terminal includes a schedule managing unit that manages the schedule information.

11. The information acquisition system according to claim 10, wherein the schedule managing unit gives notification of alarm time based on the alarm time of the schedule information included in the schedule table.

12. The information acquisition system according to claim 10, wherein the schedule managing unit gives notification of predetermined time based on departure date and time from the departure point or arrival date and time for the destination that is included in the information on the route.

13. The information acquisition system according to claim 10, wherein the schedule managing unit has a side trip searching function.

14. An information acquisition system comprising:

an image pickup device; and

an information search system,

wherein the information search system searches for information on a subject based on the subject of which an image is picked up by the image pickup device and transmits a search result to the image pickup device,

wherein the image pickup device includes;

an image pickup unit that picks up an image of the subject;

a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of an image pickup position;

an angle information acquisition unit that acquires angle information that is information on an elevation angle for the subject from the image pickup position; and

an azimuth information acquisition unit that acquires azimuth information representing an image pickup direction at the image pickup position, and

wherein the information search system includes;

a database in which the information on the subject is stored in correspondence with the position information and the azimuth information; and

an information search server that searches for the information on the subject corresponding to the angle information, the position information, and the azimuth information, in which an image of image data is picked up, from the database based on the angle information, the position information, and the azimuth information of the image data of the subject of which the image is picked up by the image pickup device.

15. The information acquisition system according to claim 14,

wherein the image pickup device includes a distance measuring unit that measures distance information between the subject and the image pickup position,

wherein the image pickup device adds the distance information to the image data of the subject and transmits the image data to the information search system, and

wherein the information search server searches for the information on the subject from the database in a search range that is calculated based on the distance information, the position information, and the azimuth information that are input.

16. The information acquisition system according to claim 14, wherein the subject located in a center portion of the image data is prioritized to be a search target in a case where a plurality of the subjects exist in the image data.

17. The information acquisition system according to claim 14, wherein the subject selected by a user is prioritized to be the search target in a case where a plurality of the subjects exist in the image data.

19. The information acquisition system according to claim 14,

wherein the image pickup device adds zoom information to the image data and transmits the image data to the information search system, and

wherein the information search server uses a range set in correspondence with the zoom information in advance as a search range and searches for the image data corresponding to the image data of the subject in the search range from the database.

20. The information acquisition system according to claim 14, wherein, in a case where the image data is a store, the information search server searches for another store of a type similar to that of the store, which is located within a distance range that is set in advance from the store as its center, from the database and transmits the another store of the similar type to the image pickup device.

18. An information acquisition system comprising:

an image pickup device; and

an information search system,

wherein the information search system searches for information on a subject based on the subject of which an image is picked up by the image pickup device and transmits a search result to the image pickup device,

wherein the image pickup device includes;

an image pickup unit that picks up the image of the subject;

a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of an image pickup position;

a distance measuring unit that measures distance information between the subject and the image pickup position; and

an azimuth information acquisition unit that acquires azimuth information representing an image pickup direction at the image pickup position, and

wherein the information search system includes;

a database in which the information on the subject is stored in correspondence with the position information and the azimuth information; and

an information search server that searches for the information on the subject corresponding to the position information and the azimuth information in which image data is picked up from the database based on the distance information, the position information, and the azimuth information of the image data of the subject of which the image is picked up by the image pickup device.

21. An information acquisition system comprising:

an image pickup device; and

an information search system,

wherein the information search system searches for information on a subject based on the subject of which an image is picked up by the image pickup device and transmits a search result to the image pickup device,

wherein the image pickup device includes;

an image pickup unit that picks up an image of a subject;

a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of an image pickup position; and

an azimuth information acquisition unit that acquires azimuth information representing an image pickup direction at the image pickup position, and

wherein the information search system includes;

a database in which information on the subject and similar information similar to the information on the subject are stored in correspondence with the position information and the azimuth information; and

an information search server that searches for the information on the subject corresponding to the position information and the azimuth information, in which image data is picked up, and the similar information from the database based on the position information and the azimuth information of the image data picked up by the image pickup device.

22. The information acquisition system according to claim 21, wherein the information search server searches for the similar information within a predetermined range as the position information used as its center from the database.

23. The information acquisition system according to claim 21, wherein the information search server, in a case where user'"'"'s identification information received from the image pickup device is registered in advance, searches for the similar information corresponding to user'"'"'s preference information from the database.

24. The information acquisition system according to claim 21, wherein the image pickup device includes a navigation unit that navigates a route from a position on the basis of the position information to a position on the basis of the similar information.

25. The information acquisition system according to claim 21, wherein the information search server searches for information on a distance from a position on the basis of the position information to a position on the basis of the similar information from the database.

26. An image pickup device comprising:

an image sensor;

a position measuring device;

an azimuth sensor; and

an elevation angle sensor.

27. A mobile information device comprising:

an image sensor;

a position measuring device;

an azimuth sensor;

an elevation angle sensor; and

a display that displays an image of a target object through the image sensor and related information of the target object that is acquired based on measurement data of at least the position measuring device and the azimuth sensor.

28. An information acquisition system comprising:

a server;

a database; and

a mobile information device including an image sensor, a position measuring device, an azimuth sensor, an elevation angle sensor, a display, and a radio communication unit, wherein the display displays an image of a target object via the image sensor and related information of the target object, and wherein the related information of the target object that is acquired based on the measurement data of at least the position measuring device and the azimuth sensor is acquired from the database through the radio communication unit and the server.