POINT SEARCH DEVICES, METHODS, AND PROGRAMS

• US 20100312790A1
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: HANAUE, Yusaku
• Application Number:
  US12/794,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20100312790A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

Point search devices, methods, and programs receive a plurality of input search terms, acquire attributes of the input search terms, and determine whether the input search terms include a first search term with a name as its acquired attribute and a second search term with a category as its acquired attribute. If the input search terms include the first search term and the second search term, the search devices, methods, and programs determine whether a point can be specified by the first search term. If the point can be specified by the first search term, the search devices, methods, and programs perform a vicinity search by searching for point information that falls under the category of the second search term in the vicinity of the point specified by the first search term, and display the point information found by the vicinity search on a display.

Claims

1. A position search device, comprising:

an input unit that receives a plurality of input search terms; and

a controller that;

acquires attributes of the input search terms;

determines whether the input search tennis include a first search term with a name as its acquired attribute and a second search term with a category as its acquired attribute;

if the input search terms include the first search term and the second search term, determines whether a point can be specified by the first search term;

if the point can be specified by the first search term, performs a vicinity search by searching for point information that falls under the category of the second search term in the vicinity of the point specified by the first search term; and

displays the point information found by the vicinity search on a display.

2. The point search device according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

performs a regular search by searching for point information of the first search term and point information of the second term through logical multiplication; and

displays the point information found by the regular search in priority to the point information found by the vicinity search.

3. The point search device according to claim 2, wherein:

if there is a facility having a name that matches the first search term, the controller determines that the point can be specified by the first search term.

4. The point search device according to claim 1, wherein

if there is a facility having a name that matches the first search term, the controller determines that the point can be specified by the first search term.

5. A point search device, comprising:

an attribute designation input unit that receives selection of an attribute and inputs a search term; and

a controller that;

determines whether a first search term having a name as its attribute has been selected, and a second search term having a category as its attribute has been selected;

if the first search term and the second search term have been selected, determines whether a point can be specified by the first search term;

if the point can be specified by the first search term, performs a vicinity search by searching for point information that falls under the category of the second search term in the vicinity of the point specified by the first search term; and

displays the point information found by the vicinity search on a display.

6. The point search device according to claim 5, wherein the controller:

performs a regular search by searching for point information of the first search term and point information of the second term through logical multiplication; and

displays the point information found by the regular search in priority to the point information found by the vicinity search.

7. The point search device according to claim 6, wherein:

if there is a facility having a name that matches the first search term, the controller determines that the point can be specified by the first search term.

8. The point search device according to claim 5, wherein:

if there is a facility having a name that matches the first search term, the controller determines that the point can be specified by the first search term.

9. A point search method, comprising:

receiving a plurality of input search terms;

acquiring attributes of the input search terms;

determining whether the input search terms include a first search term with a name as its acquired attribute and a second search term with a category as its acquired attribute;

if the input search terms include the first search term and the second search term, determining whether a point can be specified by the first search term;

if the point can be specified by the first search term, performing a vicinity search by searching for point information that falls under the category of the second search term in the vicinity of the point specified by the first search term; and

displaying the point information found by the vicinity search on a display.

10. The point search method according to claim 9, further comprising:

performing a regular search by searching for point information of the first search term and point information of the second term through logical multiplication; and

displaying the point information found by the regular search in priority to the point information found by the vicinity search.

11. The point search method according to claim 10, further comprising:

if there is a facility having a name that matches the first search term, determining that the point can be specified by the first search term.

12. The point search method according to claim 9, further comprising:

if there is a facility having a name that matches the first search term, determining that the point can be specified by the first search term.

13. The point search method according to claim 9, wherein the steps of the method are implemented by a controller.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program for searching for a point, the program comprising:

instructions for receiving a plurality of input search terms;

instructions for acquiring attributes of the input search terms;

instructions for determining whether the input search terms include a first search term with a name as its acquired attribute and a second search term with a category as its acquired attribute;

instructions for, if the input search terms include the first search term and the second search term, determining whether a point can be specified by the first search term;

instructions for, if the point can be specified by the first search term, performing a vicinity search by searching for point information that falls under the category of the second search term in the vicinity of the point specified by the first search term; and

instructions for displaying the point information found by the vicinity search on a display.

15. The storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the program further comprises:

instructions for performing a regular search by searching for point information of the first search term and point information of the second term through logical multiplication; and

instructions for displaying the point information found by the regular search in priority to the point information found by the vicinity search.

16. The storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the program further comprises:

instructions for, if there is a facility having a name that matches the first search term, determining that the point can be specified by the first search term.

17. The storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the program further comprises:

instructions for, if there is a facility having a name that matches the first search term, determining that the point can be specified by the first search term.