INFORMATION PROVIDING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROVIDING METHOD, AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20150056966A1
• Filed: 11/04/2014
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: TSUDA, SHINICHIRO
• Granted Patent: US 9,819,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/145 trading network capacity or selecting route based on tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8027 based on network load situation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

An information providing apparatus includes: a map information storage unit which maintains map information with which at least one of position information, address information, and names of buildings or shops is associated; a communication parameter obtaining unit which obtains communication parameters associated with the position information; an image information creating unit which creates image information in which the communication parameters associated with the position information are described on the map information; and a display unit which displays the image information created by the image information creating unit.

Claims

1. A communication terminal device including

a communication parameter detection unit configured to detect communication parameters of one or more base stations, wherein the detected communication parameters are associated with at least one of information relating to a position of the communication terminal device and/or information relating to time;

a display unit configured to display numerical values of the communication parameters of the one or more base stations, wherein the numerical values of the communication parameters are displayed in a graph form or in a digital format or with icons which indicate levels of congestion or with icons which indicate communication speed; and

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the communication parameters detected by the communication parameter detection unit.

2. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, further including a communication business operator selecting unit configured to select a preferred communication business operator or a preferred wireless scheme.

3. The communication terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the communication business operator selecting unit is configured to select the preferred communication business operator or the preferred wireless scheme through a character or an icon, wherein the character or the icon indicates the preferred communication business operator or the preferred wireless scheme.

4. The communication terminal device according to claim 2, further including a wireless scheme setting unit configured to receive output from the communication business operator selecting unit.

5. The communication terminal device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to execute telephone call or packet communication with another apparatus via a carrier frequency,

wherein the wireless scheme setting unit is configured to set the wireless communication unit to a wireless scheme corresponding to a graphic corresponding to the preferred communication business operator.

6. The communication terminal device according to claim 5, wherein a visual effect, different from that for graphics corresponding to other communication business operators or graphics corresponding to other wireless schemes, is applied on the graphic corresponding to the preferred communication business operator.

7. The communication terminal device according to claim 6, wherein the visual effect is realized by changing a color of the character, causing the character to blink, changing a background color of the character, or causing the background color of the character to blink.

8. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is configured to include a plurality of display regions, including a first display region and a second display region.

9. The communication terminal device according to claim 8, wherein image information of the communication parameters is displayed on the first display region, while additional information is displayed on the second display region among the plurality of display regions of the display unit.

10. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting unit is configured to transmit the information relating to position of the communication terminal device and the information relating to the time, and the communication parameters to an information providing apparatus.

11. An information providing method comprising:

in a communication terminal device;

detecting communication parameters of one or more base stations, wherein the detected communication parameters are associated with at least one of information relating to a position of the communication terminal device and/or information relating to time;

displaying numerical values of the communication parameters of the one or more base stations, wherein the numerical values of the communication parameters are displayed in a graph form or in a digital format or with icons which indicate levels of congestion or with icons which indicate communication speed; and

transmitting the communication parameters to another device.

12. The information providing method according to claim 11, further comprising choosing a preferred communication business operator or a preferred wireless scheme according to the detected communication parameters.

13. The information providing method according to claim 12, wherein the preferred communication business operator or the preferred wireless scheme is chosen through a character or an icon, wherein the character or the icon indicates the preferred communication business operator or the preferred wireless scheme.

14. The information providing method according to claim 12, further comprising setting a wireless communication unit to a wireless scheme corresponding to a graphic corresponding to the preferred communication business operator, wherein the wireless communication unit is configured to execute telephone call or packet communication with another apparatus via a carrier frequency.

15. The information providing method according to claim 14, further comprising applying a visual effect different from that for graphics corresponding to other communication business operators or graphics corresponding to other wireless schemes on the graphic corresponding to the preferred communication business operator.

16. The information providing method according to claim 15, wherein the visual effect is realized by changing a color of the character, causing the character to blink, changing a background color of the character, or causing the background color of the character to blink.

17. The information providing method according to claim 11, further comprising:

displaying image information of the communication parameters on a first display region of a display unit; and

displaying additional information on a second display region of the display unit.

18. The information providing method according to claim 11, further comprising transmitting the information relating to position of the communication terminal device and the information relating to the time, and the communication parameters to an information providing apparatus.