Moving body terminal device, information providing device, information providing system, information providing method, and medium having recorded program for the moving body terminal device

• US 6,349,203 B1
• Filed: 10/16/1998
• Issued: 02/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation), Toyota Media Station, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation), Toyota Media Station, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Satoshi, Okada, Masami, Maruoka, Masato, Abo, Masatoshi, Asaoka, Taizo
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, LANA N
• Application Number:
  US09/174,101
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/422, 455/456, 455/457, 455/566, 455/575, 455/414, 340/990, 340/995, 340/998, 340/825.36, 342/450, 342/457, 701/208, 701/209
• US Class Current: 455/414.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

An information center sends an OK message for a log-in and version information for a menu to a moving body terminal device. The moving body terminal device compares the version number of the menu held therein and the informed version number. If they are different, the device asks for menu update. In response to the request, the information center supplies difference data indicative of the difference between the menus of different versions to the moving body terminal device. Using the difference data, the moving body terminal device updates the menu held therein. With this arrangement, the menu used in the moving body terminal device can be effectively updated.

Claims

1. A moving body terminal device, comprising:

a display device;

menu screen generation means for causing the display device to generate a menu screen according to a menu held by the moving body terminal device, wherein the menu concerns the content of services offered by an information center and the menu screen is generated prior to communicating with the information center.

2. A device according to claim 1, further comprising

comparison means for comparing a version number of the menu screen held in the moving body terminal device and a version number of a menu screen held in the information center so that the information concerning a new menu item is received when the version numbers are different.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the menu item relates to search information for facility searching.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the menu item relates to a telephone number of an access point for accessing the information center.

5. A device according to claim 4, further comprising

locating means for locating a position of the moving body terminal device, and

means for selecting an access point according to the position located.

6. A device according to claim 4, further comprising

an access point table concerning an access point corresponding to a communication company so that an access point corresponding to a communication company which handles a connected portable telephone is selected.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the new menu item supplied from the information center is compared with the menu item included in the menu held in the moving body terminal device so that menu update data is requested based on a comparison result.

8. An information providing device, comprising:

information searching means for receiving a search request from a moving body terminal device to send information according to the search request as a reply; and

transmission means for transmitting, when a service item included in a menu stored in the moving body terminal device prior to communicating with the information providing device is different from a service item about which the information searching means is capable of searching, data on the difference to the moving body terminal device.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the transmission means transmits to the moving body terminal center information about a version number of a menu which includes a service item which the information providing device is capable of offering, and data on the difference between a service item included in the menu and the service item included in the menu stored in the moving body terminal device.

10. An information providing system, wherein

a moving body terminal device prepares a search request according to a menu held in the moving body terminal device prior to communicating with an information center, and sends the search request prepared to the information center,

the information center sends information to the moving body terminal device in response to the search request as a reply and also sends a new service item which is not set in the menu held in the moving terminal device, and

the moving terminal device updates the menu held in the moving terminal device according to the new service item received.

11. An information providing method, comprising the steps of:

preparing a search request in a moving body terminal device according to a menu held by the moving body terminal device prior to communicating with an information center;

sending the search request prepared to the information center;

sending information from the information center in response to the search request as a reply and also sends a new service menu which is not set in the menu held in the moving body terminal device; and

updating the menu to the new service item received by the moving body terminal device.

12. A medium having recorded therein a program which causes a computer in a moving body terminal device to perform for information searching the steps of:

having display means generate a menu screen according to a menu held by the moving body terminal device prior to communicating with an information center;

preparing a search request according to a menu item included in the menu screen generated;

sending the search request prepared to the information center;

receiving information in response to the search request and information concerning a new menu item; and

updating the menu screen with the new menu item which is not included in the menu screen.

13. A medium according to claim 12, further performing the step of comparing a version number of the menu screen held in the moving body terminal device and a version number of a menu screen held in the information center and receiving the information concerning a new menu item when the version numbers are different.

14. A device according to claim 12, wherein the menu item relates to search information for facility searching.

15. A device according to claim 12, wherein the menu item relates to a telephone number of an access point for accessing the information center.