Information processing apparatus and method, and program storage medium

• US 6,401,030 B1
• Filed: 11/02/2000
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kuwayama, Takashi, Watanabe, Ryuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US09/704,629
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 701/202, 701/204, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/210, 701/213
• US Class Current: 701/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem

Abstract

An information processing apparatus is disclosed which comprises: an inputting element for inputting a departure point and a destination; a nearby station retrieving element for retrieving stations located near the departure point and the destination which were input through the inputting element; a train route searching element which, if there are a plurality of stations near at least either the departure point or the destination, the nearby stations having been retrieved by the nearby station retrieving element, then searches for at least one train route for each of all nearby station combinations linking the departure point to the destination; a storing element for storing the train routes retrieved by the train route searching element; a setting element for setting prioritizing conditions to be referenced when the train route searching element searches for train routes; and a ranking element for ranking the train routes stored in the storing element in accordance with the prioritizing conditions set by the setting element.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

inputting means for inputting a departure point and a destination;

nearby station retrieving means for retrieving stations located near said departure point and said destination which were input through said inputting means;

train route searching means which, if there are a plurality of stations near at least either said departure point or said destination, the nearby stations having been retrieved by said nearby station retrieving means, then searches for at least one train route for each of all nearby station combinations linking said departure point to said destination;

storing means for storing the train routes retrieved by said train route searching means;

setting means for setting prioritizing conditions to be referenced when said train route searching means searches for train routes; and

ranking means for ranking the train routes stored in said storing means in accordance with said prioritizing conditions set by said setting means.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said nearby station retrieving means retrieves at most a predetermined number of stations located within a predetermined radius of either said departure point or said destination.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said train route searching means either utilizes over a network a train route search engine located externally, or uses a train route search engine installed within said train route searching means.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said prioritizing conditions include at least one of a travel time involved, an amount of fares involved, and a walking time.

12. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said desired segment to be mapped is a segment of said optimum route to be traveled on foot.

13. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said backup itinerary corresponds to a departure time later than a departure time of transportation acquired on the basis of at least one of said departure time and said arrival time.

14. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising map acquiring means for acquiring a map of a desired segment of said optimum route.

5. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

inputting a departure point and a destination;

retrieving stations located near said departure point and said destination which were input in said inputting step;

if there are a plurality of stations near at least either said departure point or said destination, the nearby stations having been retrieved in said nearby station retrieving step, then searching for at least one train route for each of all nearby station combinations linking said departure point to said destination;

storing the train routes retrieved in said train route searching step;

setting prioritizing conditions to be referenced when said train route searching step searches for train routes; and

ranking the train routes stored in said storing step in accordance with said prioritizing conditions set in said setting step.

6. A program storage medium which stores a program in a manner readable by a computer, said program comprising the steps of:

controlling input of a departure point and a destination;

retrieving stations located near said departure point and said destination which were input in said input controlling step;

if there are a plurality of retrieved stations near at least either said departure point or said destination, the nearby stations having been retrieved in said nearby station retrieving step, then searching for at least one train route for each of all nearby station combinations linking said departure point to said destination;

controlling storage of the train routes retrieved in said train route searching step;

setting prioritizing conditions to be referenced when said train route searching step searches for train routes; and

ranking the train routes stored in said storage controlling step in accordance with said prioritizing conditions set in said setting step.

7. An information processing apparatus comprising:

inputting means for inputting a departure point and a destination;

nearby station retrieving means for retrieving stations located near said departure point and said destination which were input through said inputting means;

distance retrieving means for retrieving a distance from said departure point input by said inputting means to a station near said departure point retrieved by said nearby station retrieving means, as well as a distance from said destination input by said inputting means to a station near said destination retrieved by said nearby station retrieving means;

travel time computing means which, based on results of the retrieval by said distance retrieving means, computes a period of time required to travel from said departure point to a nearby station thereof and a period of time required to travel from said destination to a nearby station thereof; and

train route searching means which, if there are a plurality of stations near at least either said departure point or said destination, the nearby stations having been retrieved by said nearby station retrieving means, then searches for at least one train route for each of all nearby station combinations linking said departure point to said destination on the basis of results of the computation by said travel time computing means.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said nearby station retrieving means retrieves at most a predetermined number of stations located within a predetermined radius of either said departure point or said destination.

9. An information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said train route searching means either utilizes over a network a train route search engine located externally, or uses a train route search engine installed within said train route searching means.

10. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

inputting a departure point and a destination;

retrieving stations located near said departure point and said destination which were input in said inputting step;

retrieving a distance from said departure point input in said inputting step to a station near said departure point retrieved in said nearby station retrieving step, as well as a distance from said destination input in said inputting step to a station near said destination retrieved in said nearby station retrieving step;

based on results of the retrieval by said distance retrieving step, computing a period of time required to travel from said departure point to a nearby station thereof and a period of time required to travel from said destination to a nearby station thereof; and

if there are a plurality of stations near at least either said departure point or said destination, the nearby stations having been retrieved in said nearby station retrieving step, then searching for at least one train route for each of all nearby station combinations linking said departure point to said destination on the basis of results of the computation by said travel time computing step.

11. A program storage medium which stores a program in a manner readable by a computer, said program comprising the steps of:

controlling input of a departure point and a destination;

retrieving stations located near said departure point and said destination which were input in said input controlling step;

retrieving a distance from said departure point input in said input controlling step to a station near said departure point retrieved in said nearby station retrieving step, as well as a distance from said destination input in said input controlling step to a station near said destination retrieved in said nearby station retrieving step;

based on results of the retrieval by said distance retrieving step, computing a period of time required to travel from said departure point to a nearby station thereof and a period of time required to travel from said destination to a nearby station thereof; and

if there are a plurality of stations near at least either said departure point or said destination, the nearby stations having been retrieved in said nearby station retrieving step, then searching for at least one train route for each of all nearby station combinations linking said departure point to said destination on the basis of results of the computation by said travel time computing step.