Information provision system, current-position-measurement system, and method therefor

• US 6,453,232 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2000
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Akiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US09/675,448
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/202, 701/207, 701/208, 701/213, 705/5, 705/6, 340/990, 340/991, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 342/357.09
• US Class Current: 701/202
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator

Abstract

An information provision system 11 is provided which provides in advance a travel data package 10 via the Internet 1, in which data effective for measuring the current position such as the longitude and latitude information of a travel site location is stored based on itinerary information in such a manner as to be associated with an itinerary. Then, as a result of going on a travel by storing the distributed travel data package 10 in a portable terminal 6, it is possible to measure the current position in a short time because the longitude and latitude information, for example, of a scheduled place of the itinerary can be known in advance at a travel site.

Claims

1. A current-position-measurement system comprising means for obtaining auxiliary position-measurement information or longitude and latitude information so as to measure the current position, in which information corresponds to the current date and time obtained from a real time clock which counts the date and time, from a travel data package in which position-related information having at least one piece of auxiliary position-measurement information used when the current position is measured, or at least one piece of the longitude and latitude information corresponding to a travel site location is stored in such a manner as to be associated with a travel date and time.

2. A current-position-measurement system according to claim 1, wherein said auxiliary position-measurement information is an almanac used when the current position is measured by receiving radio waves from a satellite.

3. A current-position-measurement system according to claim 2, wherein said means for measuring the current position obtains up-to-date longitude and latitude information for which position measurement was performed in the past so as to measure the position of the current position when effective satellite orbit information can be used at said current date and time.

4. A current-position-measurement system according to claim 1, wherein said position-related information has at least one piece of the longitude and latitude information corresponding to the travel site location,

means for inputting said travel site location is further provided, and

said means for measuring the current position obtains said longitude and latitude information which is associated with said current date and time from said travel data package so as to measure the current position when said input travel site location matches said travel site location corresponding to said current date and time in said travel data package.

5. A current-location position measurement system according to claim 4, wherein said current- position-measurement system has a scheduler function which is capable of displaying said travel date and time of said travel data package and travel site locations, and said travel site locations can be input by this scheduler function.

6. A current-position-measurement system according to claim 1, wherein said position-related information has at least one piece of the longitude and latitude information corresponding to the travel site location,

means for inputting said travel site location is further provided, and

said means for measuring the current position obtains said longitude and latitude information which is associated with said current date and time in said travel data package so as to measure the current position when said input travel site location does not match said travel site location corresponding to said current date and time in said travel data package.

7. A current-position-measurement system according to claim 1, wherein said current-position-measurement system has a scheduler function which is capable of displaying and editing said position-related information which is associated with said itinerary and said travel date and time of said travel data package.

8. A current-location position-measurement system according to claim 1, wherein said position-related information has map information corresponding to the travel site location, and

the current position obtained by said means for measuring the current position is displayed on a map.

9. A current-position-measurement method comprising:

an initial step of obtaining said auxiliary position-measurement information or longitude and latitude information, corresponding to the current date and time obtained from a real time clock which counts the date and time, from a travel data package in which position-related information having at least one piece of auxiliary position-measurement information used when the current position is measured, or at least one piece of longitude and latitude information corresponding to a travel site location is stored in such a manner as to be associated with a travel date and time; and

a step of measuring the current position by using said auxiliary position-measurement information or said longitude and latitude information obtained in said initial step.

10. A current-position-measurement method according to claim 9, wherein said auxiliary position-measurement information is an almanac used when the current position is measured by receiving radio waves from a satellite.

11. A current-position-measurement method according to claim 10, wherein in said step of measuring the current position, up-to-date longitude and latitude information for which position measurement was performed in the past is obtained so as to measure the current position when effective satellite orbit information can be used at said current date and time.

12. A current-position-measurement method according to claim 9, wherein said position-related information has at least one piece of longitude and latitude information corresponding to a travel site location,

a step of inputting said travel site location is further provided, and

in said step of measuring the current position, said longitude and latitude information associated with said current date and time is obtained from said travel data package so as to measure the current position when said input travel site location matches said travel site location corresponding to said current date and time in said travel data package.

13. A current-position-measurement method according to claim 9, wherein said position-related information has at least one piece of longitude and latitude information corresponding to a travel site location,

a step of inputting said travel site location is further provided, and

in said step of measuring the current position, said longitude and latitude information associated with said current date and time in said travel data package is obtained so as to measure the current position when said input travel site location does not match said travel site location corresponding to said current date and time in said travel data package.

14. A current-position-measurement method according to claim 9, wherein a step is provided in which said travel date and time of said travel data package and said position-related information related to said travel date and time can be displayed and edited.

15. A current-position-measurement method according to claim 9, wherein said position-related information has map information corresponding to the travel site location, and

a step of displaying, on a map, the current position obtained in said step of measuring the current position.

16. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a current-position-measurement program having commands capable of executing:

an initial step of obtaining said auxiliary position-measurement information or longitude and latitude information, corresponding to the current date and time obtained from a real time clock which counts the date and time, from a travel data package in which position-related information having at least one piece of auxiliary position-measurement information used when the current position is measured, or at least one piece of longitude and latitude information corresponding to a travel site location is stored in such a manner as to be associated with a travel date and time; and

a step of measuring the current position by using said auxiliary position-measurement information or said longitude and latitude information obtained in the initial step.

17. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a current-location position-measurement program according to claim 16, wherein said auxiliary position-measurement information is an almanac used when the current position is measured by receiving radio waves from a satellite.

18. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon said current-position-measurement program according to claim 17, wherein in said step of measuring the current position, up-to-date longitude and latitude information for which position measurement was performed in the past is obtained so as to measure the current position when effective satellite orbit information can be used at said current date and time.

19. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a current-position-measurement program according to claim 16, wherein said position-related information has at least one piece of longitude and latitude information corresponding to a travel site location,

a step of inputting said travel site location is further provided, and

in said step of measuring the current position, said longitude and latitude information associated with said current date and time is obtained from said travel data package so as to measure the current position when said input travel site location matches said travel site location corresponding to said current date and time in said travel data package.

20. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon said current-position-measurement program according to claim 16, wherein said position-related information has map information corresponding to a travel site location, and

a step of displaying, on a map, the current position obtained in said step of measuring the current position is provided.

21. A transmission medium, which can be transmitted via a computer network, having embedded thereon a current-position-measurement program having commands capable of executing:

an initial step of obtaining auxiliary position-measurement information or longitude and latitude information, corresponding to the current date and time obtained from a real time clock which counts the date and time, from a travel data package in which position-related information having at least some auxiliary position-measurement information used when the current position is measured or at least one piece of longitude and latitude information corresponding to a travel site location is stored in such a manner as to be associated with a travel date and time; and

a step of measuring the current position by using said auxiliary position-measurement information or said longitude and latitude information obtained in the initial step.