Flight information providing apparatus, flight information providing method, flight information providing program, and computer-readable recording medium

• US 6,493,610 B1
• Filed: 05/14/2002
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Ezaki, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/143,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20020173883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 210 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/29, 701/201, 701/16, 701/15, 701/213, 701/14, 701/35, 235/384, 235/492, 705/5, 705/6, 705/7
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

A flight information providing apparatus 10 is composed of an information provision request input section 12 for entering an information provision request 50; a storage section 18 for storing the information provision request 50 entered; a takeoff/landing information acquisition section 14 for acquiring actual flight information 60 on takeoff/landing of an airplane from an existing air-traffic control system; a passenger information acquisition section 16 for acquiring actual boarding information 70 on passengers aboard an airplane; an extraction section 20 for extracting takeoff/landing information by extraction processing of takeoff information and extraction processing of landing information; and a transmission section 22 for transmitting the takeoff/landing information thus extracted, through a communication network 40 to a terminal unit (a personal computer, a mobile telephone, etc.) 30 on the basis of a destination address about a predetermined person.

Claims

1. A flight information providing apparatus adapted to provide flight information on an airplane with a predetermined person aboard, said flight information providing apparatus comprising:

an information provision request input section for entering an information provision request including at least identification information on said person, identification information on an airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard, and a destination address to which the information is to be provided;

a storage section for storing the information provision request entered;

a takeoff/landing information acquisition section for acquiring actual flight information on takeoff/landing of an airplane;

an extraction section for collating the identification information on the airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard, with said actual flight information thereof to extract landing information comprising arrival information indicating that said airplane has arrived, from said actual flight information; and

a transmission section for transmitting the landing information of the object airplane extracted, to a terminal unit on the basis of the destination address about said person.

2. The flight information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said extraction section is configured to extract the landing information further comprising difference information between an estimated time of arrival and an actual time of arrival about the object plane.

3. The flight information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said extraction section is configured to extract the landing information further comprising information indicating that the object airplane has arrived at an airport different from an expected airport and information on the airport where the object airplane has arrived.

4. The flight information providing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a passenger information acquisition section for acquiring actual boarding information on passengers aboard an airplane,

wherein said extraction section is configured to collate the identification information on said person and the identification information on the airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard, with said actual boarding information and said actual flight information to extract takeoff information comprising boarding information indicating that said person has actually gone aboard the expected airplane and that said airplane has taken off, from said actual boarding information and said actual flight information, and

wherein said transmission section is configured to transmit the takeoff information of said person extracted, to said terminal unit.

5. The flight information providing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said extraction section is configured to extract the takeoff information further comprising difference information between an estimated time of departure and an actual time of departure about the airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard.

6. The flight information providing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said extraction section is configured to extract the landing information further comprising actual arrival information indicating that the airplane with said person actually aboard has arrived.

7. The flight information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said information provision request comprises language selection information for selection of a language about the information transmitted from said transmission section, and

wherein said extraction section is configured to manipulate said extracted information so as to be displayed in a language according to the language selection information.

8. The flight information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said terminal unit is a portable terminal having a function of entering said information provision request to deliver the request to said information provision request input section and receiving the information transmitted from said transmission section to display the information.

9. The flight information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said information provision request is entered through said information provision request input section when said person purchases an airline ticket or when said person checks in at an airport.

10. A flight information providing method adapted to provide flight information on an airplane with a predetermined person aboard, said flight information providing method comprising:

an input step of entering an information provision request including at least identification information on said person, identification information on an airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard, and a destination address to which the information is to be provided;

a storage step of storing the information provision request entered;

an acquisition step of acquiring actual flight information on takeoff/landing of an airplane;

an extraction step of collating the identification information on the airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard, with said actual flight information thereof to extract landing information comprising arrival information indicating that said airplane has arrived, from said actual flight information; and

a transmission step of transmitting the landing information of the object airplane extracted, to a terminal unit on the basis of the destination address about said person.

11. The flight information providing method according to claim 10, wherein said extraction step is configured to extract the landing information further comprising difference information between an estimated time of arrival and an actual time of arrival about the object plane.

12. The flight information providing method according to claim 10, wherein said extraction step is configured to extract the landing information further comprising information indicating that the object airplane has arrived at an airport different from an expected airport and information on the airport where the object airplane has arrived.

13. The flight information providing method according to claim 10, wherein said acquisition step is configured to also acquire actual boarding information on passengers aboard an airplane,

wherein said extraction step is configured to collate the identification information on said person and the identification information on the airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard, with said actual boarding information and said actual flight information to extract takeoff information comprising boarding information indicating that said person has actually gone aboard the expected airplane and that said airplane has taken off, from said actual boarding information and said actual flight information, and

wherein said transmission step is configured to transmit the takeoff information of said person extracted, to said terminal unit.

14. The flight information providing method according to claim 13, wherein said extraction step is configured to extract the takeoff information further comprising difference information between an estimated time of departure and an actual time of departure about the airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard.

15. The flight information providing method according to claim 13, wherein said extraction step is configured to extract the landing information further comprising actual arrival information indicating that the airplane with said person actually aboard has arrived.

16. The flight information providing method according to claim 10, wherein said input step is configured to enter the information provision request further comprising language selection information for selection of a language about the information transmitted at said transmission step, and

wherein said extraction step is configured to manipulate said extracted information so as to be displayed in a language according to the language selection information.

17. The flight information providing method according to claim 10, wherein said terminal unit is a portable terminal having a function of entering the information provision request at said input step and receiving and displaying the information transmitted at said transmission step.

18. The flight information providing method according to claim 10, wherein said input step is configured to enter said information provision request when said person purchases an airline ticket or when said person checks in at an airport.

19. A flight information providing program adapted to provide flight information on an airplane with a predetermined person aboard, said flight information providing program being configured to make a computer execute the following steps:

an input step of entering an information provision request including at least identification information on said person, identification information on an airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard, and a destination address to which the information is to be provided;

a storage step of storing the information provision request entered;

an acquisition step of acquiring actual flight information on takeoff/landing of an airplane;

an extraction step of collating the identification information on the airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard, with said actual flight information thereof to extract landing information comprising arrival information indicating that said airplane has arrived, from said actual flight information; and

a transmission step of transmitting the landing information of the object airplane extracted, to a terminal unit on the basis of the destination address about said person.

20. The flight information providing program according to claim 19, wherein said extraction step is configured to extract the landing information further comprising difference information between an estimated time of arrival and an actual time of arrival about the object plane.

21. The flight information providing program according to claim 19, wherein said extraction step is configured to extract the landing information further comprising information indicating that the object airplane has arrived at an airport different from an expected airport and information on the airport where the object airplane has arrived.

22. The flight information providing program according to claim 19, wherein said acquisition step is configured to also acquire actual boarding information on passengers aboard an airplane,

wherein said extraction step is configured to collate the identification information on said person and the identification information on the airplane that the person is supposed to go aboard, with said actual boarding information and said actual flight information to extract takeoff information comprising boarding information indicating that said person has actually gone aboard the expected airplane and that said airplane has taken off, from said actual boarding information and said actual flight information, and

wherein said transmission step is configured to transmit the takeoff information of said person extracted, to said terminal unit.

23. The flight information providing program according to claim 22, wherein said extraction step is configured to extract the takeoff information further comprising difference information between an estimated time of departure and an actual time of departure about the airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard.

24. The flight information providing program according to claim 22, wherein said extraction step is configured to extract the landing information further comprising actual arrival information indicating that the airplane with said person actually aboard has arrived.

25. The flight information providing program according to claim 19, wherein said input step is configured to enter the information provision request further comprising language selection information for selection of a language about the information transmitted at said transmission step, and

wherein said extraction step is configured to manipulate said extracted information so as to be displayed in a language according to the language selection information.

26. The flight information providing program according to claim 19, wherein said terminal unit is a portable terminal having a function of entering the information provision request at said input step and receiving and displaying the information transmitted at said transmission step.

27. The flight information providing program according to claims 19, wherein said input step is configured to enter said information provision request when said person purchases an airline ticket or when said person checks in at an airport.

28. A computer-readable recording medium in which the flight information providing program as set forth in claim 19 is recorded.