Sightseeing guide system

• US 6,532,415 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2001
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nishikawa, Kumiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US09/765,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20010018634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/1, 701/207, 701/36, 701/23, 701/24, 455/456, 455/422, 455/457, 455/414, 340/905, 340/991, 340/993, 340/901, 340/995, 340/907, 340/916, 340/988, 340/990, 705/6, 379/60, 395/205
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence

Abstract

A sightseeing guide system has IS (Informed Source) terminals respectively mounted in an IS vehicle, which includes a sub-storage unit stored with local information consisting of sightseeing information and shop information, a radio communication device for performing IVC-based communications with a PT (Personal Terminal) vehicle, and a processing unit. A personal terminal (PT) mounted in the PT vehicle includes a radio communication device for performing the IVC-based communications with the IS terminal, a processing unit, and an I/O unit for displaying the information received via the radio communication device. The processing unit of the IS terminal transmits segments about a periphery of a present position of the IS vehicle, of the local information stored in the sub-storage unit, to the PT via the radio communication device at a predetermined timing or in response to a request give from the PT.

Claims

1. A sightseeing guide system comprising:

an information output terminal mounted in a customer vehicle for use by a customer; and

an information source terminal mounted in an information source vehicle, wherein the information source terminal comprises a storage unit of the information source terminal to store information, a radio communication device of the information source terminal, and a control unit of the information source terminal for transmitting the information stored in said storage unit towards said information output terminal via said radio communication device of the information source terminal, and

wherein said information output terminal comprises a radio communication device of the information output terminal performing radio communications with said radio communication device of said information source terminal, an output unit to output the information in such a mode that the information is recognizable by the customer, and a control unit of the information output terminal to output, via said output unit, the information received from said information source terminal via said radio communication device of the information output terminal.

2. The sightseeing guide system according to claim 1, wherein said control unit of said information source terminal transmits the information at a preset timing towards said information output terminal via said radio communication device of the information source terminal.

3. The sightseeing guide system according to claim 1, wherein said output unit of said information output terminal comprises a display visually displaying the information.

4. The sightseeing guide system according to claim 1, wherein said output unit of said information output terminal outputs audio of the information.

5. The sightseeing guide system according to claim 1, wherein said control unit of said information output terminal transmits a request for information at a preset timing to said information source terminal via said radio communication device of the information output terminal, and

said control unit of said information source terminal, when receiving the information request from said information output terminal via said radio communication device of the information source terminal, transmits the information towards said information output terminal via said radio communication device of the information source terminal.

6. The sightseeing guide system according to claim 1, said information output terminal further comprising a position measuring device,

wherein said control unit of said information output terminal, when its present position measured by said position measuring device is coincident with a predetermined position, transmits a request for information to said information source terminal via said radio communication device of said information output terminal, and

wherein said control unit of said information source terminal, when receiving the information request from said information output terminal via said radio communication device of said information source terminal, transmits the information towards said information output terminal via said radio communication device of said information source terminal.

7. The sightseeing guide system according to claim 1, said information output terminal further comprising an input device,

wherein said control unit of said information output terminal, when a request for information is inputted by a customer through said input device, transmits the information request to said information source terminal via said radio communication device of said information output terminal, and

wherein said control unit of said information source terminal, when receiving the information request from said information output terminal via said radio communication device of said information source terminal, transmits the information towards said information output terminal via said radio communication device of said information source terminal.

8. The sightseeing guide system according to claim 1, said information output terminal further comprising an input device,

wherein said control unit of said information output terminal transmits a request for information specified by the customer through said input device to said information source terminal via said radio communication device of said information output terminal, and

wherein said control unit of said information source terminal transmits the specified information towards said information output terminal via said radio communication device of said information source terminal.

9. The sightseeing guide system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a central unit which comprises a storage unit of said central unit to store all information that is storable in said storage unit of said information source terminal, a communication device performing radio communications with said information source terminal via a stationary antenna, and a control unit of said central unit transmitting the information stored in the storage unit of said central unit toward said information source terminal via said communication device,

wherein said information source terminal further comprises a second radio communication device performing radio communications with said communication device of said central unit.

10. The sightseeing guide system according to claim 9, wherein said control unit of said information source terminal transmits a request for specified information to said central unit via said second radio communication device, and

wherein said control unit of said central unit, when receiving the request from said information source terminal via said communication device, transmits the specified information stored in said storage unit of said central unit to said information source terminal via said communication device.

11. The sightseeing guide system according to claim 10, wherein the information stored in said storage unit of said central unit is segmented for every district,

wherein said information source terminal further comprises a position measuring device, and

wherein said control unit of said information source terminal transmits a request for the information on a district embracing a present position measured by said position measuring device to said central unit via said second radio communication device of said information source terminal.

12. The sightseeing guide system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a central unit which comprises a storage unit of said central unit to store all information that is storable in said storage unit of said information source terminal, a communication device performing radio communications with said information source terminal via a stationary antenna, and a control unit of said central unit transmitting the information stored in the storage unit of said central unit toward said information source terminal via said communication device,

wherein said information source terminal further comprises a second radio communication device of said information source terminal performing radio communications with said communication device of said central unit,

wherein said control unit of said information source terminal, if the specified information does not exist in said storage unit of the same terminal, transmits a request for the specified information to said central unit via said second radio communication device of said information source terminal, and

wherein said control unit of said central unit, when receiving the request for the specified information from said information source terminal via said communication device, transmits the specified information stored in said storage unit of said central unit to said information source terminal via said communication device.

13. The sightseeing guide system according to claim 1, wherein said control unit of said information output terminal transmits a request for information to said information source terminal via said radio communication device of said information output terminal, and

said control unit of said information source terminal, when receiving the information request from said information output terminal via said radio communication device of said information source terminal, transmits the information towards said information output terminal via said radio communication device of said information source terminal in only a case where the requested information satisfies a predetermined condition.

14. The sightseeing guide system according to claim 13, wherein said storage unit of said information source terminal is previously registered with a range of the information transmittable to said information output terminal, and

said control unit of said information source terminal transmits the requested information towards said information output terminal via said radio communication device of said information source terminal in only a case where the requested information is within a range registered in said storage unit of said information source terminal.

15. A sightseeing guide method using an information output terminal mounted in a customer vehicle for use by a customer and information transmitted from an information source terminal mounted in an information source vehicle comprising:

storing information to a storage unit of the information source terminal;

transmitting the information stored in said storage unit towards said information output terminal via a radio communication device of the information source terminal;

performing radio communications with said radio communication device of said information source terminal using a radio communication device of the information output terminal; and

outputting the information received from said information source terminal via said radio communication device of the information output terminal in such a mode that the information is recognizable by the customer.

16. The sightseeing guide method according to claim 15, wherein said transmitting occurs at a preset timing towards said information output terminal via said radio communication device of the information source terminal.

17. The sightseeing guide method according to claim 15, wherein the outputting further includes visually displaying the information received from said information source terminal.

18. The sightseeing guide method according to claim 15, wherein the outputting further includes providing audio of the information received from said information source terminal.

19. The sightseeing guide method according to claim 15, wherein said performing includes transmitting a request for information at a preset timing to said information source terminal via said radio communication device of the information output terminal, and

wherein the method further comprises transmitting the information towards said information output terminal via said radio communication device of the information source terminal when receiving the information request from said information output terminal via said radio communication device of the information source terminal the information source terminal.

20. The sightseeing guide method according to claim 15, further comprising measuring a present position of said information output terminal to compare the measured present position of said information output terminal with a predetermined position to determine whether or not the measured present position of said information output terminal and the predetermined position are coincident;

transmitting a request for information, when the measured present position of said information output terminal and the predetermined position are coincident; and

transmitting the information towards said information output terminal via said radio communication device of the information source terminal when receiving the information request from said information output terminal via said radio communication device of the information source terminal the information source terminal.

21. The sightseeing guide method according to claim 15, further comprising

inputting a request for information by a customer;

transmitting responsive to said inputting the information request to said information source terminal via said communication device of said information output terminal; and

transmitting the information towards said information output terminal via said radio communication device of the information source terminal when receiving the information request from said information output terminal via said radio communication device of the information source terminal the information source terminal.

22. The sightseeing guide method according to claim 15, further comprising

specifying a request for information by a customer;

transmitting the request for information specified by the customer to said information source terminal via said communication device of said information output terminal; and

transmitting specified information towards said information output terminal via said radio communication device of the information source terminal.

23. The sightseeing guide method according to claim 15, further comprising

storing all information that is storable in said storage unit of said information source terminal in a storage unit of a central unit;

performing radio communications using a communication device of the central unit with said information source terminal via a stationary antenna and transmitting the information stored in the storage unit of said central unit toward said information source terminal via said communication device; and

performing radio communications using a second radio communication device of the information source terminal with said communication device of said central unit.

24. The sightseeing guide method according to claim 23, further comprising

transmitting a request for specified information to said central unit via said second radio communication device;

and

transmitting the specified information stored in said storage unit of said central unit to said information source terminal via said communication device when receiving the request from said information source terminal via said communication device.

25. The sightseeing guide method according to claim 24,

wherein said storing all information further comprises segmenting for every district the information stored in said storage unit of said central, and

wherein the method further comprises measuring a present position of said information source terminal;

evaluating a district in which the information source terminal is positioned; and

transmitting a request for the information on a district corresponding to the position of said information source terminal to said central unit via said second radio communication device of said information source terminal.

26. The sightseeing guide method according to claim 22, further comprising:

storing all information that is storable in said storage unit of said information source terminal in a storage unit of a central unit;

performing radio communications using a communication device of the central unit with said information source terminal via a stationary antenna and transmitting the information stored in the storage unit of said central unit toward said information source terminal via said communication device;

performing radio communications using a second radio communication device of the information source terminal with said communication device of said central unit;

transmitting a request for the specified information to said central unit via said second radio communication device of said information source terminal, if the specified information does not exist in said storage unit of the same terminal; and

transmitting the specified information stored in said storage unit of said central unit to said information source terminal via said communication device, when receiving the request for the specified information from said information source terminal via said communication device, aid control unit of said central unit.

27. The sightseeing guide method according to claim 15,

wherein said performing includes transmitting a request for information to said information source terminal via said radio communication device of the information output terminal, and

wherein the method further comprises comparing the request for information to said information source terminal with a predetermined condition to evaluating whether or not the request for information to said information source terminal satisfies the predetermined condition;

and

transmitting the information towards said information output terminal via said radio communication device of said information source terminal only if the predetermined condition is satisfied.

28. The sightseeing guide method according to claim 27, further comprising

pre-registering a range of the information transmittable to said information source terminal;

and

transmitting requested information towards said information output terminal via said information source.