Portable information system for receiving information via a communication network

• US 6,760,770 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2000
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Naoyuki Kageyama
• Original Assignee: Naoyuki Kageyama
• Inventors: Kageyama, Naoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Application Number:
  US09/643,592
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/225, 709/226, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention provides a portable information system the enables a user to access necessary information from a home page of a store even when the user does not know the URL of the home page. In order to attain this, a portable information terminal 1 has a wireless telephone communication function, such as a PHS, and a guide switch 1c that requests area information from the Internet provider 5, transmits via an antenna 1A to base station 3A or base station 3B, and obtains information about the current position by GPS. In addition, the base station 3A and base station 3B are connected to the ISDN public telecommunication network 2, for example, via an exchange, and connect the communication line between the public telecommunication network 2 and the portable information terminal 1. In addition, a server 5c having a database 5d that stores data is connected to the telecommunication network 2 via the access points 4A-4D of the Internet provider 5 and the provider communication network 5a. In the above structure, the portable information terminal 1 accesses the server 5c uses current position information and guide control signals, searches for information about stores in the area that indicated by the current position information, and transmits this information to the portable information terminal 1.

Claims

1. A portable information system that is connected to a communication network by a portable information terminal and obtains specified information from an information providing device connected to this communication network, wherein:

a portable information terminal provides a position information acquiring means that acquires information about its own position, and a communication means that establishes a communication line between said portable information terminal and said communication network via an access point and carries out transmission and reception of said position information and specified information, and provides a communication network connection part wherein said information providing device searches for the home pages of facilities including at least stores and public facilities that are in a specified area centered on the user'"'"'s position based on the position indicated by said position information received from said portable information terminal, and transmits the home page that was found to the portable information terminal;

and wherein said portable information terminal identifies a target portable information terminal and designates a predetermined area, and said information providing system generates a notification to the portable information terminal when the target portable information terminal enters the predetermined area based on position information received by the information providing system from the target portable information terminal.

2. A portable information system according to claim 1 wherein said information providing device searches for URLs of home pages of facilities including stores and public facilities in a table that associates the current position information with the URLs of home pages of facilities including stores and public facilities based on current position information.

3. A portable information system according to claim 1 wherein said portable information terminal displays on the display screen of the portable information terminal the home page of a registered facility in the case that the user carrying said portable information terminal approaches within a certain distance of a facility registered with said information providing device when moving through an urban area where facilities including at least stores and public facilities are present.

4. A portable information system according to claim 2 wherein said information providing device searches for URLs of home pages of facilities including stores and public facilities in a table that associates the current position information with the URLs of home pages of facilities including stores and public facilities based on current position information.

5. A portable information system according to claim 1 wherein said portable information terminal displays on a display screen the home page of another user of a portable information terminal in the case that, when moving outside, the user carrying said portable information system approaches within a certain distance with respect to the other portable information terminal having the same function.

6. An information providing system according to claim 4 wherein said information providing device searches for the URL of home pages of facilities including stores and public facilities in a table that associates the current position information with the URL of the home pages of facilities including the stores and public facilities based on current position information.

7. An information providing system according to claim 5 wherein said portable information terminal displays on the display screen of the portable information terminal the home pages of registered facilities in the case that the user carrying said portable information terminal approaches within a certain distance of a facility registered with said information providing device when moving through an urban area where facilities including at least stores and public facilities are present.

8. An information providing system according to claim 7 wherein said information providing device searches for the URLs of home pages of facilities including stores and public facilities in a table that associates the current position information and the URLs of homepages of facilities including stores and public facilities based on current position information.

9. A portable information system according to claim 1 having a personal database in which at least a registration number, name, sex, age/birthday, nationality, telephone number, address, comments, URL, and the like are associated and stored.

10. A portable information system according to claim 1 wherein said portable information terminal possesses a function that sets the search, direction and search range for facilities including stores and public facilities, and said information providing device carries out a search of facilities including stores and public facilities that are present within the search range and search direction from this portable information terminal based on said position information.

11. A portable information system according to claim 10 wherein said information providing device searches for the URLs of home pages of facilities including stores and public facilities based on position information in a table that associates the current position information with the URLs of home pages of facilities including stores and public facilities.

12. A portable information system according to claim 1 wherein said portable information terminal possesses a function that sets the searches for each type of facility including stores and public facilities, and said information providing system carries out a search of requested facilities including stores and public facilities as a search type from this portable information terminal based on said position information.

13. A portable information system according to claim 12 wherein said information providing device searches for URLs of home pages of facilities including stores and public facilities in a table that associates the current position information with the URLs of home pages of facilities that include stores and public facilities based on current position information.

14. A portable information system according to claim 1, in which the user is connected to the line of a server located at a provider using a portable information terminal and obtains information of home pages of facilities that have advertising contracts with this provider, and wherein:

each facility bears the cost of the communication charges for the portable information terminals connected to the server, and in exchange for bearing the communication charges, the provider supplies statistical information and personal information about the users who access the home page to the facility operating the home page.

15. A portable information system according to claim 1 wherein the notification to the portable information terminal generates an audible alert by the portable information terminal.

16. A portable information system according to claim 15 wherein the entry of each target portable information terminal to the predetermined area generates a distinct audible alert.

17. A portable information system according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined area is centered on the user'"'"'s position based on the position indicated by said position information received from said portable information terminal.