Information providing system and information providing apparatus for mobile object

• US 6,819,301 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2003
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nagamatsu, Kenji, Mizuishi, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Clinger, James
• Application Number:
  US10/440,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20040093392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 343/850, 701/208, 701/213, 701/209, 701/207, 701/210, 701/211, 701/212, 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 340/995, 340/990
• US Class Current: 343/850
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• 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]

Abstract

Disclosed here is an information providing system for mobile objects. The system obtains information of a moving purpose of the user of each mobile object to provide the user with information matching with the moving purpose. The information providing system comprises route type determining apparatus for determining the type of the current route on which the user is moving, provided information selecting unit for selecting information to be provided to the user according to the route type determined by the route type determining apparatus, and provided information presenting means for presenting the information selected by the provided information selecting unit to the user. Therefore, the user can receive more proper information according to the user'"'"'s moving purpose at that time, thereby the convenience of the user is improved while the information provider can improve the advertisement effect by transmitting information to more proper users.

Claims

1. An information providing system for a mobile object moving with a terminal therealong, said terminal having an input device for a user travelling in the mobile object to input at least one current moving purpose of the user and a display for displaying a searched route to a destination point for the moving purpose, said system comprising:

a receiver for receiving said inputted moving purpose of the user;

a route type determining unit for determining a route type based upon said current moving purpose of the user;

provided information selecting unit for selecting from a database information to be provided to said user according to said current moving purpose and a profile of said user; and

a transmitter for outputting provided information selected by said provided information selecting unit through a wireless network to the terminal,

wherein said current moving purpose includes at least work or leisure.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a device for obtaining historical moving purpose information of said user;

and said route type determining unit for determining a route type or said current moving purpose based upon said obtained historical moving purpose information.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said receiver obtains information related to a starting point and said destination point, as well as a time on which said information is obtained through said network;

and said route type determining unit uses said obtained starting and destination points information and said time to determine the route type.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said provided information selecting unit identifies said terminal and uses user information of said terminal user stored in storage means to select said provided information.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein said provided information selecting unit identifies said terminal and uses user information of said terminal user stored in storage means to select said provided information.

6. The system according to claim 3, wherein said provided information selecting unit identifies said terminal and uses user information of said terminal user stored in storage means to select said provided information.

7. The system according to claim 1,

wherein said system further includes a route information storage unit for storing route information determined by said route type determining unit and information used to determine said route type; and

wherein said provided information selecting unit also refers to route history data stored in said route information storage unit to select information to be provided.

8. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a route information storage unit for storing route information determined by said route type determining apparatus and information used to determine said route type, wherein said provided information selecting unit also refers to route history data stored in said route information storage unit to select information to be provided.

9. The system according to claim 3, further comprising a route information storage unit for storing route information determined by said route type determining apparatus and information used to determine said route type, wherein said provided information selecting unit also refers to route history data stored in said route information storage unit to select information to be provided.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a unit for determining whether said user is leaving a second destination point or returning the second destination point,

wherein said provided information selecting unit uses information that differs between leaving and returning to the second destination point to select said provided information.

11. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a unit for determining whether said user is leaving a second destination point or returning to the second destination point,

wherein said provided information selecting unit uses information that differs between leaving and returning to the second destination point to select said provided information.

12. The system according to claim 8,

wherein said route information storage unit also stores information related to places visited by said user, which is received through said network;

wherein said provided information selecting unit searches route history data for routes similar to a current route on which said user is moving in said route information storage unit to select said destination point or information related to said destination point according to the information of said visited places included in said searched route history data.

13. The system according to claim 2, wherein said provided information selecting unit reads out a text in a synthesized voice and changes the quality and/or rhythm of said voice according to said route type determined by said route type determining apparatus.

14. An information providing apparatus travelling along with a user, comprising:

a storage unit for storing map information;

a detecting device for detecting a current position of the user;

an input device for inputting a destination point and a current moving purpose of the user;

a display device;

means for guiding the user to a current route between said current position and the destination point; and

a transmitter for outputting a request for searching information to be provided to said user according to said current moving purpose and a profile of said user through a wireless network,

wherein said display device displays information of facilities along the current route received through said network.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a voice synthesizer, and wherein an input through said input device is made interactively with said user.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, said display device displays information-of near-by shops and stores existing along the route on which the user is moving.