Area information provision system and method

• US 7,529,617 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2004
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ono, Takashi, Fujimoto, Shingo, Murakami, Masahiko, Iwakawa, Akinori, Kakuta, Jun, Okada, Sumiyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US10/798,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20050080554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,880 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701200-209, 701/213, 701/25, 4554561-4563, 340/988, 340/995.12
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

A method and system for providing area information anticipates the user'"'"'s mode of transportation and destination and provides information specific to the anticipated mode of transportation and destination. The system comprises two information processing devices. The first transmits at least one item of area specific information and, the second receives at least one item of area specific information, wherein the first information processing device stores area specific information and corresponding location information in pairs, infers a mode of user transportation and estimates a destination of the user based on location information of a user of the second device, extracts at least one item of area information specific to the destination of the user, and transmits the at least one item of extracted area information to the second information processing device, and wherein the second information processing device receives the at least one item of area information from the first device.

Claims

1. A system for providing area information comprising:

a first information processing device to transmit at least one item of area information; and

a second information processing device to receive the at least one item of area information;

wherein the first information processing device comprises;

a first storage unit to store area information including location information,

a second storage unit to store mode of transportation and specific location information corresponding to mode of transportation in pairs,

a receiving unit to receive location information of a user from the second information processing device,

an inference unit to infer a mode of user transportation based on the received location information of a user of the second information processing device,

a destination estimation unit operable to estimate a next stop of the mode of user transportation based on the specific location to the inferred mode of user transportation in the second storage unit, the inferred mode of user transportation, and the received location information of a user of the second information processing device,

an extraction unit to extract at least one item of area information specific to the estimated next stop of the mode of user transportation from the first storage unit, and

a transmission unit to transmit the at least one item of area information extracted by the extraction unit to the second information processing device; and

wherein the second information processing device comprises;

a receiving unit to receive the at least one item of area information from the first information processing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the inference unit alternately operable to infer a mode of user transportation based on schedule information of the user of the second information processing device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the inference unit further infers a mode of user transportation based on schedule information of the user of the second information processing device, the schedule information contained in the second information processing device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the inference unit further infers a mode of user transportation based on schedule information of the user of the second information processing device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the inference unit further infers a mode of user transportation based on schedule information of the user of the second information processing device, the schedule information contained in the second information processing device.

6. A method for providing area information comprising the steps of:

storing area information including location information in a first storage unit,

storing mode of transportation and specific location information corresponding to the mode of transportation in pairs in a second storage unit,

receiving location information of a user from an information processing device,

inferring a mode of user transportation based on the received location information of a user of the information processing device,

estimating a next stop of the mode of user transportation based on the specific location corresponding to the inferred mode of user transportation in the second storage unit, the inferred mode of user transportation, and the received location information of a user of the second information processing device,

extracting at least one item of area information specific to the estimated next stop of the mode of user transportation from the first storage unit, and

transmitting the at least one item of area information extracted by the extraction unit to the information processing device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a mode of user transportation is inferred based on schedule information of a user of an information processing device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the schedule information is stored in the information processing device.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

inferring a mode of user transportation based on schedule information of the user of the information processing device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the schedule information is stored in the information processing device.

11. A computer readable storage medium storing a program for providing area information, the program causing a computer to function with:

storing area information including location information in a first storage unit,

storing mode of transportation and specific location information corresponding to mode of transportation in pairs in a second storage unit, receiving location information of a user from an information processing device, inferring a mode of user transportation based on the received location information of a user of the information processing device,

estimating a next stop of the mode of user transportation based on the specific location corresponding to the inferred mode of user transportation in the second storage unit, the inferred mode of user transportation, and the received location information of a user of the second information processing device,

extracting at least one item of area information specific to estimated next stop of the mode of user transportation from the first storage unit, and

transmitting the at least one item of area information extracted by the extraction unit to the information processing device.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein a mode of user transportation is inferred based on schedule information of a user of an information processing device.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the schedule information is contained in the information processing device.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the program further performs the step of:

inferring a mode of user transportation based on schedule information of the user of the information processing device.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the schedule information is contained in the information processing device.