Information processing apparatus and method, information processing system, and providing medium

• US 7,685,524 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Rekimoto, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh; Ba
• Application Number:
  US11/537,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20070038960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 715/736, 715/737, 455450-456, 701207-223, 701/300
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

The invention enables users to virtually attach information to situations in the real world, and also enables users to quickly and easily find out desired information. An IR sensor receives an IR signal transmitted from an IR beacon, and supplies the received signal to a sub-notebook PC. A CCD video camera takes in a visual ID from an object, and supplies the inputted visual ID to the sub-notebook PC. A user inputs, through a microphone, a voice to be attached to situations in the real world. The sub-notebook PC transmits position data, object data and voice data, which have been supplied to it, to a server through a communication unit. The transmitted data is received by the server via a wireless LAN. The server stores the received voice data in a database in correspondence to the position data and the object data.

Claims

1. A wireless communication terminal for communication with a plurality of wireless base stations, the plurality of wireless base stations including a first wireless base station and a second wireless base station, the wireless communication terminal comprising:

acquisition means for acquiring;

(a) a first electric field strength of a first electric wave received from said first base station;

(b) a first unique ID for said first base station;

(c) a second electric field strength of a second electric wave received from said second base station; and

(d) a second unique ID for said second base station; and

location estimation means for estimating a relative distance between a present location and a previous location by;

(a) initializing a variable distance to a first value;

(b) for;

(i) said first electronic filed strength;

(ii) said first unique ID;

(iii) said second electronic field strength; and

(iv) said second unique ID, determining whether a calculation loop is complete;

(c) in response to a determination that the said calculation loop is not complete;

(i) determine whether said first unique ID is equal to said second unique ID;

(ii) in response to a determination that said first ID being equal to said second ID, set said variable distance to a different second value and repeat step (b); and

(iii) in response to a determination that said first ID is not equal to said second ID, repeat step (b); and

(d) in response to a determination that said calculation loop is complete, set said variable distance to a different third value as said relative distance.

2. A method for location estimation comprising:

receiving by a wireless communication terminal;

(a) a first electric field strength of a first electric wave from a first base station;

(b) a first unique ID from said first base station;

(c) a second electric field strength of a second electric wave from a second base station; and

(d) a second unique ID from said second base station;

estimating by said wireless communication terminal a relative distance between a present location and a previous location by;

(a) initializing a variable distance to a first value;

(b) for;

(i) said first electronic filed strength;

(ii) said first unique ID;

(iii) said second electronic field strength; and

(iv) said second unique ID, determining whether a calculation loop is complete;

(c) in response to a determination that the said calculation loop is not complete;

(i) determine whether said first unique ID is equal to said second unique ID;

(ii) in response to a determination that said first ID being equal to said second ID, set said variable distance to a different second value and repeat step (b); and

(iii) in response to a determination that said first ID is not equal to said second ID, repeat step (b); and

(d) in response to a determination that said calculation loop is complete, set said variable distance to a different third value as said relative distance.