Portable guide device and portable telephone

• US 7,706,934 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2005
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Navitime Japan Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Navitime Japan Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Hiroshi, Onishi, Keisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US11/579,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20070208502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,826 Days
• Field of Search: 701 19- 20, 701/205, 701/117, 701/209, 701/202, 455/456, 455/414, 246/1.R, 246/1.C, 246/7
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A portable guide device is characterized by comprising a transport facility start judgment means for judging that a transport facility has begun to move if a period where an acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor (SN3) is included continuously in an acceleration range at the time of starting movement is not shorter than the acceleration continuation time; a distance calculation means for calculating the moving distance of the transport facility according to an acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor (SN3) when start of movement of the transport facility is detected; a route information storage means (KC6A) for storing route information including information on a distance between stations of the transport facility and station identifying information for identifying each station; and an announcement device control means (KC1) for controlling an announcement unit (11) which announces guidance of a station to a user of the portable guide device according to the station identification information on an entraining station, route information, and the moving distance.

Claims

1. A portable guide device comprising:

an acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration of a portable guide device when it is in motion;

acceleration range storage means for storing the motion start acceleration range of a transport facility which accelerates at a certain speed within a predetermined range at motion start time;

acceleration continuation time storage means for storing the acceleration continuation time to determine whether the transport facility has begun to move;

acceleration range judging means for determining whether the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor is within the motion start time acceleration range;

acceleration continuation judging means for determining whether the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor is within the motion start time acceleration range and whether the duration thereof is longer than the acceleration continuation time;

transport facility motion start judging means for determining that the transport facility has begun to move when the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor is within the motion start time acceleration range and the duration thereof is longer than the acceleration continuation time;

distance traveled calculating means for calculating, upon detection that the transport facility has begun to move, the distance traveled by transport facility based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor;

route information storage means for storing route information consisting of information pertaining to either the distance between respective stations of the transport facility or information on the position of stations, and station identification information for identifying the respective stations;

entraining station storage means for storing the station identification information in respect of the entraining station of the transport facility; and

announcement device control means which controls an announcement unit for announcing station guidance to a user of the portable guide device based on the station identification information in respect of the entraining station, the route information and the distance traveled by the transport facility.

2. The portable guide device according to claim 1, comprising:

route information receiving means for receiving the route information transmitted from a route information providing server storing the route information; and

the route information storage means for storing the received route information.

3. The portable guide device according to claim 1, comprising:

admission information receiving means which receives admission information in respect of admission to a station; and

the entraining station storage means for storing the admitted station as the entraining station based on the admission information received.

4. The portable guide device according to claim 3, comprising:

traveling direction operating means which, upon detection that the transport facility has begun to move, detects the traveling direction of the transport facility based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor;

traveling direction information transmitting means which transmits information on the traveling direction of the transport facility to the route information providing server for detecting a station on the route of the transport facility boarded by the user based on the admission information and information on the traveling direction; and

the route information storage means for storing the route information comprising station identification information of stations on the route transmitted from the route information providing server.

5. The portable guide device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 comprising:

station setting image display means which displays a station setting image for setting a departure station and a destination station;

setting station information transmission means for transmitting information in respect of the departure station and the destination station set according to inputs made to the station setting image to the route information providing server which stores the route information; and

the route information storage means for storing the route information comprising station identification information in respect of the departure station, the destination station, and each station of the transit stations transmitted from the route information providing server which detects transit stations between the departure station and the destination station.

6. The portable guide device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

route storage means for storing a route used by the transport facility from the departure location to the destination, an entraining station and detraining station of the transport facility boarded by the user, and station identification information in respect of the detraining station and transit stations;

the entraining station storage means for storing the entraining station stored in the route storage means as an entraining station of the transport facility; and

the route information storage means for storing route information comprising the station identification information in respect of the detraining station and transit stations.

7. A portable telephone comprising the portable guide device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. The portable telephone according to claim 7 comprising:

silent mode setting means, upon detection that the transport facility has begun to move, for setting the portable telephone to silent mode by which the user is informed of an incoming call without activating the ring tone which operates when an incoming call is made to the portable telephone.