Tourist information guiding apparatus

• US 7,720,599 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2005
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakashima, Nobuo, Miyawaki, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Algahaim; Helal A
• Application Number:
  US11/212,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20060058956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/211, 340/995.24, 340/995.26
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like

Abstract

A tourist information guiding apparatus is provided with a tourist spot information storage storing image data relating to tourist spots in correspondence with character string data for sightseeing guide written in a plurality of languages, a monitor for displaying operation screens used to input various instructions such as the display of tourist information, a language receiving section for receiving the selection of a language via the operation screen on the monitor, a tourist spot receiving section for receiving the selection of a tourist spot, and a display controlling section for causing the monitor to display an image of the tourist spot selected by the tourist spot receiving section together with a character string for sightseeing guide written in the language designated by the language receiving section. A traveler can obtain tourist information in his native language at a travel destination by means of a tourist information guiding apparatus.

Claims

1. A tourist information guiding apparatus, comprising:

a tourist spot information storage device configured to store image data relating to tourist spots in correspondence with character string data for a sightseeing guide written in a plurality of languages;

a monitor provided on an apparatus main body;

a tourist spot receiver provided in the apparatus main body configured to receive a selection of a tourist spot;

a language receiver provided in the apparatus main body configured to receive a selection of a language;

a display controller configured to cause the monitor to display an image relating to the tourist spot selected by the tourist spot receiver together with a character string for sightseeing guide written in the language designated by the language receiver;

a printer configured to print an image on a recording sheet;

a print instruction receiver provided in the apparatus main body configured to receive a print instruction from the outside to print the image relating to the tourist spot displayed on the monitor and the character string for the sightseeing guide written in the image;

a print controller configured to cause the printer to print the image relating to the tourist spot instructed to be printed and the character string for the sightseeing guide written in the image; and

a local language receiver provided in the apparatus main body configured to receive the selection of a local language used at the place of installation of the apparatus from a plurality of languages; and

said print controller causes the character string data for the sightseeing guide stored in said tourist spot information storage device in the language designated by the language receiver and in the local language designated by the local language receiver to be included in a print data.

2. A tourist information guiding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display controller causes the monitor to display, for a plurality of tourist spots, a list of images relating to the respective tourist spots together with character strings for sightseeing guide written in the language designated by the language receiver.

3. A tourist information guiding apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a printer for printing an image on a recording sheet;

a print instruction receiver provided in the apparatus main body for receiving a print instruction from the outside to print the image relating to the tourist spot displayed on the monitor and the character string for sightseeing guide written in the image; and

a print controller for causing the printer to print the image relating to the tourist spot instructed to be printed and the character string for sightseeing guide written in the image.

4. A tourist information guiding apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a type information storage device for storing type information specifying the types of the tourist spots in correspondence with the image data relating to the tourist spots;

a type receiver provided in the apparatus main body for receiving the selection of the type of the tourist spots; and

a searcher for searching the image data of the tourist spots corresponding to the tourist spot type selected by the type receiver from contents of storage of the tourist spot information storage device;

wherein the display controller causes the monitor to display a list of images relating to the tourist spots searched by the searcher together with the character strings for sightseeing guide written in the language designated by the language receiver.

5. A tourist information guiding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the tourist spot information storage device stores an image data of a map in and around the tourist spot for each tourist spot, and the print controller causes the image data of the map to be included in the print data.

6. A tourist information guiding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the tourist spot information storage device stores an image data of a map in and around the tourist spot for each tourist spot, and the print controller causes the image data of the map to be included in the print data.

7. A tourist information guiding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the tourist spot information storage device stores a character string data of a message for designating the tourist spot as a destination for each tourist spot, and the print controller causes the character string data of the message to be included in the print data.

8. A tourist information guiding apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the tourist spot information storage device stores an image data of a map in and around the tourist spot for each tourist spot, and the print controller causes the image data of the map to be included in the print data.

9. A tourist information guiding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the tourist spot information storage device stores a character string data representing the content of discount of a service discount ticket handed out at the tourist spot for each tourist spot, and the print controller causes the character string data representing the content of discount of the discount ticket and/or the image data to be included in the print data.

10. A tourist information guiding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the tourist spot information storage device stores an image data of a map in and around the tourist spot for each tourist spot, and the print controller causes the image data of the map to be included in the print data.

11. A tourist information guiding apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a position information acquirer for acquiring position information of the place of installation of the apparatus, wherein the print controller causes the image data of the map including the position information of the place of installation of the apparatus to be included in the print data.

12. A tourist information guiding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a type information storage device for storing type information specifying the types of the tourist spots in correspondence with the image data relating to the tourist spots;

a type receiver provided in the apparatus main body for receiving the selection of the type of the tourist spots; and

a searcher for searching the image data of the tourist spots corresponding to the tourist spot type selected by the type receiver from contents of storage of the tourist spot information storage device;

wherein the display controller causes the monitor to display a list of images relating to the tourist spots searched by the searcher together with the character strings for sightseeing guide written in the language designated by the language receiver.

13. A tourist information guiding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a printer for printing an image on a recording sheet;

a print instruction receiver provided in the apparatus main body for receiving a print instruction from the outside to print the image relating to the tourist spot displayed on the monitor and the character string for sightseeing guide written in the image; and

a print controller for causing the printer to print the image relating to the tourist spot instructed to be printed and the character string for sightseeing guide written in the image.

14. A tourist information guiding apparatus, comprising:

a tourist spot information storage device configured to store image data relating to tourist spots in correspondence with character string data for a sightseeing guide written in a plurality of languages, said tourist spots information relating to information of a place where said tourist information guiding apparatus is installed;

one of said plurality of languages being a local language used at the place of installation of said tourist information guiding apparatus;

a monitor provided on an apparatus main body;

a tourist spot receiver provided in the apparatus main body configured to receive a selection of a tourist spot;

a language receiver provided in the apparatus main body configured to receive a selection of a language;

a display controller configured to cause the monitor to display an image relating to the tourist spot selected by the tourist spot receiver together with a character string for sightseeing guide written in the language designated by the language receiver;

a printer configured to print an image on a recording sheet;

a print instruction receiver provided in the apparatus main body configured to receive a print instruction from the outside to print the image relating to the tourist spot displayed on the monitor and the character string for the sightseeing guide written in the image;

a print controller configured to cause the printer to print the image relating to the tourist spot instructed to be printed and the character string for the sightseeing guide written in the image; and

a local language receiver provided in the apparatus main body configured to receive the selection of a local language used at the place of installation of the apparatus from a plurality of languages;

said print controller causes the character string data for the sightseeing guide stored in said tourist spot information storage device in the language designated by the language receiver and in the local language designated by the local language receiver to be included in a print data.

15. The tourist information guiding apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the display controller causes the monitor to display, for a plurality of tourist spots, a list of images relating to the respective tourist spots together with character strings for sightseeing guide written in the language designated by the language receiver.

16. The tourist information guiding apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

a charge receiving section for calculating an amount of money received from outside of said apparatus; and

a charge calculating section for calculating a charge amount based on the print instruction received by said print instruction receiver and for issuing a permission signal when the charge receiving section receives said calculated charge amount.