Information distributing device, system and method

• US 7,779,066 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2002
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Igarashi, Kaoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza; Faruk
• Application Number:
  US10/172,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20030018713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,982 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701200-201, 701206-209, 709201-203, 709/206, 709217-219, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

An information distributing machine distributes only information comparatively related to a user. The information distributing machine has a memory for storing a moving path of every user. The information distributing machine also has a distribution information entry unit for accepting distribution information including position information. A controller determines whether there is particular relationship between the moving path stored in the memory and the position information included in the distribution information. The information distribution machine transmits the distribution information to a user when there is the relationship between the moving path of that user and the position information.

Claims

1. An information distributing device comprising:

a memory for storing a predetermined moving path of a user, the predetermined moving path being determined by the user;

a distribution information entry unit for receiving distribution information from a remote source, the distribution information including position information;

a determination unit for determining whether there is a predetermined relationship between the predetermined moving path stored in said memory and the position information included in the distribution information; and

a transmitting unit responsive to said determination unit determining that there is the predetermined relationship between the predetermined moving path and the position information, for transmitting the distribution information to the user.

2. The information distributing device according to claim 1, wherein the position information specifies an area related to the distribution information.

3. The information distributing device according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting unit is configured to transmit the distribution information by e-mail.

4. The information distributing device according to claim 1, wherein said remote source comprises an information transmitting server.

5. The information distributing device according to claim 1 further comprising a moving path setting unit for calculating and setting the predetermined moving path on the basis of a departing spot and a destination spot designated by the user, and map data.

6. The information distributing device according to claim 5, wherein said moving path setting unit is configured to obtain the map data from a map information server.

7. The information distributing device according to claim 1, wherein the distribution information transmitted by said transmitting unit is configured to be received by a terminal unit.

8. The information distributing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a request entry unit for receiving a request from the user, the request indicating a type of information which the user wants to receive, and a match detection unit for determining whether the indicated type of the information matches a type of the distribution information,

wherein said transmitting unit is responsive to the determination unit determining that there is the predetermined relationship between the user position information and the predetermined moving path and the match detection unit determining that the type of the information indicated in the request matches the type of the distribution information, to transmit the distribution information to the user.

21. The information distributing device according to claim 1, wherein the distribution information includes at least one of traffic information, weather information, event information, and gourmet information.

24. The information distributing device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined moving path includes:

at least one of a moving path utilized by the user substantially every day, a commuting path, and an attending school path.

25. The information distributing device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined moving path includes:

a railway station used by the user to travel from a predetermined departure location to a predetermined destination location.

26. The information distributing device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined moving path includes:

at least one of a railway station, a railway route, ride-on station information, and get-off station information.

27. The information distributing device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined moving path includes:

road information, and

at least one of a railway route, ride-on station information, and get-off station information.

28. The information distributing device according to claim 1, wherein the distribution information includes at least one of advertisement information, traffic information, and weather information.

9. An information distributing method comprising:

storing a predetermined moving path of a user, the predetermined path being determined by the user;

receiving distribution information from a remote source, the distribution information including position information;

determining whether there is a predetermined relationship between the stored predetermined moving path and the position information included in the distribution information; and

transmitting the distribution information to the user when said determining determines that there is the predetermined relationship between the predetermined moving path and the position information.

10. The information distributing method according to claim 9, wherein the position information specifies an area related to the distribution information.

11. The information distributing method according to claim 9, wherein the distribution information is transmitted to the user by e-mail.

12. The information distributing method according to claim 9 further comprising calculating and setting the predetermined moving path on the basis of a departing spot and a destination spot designated by the user, and map data, before storing the moving path.

13. The information distributing method according to claim 9, further comprising, before transmitting the distribution information to the user:

indicating a type of information which the user wants to receive; and

determining whether the indicated type of information matches a type of the distribution information,

wherein the distribution information is transmitted to the user when said determining determines that there is the predetermined relationship between the position information and the predetermined moving path and that the indicated type of information matches the type of the distribution information.

22. The information distributing method according to claim 9, wherein the distribution information includes at least one of traffic information, weather information, event information, and gourmet information.

14. An information distributing system comprising:

a memory for storing a predetermined moving path of a user who uses a terminal unit, the predetermined moving path being determined by the user;

a distribution information generating unit for generating distribution information, the distribution information including position information;

a determination unit for determining whether there is a predetermined relationship between the predetermined moving path stored in said memory and the position information included in distribution information; and

a transmitting unit responsive to said determination unit determining that there is the predetermined relationship between the predetermined moving path and the position information, for transmitting the distribution information to the terminal unit of the user.

15. The information distributing system according to claim 14, wherein the position information specifies an area related to the distribution information.

16. The information distributing system according to claim 14, wherein said transmitting unit is configured to transmit the distribution information by e-mail.

17. The information distributing system according to claim 14 further comprising a moving path setting unit for calculating and setting the moving path on the basis of a departing spot and a destination spot designated by the user, and map data.

18. The information distributing system according to claim 17 further comprising a map information server for supplying the map data.

19. The information distributing system according to claim 14, wherein the distribution information transmitted by said transmitting unit is configured to be received by the terminal unit.

20. The information distributing system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a request entry unit that receives a request that indicates a type of information which the user wants to receive, and

a match detection unit for determining whether the indicated type of information matches a type of the distribution information,

wherein said transmitting unit is responsive to the determination unit determining that there is the predetermined relationship between the position information and the predetermined moving path and the match detection unit determining that the type of the information indicated in the request matches the type of the distribution information, to transmit the distribution information to the user.

23. The information distributing system according to claim 14, wherein the distribution information includes at least one of traffic information, weather information, event information, and gourmet information.