Information terminal device, method for controlling information terminal device, recording medium on which program for controlling information terminal device is recorded, and communication network

• US 8,315,801 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2007
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GeoTechnologies, Inc., Pellitech, LLC, PIP Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Takagi, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe
• Application Number:
  US12/281,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20090198442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,100 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/200, 701/208, 701/209, 701/211, 701408-410, 701/418, 701/421, 701/433, 701/436, 701/533, 345/633, 345/418, 345/419, 345/6, 340/995.19, 340/995.2
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/102 using electrical means

Abstract

An information terminal device that clearly displays routes and directions to be taken is provided. A method for controlling the information terminal device, a program for controlling the information terminal device, a recording medium on which the program for controlling the information terminal device is recorded, and a communication network are also provided. An information terminal device displays surrounding area information including a display of the destination and a symbol representing the street leading to the destination from an exit of the nearest station, and image information formed by adding an arrow representing the direction toward the destination to a photograph of the street leading to the destination from the exit of the nearest station.

Claims

1. An information terminal device which transmits and receives information to and from a server device via a network, comprising:

an input device which inputs destination information indicative of a destination by a user,

a transmitting device which transmits the inputted destination information to the server device,

a receiving device which receives, from the server device, image information indicative of a three-dimensional image viewed from a station exit of public transportation, and

a display device which displays the received image information,

wherein the receiving device receives the image information indicative of the three-dimensional image which includes a road directed to the destination among a plurality of roads connected to a station exit in a surrounding area of the destination designated by the destination information, and in which an arrow indicative of a direction to the destination is superimposed on the road, and

the display device displays the received image information indicative of the three-dimensional image in a case where a present position is at the station exit in the surrounding area of the destination, and

wherein the three-dimensional image is an image indicative of a direction away from the station exit along the road from one of a plurality of positions in proximity to the station exit which correspond to a plurality of the roads connected to the station exit, the image being associated with one of a plurality of the positions, and

the receiving device receives the image information indicative of the three-dimensional image associated with a position which a road directed to the destination includes, and wherein the three-dimensional image is an image which directs a user from the station exit to the destination.

2. An information terminal device according to claim 1,

wherein the image information indicative of the three-dimensional image is photograph information.

3. A method for controlling an information terminal device which transmits and receives information to and from a server device via a network, comprising:

inputting destination information indicative of a destination by a user,

transmitting the inputted destination information to the server device,

receiving, from the server device, image information indicative of a three-dimensional image viewed from a station exit of public transportation, and

displaying the received image information,

wherein the receiving the image information indicative of the three-dimensional image viewed from the station exit of public transportation comprises receiving the image information indicative of the three-dimensional image which includes a road directed to the destination among a plurality of roads connected to a station exit in a surrounding area of the destination designated by the destination information, and in which an arrow indicative of a direction to the destination is superimposed on the road, and

the displaying comprises displaying the received image information indicative of the three-dimensional image in a case where a present position is at the station exit in the surrounding area of the destination, and

wherein the three-dimensional image is an image indicative of a direction away from the station exit along the road from one of a plurality of positions in proximity to the station exit which correspond to a plurality of the roads connected to the station exit, the image being associated with one of a plurality of the positions, and

receiving the image information indicative of the three-dimensional image associated with a position which a road directed to the destination includes, and wherein the three-dimensional image is an image which directs a user from the station exit to the destination.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium where a program for controlling an information terminal device which transmits and receives information to and from a server device via a network is recorded,

the program causing a computer in the information terminal device to function as:

an input device which inputs destination information indicative of a destination by a user,

a transmitting device which transmits the inputted destination information to the server device,

a receiving device which receives, from the server device, image information indicative of a three-dimensional image viewed from a station exit of public transportation, and

a display device which displays the received image information,

wherein the receiving device receives the image information indicative of the three-dimensional image which includes a road directed to the destination among a plurality of roads connected to a station exit in a surrounding area of the destination designated by the destination information, and in which an arrow indicative of a direction to the destination is superimposed on the road, and

the display device displays the received image information indicative of the three-dimensional image in a case where a present position is at the station exit in the surrounding area of the destination, and

wherein the three-dimensional image is an image indicative of a direction away from the station exit along the road from one of a plurality of positions in proximity to the station exit which correspond to a plurality of the roads connected to the station exit, the image being associated with one of a plurality of the positions, and

the receiving device receives the image information indicative of the three-dimensional image associated with a position which a road directed to the destination includes, and wherein the three-dimensional image is an image which directs a user from the station exit to the destination.