Electronic guide system, contents server for electronic guide system, portable electronic guide device, and information processing method for electronic guide system

• US 8,972,186 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kobuya, Naoshi, Masano, Toru, Itako, Motoya, Noda, Atsushi, Nagasawa, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US13/748,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 701/533, 701/409, 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/995.14, 340/995.17, 382/305, 382/306, 455/456.3, 455/457
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3878 Hierarchical structures, e.g. layering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/008 Touring maps or guides to public transport networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

Tour guide contents stored in a tour guide apparatus carried by a user at a tour destination are provided with points of interest information and map data. This information includes latitude and longitude information for the site of each point of interest, and information on the providers of the information and the categories of information. The latitude and longitude information is provided for each site in relation to map data. By matching these pieces of latitude and longitude information to the map data, points of interest information can be laid out on the map and displayed. This makes it possible to select interesting site information to be displayed on the map based on the information provider, for example, points of interest information provided by provider A for restaurants and another set of information provided by provider B for hotels.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a display unit to control display of a map on a screen display, wherein the map includes an area through which a user moved and one or more routes in the area determined from map data,

wherein the display unit is operable to control plotting on the map displayed on the screen display of a user route the user moved through based on user action history information representative of the user route the user moved through, wherein the user action history information includes positional information identifying user positions and wherein the user route is displayed on the map by plotting markings over the map to show a movement track of the user, the markings being plotted based on the positional information identifying user positions, wherein the display unit is operable to control display of a thumbnail of an image, the image taken by the user in the area, on the same screen display with the map displayed with the markings showing the movement track of the user and in a display area external to the map, the thumbnail specified to be displayed in the display area based on shooting time of the image and time information in the user action history identifying times at which the user is located at respective positions, and

wherein the display unit is operable to control display of the thumbnail, in response to user operation, to be laid out on a site on the map displayed on the same screen display with the markings showing the movement track of the user, the site corresponding to the location at which the image is taken, based on shooting time of the image and time information in the user action history identifying times at which the user is located at respective positions.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a matching unit to match the positional information included with the user action history information to positional information defining the map.

3. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

an information acquisition unit to acquire site information including positional information specifying a position of a site,

wherein the user action history information includes information representative of the route the user moved through including the site, and

wherein the display unit is operable to control display on the map of the route the user moved through including the site, based on the user action history information, and the site information, based on the positional information included with the site information.

4. The device of claim 3 further comprising:

a matching unit to match the positional information included with the site information to positional information defining the map.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a memory to store the user action history information; and

a generating unit to generate the user action history information based on movement of the device.

6. A method comprising:

controlling, by a processor, display of a map on a screen display, wherein the map includes an area through which a user moved and one or more routes in the area determined from map data;

controlling, by the processor, plotting on the map displayed on the screen display of a user route the user moved through based on user action history information representative of the user route the user moved through, wherein the user action history information includes positional information identifying user positions and wherein the user route is displayed on the map by plotting markings over the map to show a movement track of the user, the markings being plotted based on the positional information identifying user positions;

controlling display of a thumbnail of an image, the image taken by the user in the area, on the same screen display with the map displayed with the markings showing the movement track of the user and in a display area external to the map, the thumbnail specified to be displayed in the display area based on shooting time of the image and time information in the user action history identifying times at which the user is located at respective positions, and

controlling display of the thumbnail, in response to user operation, to be laid out on a site on the map displayed on the same screen display with the markings showing the movement track of the user, the site corresponding to the location at which the image is taken, based on shooting time of the image and time information in the user action history identifying times at which the user is located at respective positions.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

matching the positional information included with the user action history information to positional information defining the map.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

acquiring site information including positional information specifying a position of a site, wherein the user action history information includes information representative of the route the user moved through including the site; and

controlling display on the map of the route the user moved through including the site, based on the user action history information, and the site information, based on the positional information included with the site information.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

matching the positional information included with the site information to positional information defining the map.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

storing the user action history information; and

generating the user action history information based on movement of a device.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process, the process comprising:

controlling display of a map on a screen display, wherein the map includes an area through which a user moved and one or more routes in the area determined from map data;

controlling plotting on the map displayed on the screen display of a user route the user moved through based on user action history information representative of the user route the user moved through, wherein the user action history information includes positional information identifying user positions and wherein the user route is displayed on the map by plotting markings over the map to show a movement track of the user, the markings being plotted based on the positional information identifying user positions;

controlling display of a thumbnail of an image, the image taken by the user in the area, on the same screen display with the map displayed with the markings showing the movement track of the user and in a display area external to the map, the thumbnail specified to be displayed in the display area based on shooting time of the image and time information in the user action history identifying times at which the user is located at respective positions; and

controlling display of the thumbnail, in response to user operation, to be laid out on a site on the map displayed on the same screen display with the markings showing the movement track of the user, the site corresponding to the location at which the image is taken, based on shooting time of the image and time information in the user action history identifying times at which the user is located at respective positions.

12. A device comprising:

a display unit to control a display to display a thumbnail of an image in a thumbnail display area and a map corresponding to position information of an image in a map display area,

wherein the thumbnail is displayed according to time information of the image, the image taken by the user, in the thumbnail display area,

wherein the map is overlapped with a user route based on user action history information,

wherein an icon corresponding to the image is displayed, on the user route, according to the time information of the image and time information of the user action history information, and

wherein by drag and drop the thumbnail of the image displayed in the thumbnail display area onto a site in the map display area, the icon is displayed corresponding to the thumbnail on a site in the map display area.

13. The device of claim 12 further comprising:

a memory to store the user action history information; and

a generating unit to generate the user action history information based on movement of the device.

14. A method comprising:

controlling, by the processor, a display to display a thumbnail of an image in a thumbnail display area and a map corresponding to position information of an image in a map display area,

wherein the thumbnail is displayed according to time information of the image, the image taken by the user, in the thumbnail display area,

wherein the map is overlapped with a user route based on user action history information,

wherein an icon corresponding to the image is displayed, on the user route, according to the time information of the image and time information of the user action history information, and

wherein by drag and drop the thumbnail of the image displayed in the thumbnail display area onto a site in the map display area, the icon is displayed corresponding to the thumbnail on a site in the map display area.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

storing the user action history information; and

generating the user action history information based on movement of a device.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process, the process comprising:

controlling a display to display a thumbnail of an image in a thumbnail display area and a map corresponding to position information of an image in a map display area,

wherein the thumbnail is displayed according to time information of the image, the image taken by the user, in the thumbnail display area,

wherein the map is overlapped with a user route based on user action history information,

wherein an icon corresponding to the image is displayed, on the user route, according to the time information of the image and time information of the user action history information, and

wherein by drag and drop the thumbnail of the image displayed in the thumbnail display area onto a site in the map display area, the icon is displayed corresponding to the thumbnail on a site in the map display area.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the process comprises:

matching positional information included with the user action history information to positional information defining the map.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the process comprises:

acquiring site information including positional information specifying a position of a site, wherein the user action history information includes information representative of the route the user moved through including the site specified by the site information, and

controlling display on the map of the route the user moved through including the site specified by the site information, based on the user action history information, and the site information, based on positional information included with the site information.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the process comprises:

matching the positional information included with the site information to positional information defining the map.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the process comprises:

storing the user action history information; and

generating the user action history information based on movement of a device.