Guide system, guide apparatus, and radio apparatus which communicates with guide apparatus

• US 20040254717A1
• Filed: 03/17/2004
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Uno, Yoshinobu, Sugahara, Masato
• Granted Patent: US 7,315,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/133 within the vehicle ; Indicators inside the vehicles or at stops

Abstract

A guide system for delivering data between a guide apparatus and a terminal without installing a data carrier reader. This guide system comprises a guide apparatus and a radio apparatus that is a terminal communicating with the guide apparatus. In the guide apparatus, guide data generating means generates guide data on the basis of conditional data transmitted from the radio apparatus, and a communication means transmits the guide data to the radio apparatus, and receives the conditional data from the radio apparatus. The radio apparatus comprises a communication means which receives the guide data generated by the guide apparatus and transmits the conditional data to the guide apparatus. Thus, the radio apparatus receives and utilizes the guide data transmitted by the guide apparatus.

Claims

1. A guide system comprising:

a guide apparatus; and

a radio apparatus for communicating with the guide apparatus,

wherein the guide apparatus includes;

guide data generating means for generating guide data on the basis of conditional data transmitted from the radio apparatus;

a communication means for one of transmitting the guide data to the radio apparatus and receiving the conditional data from the radio apparatus,

wherein the radio apparatus includes;

a communication means for one of receiving the guide data generated by the guide apparatus and transmitting the conditional data to the guide apparatus,

wherein the radio apparatus transmits the conditional data, which requests a generation of the guide data, to the guide apparatus,

wherein the radio apparatus receives and uses the guide data transmitted and generated by the guide apparatus on the basis of the conditional data received by the guide apparatus.

2. The guide system of claim 1, wherein the guide apparatus includes a position calculating means which is mounted or carried in a mobile unit for detecting a present position of the mobile unit, and when the guide apparatus receives a destination as conditional data from the radio apparatus, the guide apparatus generates the guide data about how to reach the destination and transmits the guide data to the radio apparatus.

3. The guide system of claim 2, wherein the guide apparatus includes a transmitting means for transmitting guide data to the radio apparatus at least one of when the guide apparatus arrives at the destination and when the guide apparatus nearly reaches the destination, the guide data including data of at least one of the arrival and the nearly reaching to the destination, wherein the radio apparatus includes a notifying means for notifying a user, with at least one of sound and vibration, of at least one of the arrival and the nearly reaching to the destination after receiving the guide data.

4. The guide system of claim 2, wherein when the guide apparatus receives the conditional data including at least two destinations, the guide apparatus transmits the guide data of visiting the destinations in a predetermined order.

5. The guide system of claim 4, wherein the order makes a total length of routes for visiting the destinations shortest.

6. The guide system of claim 1, wherein the guide apparatus includes an output means for transforming at least one of the conditional data and the guide data, which are transmitted from the radio apparatus, in response to an output format for outputting.

7. The guide system of claim 1, wherein the radio apparatus includes:

an obtaining means for obtaining information as the guide data about an output format of the guide data from the guide apparatus; and

an output means for outputting the guide data received from the guide apparatus following the information about the output format.

8. The guide system of claim 1, wherein the guide apparatus includes an obtaining means for obtaining vicinity information, and the guide data generating means generates the guide information data including the vicinity information obtained.

9. The guide system of claim 1, wherein the radio apparatus includes:

a telephone communication means for calling and receiving a telephone; and

a wire connecting means for connecting with an external apparatus;

wherein the conditional data included in the radio apparatus is generated, from at least one of;

data obtained in advance from the guide apparatus via the communication means;

data obtained via a communication network coupled to a base station, wherein the telephone communication means makes a radio telephone connection to the base station for coupling the communication network to the base station;

data obtained from the external apparatus via the wire connecting means;

data prepared in advance at the telephone communication means; and

data stored in advance in a memory means which stores the guide data.

10. The guide system of claim 9, wherein the guide apparatus includes a position calculating means which is mounted or carried in a mobile unit for detecting a present position of the mobile unit, and when the guide apparatus receives a destination as conditional data from the radio apparatus, the guide apparatus generates the guide data about how to reach the destination and transmits the guide data to the radio apparatus.

11. The guide system of claim 10, the guide apparatus includes a transmitting means for transmitting a cost, as the guide data, for a guide served by the guide apparatus to an owner of the radio apparatus, wherein the radio apparatus includes a transmitting means for transmitting the cost to a message accounting center which charges the cost to the owner.

12. The guide system of claim 11, wherein the radio apparatus includes a memory means for storing a past use record, and at a new use, the radio apparatus reads the past use record for transmitting the record as conditional data to the guide apparatus, wherein the guide apparatus includes a calculating means for discounting a cost depending on the conditional data received, and transmits the discounted cost as guide data to the radio apparatus.

13. The guide system of claim 9, wherein the radio apparatus includes:

an obtaining means for obtaining information of an output format as the guide data one of via the communication network and from the guide apparatus; and

an output means for outputting the guide data received from the guide apparatus following the information of the output format.

14. The guide system of claim 9, wherein the guide apparatus includes:

a second communication means for communicating with a center apparatus which communicates, via one of a wire and radio, and one of directly and via a communication network, with another guide apparatus, or both of the guide apparatus and the another guide apparatus, and

when the guide apparatus generates guide data corresponding to the conditional data received from the radio apparatus, the guide apparatus transmits at least a part of the conditional data to the another guide apparatus or the center apparatus,

then the another guide apparatus or the center apparatus generates a second guide data on the basis of the conditional data received, and transmits the second guide data back to the guide apparatus, and

the guide apparatus transmits the guide data generated by itself together with the second guide data to the radio apparatus.

15. The guide system of claim 9, wherein the guide apparatus includes an obtaining means for obtaining vicinity information, and the guide data generating means generates the guide data including the vicinity information obtained.

16. A radio apparatus comprising:

a telephone communication means for calling and receiving a radio telephone;

an output means for transforming data obtained by the telephone communication means in response to an output format, and outputting the data;

a transmitting means for transmitting conditional data including the output format and requesting of a generation of guide data to a guide apparatus by a short range communication; and

a receiving means for receiving guide data from the guide apparatus,

wherein the radio apparatus receives and uses the guide data transmitted by the guide apparatus.

17. A guide apparatus for communicating with a radio apparatus by a short range communication and generating guide data at a request of the radio apparatus, the guide apparatus comprising:

a communication means for receiving conditional data to be used for generating the guide data from the radio apparatus; and

a controller for transmitting the guide data generated on the basis of the conditional data from the communication means to the radio apparatus.