APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING POSITION INFORMATION SERVICE

• US 20100248745A1
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kasama, Koichiro, Ozawa, Yumiko, Nakajima, Yuko, Ueno, Mitsuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,074,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.300
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• 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: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• 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 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

An apparatus for providing a position information service includes a position acquisition section for acquiring first position information of a current position; an input section for inputting search information related to a destination; an acquire section for acquiring, on the basis of the search information, destination alternative information including at least an alternative destination related to the destination and a second position information of the at least the alternative destination; an output section for outputting first screen information including the destination alternative information and position relation information between the at least the alternative destination and the current position, and, when one of the at least the alternative destination is selected, second screen information including the position relation information between the selected alternative information and the current position; and a display for displaying the first screen information and the second screen information.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing a position information service for displaying position relation information between a current position and a destination, the apparatus comprising:

a position acquisition section which acquires first position information of the current position;

an input section which inputs search information related to the destination;

an acquire section which acquires, on the basis of the search information, destination alternative information including at least an alternative destination related to the destination and a second position information of the at least the alternative destination;

an output section which outputs first screen information including the destination alternative information and position relation information between the at least the alternative destination and the current position, and, when one of the at least the alternative destination is selected, second screen information including the position relation information between the selected alternative information and the current position; and

a display which displays the first screen information and the second screen information.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second screen information is a visual direction information of the position relation information between the at least the alternative information and the current position.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output section acquires the position relation information between the at least the alternative destination and the current position on the basis of the at least the first position information and the second position information.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an orientation acquisition section which acquires orientation information of the apparatus,

wherein the output section adjusts the position relation information between the at least the alternative destination and the current position on the basis of the orientation information, and the display displays the adjusted position relation information.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the visual direction information is an image of an arrow indicating the selected destination.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display simultaneously displays the first and the second screen information.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and the second screen information is displayed by means of widget drawing.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an acceleration sensor section which outputs gravity vector information of the apparatus,

wherein the output section adjusts the position relation information between the at least the alternative destination and the current position on the basis of the gravity vector information, and the display displays the adjusted position relation information.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the output section calculates an inclination of a surface of the second screen relative to a ground surface, and adjusts the visual direction information so that the visual direction information is horizontal relative to the ground surface.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output section displays a first icon representing the current position and at least a second icon representing the at least the alternative destination so as to display the position relation information in a distance and a direction of the at least the alternative destination relative to the current position.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquire section includes:

a local storage which records a database including the destination alternative information; and

a search execute unit which searches and acquires the destination alternative information from the database on the basis of the search information and the current position.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the acquire section further includes a retrieval controller which retrieves an outer database to be at least a part of the database to the local storage.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the acquire section further includes a contactless communication controller connected to the retrieval controller, the retrieval controller retrieving the outer database via the contactless communication controller.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the acquire section further includes a drive connected to the retrieval controller, which reads a data recorded on a portable record medium, the retrieval controller retrieving the outer database via the drive.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the acquire section further includes a server communication controller connected to the retrieval controller, the retrieval controller retrieving the outer database via the server communication controller.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquire section includes a search executing section connected to a server apparatus via a network, the search executing section causing a server apparatus to transmitting the at least the alternative destination to the search processor.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the acquire section includes a search executing section connected to a server apparatus via a network, and the server apparatus manages a database, the search executing section causing the database to transmitting the at least the alternative destination to the search processor.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the acquire section includes a search executing section connected to a server apparatus via a network, and the server apparatus manages a mobile terminal device or a mobile vehicle device, the search executing section causing the mobile terminal device or the mobile vehicle device to transmitting the at least the alternative destination to the search processor.

19. A method for providing a position information service for displaying position relation information between a current position and a destination, comprising:

acquiring first position information of the current position;

inputting search information related to the destination;

acquiring, on the basis of the search information, destination alternative information including at least an alternative destination related to the destination and a second position information of the at least the alternative destination;

outputting first screen information including the destination alternative information and position relation information between the at least the alternative destination and the current position, and, when one of the at least the alternative destination is selected, a second screen information including the position relation information between the selected alternative information and the current position; and

displaying the first screen information and the second screen information.

20. A computer readable storage medium that stores therein a program for providing a position information service for displaying position relation between a current position and a destination, the program performing a process comprising:

acquiring first position information of the current position;

inputting search information related to the destination;

acquiring, on the basis of the search information, destination alternative information including at least an alternative destination related to the destination and a second position information of the at least the alternative destination;

outputting first screen information including the destination alternative information and position relation information between the at least the alternative destination and the current position, and, when one of the at least the alternative destination is selected, a second screen information including the position relation information between the selected alternative information and the current position; and

displaying the first screen information and the second screen information.