INFORMATION PROVIDING SYSTEM

• US 20100268578A1
• Filed: 12/13/2007
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Inventors: Fushimi, Kazuo, Hamano, Tomohisa
• Granted Patent: US 8,082,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations

Abstract

The information providing system accurately predicts a behavior pattern of a user, selects and provides the optimal information at individual points in time. Provision information files (F1, F2, . . . ) for a number of stores are stored in the file storage section (100). When a user accesses the retrieval condition enter section (130) from a cellular phone (10) and transmits a retrieval condition including the position information and a keyword, the retrieval executing section (120) retrieves a file whose degree of accordance to the retrieval condition is a certain reference level or more. The list presentation section (140) comprises tables showing statistical degrees of interest of users in association with respective geographical areas, respective time periods, and respective store genres. The list presentation section (140) corrects the degree of accordance of the retrieved file based on the corresponding degrees of interest in the tables, and presents a list, in which stores are sorted in the large order of the corrected degree of accordance, to the cellular phone (10). The store information selected by the user from the list is distributed to the cellular phone (10) by the information distribution section (110).

Claims

1. An information providing system for providing store information regarding specified stores to a mobile terminal device (10) having a function of recognizing a position of itself, comprising:

a provision information file storage section (100) in which a number of provision information files (F1, F2, F3) having store information main data (D1) to compose store information becoming an object to be provided and metadata (D2) incidental to the store information main data are stored;

a retrieval condition enter section (130) for entering a retrieval condition including at least terminal position information showing a position of a mobile terminal device itself when an access is made from the mobile terminal device (10);

a retrieval executing section (120) for retrieving provision information files a degree of accordance of which becomes a predetermined reference level or more with respect to said retrieval condition among a number of provision information files (F1, F2 and F3) stored in the provision information file storage section (100);

a list presentation section (140) for transmitting a list of provision information files retrieved by the retrieval executing section (120) to the mobile terminal device (10); and

an information distribution section (110) for reading out store information main data (D1) in a provision information file pertaining to a selection instruction from the provision information file storage section (100) when said selection instruction to select one in the list is given from the mobile terminal device (10), and distributing said read out store information main data to the mobile terminal device (10);

wherein the metadata (D2) includes an information identification code (C0) to identify a provision information file (F1, F2, F3), a store genre code (C2) showing a genre of a store pertaining to a provision information file, a store position code (C3) showing a position of a store pertaining to a provision information file;

the retrieval executing section (120) carries out retrieval with reference to at least a [degree of accordance between terminal position information included in the retrieval condition and a store position code (C3) included in the metadata (D2)] and delivers, as a retrieval result, information in which an information identification code (C0) of retrieved provision information files and a degree of accordance (M) showing a degree of accordance of said retrieved provision information files are associated with each other to the list presentation section (140);

the list presentation section (140) includes;

a retrieval result storage section (141) in which the retrieval result delivered from the retrieval executing section (120) is stored;

a table storage section (143) for storing interest degree tables (T1 and T2) in which degrees of interest corresponding to respective store genres are set for each of unit sections set with individual time periods of individual zonal areas with a map divided into a plurality of zonal areas;

a correction processing section (142) for obtaining a corrected degree of accordance (M*) by recognizing a degree of interest (α

1, α

2) for respective store genres set for a unit section corresponding to a present point in time with respect to a zonal area including a position shown by the terminal position information with reference to the interest degree tables (T1, T2) when the retrieval result is delivered from the retrieval executing section (120) and by correcting a [degree of accordance (M) of respective provision information files] stored in the retrieval result storage section (141) using a degree of interest (α

1, α

2) recognized with respect to a store genre pertaining to said respective provision information files;

a correction result storage section (144) for storing information which is obtained by making substitution so that the degree of accordance (M) in the retrieval result stored in the retrieval result storage section (141) is substituted by the corrected degree of accordance (M*); and

a list transmission section (145) for sorting information identification codes (C0) in a large order of the corrected degree of accordance (M*) based on information stored in the correction result storage section (144), creating a list in which headers of store information are arranged in a sorted order, and transmitting the list to the mobile terminal device (10).

2. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein

the metadata (D2) includes a keyword code (C1) including a keyword associated with the store information main data (D1) and weighting points given to the corresponding keyword;

the retrieval condition enter section (130) enters a retrieval condition including terminal position information and a keyword designated by a user; and

the retrieval executing section (120) carries out retrieval with reference to both a position degree of accordance showing a degree of accordance between the terminal position information included in the retrieval condition and the store position code (C3) included in the metadata (D2) and a keyword degree of accordance showing a degree of accordance, which is calculated by taking into consideration the weighting point between the keyword included in the retrieval condition and the keyword included in the metadata (D2), and delivers, as the retrieval result, the degree of accordance (M), in which both of the position degree of accordance and the keyword degree of accordance are taken into consideration.

3. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein

the list transmission section (145) creates a list by arranging character strings of the headers in the store information main data (D1) in a sorted order.

4. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein

the interest degree tables (T1 and T2) in which time periods for each of the days of the week are made into separate unit sections are used.

5. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein

the correction processing section (142) obtains a corrected degree of accordance (M*) by multiplying the degrees of interest (α

1, α

2) by the degree of accordance (M) stored in the retrieval result storage section (141) or adding the degrees of interest (α

1, α

2) thereto.

6. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein

the table storage section (143) stores a plurality of interest degree tables (T1, T2), and

the correction processing section (142) recognizes a plurality of degrees of interest (α

1, α

2) with reference to the plurality of interest degree tables and obtains a corrected degree of accordance (M*) by using the plurality of degrees of interest thus recognized.

7. The information providing system according to claim 6, wherein

the correction processing section (142) has a function of setting weighting parameters (k1, k2) for each of the recognized plurality of degrees of interest (α

1, α

2) and obtains a corrected degree of accordance (M*) by multiplying a value, which is obtained by multiplying the respective degrees of interest by the weighting parameters, by the degree of accordance (M) or adding the value to the degree of accordance (M).

8. The information providing system according to claim 1, further comprising

an interest degree table creating section (150) for newly creating an interest degree table (T1, T2) based on information obtained from mobile terminal devices (10) held by a number of users, and updating the interest degree table in the table storage section (143).

9. The information providing system according to claim 8, wherein

the information distribution section (110) includes a function of delivering, to the interest degree table creating section (150), interest information (I1) including terminal position information of a mobile terminal device (10), time information showing a point in time when a selection instruction is given, and store genre information showing a store genre of a provision information file pertaining to the selection instruction when the selection instruction is received from the mobile terminal device (10);

and

the interest degree table creating section (150) includes a frequency adding-up section (151) for recording, based on the delivered interest information (I1), a fact that a user is interested in a store genre shown by the store genre information for a unit section corresponding to the time information with respect to a zonal area including a position shown by the terminal position information and for adding-up frequencies at which the users are interested in respective store genres in regard to individual unit sections, and the interest degree table creating section (150) creates a plan scheduling interest degree table (T1) based on an adding-up result.

10. The information providing system according to claim 8, wherein

the interest degree table creating section (150) includes:

a neighboring store recognition section (152) for recognizing passing points (P1 through P8) on a moving route of individual mobile terminal devices (10) based on position changing information (I2) which shows positional changes of the individual mobile terminals devices (10) for each of predetermined sampling times, calculating distances to respective stores (S1 through S7) for each of the passing points by referencing the store position code (C3) in the provision information files (F1, F2, F3) stored in the provision information file storage section (100), and recognizing a predetermined number “

m”

of stores in the ascending order of distance as neighboring stores in regard to the corresponding passing points;

a staying time recognition section (153) for recognizing a time period from passing time of a first passing point to passing time of a final passing point for common neighboring stores common to continuous passing points on the moving route as a staying time;

a staying coefficient calculation section (154) for obtaining a sum of distances to all the passing points from the first passing point to the final passing point for each of the common neighboring stores and calculating a value, which is obtained by dividing the staying time by the sum, as a staying coefficient; and

a staying coefficient adding-up section (155) for adding-up the staying coefficient calculated in regard to an individual common neighboring store as a value showing a degree of interest for a store genre of the common neighboring store with respect to a unit section corresponding to the staying time recognized for the common neighboring store for the zonal area including a position of the common neighboring store;

wherein the interest degree table creating section (150) creates a visit and utilization interest degree table (T2) based on an adding-up result by the staying coefficient adding-up section (155).

11. The information providing system according to claim 10, wherein,

when a staying time includes a time period extending over a plurality of unit sections, partial staying coefficients, which are obtained by a proportional division in accordance with an overlapping degree of the staying time and a partial time period of individual unit sections, are adding-up for each of the unit sections.

12. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein

the table storage section (143) stores an advertising sponsor intention degree table (T3) corresponding to each of the provision information files (F1, F2, F3), unit sections corresponding to those in the interest degree tables (T1, T2) are provided in said advertising sponsor intention degree table, and a degree of intention β

of an advertising sponsor who provides respective store information is set in the individual unit sections; and

said information providing system further includes an advertising sponsor intention degree table creating section (160) which creates an advertising sponsor intention degree table (β

) for each of the respective provision information files based on an enter operation from outside in accordance with an instruction of an advertising sponsor, and stores said advertising sponsor intention degree table (β

) in the table storage section (143);

wherein the correction processing section (142) recognizes the degree of intention (β

) set in the corresponding unit sections by referencing the advertising sponsor intention degree table (T3) in regard to a provision information file which becomes an object to be corrected for the degree of accordance (M) and obtains a corrected degree of accordance (M*) by correcting the degree of accordance by using both the degrees of interest (α

1, α

2) and the degree of intention (β

).

13. The information providing system according to claim 12, wherein

the advertising sponsor intention degree table creating section (160) includes a function of setting a degree of intention of a specified unit section in regard to a specified provision information file based on an enter operation of an advertising sponsor and a function of recognizing a degree of interest (α

1, α

2) set in association with a store genre of said specified provision information file with respect to said specified unit section with reference to the interest degree table (T1, T2) in the table storage section (143) and presenting the recognized degree of interest to the advertising sponsor.

14. The information providing system according to claim 13, wherein

the advertising sponsor intention degree table creating section (160) presents an [enter column into which a desired degree of intention is entered in association with the individual unit sections] to an advertising sponsor, and displays respective enter columns in a display pattern responsive to the degrees of interest (α

1, α

2) recognized with respect to the individual unit sections.

15. The information providing system according to claim 12, wherein

the advertising sponsor intention degree table creating section (160) includes a function of setting a degree of intention (β

) of individual unit sections in regard to a specified provision information file based on an enter operation of an advertising sponsor and a function of recognizing a degree of interest (α

1, α

2) set in association with a store genre of said specified provision information file with respect to the respective unit sections with reference to the interest degree table (T1, T2) in the table storage section (143) and presenting the respective unit sections to the advertising sponsor in accordance with the priority order in which an intensity of the degree of interest is taken into consideration.

16. The information providing system according to 12, wherein

the correction processing section (142) has a function of setting weighting parameters (k1, k2, k3) in association with the degree of interest (α

1, α

2) and the degree of intention (β

), respectively, and obtains a corrected degree of accordance (M*) by multiplying a value, which is obtained by multiplying the degree of interest by its weighting parameter, and a value, which is obtained by multiplying the degree of intention by its weighting parameter, by the degree of accordance (M) or adding the values to the degree of accordance (M), respectively.

17. The information providing system according to 1, wherein

the table storage section (143) stores a user evaluation degree table (T4) in association with each of the provision information files (F1, F2, F3), and evaluation degrees (E) of users for respective stores corresponding to respective provision information files are recorded in the user evaluation value table;

and

said information providing system further includes a user evaluation value table creating section (170) which creates the user evaluation value table (T4) in regard to the respective provision information files (F1, F2, F3) by collecting evaluation values for respective stores from users, and stores the user evaluation value table (T4) in the table storage section (143);

wherein the correction processing section (142) recognizes an evaluation value (γ

) for a provision information file which becomes an object to be corrected for a degree of accordance (M) by referencing a user evaluation value table (T4) with respect to said provision information file and obtains a corrected degree of accordance (M*) by correcting the degree of accordance (M) by using both of the degree of interest (α

1, α

2) and the evaluation value (γ

).

18. The provision information system according to claim 17, wherein

the correction processing section (142) has a function of setting weighting parameters (k1, k2, k4) in association with the degree of interest (α

1, α

2) and the evaluation value (γ

), respectively, and obtains a corrected degree of accordance (M*) by multiplying a value, which is obtained by multiplying the degrees of interest by its weighting parameter, and a value, which is obtained by multiplying the evaluation value by its weighting parameter, by the degree of accordance (M) or adding the values to the degree of accordance (M), respectively.

19. The information providing system according to claim 17, wherein

the user evaluation value table creating section (170) creates a user evaluation value table (T4) in which individual evaluation values (E) of individual users are recorded;

the retrieval condition enter section (130) enters information to identify an accessing user along with a retrieval condition; and

the correction processing section (142) recognizes a user inclined to have a similar evaluation to that of the accessing user as a user having similar taste, and carries out correction using an individual evaluation value of said user having similar taste.

20. The information providing system according to claim 19, wherein

the correction processing section (142) recognizes the accessing user himself/herself as a user having similar taste when an individual evaluation value of the accessing user himself/herself is described in the user evaluation value table (T4) with respect to a provision information file which becomes an object to be corrected for the degree of accordance (M), and carries out correction using the individual evaluation value of the accessing user himself/herself.

21. The information providing system according to claim 19, wherein

the correction processing section (142) includes:

first means for extracting user evaluation value tables (T4) in regard to provision information files having the same store genre as a provision information file which becomes an object to be corrected for the degree of accordance (M);

second means for extracting a table or tables, in which an individual evaluation value of an accessing user is described, from the user evaluation value tables (T4) extracted by the first means;

third means for calculating a correlation degree between the accessing user and the other users by using the user evaluation value table or tables (T4) extracted by the second means;

fourth means for recognizing a user whose correlation degree calculated by the third means is a predetermined reference value or more, or recognizing a predetermined number of users who are selected in descending order of the correlation degree calculated by the third means, as a user or users having similar taste with respect to the accessing user; and

fifth means for determining an evaluation value (γ

) used for correction by using an individual evaluation value of the user or users having similar taste recorded in the user evaluation value table (T4) in regard to the provision information file which becomes an object to be corrected for the degree of accordance (M).

22. The information providing system according to claim 21, wherein,

the third means calculates a correlation degree R (X, Y) between user X and user Y, the third means selects a table in which both of an individual evaluation value of user X and an individual evaluation value of user Y are described, from the user evaluation value tables (T4) extracted by the second means and, based on “

n”

tables selected, performs a calculation of

Sxx=Σ

_{i=1 through n} (Exi−

Exa)²

Syy=Σ

_{i=1 through n} (Eyi−

Eya)²

Sxy=Σ

_{i=1 through n} (Exi−

Exa) (Eyi−

Eya)

(where, Exi is an individual evaluation value of user X in an i-th table selected, Eyi is an individual evaluation value of user Y in an i-th table selected, Exa is an average value of the individual evaluation values of user X in the “

n”

tables selected, and Eya is an average value of the individual evaluation values of user Y in the “

n”

tables selected), and further performs a calculation of

R (X, Y)=Sxy/(√

Sxx·

√

Syy)

to obtain the correlation degree R(X,Y), so as to calculates correlation degrees between the accessing user and “

K”

users having similar taste, and

the fifth means obtains the evaluation value (γ

) used for correction by executing a calculation of

γ

=Σ

_{k=1 through K} (Ek×

Rk)/ρ

_{k=1 through K} (Rk)

where an individual evaluation value of a k-th user having similar taste recorded in the user evaluation value table (T4) with respect to the provision information file which becomes an object to be corrected for the degree of accordance (M) is Ek and a correlation degree with the k-th user having similar taste is Rk (where the individual evaluation value of the k-th user having similar taste is not recorded in the user evaluation value table for the provision information file which becomes an object to be corrected for degree of accordance, Ek=0 and Rk=0 are adopted).

23. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein

the table storage section (143) stores individual interest degree tables (T5) for respective users, and degrees of interest (δ

) in regard to respective store genres of the respective users are set in the individual interest degree tables;

the information providing system further includes an individual interest degree table creating section (180) which creates the individual interest degree tables (T5) for respective users by collecting information regarding the respective users and stores the tables in the table storage section (143); and

the correction processing section (142) recognizes an individual degree of interest (δ

) of a user, to whom the list is presented, in regard to a store genre of a provision information file, which becomes an object to be corrected for the degree of accordance (M), with reference to an individual interest degree table (T5) for said user, and obtains a corrected degree of accordance (M*) by correcting the degree of accordance (M) using both of the degree of interest (α

1, α

2) and the individual degree of interest (δ

).

24. The information providing system according to claim 23, wherein

the individual interest degree table creating section (180) creates an individual interest degree table (T5) for a specified user, who has entered a retrieval condition, based on the retrieval condition acquired from the retrieval condition enter section (130).

25. The information providing system according to claim 23, wherein

the individual interest degree table creating section (180) collects [store genres of store information distributed to a specified user] acquired from the information distribution section (110) as individual interest information for the specified user, and creates an individual interest degree table (T5) in association with the specified user.

26. The information providing system according to claim 23, wherein

the individual interest degree table creating section (180) creates individual interest degree tables (T5), in which individual degrees of interest (δ

) are set in regard to respective store genres, for each of the unit sections set in association with individual time periods of individual zonal areas, and

the correction processing section (142) carries out correction by referencing an individual degree of interest (δ

), in association with the respective store genres set for a unit section corresponding to a present point in time in regard to a zonal area including a position shown by the terminal position information, of the individual interest degree table (T5).

27. The information providing system according to claim 23, wherein

the correction processing section (142) has a function of setting weighting parameters (k1, k2, k5) in association with the degrees of interest (α

1, α

2) and the individual degree of interest (δ

), respectively, and obtains a corrected degree of accordance (M*) by multiplying a value, which is obtained by multiplying the degree of interest by its weighting parameter, and a value, which is obtained by multiplying the individual degree of interest by its weighting parameter, by the degree of accordance (M) or adding the values to the degree of accordance (M), respectively.

28. A program for functioning a computer as the information providing system according to claim 1.