Information terminal apparatus, navigation system, information processing method, and computer program

• US 7,103,472 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2004
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Itabashi, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US10/761,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20040210382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 701200-216, 340988-996
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams

Abstract

A configuration is provided which allows users, such as children, who cannot sufficiently read map information to easily perform positional confirmation. An information terminal apparatus carried on a user includes an image data storage block storing actually taken image data of two or more geographical points in an area in which positional information is to be provided and a positional information database storing the correlation data between the identifiers of image data stored in the image data storage block and the positional information. On the basis of the positional information obtained from a positional information capture block, the image data identifier corresponding to the positional information is obtained from the positional information database, the actually taken image data are obtained from the image data storage block based on the obtained image data identifier, and the obtained actually taken image data are displayed on a display block. This novel configuration allows the user to instantly determine the actually taken video which matches the surrounding view for easy positional confirmation.

Claims

1. A navigation system for providing positional information through a network, comprising:

a server for providing positional information, an information terminal apparatus for receiving positional information, and a base station for executing communication and relay processing between the server and the information terminal apparatus;

wherein

the server includes an image data storage block storing actually taken image data at a plurality of geographic points in an area for which positional information is provided, a positional information database storing correlation data between an identifier of image data stored in the image data storage block and positional information, and a file selection block for executing processing of obtaining, based on positional information received through the base station, an image data identifier corresponding to the positional information from the positional information database and obtaining actually taken image data from the image data storage block based on the obtained image data identifier;

the base station includes a regional information management block for managing information including the positional information of itself and, based on an inquiry for a position from the information terminal apparatus, executing processing of transmitting positional information stored in the regional information management block to the server; and

the information terminal apparatus includes a communication block for transmitting a positional inquiry to the base station and receiving actually taken image data obtained based on the positional information in the server, and a display block for displaying the actually taken image data.

2. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

the actually taken image data stored in the image data storage block of the server is an actually taken panoramic image corresponding to the positional information; and

the information terminal apparatus includes an input block through which processing of changing a display area of the panoramic image displayed on the display block occurs.

3. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

the actually taken image data stored in the image data storage block of the server are actually taken image data in a plurality of directions corresponding to the positional information;

the file selection block executes, based on the positional information, processing of selecting the actually taken image data in a plurality of directions corresponding to the positional information; and

the information terminal apparatus includes an input block through which the actually taken image data in the plurality of directions to be displayed on the display block are selectively displayed.

4. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

the server further includes a route detection block for executing route search processing; and

the file selection block of the server executes, based on a plurality of pieces of positional information along a route based on route information obtained from the route detection block, processing of obtaining a plurality of image data identifiers corresponding to the plurality of pieces of positional information from the positional information database, obtaining a plurality of actually taken image data along a route from the image data storage block based on the obtained plurality of image data identifiers, and generating data for displaying the plurality of actually taken image data along the route in one of a sequential parallel manner and a sequential manner.

5. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

the regional information management block of the base station stores latitude and longitude information of itself;

the positional information database of the server stores correlation data between an identifier of image data identifier stored in the image data storage block and the latitude and longitude information as positional information; and

the file selection block executes, based on the latitude and longitude information obtained from the base station, processing of obtaining the image data identifier corresponding to the latitude and longitude information from the positional information database.