Method and device for providing information related to activity of user

• US 7,266,376 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Katsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peaches; Randy
• Application Number:
  US09/987,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20020058520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,121 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/435.3, 455/432, 455/566, 455/456, 455/434, 455/435, 455/435.1, 455/433, 342/357.1, 342/357.13, 342/357.09, 342/357, 701/207, 701/208, 701/202, 701/213, 701/212, 713/733
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard

Abstract

An information providing system includes a mobile terminal and an information providing device. The mobile terminal includes a communication circuit transmitting positional information representing a position of the mobile terminal to the information providing device in response to an inquiry from the information providing device. The information providing device includes a storage circuit storing plan information representing a plan to be executed by the user of the mobile terminal, and a control circuit generating traveling information related to traveling for the user to execute the plan and transmitting the traveling information to the mobile terminal based on the positional information received from the mobile terminal and the plan information stored in the storage circuit. The mobile terminal further includes a display circuit displaying the traveling information received from the information providing device.

Claims

1. An information providing system, comprising a mobile terminal and an information providing device,

said mobile terminal including:

a communication circuit communicating with said information providing device,

a detection circuit detecting a position of said mobile terminal,

an output circuit outputting information, and

a control circuit connected to said communication circuit, said detection circuit and said output circuit, and controlling said mobile terminal,

said control circuit including a circuit controlling said detection circuit and said communication circuit such that positional information representing a position of said mobile terminal is transmitted to said information providing device,

said information providing device including;

a communication circuit communicating with said mobile terminal,

a first storage circuit storing schedule information representing a schedule to be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, and

a control circuit connected to said communication circuit and said first storage circuit, and controlling said information providing device,

said control circuit of said information providing device including a circuit controlling said communication circuit such that information related to an activity for executing said schedule is transmitted to said mobile terminal, based on said positional information received from said mobile terminal and said schedule information stored in said first storage circuit, and

said control circuit of said mobile terminal further including a circuit controlling said output circuit such that the information related to the activity for executing said schedule received from said information providing device is output,

said second storage circuit stores a detail of the event, and said information providing device further includes;

a third storage circuit storing preference information representing a preference of said user, wherein,

said circuit conducting a search conducts a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal from a degree of matching between said preference information and said detail of the event.

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

said circuit conducting a search for an event that can be executed by an user of said mobile terminal from a degree of matching between said weather information and said weather suitable for the event.

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

said information providing device further includes

a weather search circuit searching for weather information representing weather, and

said second storage circuit storing weather suitable for the event, and

said control circuit of said infonnation providing device further includes

a weather circuit searching for weather information representing weather at a position specified by said positional information, using said weather search circuit, and

wherein:

said schedule information includes location information representing an execution location where said schedule is executed and time information representing execution time at which said schedule is executed, and

said control circuit of said information providing device includes;

a circuit conducting a search for a route of traveling from a position of said mobile terminal to said execution location, based on said positional information and said location information,

a circuit calculating time required for said traveling, based on said execution time and said route, and

a circuit controlling said communication circuit such that information representing said route of traveling and information representing said time required for traveling are transmitted to said mobile terminal,

wherein

said information providing device further includes a second storage circuit storing event information in connection with a location where an event is held and time required for execution of the event, and

said control circuit of said information providing device further includes

a circuit calculating spare time before start of traveling, based on said time required for traveling,

a circuit conducting a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, from event information stored in said second storage circuit, based on said spare time, said positional information, said location where the event is held, and said time required for execution of the event, and

a circuit controlling said communication circuit such that event information representing the event retrieved as a result of said search is transmitted to said mobile terminal.

4. An information providing device used in an information providing system including a mobile terminal and an information providing device, wherein,

said mobile terminal transmits positional information representing a position of said mobile terminal to said information providing device, and outputs information received from said information providing device,

said information providing device comprises:

a communication circuit communicating with said mobile terminal,

a first storage circuit storing schedule information representing a schedule to be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, and

a control circuit connected to said communication circuit and said first storage circuit, and controlling said information providing device, and

said control circuit includes a circuit controlling said communication circuit such that information related to an activity for executing said schedule is transmitted to said mobile terminal, based on said positional information received from said mobile terminal and said schedule infonnation stored in said first storage circuit,

wherein,

said schedule information includes location information representing an execution location where said schedule is executed and time information representing execution time at which said schedule is executed, and

said control circuit includes;

a circuit searching for a route of traveling from the position of said mobile temiinal to said execution location, based on said positional information and said location information,

a circuit calculating time required for said traveling, based on said execution time and said route, and

a circuit controlling said communication circuit such that information representing said route of traveling and information representing said time required for traveling are transmitted to said mobile tenninal; and

further comprising;

a second storage circuit storing event information in connection with a location where an event is held and time required for execution of the event,

said control circuit further including

a circuit calculating spare time before start of traveling based on time required for said traveling,

a circuit conducting a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, from the event information stored in said second storage circuit, based on said spare time, said positional information, said location where the event is held, and said time required for execution of the event, and

a circuit controlling said communication circuit such that event information representing the event retrieved as a result of said search is transmitted to said mobile terminal.

5. The information providing device according to claim 4, wherein:

said second storage circuit stores a detail of the event, and said information providing device further includes;

a third storage circuit storing preference information representing a preference of said user, and

said circuit conducting a search conducts a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal from a degree of matching between said preference information and said detail of the event.

6. The information providing device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a weather search circuit searching for weather information representing weather, and

said second storage circuit storing weather suitable for the event,

said control circuit further including

a weather circuit searching for weather information representing weather at a position specified by said positional information, using said weather search circuit, and

said circuit conducting a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, from a degree of matching between said weather information and said weather suitable for the event.

7. An information providing system, comprising a mobile terminal and an information providing device,

said mobile terminal including:

a communication means for communicating with said information providing device,

a detection means for detecting a position of said mobile terminal,

an output means for outputting information, and

a control means connected to said communication means, said detection means and said output means, for controlling said mobile terminal,

said control means including a means for controlling said detection means and said communication means such that positional infonnation representing a position of said mobile terminal is transmitted to said information providing device,

said information providing device including

a communication means for communicating with said mobile terminal,

a first storage means for storing schedule information representing a schedule to be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, and

a control means connected to said communication means and said first storage means, for controlling said information providing device,

said control means of said information providing device including a means for controlling said communication means such that information related to an activity for executing said schedule is transmitted to said mobile terminal, based on said positional information received from said mobile terminal and said schedule information stored in said first storage means, and

said control means of said mobile terminal further including a nieans for controlling said output means such that the information related to the activity for executing said schedule, received from said information providing device, is output, wherein,

said schedule information includes location information representing an execution location where said schedule is executed, and time information representing execution time at which said schedule is executed, and

said control means of said information providing device includes;

a means for searching for a route of traveling from a position of said mobile terminal to said execution location, based on said positional information and said location information,

a means for calculating time reciuired for said traveling, based on said execution time and said route, and

a means for controlling said communication means such that information representing said route of traveling and information representing said time reciuired for traveling are transmitted to said mobile terminal, wherein

said information providing device further includes a second storage means for storing event information in connection with a location where an event is held and time required for execution of the event, and

said control means of said information providing device further includes

a means for calculating spare time before start of traveling, based on said time required for traveling,

a means for conducting a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, from the event information stored in said second storage means, based on said spare time, said positional information, said location where the event is held, and said time required for execution of the event, and

a means for controlling said communication nieans such that event information representing the event retrieved as a result of said search to said mobile terminal.

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

said second storage means stores a detail of the event, and said information providing device further includes:

a third storage means for storing preference information representing a preference of said user, wherein

said means for conducting a search conducts a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal from a degree of matching between said preference information and said detail of the event.

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

said information providing device further includes

a weather search means for searching for weather information representing weather, and

said second storage means for storing weather suitable for the event, and

said control means of said information providing device further includes

a weather searching means for searching for weather information representing weather at a position specified by said positional information, using said weather search means,

said means for conducting a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal from a degree of matching between said weather information and said weather suitable for the event.

10. An information providing device used in an information providing system including a mobile terminal and the information providing device, wherein:

said mobile terminal transmits positional information representing a position of said mobile terminal to said information providing device, and outputs information received from said information providing device,

said information providing device further includes;

a communication means for communicating with said mobile terminal,

a first storage means for storing schedule information representing a schedule to be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, and

a control means connected to said communication means and said first storage means, for controlling said information providing device, and

said control means includes a means for controlling said communication means such that information related to an activity for executing said schedule is transmitted to said mobile terminal, based on said positional information received from said mobile terminal and said schedule information stored in said first storage means,

said schedule information includes location information representing an execution location where said schedule is executed, and time information representing execution time at which said schedule is executed, and

said control means includes;

a means for searching for a route of traveling from a position of said mobile terminal to said execution location, based on said positional information and said location information,

a means for calculating time required for said traveling, based on said execution time and said route, and

a means for controlling said communication means such that information representing said route of traveling and information representing said time required for traveling are transmitted to said mobile terminal, and

further comprising a second storage means for storing event information in connection with a location where an event is held and time required for execution of the event,

said control means further including

a means for calculating spare time before start of traveling, based on said time required for traveling,

a means for conducting a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, from the event information stored in said second storage means, based on said spare time, said positional infonnation, said location where the event is held, and said time required for execution of the event, and

a means for controlling said communication means such that event information representing the event retrieved as a result of said search is transmitted to said mobile terminal.

11. The information providing device according to claim 10, wherein:

said second storage means stores a detail of the event, and said information providing device further includes,

a third storage means for storing preference information representing a preference of said user, and

said means for conducting a search conducts a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal from a degree of matching between said preference information and said detail of the event.

12. The information providing device according to claim 10, further comprising:

a weather search means for searching for weather information representing weather, and

said second storage means for storing weather suitable for the event,

said control means further including

a weather searching means for searching for weather information representing weather at a position specified by said positional information, using said weather search means, and,

said means for conducting a search conducts a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal from a degree of matching between said weather information and said weather suitable for the event,

13. An information providing method providing a mobile terminal with information, comprising the steps of:

preparing schedule information representing a schedule to be executed by a user of said mobile terminal,

receiving positional information representing a position of said mobile terminal from said mobile terminal,

generating information related to an activity for executing said schedule, based on said positional information received at said step of receiving the positional information and based on said schedule information prepared at said step of preparing the schedule information, and

transmitting said information related to the activity generated at said step of generating information related to the activity to said mobile terminal,

said schedule information includes location information representing an execution location where said schedule is executed and time information representing execution time at which said schedule is executed,

said step of generating information related to the activity includes the steps of;

searching for a route of traveling from the position of said mobile terminal to said execution location, based on said positional information and said location information, and

calculating time required for said traveling, based on said execution time and said route, and

said step of transmitting information related to the activity includes the step of transmitting, to said mobile terminal, information representing said route of traveling and information representing said time required for said traveling,

further comprising the step of preparing event information in connection with a location where an event is held and time required for execution of the event,

said step of generating information related to the activity further including the steps of

calculating spare time before start of traveling based on time required for said traveling, and

conducting a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, from said prepared event information, based on said spare time, said positional information, said location where the event is held and said time required for execution of the event,

said step of transmitting information related to the activity further including the step of transmitting event information representing the event retrieved as a result of said search to said mobile terminal.

14. The information providing method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

preparing event information in connection with a detail of the event, and

preparing preference information representing a preference of said user,

said step of generating information related to the activity further including the step of

conducting a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, from said prepared event information, based on a degree of matching between said preference information and said detail of the event.

15. The information providing method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of preparing event information in connection with weather suitable for the event,

said step of generating information related to the activity further including the steps of

searching for weather information representing weather at a position specified by said positional information,

conducting a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, from said prepared event information, based on a degree of matching between said weather information and said weather suitable for the event.

16. A computer-readable recording medium in which a program implementing an information providing method providing a mobile terminal with information is recorded, wherein:

said information providing method includes the steps of;

preparing schedule information representing a schedule to be executed by a user of said mobile terminal,

receiving positional information representing a position of said mobile terminal from said mobile terminal,

generating information related to an activity for executing said schedule, based on said positional information received at said step of receiving the positional information and based on said schedule information prepared at said step of preparing the schedule information, and

transmitting, to said mobile terminal, said information related to the activity generated at said step of generating information related to the activity, wherein,

said schedule information includes location information representing an execution location where said schedule is executed and time information representing execution time at which said schedule is executed,

said step of generating information related to the activity includes the steps of;

searching for a route of traveling from the position of said mobile terminal to said execution location, based on said positional information and said location information, and

calculating time required for said traveling based on said execution time and said route, and

said step of transmitting information related to the activity includes the step of transmitting, to said mobile terminal, information representing said route of traveling and information representing said time required for traveling, wherein

said information providing method further includes the step of preparing event information in connection with a location where an event is held and time required for execution of the event,

said step of generating information related to the activity further includes the steps of

calculating spare time before start of traveling, based on said time required for traveling, and

conducting a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, from said prepared event information, based on said spare time, said positional information, said location where the event is held, and said time required for execution of the event, and

said step of transmitting said information related to the activity further includes the step of transmitting event infonnation representing the event retrieved as a result of said search to said mobile terminal.

17. The recording medium according to claim 16, wherein

said information providing method further includes the steps of

preparing event information in connection with a detail of the event, and

preparing preference information representing a preference of said user,

said step of generating information related to the activity further includes the step of

conducting a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, from said prepared event information based on a degree of matching between said preference information and said detail of the event.

18. The recording medium according to claim 16, wherein

said information providing method further includes the step of preparing event information in connection with weather suitable for the event,

said step of generating information related to the activity further includes the steps of

searching for weather information representing weather at a position specified by said positional information, and

conducting a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, from said prepared event information, based on a degree of matching between said weather information and said weather suitable for the event.

19. A method of providing information to a mobile terminal comprising the steps of:

storing a schedule comprising at least one entry including a location and a time for the user to be at the location;

receiving positional information of the mobile terminal;

determining, from the at least one entry and a current time, a departure time at which travel to the location of the at least one entry must commence;

determining an amount of free time available before the departure time;

searching for an event based on the positional infomiation of the mobile terminal and the determined free time; and

if an event is found, transmitting information concerning the event to the mobile terminal.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said step of searching for an event comprises searching for an event based on an indicated preference of the user.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said step of searching for an event comprises searching for an event based on a previously saved preference of the user that can be completed within the free time.

22. The method of claim 19 including the additional step of determining a route from the position of the mobile unit to the location of the at least one event.