Electronic guide system, contents server for electronic guide system, portable electronic guide device, and information processing method for electronic guide system

• US 7,979,204 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kobuya, Naoshi, Masano, Toru, Itako, Motoya, Noda, Atsushi, Nagasawa, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US12/317,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20090119008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/208, 715/768, 715/838, 715/744, 345/629, 345/637
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• 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: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3878 Hierarchical structures, e.g. layering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/008 Touring maps or guides to public transport networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

Tour guide contents stored in a tour guide apparatus carried by a user at a tour destination are provided with points of interest information and map data. This information includes latitude and longitude information for the site of each point of interest, and information on the providers of the information and the categories of information. The latitude and longitude information is provided for each site in relation to map data. By matching these pieces of latitude and longitude information to the map data, points of interest information can be laid out on the map and displayed. This makes it possible to select interesting site information to be displayed on the map based on the information provider, for example, points of interest information provided by provider A for restaurants and another set of information provided by provider B for hotels.

Claims

1. A contents server system for generating display information comprising:

information acquisition means for acquiring information from a plurality of information providers, wherein the information from each of the information providers includes at least a first information element having a position defined by first positional information;

display layer generating means for generating display layers including the information of the respective information providers, wherein each of the display layers is a transparent sheet, wherein the display layer for each of the information providers includes the at least first information element positioned based on the first positional information; and

display means providing for display of a display layer corresponding to at least one selected information provider to appear on top of a portion of a display area of a screen display displaying a representation of a region defined by second positional information, wherein the at least first information element of the display layer of the selected information provider is displayed at a position on the screen display based on correspondence between the first positional information of the at least first information element of the display layer of the selected information provider and the second positional information of the region.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

matching means for matching the first positional information of the at least first information element of the display layer of the selected information provider to the second positional information of the region.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein, when a plurality of the information providers is selected, the display layers of the respective selected information providers are displayed on the screen display to appear on top of a portion of the displayed representation of the region such that the at least first information elements of the respective selected information providers are distinguishable.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

selection means for receiving a selection request for display of the display layer of the at least one selected information provider.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first positional information and the second positional informational are representative of latitude and longitude.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least first information element of the selected information provider is represented as an icon on the corresponding display layer.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the icon on the display layer corresponding to a first selected information provider is different from the icon on the display layer corresponding to a second selected information provider.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the region is based on positioning data supplied to the system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the region is representative of a map.

10. A computer-implemented information processing method for generating display information comprising:

accessing information from a plurality of information providers, wherein the information from each of the providers includes at least a first information element having a position defined by first positional information;

selecting at least one of the information providers;

displaying a display layer corresponding to the at least one selected information provider, the display layer being a transparent sheet, to appear on top of a portion of a display area of a screen display displaying a representation of a region defined by second positional information, wherein the display layer of the selected information provider includes the at least first information element positioned based on the first positional information; and

wherein the at least first information of the display layer of the selected information provider is displayed at a position on the screen display based on correspondence between the first positional information of the at least first information element of the display layer of the selected information provider and the second positional information of the region, wherein a processor determines the correspondence.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

matching the first positional information of the at least first information element of the display layer of the selected information provider to the second positional information of the region.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein, when a plurality of the information providers is selected, the display layers of the respective selective information providers are displayed on the screen display to appear on top of a portion of the displayed representation of the region, such that the at least first information elements of the respective selected information providers are distinguishable.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

generating the display layer including the at least first information element of the selected information provider following the selecting of the selected information provider.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first positional information and the second position informational are representative of latitude and longitude.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least first information element of the selected information provider is represented as an icon on the corresponding display layer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the icon on the display layer corresponding to a first selected information provider is different from the icon on the display layer corresponding to a second selected information provider.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the region is based on positioning data.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the region is representative of a map.

19. A device for displaying information from at least one information provider comprising:

accessing means for accessing information from a plurality of information providers, wherein the information from each of the providers includes at least a first information element having a position defined by first positional information;

selecting means for selecting at least one of the information providers;

display means, executable by a processor, for displaying a display layer corresponding to the at least one selected information provider, the display layer being a transparent sheet, to appear on top of a portion of a display area of a screen display displaying a representation of a region defined by second positional information, wherein the display layer of the selected information provider includes the at least first information element positioned based on the first positional information; and

wherein the at least first information of the display layer of the selected information provider is displayed at a position on the screen display based on correspondence between the first positional information of the at least first information element of the display layer of the selected information provider and the second positional information of the region.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein, when a plurality of the information providers is selected, the display layers of the respective selected information providers are displayed on the screen display to appear on top of a portion of the displayed representation of the region, such that the at least first information elements of the respective selected information providers are distinguishable.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the first positional information and the second positional informational are representative of latitude and longitude.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein the at least first information element of the selected information provider is represented as an icon on the corresponding display layer.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the icon on the display layer corresponding to a first selected information provider is different from the icon on the display layer corresponding to a second selected information provider.

24. The device of claim 19, wherein the region is based on positioning data.

25. The device of claim 19, wherein the region is representative of a map.

26. A contents server system for generating display information comprising:

an information acquisition unit to acquire information from a plurality of information providers, wherein the information from each of the information providers includes at least a first information element having a position defined by first positional information;

a display layer generating unit to generate display layers including the information of the respective information providers, wherein each of the display layers is a transparent sheet, wherein the display layer for each of the information providers includes the at least first information element positioned based on the first positional information; and

a display unit to provide for display of a display layer corresponding to at least one selected information provider to appear on top of a portion of a display area of a screen display displaying a representation of a region defined by second positional information, wherein the at least first information element of the display layer of the selected information provider is displayed at a position on the screen display based on correspondence between the first positional information of the at least first information element of the display layer of the selected information provider and the second positional information of the region.

27. The system of claim 26 further comprising:

a matching unit to match the first positional information of the at least first information element of the display layer of the selected information provider to the second positional information of the region.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein, when a plurality of the information providers is selected, the display layers of the respective selected information providers are displayed on the screen display to appear on top of a portion of the displayed representation of the region such that the at least first information elements of the respective selected information providers are distinguishable.

29. The system of claim 26 further comprising:

a selection unit to receive a selection request for display of the display layer of the at least one selected information provider.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the first positional information and the second positional informational are representative of latitude and longitude.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least first information element of the selected information provider is represented as an icon on the corresponding display layer.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the icon on the display layer corresponding to a first selected information provider is different from the icon on the display layer corresponding to a second selected information provider.

33. The system of claim 26, wherein the region is based on positioning data supplied to the system.

34. The system of claim 26, wherein the region is representative of a map.

35. A device for displaying information from at least one information provider comprising:

an accessing unit to access information from a plurality of information providers, wherein the information from each of the providers includes at least a first information element having a position defined by first positional information;

a selecting unit to select at least one of the information providers;

a display unit to display a display layer corresponding to the at least one selected information provider, the display layer being a transparent sheet, to appear on top of a portion of a display area of a screen display displaying a representation of a region defined by second positional information, wherein the display layer of the selected information provider includes the at least first information element positioned based on the first positional information; and

wherein the at least first information of the display layer of the selected information provider is displayed at a position on the screen display based on correspondence between the first positional information of the at least first information element of the display layer of the selected information provider and the second positional information of the region.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein, when a plurality of the information providers is selected, the display layers of the respective selected information providers are displayed on the screen display to appear on top of a portion of the displayed representation of the region, such that the at least first information elements of the respective selected information providers are distinguishable.

37. The device of claim 35, wherein the first positional information and the second positional informational are representative of latitude and longitude.

38. The device of claim 35, wherein the at least first information element of the selected information provider is represented as an icon on the corresponding display layer.

39. The device of claim 38, wherein the icon on the display layer corresponding to a first selected information provider is different from the icon on the display layer corresponding to a second selected information provider.

40. The device of claim 35, wherein the region is based on positioning data.

41. The device of claim 35, wherein the region is representative of a map.