JP2003271632A - Information providing method and computer program therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide information desired by a user at a proper timing according to a point where the user passes through during movement. <P>SOLUTION: When information is provided from an information center 1 to the user of a navigation device 2 connected thereto through a communication line, contents related to points passed during movement, which satisfy a category preliminarily set by the user to specify the contents for which information providing are desired, are extracted from an unspecified number of contents. The points requiring the information providing are selected in the information center 1 on the basis of the information preset by the user, and prior to the movement to the individual points, information is provided as positional information to the navigation device 2. As the passing of the point corresponding to the positional information during route guidance is detected in the information center 1, the navigation device 2 acquires the content desired by the user corresponding to the point concerned (extracted content). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the field of an information providing device for providing information to an information terminal owned by a user online via a communication line.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been proposed a technique for providing various information from an information center to a vehicle-mounted navigation device having a communication function by using a communication environment such as the Internet, for example, JP-A-11-101653. The publication discloses a technique for distributing map information from an information center to a vehicle-mounted navigation device.

[0003]

According to the above-mentioned conventional system, the user (occupant) can move while moving to the destination.
Can obtain various useful information and can move efficiently.

However, according to the above-mentioned conventional system, various kinds of contents (information) can be provided to the user, so that there are many unnecessary contents for some users, which is rather inconvenient.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an information providing method and a computer program therefor for providing information desired by a user at an appropriate timing in accordance with a point through which the user passes while moving.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, an information providing method according to the present invention is characterized by the following configuration.

[0007] That is, a method for providing information from an information providing apparatus to a user of an information terminal connected through a communication line, which is a category (movement) for specifying content for which information is desired to be provided. The history of a place to pass through, a famous product, an origin, etc.) is set by the user and the category is satisfied, and the content related to the place through which the information terminal is moving is unspecified. Information provision for providing information to the moving user by extracting the content from the inside and providing the extracted content from the information providing device to the information terminal at a predetermined timing (for example, a time period desired by the user) And a process.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the information providing step is performed by the information providing device based on the category set in the setting step and information on a route guide route to a destination desired by the user. The information terminal passes through the information providing point setting step of setting a predetermined point for providing information to the terminal and the predetermined point set in the information providing point setting step while moving to the destination. That the category is satisfied in response to being detected as the predetermined timing, the content related to the predetermined point is extracted from the unspecified number of contents, and the extracted content is the information providing device. And a content providing step of providing the information terminal to the information terminal.

In this case, for example, in the content providing step, in response to the information terminal detecting that the information terminal passes through the predetermined point as the predetermined timing, from the information terminal, According to the issued request signal, while satisfying the category, the content relating to the predetermined point is extracted from the unspecified number of contents by the information providing device, and the extracted content is extracted from the information providing device. It may be provided to the information terminal.

In the setting step, it is preferable that the category can be set for each time zone in the area desired by the user.

Further, for example, in the information providing step, it is preferable that the content relating to the point passing during the movement is provided from the information providing device to the information terminal by electronic mail.

The same object can also be achieved by an information providing apparatus corresponding to the information providing method having the above-mentioned configurations.

Further, the same object is achieved by a program code for realizing the information providing method or apparatus having the above-mentioned respective configurations by a computer having a communication function, and a computer readable storage medium storing the program code. Is also achieved.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, an information providing method and a computer program therefor for providing user-desired information at an appropriate timing in accordance with a point where the user passes while moving. To be realized.

That is, according to the invention of claim 1, while satisfying the category desired by the user, the content relating to a point passing during the movement has a predetermined timing (for example, a preset user desired time zone: claim 8). ), The information providing device automatically provides the information terminal to the information terminal by using e-mail (claim 7). As a result, the user can obtain desired information at an appropriate timing according to the point through which the user passes while moving, which is highly convenient.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, as a predetermined timing, a predetermined point automatically set based on the category desired by the user and the information about the route guide route to the destination can be passed. For example, in response to the detection by the request signal from the information terminal (claim 3), the information providing device provides the information terminal with the content related to the predetermined point. As a result, the user can automatically obtain a predetermined point that meets the user's wishes to pass while moving and the content related to the predetermined point without automatically searching for the point when passing the predetermined point. , High convenience.

Further, according to the inventions of claims 4 to 6, it is possible to finely provide the contents desired by the user in accordance with the wishes of the user.

[0018]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, as an example, an information providing system according to the present invention is applied to a case in which a navigation device as an information terminal mounted on a vehicle (automobile) and an information center are applied. Will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall outline of the information providing system according to this embodiment. Further, FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the information center 1 and the navigation device 2 that form the information providing system in the present embodiment.

1 and 2, the information center 1
Is an information processing device (information providing device) such as a server computer having a communication function, and is a C of the information center 1.
The PU 31 executes various software programs stored in the memory (storage medium) 32, such as the information providing processing according to the present embodiment and general communication processing, and thereby the communication network such as the Internet. Various contents are provided from the contents providing center 6 via the database 7, and the communication network 7 and the wireless communication base station 4 are provided to the navigation device 2 as an information terminal used by the user while appropriately referring to the database 33. By performing data communication via the user, content (information) desired by the user is provided (details will be described later).

In the database (DB) 33, with respect to a plurality of users who can receive the content provided by the information providing process according to this embodiment, the category of the content desired to be provided and the user identification (I
D) Records such as information are stored in a state of being associated with each user.

The navigation device 2 is an information terminal used by an occupant (driver or the like) of the vehicle 100 who can receive the information providing service by the present system, and is generally mounted as an in-vehicle device in the state of being mounted on the vehicle 100. While implementing a general navigation function, via the wireless transceiver 19, the base station 4, and the communication network 7,
Data communication with the information center 1 can be performed.

More specifically, the navigation device 2
It has software (software program) of a general navigation function for guiding a route to a destination desired by a user, which is stored in a storage device such as the ROM 21. This software is the CPU 1
1, the navigation device 2 executes the current position detected by the GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 12, the traffic information detected by the VICS receiver 13, and the user by the user. Operating state of switch 15,
The display 1 based on the map information around the current position read from the storage medium such as the DVD-ROM 14 and the detection results by the vehicle speed sensor 16 and the gyro sensor 17 and the like.
While displaying a map image of the vicinity of the vehicle 100 on 8,
When the destination desired by the user is set, the route guidance to the destination is performed by the synthesized voice or the like output from the speaker 20.

Further, the navigation device 2 includes a ROM 2
Information acquisition processing according to the present embodiment (details will be described later) stored in a storage device such as No. 1 or the like, software of a general communication protocol capable of performing Internet communication (software program), It has an Internet browser function and a mail function for transmitting / receiving data to / from an external device via the wireless transceiver 19 according to the software, and a general software group for drawing the browser.
The navigation device 2 receives various information from the information center 1 by being appropriately executed while referring to the RAM 22 in 1.

In this embodiment, the navigation device 2 mounted on the vehicle 100 is taken as an example of an information terminal for receiving information, but the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. Information may be provided to a portable information terminal 3 such as a possible wireless telephone.

The content providing center 6 is an information processing device such as a server computer having a communication function, and the CPU (not shown) of the content providing center 6 is
Various contents related to history, famous products, origins, events, administrative facilities, etc. stored in a database (not shown) are placed in the information center 1, the home, etc. via the communication network 7 and the user terminal 5 is installed. Etc. to an external device.

Next, a detailed operation example of the information center 1 and the navigation device 2 will be described to explain the information provision performed in this embodiment in detail.

<Information Center 1> FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an information providing process performed by the information center 1 in the present embodiment, and shows a procedure of a process performed by the CPU 31 of the information center 1.

In the figure, step S1: The information center 1 uses the navigation device 2 used by a user who can receive the information provided by the present system or user setting information from the user terminal 5 corresponding to the user of the navigation device. If there is a registration request, the process proceeds to step S2. If not, the process proceeds to step S5.

Step S2: The information center 1 sends the information for displaying the user setting screen illustrated in FIG. 3 according to the user's operation to the navigation device 2 or the corresponding user requesting the registration of the user setting information. The user setting information transmitted to the terminal 5 by the user for the user setting screen (FIG. 3) displayed on the navigation device 2 or the user terminal 5 is received, and the received information is stored in the user setting information of the user. It is stored in the database 33 as a record.

FIG. 3 is a view exemplifying a menu screen displayed when registering the user setting information in the navigation 2 or the user terminal 5 used by the user who receives the information providing service according to the present embodiment.

The option illustrated in FIG. 3 is a form in which a desired option is selected from a plurality of preset options by checking a check box (or a radio button or the like) as shown in FIG. Alternatively, a so-called free word may be used for input.

Setting item 3-1: When this setting item is selected, the user can set whether or not it is necessary to provide the content (information) from the information center 1.

Setting item 3-2: When this selection item is selected, the user can select the content (information) from the information center 1 as the time (timing) to be provided, for example, during route guidance or always. It can be set from.

Setting item 3-3: When this setting item is selected, the user can select, for example, history, famous products, origins, events, as contents (category) of contents (information) provided from the information center 1. It can be set from options such as administrative facilities.

Setting item 3-4: When this setting item is selected, the user can set the setting items relating to the contents set in the above selection items 3-1 to 3-3, for example, in the region desired by the user. It is possible to make settings for limiting the time period and time period.

Setting item 3-5: When this setting item is selected, the user can set whether or not information provision from the information center 1 is required even when setting the destination on the vehicle side. .

Then, the information content set in each setting item received from the navigation device 2 or the user terminal 5 in response to the operation of the "register" button by the user after the setting of each setting item described above is It is stored in the database 33 in S2.

Step S3, Step S4: The information center 1 judges whether or not the setting information concerning the destination and the current position is received from the navigation device 2 (step S3).
3) If not received, the process proceeds to step S8, and if received, information on the route guidance route from the current position to the destination is performed by a general procedure based on the setting information on the destination and the current position. (A group of coordinate values in a predetermined coordinate system) is calculated (step S4).

Step S5: The information center 1 reads from the database 33 the user setting information corresponding to the user of the navigation device 2 which has received the information regarding the destination and the current position information in step S3.

Step S6: The information center 1 embeds the information providing points (X1 to Xn) corresponding to the user setting information read in step S5 in the information regarding the route guidance route calculated in step S4.

Here, each information providing point (X1 to
Xn) is a coordinate system common to the information about the route taxiway, and is a coordinate value of a point within a predetermined distance range (for example, about several km left and right of the route taxiway) with the route taxiway as a reference. Whether the point corresponds to the user setting information (that is, whether the item set by the user on the setting screen shown in FIG. 3 is satisfied) is associated with the map information referred to by the information center 1 in advance. Various information (ie,
The determination may be made by referring to attribute information such as facility information that actually exists at the point, which is associated with the coordinate position information of the point.

In step S6, the information providing points (X1 to Xn) may not be embedded in the information regarding the route guidance route but may be a separate data set. In that case, each information providing point is a navigation device. Two
May be provided collectively or may be provided in multiple times.

Step S7: The information center 1 transmits to the navigation device 2 the information about the route guideway in which the information providing points are embedded in step S6. Thereby, the navigation device 2 can start the route guidance to the destination by using the information about the route guidance route received according to the processing in this step of the information center 1.

The following steps S8 and S9 are
This is a process performed when the navigation device 2 starts the route guidance based on the information about the route guidance route.

Step S8: The information center 1 extracts (specifies) the content (information) about the information providing point Xi (1 ≦ i ≦ n) received together with the request signal from the navigation device 2.

That is, in step S8, contents satisfying the items set by the user on the setting screen shown in FIG. 3 are extracted from an unspecified number of contents available from the contents providing center 6. Whether or not the setting item is satisfied is determined by, for example, previously performing data mining on an unspecified number of contents, and referring to the result of the data mining in this step based on the setting item, the degree of association is determined. You can extract high content.

Step S9: The information center 1 reproduces the content extracted or specified in step S8 in the navigation device 2 in a data format (eg MP.
In addition to converting compressed information such as EG-4 and voice information into text information converted by voice analysis), the converted content is transmitted to the navigation device 2 by using e-mail, for example, and step S1 Return to.

However, if the data has been converted into an appropriate data format at the time of being provided from the content providing center 6, the conversion processing in this step can be skipped.

<Navigation Device 2> FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an information acquisition process performed by the navigation device 2 in the present embodiment.
Represents a procedure of processing performed by the CPU 11.

In the figure, step S11: The navigation device 2 judges whether or not a user setting information registration request operation has been performed, and if that operation has been performed, the process proceeds to step S12 and the operation is not performed. In that case, the process proceeds to step S13.

Step S12: Navigation device 2
Stores the input information set by the user on the setting screen shown in FIG. 3 described above in a storage device (not shown) and transmits it to the information center 1.

Steps S13 and S14: The navigation device 2 judges whether or not the destination desired by the user for route guidance has been set (step S13). If not set, the process proceeds to step S15 and is set. In the case of being, the current position information of the navigation device 2 (vehicle 100) detected by the GPS receiver 12 and the position information regarding the destination acquired by referring to the map information 14 are transmitted to the information center 1. Yes (step S14).

Steps S15 and S16: The navigation device 2 judges whether or not the information about the route guidance route including the information providing points (X1 to Xn) is received from the information center 1 (step S15), and when it is not received. Advances to step S17, and when received, the received information regarding the route guide path is temporarily stored in a storage device (not shown) (step S16).

Step S17: Navigation device 2
Guides the route to the destination based on the information about the route guidance route received in step S16, and
The current position information of the navigation device 2 (vehicle 100) detected by the GPS receiver 12 or the like corresponds to the information providing point Xi at a timing before or at a predetermined distance before or at which the information providing point Xi matches, and A request signal including the identification information of the information providing point Xi is transmitted to the information center 1 in order to request the provision of the content satisfying the category desired by the user.

Step S18: Navigation device 2
Displays the content transmitted by the processing in step S9 of the information providing processing (FIG. 5) of the information center 1 on the screen of the display 18 and the speaker 2.
It is provided to the user by being reproduced by reading a synthetic voice to 0, and the process returns to step S11.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the mode of information provision in the present embodiment, in which steps S8 and S9 (FIG. 5) are performed in the information center 1 and steps S17 and S in the navigation device 2.
18 (FIG. 6) is sequentially performed, and in the navigation device 2, as each information providing point Xi is passed, contents corresponding to the information providing point Xi and satisfying the category desired by the user are obtained. , Provided to users (occupants).

According to the above-described embodiment, the information desired by the user can be provided at an appropriate timing according to the point where the user passes during the movement.

That is, according to the present embodiment, while satisfying the category desired by the user, the content relating to the point passing during the movement has an appropriate timing (when the content passes the point and / or a preset time desired by the user). band)
Then, the information center 1 is automatically provided to the navigation device 2 by using e-mail, for example.
As a result, the user can automatically obtain a predetermined point that meets the user's wishes to pass while moving and the content related to the predetermined point without automatically searching for the point when passing the predetermined point. , High convenience.

In the present embodiment, the setting screen (FIG. 3)
With this, it is possible to finely set the category to which the user-desired content belongs, the provision timing, and the like to the information center 1 in advance by selecting options such as by region and by time zone. It is possible to accurately provide the content according to.

<Modification of this Embodiment> Modification 1: In the above-mentioned embodiment, the route guidance route was calculated at the information center 1, but the present invention is not limited to this system configuration, and is calculated at the navigation device 2. The route guide route may be transmitted to the information center 1.

The present invention described by taking the above-described embodiment as an example can realize the functions of the flowchart referred to in the description for the above-mentioned information center 1 and navigation 2 (or mobile information terminal 3). This is accomplished by supplying the computer program and then reading it into the CPU of the device and executing it. Further, the computer program supplied into the device may be stored in a readable / writable memory or a storage device such as a hard disk device.

Further, in the above-mentioned case, the method of supplying the computer program to each of the devices is carried out by a method of installing the computer program in the device through various recording media such as a floppy disk or a communication line such as the Internet. A general procedure such as a method of downloading from the outside can be adopted at present, and in such a case, the present invention is configured by the code of the computer program or the storage medium.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall overview of an information providing system according to this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an information center 1 and a navigation device 2 that form an information providing system in this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a navigation 2 or a user terminal 5 used by a user who receives the information providing service according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a menu screen displayed when registering user setting information.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an aspect of information provision in the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an information providing process performed by the information center 1 in the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an information acquisition process performed by the navigation device 2 in the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Information center, 2: Navigation device, 3: Mobile information terminal, 4: base station, 5: user terminal, 6: Content provision center, 7: Communication network, 11: CPU, 12: GPS receiver, 13: VICS receiver, 14: Map information, 15: Operation switch, 16: Vehicle speed sensor, 17: Gyro sensor, 18: Display, 19: Wireless transceiver, 20: speaker, 21: ROM, 22: RAM, 100: vehicle,

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) G08G 1/137 G08G 1/137 (72) Inventor Kenichi Ikeda Shinchi Fuchu-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Prefecture Mazda In-house F-term (reference) 2F029 AA02 AB01 AB07 AB13 AC02 AC06 AC09 AC14 AC18 5B075 PP10 PR08 UU16 5H180 AA01 BB02 BB04 BB05 BB13 BB15 CC12 EE02 FF04 FF05 FF12 FF13 FF22 FF25 FF27 FF35

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. An information providing method for providing information from an information providing apparatus to a user of an information terminal connected via a communication line, wherein a category for specifying content for which information is desired to be provided, A setting step set by the user, and content that satisfies the category and is related to a point where the information terminal passes while moving is extracted from an unspecified number of contents, and the extracted content is provided at a predetermined timing with the information. An information providing step of providing information to the moving user by providing from the providing device to the information terminal. 2. The information providing step, based on the category set in the setting step and information on a route guide route to a destination desired by the user, from the information providing device to the information terminal. An information providing point setting step of setting a predetermined point where information should be provided, and a predetermined point set in the information providing point setting step,
Passing the information terminal while moving to the destination satisfies the category in response to being detected as the predetermined timing, and at the same time, the content related to the predetermined point is set to the unspecified number of contents. A content providing step of extracting the content from the inside and providing the extracted content from the information providing device to the information terminal;
The information providing method according to claim 1, further comprising: 3. In the content providing step, when the information terminal detects that the information terminal passes through the predetermined point as the predetermined timing,
According to the request signal issued from the information terminal,
Content that satisfies the category and is related to the predetermined point is extracted from the unspecified number of contents by the information providing device, and the extracted content is provided from the information providing device to the information terminal. The information providing method according to claim 2, wherein: 4. The information providing method according to claim 1, wherein in the setting step, the category can be set for each area desired by a user. 5. The information providing method according to claim 1, wherein in the setting step, the category can be set for each time period desired by a user. 6. In the setting step, as the category, a history about a point passed during the movement, a famous product,
The information providing method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of origin, event, and administrative facility can be set. 7. The information providing method according to claim 1, wherein in the information providing step, the content relating to a point passing through while moving is provided from the information providing device to the information terminal by electronic mail. Method. 8. The information providing method according to claim 1, wherein in the setting step, a user-desired time zone can be set as the predetermined timing. 9. A computer program, characterized in that the information providing method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 gives an operation instruction that can be realized by a computer having a communication function as the information providing apparatus. . 10. An information providing device for providing information to a user of an information terminal connected via a communication line,
A computer program that gives an operation instruction to operate a computer having a communication function, the program code having a setting function of controlling a category for specifying a content for which information is desired to be set by a user, While satisfying the category, the content related to the point where the information terminal passes while moving is extracted from an unspecified number of contents, and the extracted content is sent from the information providing device to the information terminal at a predetermined timing. And a program code having an information providing function of providing information to the moving user by providing the computer program. 11. A program forming the information providing function,
The code is based on the category set by the setting function and the information about the route guide route to the destination desired by the user,
A program code having an information providing point setting function for setting a predetermined point at which information is to be provided from the information providing device to the information terminal, and the predetermined point set by the information providing point setting function is the destination. When the passage of the information terminal while traveling to is satisfied as the predetermined timing, the category is satisfied and the content related to the predetermined point is extracted from the unspecified number of contents. 11. The computer program according to claim 10, further comprising a program code having a content providing function of providing the extracted content from the information providing apparatus to the information terminal. 12. The information terminal detects that the information terminal passes through the predetermined point by the program code having the content providing function being executed by the computer as the predetermined timing. In accordance with the request signal issued from the information terminal, while satisfying the category, the content relating to the predetermined point is extracted from the unspecified number of contents by the information providing device,
12. The extracted content is provided from the information providing device to the information terminal.
The computer program described.