JP2005148939A - Information providing system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To transmit local information to a designated transmission destination without requiring any complicated operation. <P>SOLUTION: This information providing system 10 is constructed of cellular phones 11 and 19 having a photographing means and a positional information acquiring means, a mail server 12, and an information providing server 17. In receipt of pickup image data from the cellular phone 11 and GPS information, the mail server 12 transfers these data to the information providing server 17. The information providing server 17 extracts the local information based on the positional information, and then, generates a URL for application downloading to transmit it to the mail server 12. The mail server 12 attaches the URL from the information providing server 17 to an electronic mail and transmits the electronic mail to the cellular phone 19 designated by a user A. When the cellular phone 19 accesses the URL on the electronic mail, an application reproducing and displaying the local information is generated by the information providing server 17 to be set to the cellular phone 19. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an information providing system and method for providing information to a terminal using position information.

  In recent years, mobile phones have improved their information processing capabilities, and those equipped with an Internet connection function and a photographing function have become widespread. There is also a position information acquisition function using GPS (Global Positioning System) or the like so that information related to the location of the telephone body can be acquired.

  As an information providing service using this position information acquisition function, as in Patent Document 1, a current location of a user (phone body) and a map around it are searched based on longitude and latitude information received from a mobile phone. There is service. In this service, the searched map and information related to the area indicated by the map are associated and registered in the database. The information related to the area is area information such as characters (name of place, description of area) and image (photographed image in the area), and the user himself / herself inputs from the mobile phone. When these maps and area information are registered, an e-mail notifying that the database has been updated is transmitted to a transmission destination designated by the user.

JP 2003-233555 A

  However, in the information providing service described in Patent Document 1, since the user inputs information himself and transmits it to the server, there is a problem that data registration is troublesome and usability is poor.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information providing system and method capable of transmitting regional information without performing complicated operations.

  The present invention is used in a terminal provided with photographing means, acquires current position information of the terminal, specifies an area where the terminal is located, and extracts information related to the area as area information data. Then, an application for reproducing and displaying the extracted regional information data and the captured image data from the terminal on the terminal is generated, and the application is transmitted to a designated transmission destination.

  Further, instead of transmitting the application to the transmission destination, a URL for downloading the application for each terminal may be generated, and the URL and a message from the terminal may be transmitted. .

  Further, the application and the message may be simultaneously transmitted to the transmission destination.

  Further, in the extraction of the region information data, a template defining a keyword of the region information data to be reproduced by the application is selected at random, and the region information data corresponding to the keyword set in the template is extracted. good. Furthermore, the current position information and the captured image data may be extracted based on the date and time when they are acquired.

  The present invention extracts regional information data based on the current location information of the terminal, generates an application for reproduction and display together with the captured image data from the terminal, and transmits this to a designated transmission destination. The area information can be transmitted without performing complicated operations such as inputting information.

  An information providing system 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a mobile phone 11 used as a mobile terminal, a mail server 12, and an information providing server 17. The mobile phone 11, the mail server 12, and the information providing server 17 are connected so as to be capable of data communication via a communication network (not shown) such as a mobile communication network or the Internet.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the mobile phone 11 and the information providing server 17. The mobile phone 11 includes a controller 21, an operation unit 23, a call / communication unit 24, a microphone 25, a speaker 26, a display panel 27, an imaging unit 28, and a position information acquisition unit 29. The controller 21 controls each unit of the mobile phone 11 according to an operation instruction from the operation unit 23. The call / communication unit 24 performs call control for converting the voice input from the microphone 25 into a radio wave transmitted from the antenna 24a, or converting the radio wave received by the antenna 24a and outputting the voice from the speaker 26. The call / communication unit 24 controls transmission / reception of various data such as images and GPS information.

  The imaging unit 28 receives a shooting instruction from the operation unit 23 and captures a subject image displayed on the display panel 27. The subject image is coupled to the CCD surface through a photographing lens provided in the main body of the mobile phone 11 and is taken into the CCD as an imaging signal. Thereafter, the imaging signal is digitally converted, and the digitized captured image data is sent to the controller 21.

  The position information acquisition unit 29 communicates with a plurality of GPS satellites 18 by a built-in GPS antenna 29a, and receives GPS information such as longitude and latitude. The received GPS information is sent to the controller 21.

  The controller 21 is provided with a memory 22. In addition to various setting information, the memory 22 stores captured image data from the imaging unit 28 and GPS information from the position information acquisition unit 29. The user reads out the captured image data and GPS information from the memory 22 and uses them for viewing and location confirmation, or via the mail server 12 to a set transmission destination (for example, the mobile phone 19 of the user B). Send.

  In the present embodiment, when receiving the captured image data and the GPS information, the mail server 12 transfers these data to the information providing server 17. The information providing server 17 associates the photographed image data with the regional information data extracted based on the GPS information and registers it in a DB (database), and sends the regional information data together with the photographed image data to the transmission destination. An information providing service including an information transmission service to be transmitted is provided.

  The mail server 12 includes a controller 13, a mail receiver 14, a mail transmitter 15, and a mail management DB (database) 16. The controller 13 controls each part of the mail server 12 to send and receive e-mails and manages received e-mail data. The mail receiving unit 14 receives an electronic mail transmitted from the mobile phone 11 and sends it to the controller 13.

  The controller 13 stores electronic mail data in the mail management DB 16. The e-mail data includes captured image data and GPS information as an attached file in addition to a header in which information such as a sender / receiver and a transmission time are recorded, and a mail text. When the electronic mail includes the captured image data and the GPS information, the controller 13 transmits these to the information providing server 17.

  Further, the controller 13 receives a URL, which will be described later, from the information providing server 17 and constitutes a URL notification mail. In the URL notification mail, for example, the URL is attached to an electronic mail composed of a photographed image and a mail text. The controller 13 sends this URL notification mail to the mail transmission unit 15.

  The mail transmission unit 15 reads the transmission destination recorded in the header of the URL notification mail and transmits this URL notification mail.

  The information providing server 17 includes a system controller 31, an information extraction unit 32, a data registration unit 33, a URL generation unit 34, an application generation unit 35, a communication interface 36, and various DBs 37 to 41. The system controller 31 controls each unit of the information providing server 17. Access between the information providing server 17 and the outside is performed via the communication interface 36.

  The various DBs include a map DB 37, a template DB 38, a regional information DB 39, an event information DB 40, and an information management DB 41. The map DB 37 detects a location (for example, a city) corresponding to the GPS information from the mobile phone 11. The detected location is sent to the system controller 31 as current location information.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the template DB 38 stores a plurality of templates and a plurality of keywords determined for each template. Each template has a code describing an image display mode (flashing display, flow display, etc.) corresponding to the keyword. Furthermore, each template may include a data file of a frame image and a decoration image. As keywords, "place name", "famous place", "weather", "event", etc. can be defined.

  The regional information DB 39 and the event information DB 40 store regional information data for each location. As shown in FIG. 4A, the regional information DB 39 stores image data files (image files) of all genres related to municipalities in various locations in the corresponding municipal folders. The image files in each folder are indexed by the above keyword, and the image file corresponding to the keyword can be read out. As shown in FIG. 4B, in the event information DB 40, the implementation date of the event held in each municipality in each place and the image file indicating the event are stored in the folder of each municipality. The DBs 37 to 40 are updated at regular intervals.

  The information extraction unit 32 extracts information related to a region, that is, region information data based on the current location information of the user A. First, one template is selected at random from the template DB 38. Next, based on the current location information, the corresponding municipality folder is specified from the regional information DB 39. Then, an image file corresponding to the keyword belonging to the template is extracted from the specified folder.

  If there is an “event” in the keyword belonging to the template, the corresponding municipality folder is specified from the event information DB 40 based on the current location information. Then, the image file of the event having the closest implementation date is extracted from the identified folder based on the captured image and the date / time information obtained from the GPS information.

  The data registration unit 33 constructs regional information data for captured image data captured at various locations. The data registration unit 33 registers a plurality of image files (region information data) extracted from the captured image data, the template, and the region information and event information DBs 39 and 40 in the information management DB 41 in association with each other. Each data stored in the information management DB 41 can be downloaded by the user B designated by the user A.

  The URL generation unit 34 generates a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for downloading an application that reproduces and displays each data in the information management DB 41 on one screen, and sends the URL to the mail server 12.

  The application generation unit 35 reads a template and an image file in the information management DB 41 for each mobile phone that accesses the URL, and generates an application that is a mobile phone program. This application is written in, for example, Java (registered trademark), and can be executed in a Java (registered trademark) virtual computer environment built in the mobile phone 11.

  FIG. 5 shows an application screen 50 reproduced and displayed on the display panel 27 of the mobile phone 11. The application screen 50 is shown according to a template 51 that displays a frame image. In the application screen 50, a captured image 52 is arranged in the background, and the place name, special product, and event images 53 to 55, which are area information, are arranged at predetermined positions. Each of the images 53 to 55 changes stepwise by blinking or flowing every time.

  The application is downloaded for each mobile phone 11 that accesses the URL. When the downloaded application is executed, the application screen 40 is reproduced on the display panel 34 of the mobile phone 11.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. For example, when a user A in a sightseeing spot wants to inform the user B of information on the area, after shooting at or around the sightseeing spot by the photographing unit 28 of the mobile phone 11, GPS information is obtained by the position information acquiring unit 29. get. User A transmits an electronic mail composed of the captured image, GPS information, and mail text to user B's mobile phone 19.

  An e-mail from the user A (mobile phone 11) is received by the mail server 12. The mail server 12 stores each data of the e-mail in the mail management DB 16 and transfers the captured image data and GPS information included in the e-mail to the information providing server 17. The information providing server 17 first detects the location based on the GPS information. The current location detected at this time is defined as “○ prefecture Δ city A town”. Next, one template is selected at random from the template DB 38. At this time, it is assumed that “template A” is selected. The information extraction unit 32 reads the current location “○ prefecture Δ city A town”, date information “May 30”, and three keywords “place name”, “special product”, from the DBs 39 and 40 of regional information and event information. Regional information data is extracted based on “event”. The extracted area information data is assumed to be three image files of “0123.jpg” (place name), “xx ringo.jpg” (special product), and “0123e-firefly.jpg” (event).

  When three image files as the region information data are extracted, the image file, the photographed image data, and the template data are associated with each other and registered in the information management DB 41. Thereafter, a URL for downloading an application for reproducing and displaying each registered data is generated and sent to the mail server 12.

  The mail server 12 composes a URL notification mail in which the URL for downloading the application is attached to the electronic mail composed of the photographed image data read from the mail management DB 16 and the mail text, and transmits the URL notification mail to the mobile phone 19 of the user B. .

  User B who has received the URL notification mail accesses the URL from the mobile phone 19. The information providing server 17 generates an application for the mobile phone 19 that has accessed the URL, and sends it back. The returned application is downloaded to the mobile phone 19 of the user B and executed. Thereby, the application screen 50 is displayed on the display panel 27, and a captured image with regional information is provided.

  In the above embodiment, the URL for application download is generated and the application screen 50 is reproduced and displayed by accessing the URL. However, the application may be transmitted directly to the mobile phone 19. Further, since the captured image is displayed when the application is played back, the captured image data need not be attached when the URL notification mail is transmitted.

  In the above-described embodiment, the regional information data is simply image data, but a link may be attached to the image so that it is led to a site that provides more detailed information. In addition, although the image file is used as the regional information data, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be a character, a moving image, or music.

  In the above-described embodiment, all the DBs 37 to 41 are provided in the same information providing server 12, but they may be provided in a plurality of different servers to transmit and receive data via a network.

  In the above embodiment, a mobile phone has been described as an example of a terminal device. However, in addition to a mobile phone, the present invention may be applied to a mobile terminal such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) terminal having an imaging function and a position information acquisition function. .

It is explanatory drawing of an information provision system. It is a block diagram which shows the electric structure of a mobile telephone and an information provision server. It is explanatory drawing of template DB. It is explanatory drawing of each DB of area information and event information. It is explanatory drawing which shows the application screen displayed by reproduction | regeneration. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure until it reproduces | regenerates an application.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Information provision system 11 Cellular phone 12 Mail server 17 Information provision server 28 Imaging part 29 Location information acquisition part 32 Information extraction part 35 Application generation part 37 Map DB
39 area information DB

Claims (6)

In an information providing system for transmitting information to a transmission destination designated by a terminal equipped with a photographing means,
Obtaining the current location information of the terminal, a location detection unit that identifies the area where the terminal is located,
A region information extraction unit that extracts information related to a region where the terminal is located as region information data;
An application generator that generates a program for reproducing and displaying the area information data and the captured image data from the terminal as an application;
An information providing system, comprising: an information transmission unit that transmits the application to the transmission destination.   A URL generation unit that generates a URL for downloading the application for each terminal, and the information transmission unit transmits a message from the terminal and the URL to the transmission destination. Item 4. The information providing system according to Item 1.   The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the information transmitting unit transmits the message and the application to the transmission destination simultaneously.   A template selection unit that randomly selects a template that defines a keyword of region information data to be reproduced by the application, wherein the region information extraction unit extracts region information data corresponding to the keyword set in the template; The information providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein   5. The information provision according to claim 1, wherein the area information extraction unit extracts the area information data based on a date and time when the current position information and the captured image data are acquired. system. In an information providing method for transmitting information to a transmission destination designated by a terminal equipped with a photographing means,
Location detecting means for acquiring current location information of the terminal and identifying a region where the terminal is located;
Area information extracting means for extracting information related to the area where the terminal is located as area information data;
Application generating means for generating, as an application, a program for reproducing and displaying the regional information data and the captured image data from the terminal;
An information providing method comprising: an information transmitting unit configured to transmit the application to the transmission destination.

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