KR20020081715A - Location Specific Information System for Travelers using GPS - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A system for providing traveler position specific information using a GPS(Global Positioning System) is provided, which can store and read position specific information using a GPS system. CONSTITUTION: A GPS receiver part(101) judges a present position of the system by receiving a position signal including latitude and longitude information from a GPS satellite. A database part(107) stores an identifier as to each divided region and position specific information data corresponding to the above identifier. An output part(105) outputs the position specific information data. And a control part(103) controls the above system to read the position specific information as to a region where the above system is located and then to output it to the output part on the basis of the identifier stored in the database and the present position data judged from the GPS receiver part.

Description

Location Specific Information System for Travelers using GPS}

The present invention relates to automatically providing location specific information using a global positioning system (GPS), and more particularly, by using a GPS to determine a location of a moving object such as a vehicle or a pedestrian to move a specific location requiring information provision. It relates to a traveler location-specific information providing system that automatically provides information when pre-stored content.

GPS was a military purpose system created in early 1970 by the US Department of Defense to spend $ 6 billion to measure the position of objects on Earth. However, today it is approved by the US Congress and used in the private sector, on the premise that some are open to the private sector. GPS can be used to get location and time. Twenty four GPS satellites (actually 27, including three complementary satellites) continue to rotate the Earth's atmosphere in different orbits. This is to obtain four or more satellite signals at any time on earth. In order to measure position, signals must be received from at least four satellites simultaneously. Of course, if you receive signals from more satellites, you can get more accurate position values. The GPS receiver has 4 channels and 8 channels according to the number of satellite signals processed simultaneously. GPS positioning data has an error range of less than 50 m for the PPS (Precision Positioning Service) used for military purposes, and a standard positioning service (SPS) provided to the civilian within 200 m. The civil service is deliberately reduced in accuracy. As a method of correcting such an error, DGPS (Differential GPS), which reflects data corrected by using a difference between a coordinate value of a specific position and a measured value therein, is used. By using DGPS, the margin of error can be reduced to within 5 m. Recently, DARC system, which provides DGPS correction data through FM information, is also introduced in Korea. Another position measuring system is the Soviet GLONASS, and a method has recently been developed to reduce the error range by simultaneously using GPS and GLONASS signals. GPS is used in conjunction with GPS (GIS) for aircraft, ships, and vehicles. It is also used to locate people and vehicles. In addition, personal portable GPS receivers have been developed and used for unknown exploration and magnetic location during military operations. Recently, GPS receivers have also been developed in portable cordless phones.

On the other hand, a geographic information system or a geographic information system (GIS) is a system for displaying the geographic shape of the data. Originally, GIS allows you to get results in the form of some kind of map by querying or analyzing relational databases. Because many types of data have important geographic shapes, GIS is used in a variety of areas, including weather forecasting, sales analysis, population forecasting and land use planning. In GIS, geographic information is clearly depicted in the form of geographical coordinates (such as latitude and longitude or grid coordinates of a country), or in implicit forms such as street addresses, postal codes and forest locations. GIS has the ability to translate implicit data such as street addresses into clear map locations. GIS developers usually get map data from public agencies or companies specialized in collecting and organizing geographic information. The process of converting implicit geographic data into explicit data or images in the form of maps is called geocoding. Geographic data can be stored in vector or raster format. Using vector format, two-dimensional data is stored in the form of x and y coordinates. A road or river can be described as a series of x and y coordinate points. Non-linear shapes, such as the boundaries of downtown areas, can be stored as closed curves of coordinates. Vector models are good for representing outlines. The raster data format can represent data in which the grid cells change continuously. Raster models are excellent for describing sensitive changes such as soil shape over a region. Most geographic information systems use both kinds of data.

GIS does the following:

1. Receive terrain data in the form of a scanned or digital map image. Usually this data is provided by a supplier who already has a digitized map.

2. Change the size of the terrain information or otherwise handle it for other purposes. It usually includes tools such as a relational database management system.

3. Includes simple questions such as the distance between two points on the map, or a query and analysis program that can answer complex queries that require analysis, such as determining the type of traffic at a given intersection. Usually responds with visual information such as maps or graphs.

On the other hand, when a traveler travels to a foreign or new destination, a medium capable of providing historical background, characteristics, and travel information about the destination is essential. A typical travel information medium currently used is a map, but there is a problem that a map provides only location information of a specific region and no information on history and the like is provided at all.

Another travel information medium is the Tourist Guidebook, which provides information on the history, features, and accommodations / traveller's facilities of the destination, but does not provide specific information about all the facilities. Information other than the information provided in the guidebook has no problem that a traveler can obtain, and since it is provided in the form of a book, the update of new travel information is late.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a portable or on-vehicle location-specific information providing system capable of storing and reading location-specific information using a GPS system.

Other objects and features of the present invention can be recognized by those skilled in the art from the drawings, the detailed description of the invention and the claims.

1 is a configuration diagram of an information providing system using GPS according to the present invention;

2 is a flowchart illustrating an information providing method according to the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

101: GPS module 103: control unit

105: output unit 107: database

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention, in the location-specific information providing system using GPS location information, GPS receiving unit for receiving a location signal including latitude and longitude data from a GPS satellite to determine the current location of the system A database unit in which a specific geographic area is divided into a predetermined number of regions so that an identifier for each divided region and location specifying information data corresponding to the identifier are stored, an output unit for outputting the location specifying information data, and stored in the database It provides a location specifying information system including a control unit for controlling to read the location specifying information on the area in which the system is located based on the identifier and the current position data determined from the GPS receiver to output to the output unit.

In addition, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention, in the method for providing location-specific information using GPS, receiving and analyzing a position signal including latitude and longitude data from the GPS satellites to determine the current position of the moving object A first step of determining, a second step of retrieving location specification information data related to the current location from a database based on the current location data of the first step, and no location specific information data related to the current location in the second step And a third step of performing the first step and the second step if it is determined that it is determined, and outputting the searched location specifying information data, wherein the location specifying information includes historical information, geographic information, cultural information and tourist facilities. A geographic area is divided into a predetermined number of areas, each of which is divided into It is linked with the identifier for, and provides a location-specific information providing method characterized in that the sorted for each divided region.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention, in the system having a processor to provide location-specific information using GPS, receiving and analyzing a position signal including latitude and longitude data from the GPS satellites of the moving object A first function of determining a current location, a second function of retrieving location specific information data related to the current location from a database based on the current location data, and the second function if it is determined that there is no location specific information data related to the current location; A third function of performing the first function and the second function, and otherwise outputting the searched location-specific information data is realized, wherein the location-specific information includes information related to historical information, geographic information, cultural information and tourist facilities. A particular geographic area is divided into a predetermined number of regions, for each A computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon, linked to an identifier and arranged for each of the divided regions, is provided.

According to the present invention, various services can be created by automatically providing location-specific information stored in a database when a traveler passes through a predetermined location.

The location-specific information providing system according to the present invention is characterized in that an algorithm for determining a location for providing information, a database for providing information, and an information providing content are output when the location is reached.

The contents of the database are advertisements, promotions, tourist information, guides, etc. The output device is audio, video, text, or any combination thereof. For example, a tourist bus can automatically provide information directly to a driver as it passes through a certain area, and the city bus can automatically provide the next station information or advertise when moving to a specific area.

The location-specific information providing system according to the present invention uses a GPS system, which is a satellite-based navigation system, and conveniently serves as an electronic travel guide that can be permanently mounted in a vehicle or carried by a traveler.

The present invention comprises a GPS module for receiving the position information of the moving object, a control unit for determining the position requiring information from the position information, and an input / output device for storing and outputting the information providing content.

The GPS module determines the instantaneous position information of the moving object and transmits the determination information to the controller. The location-specific information stored in the database—the information-items corresponding to the current location determined by the GPS module—are grouped according to the geographical area. The control is programmed to access location specific information from the database.

In one embodiment, the control unit is programmed to read information about the history, geography, culture and travel facilities related to the region as the moving object moves to the database. The output unit may be a speaker as a voice output device, an LCD indicator as a video output device, an LED indicator as a text output device, or a suitable combination of the output devices.

The control unit may simply reproduce information related to the current location stored in the database, or include information about the exact location of the tourist attraction in consideration of the exact location and the moving direction of the moving object to provide the user with the stored information before providing the information. It can also be programmed to add.

In another embodiment, the control unit is programmed to retrieve information about hotels, inns, restaurants, and other travel facilities located near the moving object in response to a user's information request. The controller may add information about the travel facility to provide a guide based on the current position of the moving object.

The database of the system according to the present invention can download or update location-specific information from a large database server such as a location-specific information charging system via the Internet.

The above objects, features and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram of an information providing system using GPS according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the GPS module is connected to the control unit, and the control unit is connected to the input unit, the output unit, and the database, respectively.

The control unit is any programmable device capable of performing the functions described below. For example, the controller may be a microprocessor chip or equivalent thereof. The controller receives a signal from the GPS module to generate a signal for controlling the database.

The database is configured in a storage medium such as an EPROM for a small capacity, a flash memory for a medium capacity, or a CD-ROM for a large capacity, and the controller includes a driving device capable of driving the storage medium. In addition, location-specific information stored in the database is configured for easy modification and upgrade.

Although the detailed level of the location-specific information is limited to the capacity of the storage medium in which the database is configured and the data processing capacity of the control unit, a database supply system, that is, a location-specific information charging system, is provided for each region where location-specific information is required. According to the present invention, when the database of the system according to the present invention can be updated, detailed location specifying information can be provided to the user even when the capacity of the storage medium is small.

Although not shown in the drawings, a USB port is provided in the system according to the present invention, and the location-specific information charging interface system is provided in a regional group and a main city in which a plurality of divided regions or predetermined regions are grouped as described below. On the other hand, when the location-specific information charging interface is connected to a database server on which the entire domestic location-specific information database is established through a network such as the Internet, the capacity of the database according to the present invention, no matter where the user travels By overcoming the shortage, it is possible to be provided with detailed location-specific information about the area in which the vehicle moves. That is, the database of the system according to the present invention can download or update location-specific information from a large database server such as a location-specific information charging system through the Internet.

The GPS module receives a signal from a GPS satellite and uses the difference in signal reception time to determine the exact position of the moving object. The control unit outputs the location specifying information to the user through an audio output device, a video output device, a text output device, or an appropriate combination of the output device constituting the output unit, and receives the service request of the user through an input unit such as a control panel.

Not all components of the invention shown in the drawings need be configured to implement all embodiments in accordance with the invention. For example, the present invention can be implemented without an input unit, and furthermore, the present invention can be implemented with only a controller having only an on / off switching function. Similarly, as long as the control includes at least one of any means capable of outputting the result to the user, the output can be omitted. The key elements of the system are a GPS receiver, at least one control means and at least one output means. However, the control means may be configured simply as on / off switches of all system components.

In addition, the functions of the blocks shown in the figures may be combined into one physical unit. For example, the control unit, the output unit and the input unit may be provided packaged in one housing. Its size can be an important consideration when used by pedestrians. All combinations of these components are included within the scope of the present invention. The blocks shown in the figures are shown separately for clarity, but are not necessarily meant to be composed of separate physical units.

In one embodiment, the system according to the present invention may operate as follows. A GPS module with an antenna receives a GPS signal from a GPS satellite and generates a signal indicative of the position of the moving object having the system according to the invention. This signal constitutes an input signal of the controller. The GPS module may generate a signal in analog form if the controller has an A / D converter, or may generate a digital signal by embedding the A / D converter in itself.

The control unit receives a signal indicating the current position from the GPS module to determine the area where the current moving object is located. For example, the controller is programmed to divide the territory into a plurality of regions. These areas may be divided into small, large numbers, and large, small numbers. Through simple programming, the controller can determine the area where the moving object is located based on the signal received from the GPS module.

There are various ways of associating GPS signals with regions of the country, and the present invention is not limited to any particular method. One of several methods is described below.

The database contains a table of a series of combinations of latitude and longitude. That is, it contains a list of pairs of numbers, each pair consisting of latitude and longitude. All possible latitude and longitude combinations within the regional range that the system according to the invention can accommodate constitute a table and have a certain accuracy (i.e. the closest degree / minute / second).

On the other hand, each of these pairs of numbers includes one more number, which indicates the region specified by the number pair. Thus, a table stored in a database consists of a list of pairs of three numbers, each representing a latitude, a longitude, and an associated region. The third number is assigned according to a predetermined allocation for the area of land.

The controller receives a signal from the GPS module in a combination of latitude and longitude. The controller accesses a table of the database, searches for a pair of numbers representing the latitude and longitude received from the GPS module, and recognizes the region of the current location of the moving object by referring to the third number of the pair.

The database provides pre-stored location-specific information, sorted by region. In particular, the location-specific information stored in the database is arranged by sector, and each sector corresponds to the third number in the number pair of the table. That is, the numbers representing the sectors correspond to the numbers representing the divided regions. The control unit reads the position specifying information related to the related sector stored in the database and is displayed to the user through the output unit. In more detail, the location specific information stored in the database includes historical and cultural information related to a particular area. As the moving object moves from one area to another, the control unit outputs audio and video signals. The control unit temporarily stores location-specific information read from a database, including a temporary storage medium such as a buffer, in a temporary storage medium. After that, it is output to the output unit. The temporary storage medium is required to temporarily store location-specific information related to the next region when the moving object moves around the boundary of the region and the output of the location-specific information related to the current entire region is not completed.

Since the GPS module can always recognize the location of the moving object, the GPS module can provide location-specific information about the area corresponding to the current location of the moving object. Although the detailed level of the location specific information is limited to the capacity of the storage medium in which the database is configured and the data processing capacity of the control unit, a database supply system is provided for each region requiring location specific information, and according to the present invention, By configuring the system's database to be updated, detailed location-specific information can be provided to the user even when the storage medium is small.

Meanwhile, the controller may be programmed to provide fixed location specifying information related to each region, or may be programmed to provide location specifying information including information on a location of an interest distance related to the current location of the moving object.

As described above, by configuring detailed location-specific information for one region or grouped region to fit the capacity of the storage medium constituting the database, by providing a location-specific information data supply system for each region or grouped region, Whenever the user moves to the area, location-specific information on the area may be downloaded so that the user may provide the user with detailed information on the historical tourist attractions, regional features, and other points of interest of the area. Therefore, the system according to the present invention can determine the direction of the moving object to provide the location-specific information to the user. For example, the user may receive voice information or image information from the system according to the present invention, such as "You can see Cheomseongdae on the right side of Hong Gil-dong." That is, the system according to the present invention calculates the position of the moving object and / or the moving direction of the moving object, and takes into account the position of the spot which may be of interest to the user, and the position specifying information and the position of the moving object and / or By combining the moving direction information of the moving object, it is possible to provide the user with the variable position specifying information.

In the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the location-specific information is fixed except for providing detailed information on the direction (left or right) of the location of the attraction, but by requesting the type of information desired by the user in advance through the input unit. The user may also pre-control location specific information that the system according to the invention can provide. For example, the system according to the present invention may be set by receiving a user request to output only information about mountains, national parks, and scenic spots around the current location through the input unit. The controller may provide a menu through which the user can determine various types of location specifying information that can be provided by the system according to the present invention. When the input unit is configured as a touch pad type and a user selects a desired menu, the controller is set up to output location specifying information based on the service type of the user received through the input unit.

Meanwhile, the database may provide location-specific information related to the area, including location-specific information about restaurants and other travel facilities. For example, if the user wants information about a restaurant, when the user selects a menu of an item called 'restaurant' through the input unit, the system according to the present invention may provide various types of restaurants—for example, Korean / Japanese / Chinese / It can be programmed to provide a detailed menu with a choice of local food restaurants. When the user receives the type of restaurant desired by the input unit, the control unit may search the database and provide restaurant information related to the current location of the moving object. When the user selects a particular restaurant from the restaurant information provided by the system according to the present invention, the system according to the present invention provides the direction information of the restaurant. The direction information is integrated with the current position information of the moving object determined by the control unit and can provide information such as "you can find 'local restaurant' on the right by turning left at the next intersection and going straight about 500 meters."

In general, the specification of information requested by the user through the input unit may be implemented through a series of hierarchical input requests. For example, when a user makes a request for restaurant information, the system according to the present invention displays a detailed menu so as to sequentially receive a type of food to be selected, a range of desired meal prices, and receives a user request. do.

The control unit is programmed to calculate the speed and direction of the moving body based on the position information of the series of moving objects determined by the GPS module, and thus the real position of the moving body can be continuously monitored. Based on the operation information of the control unit, the control unit continuously updates the current position and direction of the moving object in advance of the information request from the user, and prepares to access the position specifying information related to the region from the database. Therefore, when the user's information request is input, the position-specific information can be output immediately without time delay.

The location information of the database described above may be configured differently. For example, as described above, instead of configuring a table in the form of a number in a database, a detailed map may be configured to display latitude and longitude information specified by a GPS module as the moving object moves on a map. The location specifying information and the direction indication information provided by the system may be displayed on a map.

The system according to the present invention may be mounted on all vehicles requiring service or may be carried by pedestrians in the form of a terminal.

2 is a flowchart illustrating an information providing method according to the present invention.

First, the GPS module receives position-latitude and longitude-signals from the GPS satellites to determine instantaneous position information of the moving object and transmits the determination information to the controller (S201).

The control unit receives a signal indicating the current position of the moving object from the GPS module to determine the area where the current moving object is located (S203). As described above, since the controller is programmed to divide the territory into a plurality of regions, the controller is configured to select an area where the moving object is currently located in a plurality of divided regions based on the current position of the moving object represented by latitude and longitude received from the GPS module. You can judge. In addition, as described above, the method of matching the GPS signal represented by latitude and longitude with a plurality of divided regions may be a table of three pairs of numbers representing latitude, longitude, and divided regions, or the divided regions may be displayed in a database. There is a way to visually display a GPS signal on a map by storing a map.

Next, the control unit searches the database for location specifying information related to the area where the moving object determined in step S203 is located (S205). As described above, the location-specific information may include all traffic information, travel facility information, and accommodation and accommodation facilities, as well as cultural, historical, and geographical information of the region.

If it is determined in step S205 that the database search result does not indicate the location-specific information output location because there is no location-specific information related to the area in which the moving object is currently located (S207), the above steps 201 to S205 are repeated, and the moving object is currently located. If there is location-specific information related to the region (S207), the corresponding information is read and output to the output unit (S209). As described above, the output unit may be a speaker as a voice output device, an LCD display as a video output device, an LED indicator as a text output device, or a suitable combination of the output devices.

The method of the present invention as described above may be implemented as a program and stored in a computer-readable recording medium (CD-ROM, RAM, ROM, floppy disk, hard disk, magneto-optical disk, etc.).

The present invention described above is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings, and various substitutions, modifications, and changes are possible in the technical field of the present invention without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. It will be clear to those of ordinary knowledge.

As described above, when the position specifying information providing apparatus using GPS according to the present invention determines whether a moving object such as a vehicle or a pedestrian has reached the position to provide the position specifying information as data received through GPS, It is to provide information that is applicable. This eliminates the need for the driver to provide information while driving and allows passengers to obtain useful information while driving.

Claims (19)

In the location specifying information providing system using GPS location information, A GPS receiver for receiving a position signal including latitude and longitude data from a GPS satellite to determine a current position of the system; A database unit in which a specific geographic area is divided into a predetermined number of regions, and stores an identifier for each divided region and location specifying information data corresponding to the identifier; An output unit for outputting the position specifying information data; And A control unit for reading out location specification information of a region where the system is located based on the identifier stored in the database and the current location data determined by the GPS receiver, and outputting the determined location information to the output unit Location specific information providing system comprising a. The method of claim 1, Further comprising an input unit for receiving a service request from a user, The output unit And a service request of a user received through the input unit by displaying a menu in a hierarchical structure under the control of the controller. The method of claim 2, The control unit And the location specifying information corresponding to the user's request by searching the database according to the input of the input unit. The method of claim 1, The database unit Includes a USB download port, A location specifying information providing system, characterized in that for updating the location specifying information stored in the database through a location specifying information download system. The method of claim 4, wherein The location specific information download system A location-specific information providing system, characterized in that connected to the central database server via the Internet. The method of claim 4, wherein The location specific information download system Location-specific information providing system, characterized in that installed in each of the divided regions. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The location specific information Including historical, geographic, cultural and tourist information, And linked with each of the divided regions identifiers, and arranged by each of the divided regions. The method of claim 7, wherein The control unit Based on the identifier stored in the database and the current position data determined by the GPS receiver, the system controls the system to read and output the position specifying information on the region where the system is movable in consideration of the position and the moving direction. Location-specific information providing system characterized in. The method of claim 9, The control unit And outputting the navigation information from the current position of the system to an area to which the system is movable to the output unit. In the method for providing location specifying information using GPS, A first step of receiving and analyzing a position signal including latitude and longitude data from the GPS satellites to determine a current position of the moving object; A second step of retrieving location specifying information data related to the current location from a database based on the current location data of the first step; And A third step of performing the first and second steps if it is determined that there is no location specifying information data related to the current location in the second step; otherwise, outputting the retrieved location specifying information data Including but not limited to: The location specific information Including historical, geographic, cultural and tourist information, A specific geographic area is divided into a predetermined number of areas, linked with an identifier for each divided area, and arranged in each of the divided areas. The method of claim 10, A fourth step of receiving a service request from a user; A fifth step of specifying a service request of the user by displaying a menu in a hierarchical structure in response to the service request; And A sixth step of searching the database according to the input of the service request and outputting location specifying information in response to the service request; Location-specific information providing method further comprising. The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein A seventh step of downloading or updating the location-specific information data through a network; Location-specific information providing method further comprising. The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein The third step is Method for providing location specification information for the area in which the mobile can move in consideration of the location and the direction of movement of the mobile based on the identifier stored in the database and the current location information received from the GPS satellites. . The method of claim 13, The third step is And a seventh step of providing navigation information from the current position of the moving object to an area in which the moving object can move. In a system having a processor to provide location-specific information using GPS, A first function of receiving and analyzing a position signal including latitude and longitude data from the GPS satellites to determine a current position of the moving object; A second function of retrieving location specifying information data related to the current location from a database based on the current location data; And A third function of performing the first function and the second function if it is determined that there is no location specific information data related to the current location; otherwise, outputting the searched location specific information data Make it happen, The location specific information Including historical, geographic, cultural and tourist information, And a specific geographic area divided into a predetermined number of regions and linked with an identifier for each divided region, and arranged by each divided region. The method of claim 10, A fourth function of receiving a service request from a user; A fifth function of specifying a service request of a user by displaying a menu in a hierarchical structure in response to the service request; And A sixth function of searching the database according to the input of the service request and outputting location specifying information in response to the service request A computer-readable recording medium that records a program for further realization. The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein A seventh function of downloading or updating the location specific information data via a network; A computer-readable recording medium that records a program for further realization. The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein The third function is A program recording program comprising: location-specific information about an area in which the moving object can be moved in consideration of the moving object and the moving direction based on the identifier stored in the database and the current location information received from the GPS satellite. Readable record carrier. The method of claim 13, The third function is And a seventh function of providing navigation information from the current position of the moving object to an area in which the moving object is movable.