WO2007082938A1

WO2007082938A1 - Method and arrangement for the location-dependent outputting of data by means of mobile terminals as well as a corresponding computer program and a corresponding computer-readable storage medium

Info

Publication number: WO2007082938A1
Application number: PCT/EP2007/050549
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marco Köhler; Matthias Tief; Felix Holzky
Original assignee: Dreifach Einfach - Kreative It-Systeme Gmbh
Priority date: 2006-01-19
Filing date: 2007-01-19
Publication date: 2007-07-26
Also published as: DE102006003363A1; DE102006003363B4

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for the location-dependent outputting of data by means of mobile terminals as well as to a corresponding computer program and a corresponding computer-readable storage medium, which can be used, in particular, as a tourist information system in individual city sightseeing tours. For this purpose, the invention proposes an arrangement for the location-dependent outputting of data by means of mobile terminals, wherein the mobile terminal comprises a data processing device, means for inputting and outputting data, means for storing data and a unit for determining the position of the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal is also distinguished by the fact that it also comprises a unit for determining the orientation of the mobile terminal. The arrangement is set up in such a manner that the data are additionally output on the basis of the orientation of the mobile terminal, wherein representations of objects are visualized with an essentially accurate angle corresponding to their actual arrangement with respect to the mobile terminal.

Description

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Method and arrangement for the location-dependent output of data by mobile terminals and a corresponding computer program and a corresponding computer-readable storage medium

description

The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for the location-dependent output of data by mobile terminals and a corresponding computer program and a corresponding computer-readable storage medium, which can be used in particular as a tourist information system in individual city tours.

Electronic city guides are already known. For example, known solutions provide for tourists to be guided along a predetermined route, with acoustic information being provided at certain predetermined landmarks that the user can retrieve when located near the landmark. As a rule, such acoustically guided city tours are additionally equipped with an (electronic) city map. A disadvantage of this solution is that the user is strictly bound to the predetermined route of the city tour and the information on the relevant attractions must be retrieved usually by entering predetermined codes.

But there are already electronic tourist guides, which the location of the user via an electronic P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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Detect positioning system and thus provide information on attractions that are located in the area of the respective location. Such a solution was used, for example, in the Federal Garden Show 2005 in Munich. The solution used there consisted of one

Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), which has been combined with a GPS module (GPS = Global Position System).

A disadvantage of this solution is that information is provided without distinction to all objects or objects located in the vicinity of the respective location, irrespective of whether the objects discussed are visible to the user or may be concealed by other objects or can be found in the object Jerking the user are located. No selection is made of the nearby objects.

A mobile electronic travel companion equipped with a GPS receiver is described, for example, in German laid-open specification DE 199 35 564 A1. This electronic travel companion has an electronic city map and a route planner, so that when entering a destination, the user is guided to the desired location. To determine location-dependent information, the GPS receiver is not used. Rather, the location and / or object-dependent information is transmitted by a transmitter, which may be located on the object to be described, on the electronic travel companion.

Another solution (DE 44 37 360 Al) provides a travel guide with location-controlled information output, which also uses a GPS receiver and approaching P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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selected objects will automatically start a speech output to output information about that object.

In the utility model DE 299 20 875 Ul a satellite-guided travel information system is described.

It is intended to connect a travel information system with a satellite-based navigation system and provide passengers during the journey information about sights or landscapes of the areas passed through.

An interactive management system for museums, exhibitions, fairs or similar. is presented in the utility model DE 297 19 203 Ul. The position of a visitor in the exhibition space is determined by an electronic location system. According to the position of the visitor, the visitor is provided with information about exhibits near which they are located.

Furthermore, stationary information systems are also known that provide tourist information interactively. Such is described, for example, in German Offenlegungsschrift DE 38 42 719 A1. It is an information system at stations or airport for non-resident travelers, which includes a keypad, a map and a picture and sound reproducing device. The keypad can be used to retrieve desired information, such as hotel information, while highlighting the location of the object of interest in the city map. In addition, over the

Information system a voice connection over the local P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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Telephone network to a desired telephone number.

Another stationary orientation device is described in the utility model DE 298 80 058 Ul. This orientation device has a rotatably mounted screen on which a representation is reproduced, which coincides with the field of view of the user of the orientation device. A disadvantage of this solution is that it can only be used in a stationary manner and accordingly holds only information about the environment of this fixed location.

German Patent Application DE 198 37 568 A1 describes a pocket computer which has a navigation program and a compass. The compass is used in this solution to calculate the correct navigation instructions depending on the orientation of the pocket computer.

Solutions which align map material on the display of a mobile terminal according to a cardinal direction are described in the publications US 6,366,856 Bl and EU 1 298 893 A2.

In the documents DE 101 56 832 Al and DE 103 25 804 Al mobile devices are described, which are equipped with next to a localization system with a compass. Information is output based on the orientation of the mobile device. A disadvantage of these solutions, however, is that no intuitive assignment of the output information to real objects in the environment of the mobile device is possible because, although directional dependent P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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Information is output, but no further assignment to real, visible objects takes place.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a method and an arrangement for the location-dependent output of data by mobile terminals, as well as a corresponding computer program and a corresponding computer-readable storage medium, which remedy the disadvantages mentioned and in particular enable information about objects which are in the Field of view of a user of the mobile terminal are so represented by a mobile terminal that information and described objects by a user of the mobile terminal in a simple, intuitive way can be assigned to each other.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features in the characterizing part of claims 1, 15, 21 and 22 in cooperation with the features in the preamble. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are contained in the subclaims.

A particular advantage of the method according to the invention is that, when using this method, a user, such as a tourist who tours the city, is facilitated orientation by providing him with information relating to objects in the field of vision of the user. This is achieved by outputting data not only location-dependent, ie relative to the current location of the mobile terminal or the user of the same, but also the orientation of the mobile terminal during data output P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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is taken into account. By evaluating the orientation of the mobile terminal, such data are selected from a database, which relate to objects that are in the field of view of the user of the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal will do this with a local

Associated coordinate system and the stored data to be output in each case at least one location identifier, such as a GPS position or other geographical information / coordinates assigned. The location identifier is stored along with the data in one or more databases. In this case, the one or at least a part of the multiple databases may be located on the mobile terminal or on external data processing devices. In order to determine the data to be output for a specific location, the data which are located in a prescribable environment of the current location of the mobile terminal or the user of the latter are now selected on the basis of the location identifier in a first step. In a second step, the location of the location identifiers of the selected data in the local coordinate system of the user of the mobile terminal is calculated. Since a specific area of this local coordinate system defines the field of vision of the user of the mobile terminal, it is now possible to select the data for the output whose location identifier is in this defined area. This selects the data containing information about objects which are in the user's field of vision when the mobile terminal is used as intended. The visual output preferably takes place via a display on which the objects are displayed in the field of view of the user. In order to improve the orientation of the user, it is provided according to the invention that the picture is as realistic as possible P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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to represent this field of view. For this purpose, in the visual output, the objects and / or parts of objects corresponding to the real relationship in the surroundings of the current position of the mobile terminal are to be displayed on the display essentially with precise angular accuracy. In the context of the present invention, precise angle representation is understood to mean that, when the mobile terminal is used as intended, from the perspective of a user of this mobile terminal, an object shown on the display and the corresponding real object lie essentially in the same direction. This makes it much easier to find the real object belonging to the representation. Preferably, the calculations required for the angle-accurate representation, i. Selection of the data based on the location code,

Calculation of the position of the selected data relating to the local coordinate system of the mobile terminal, calculation of the output display o. like. , in real time, so that the user always sees on the display a representation of the respective current situation. The substantially angle-accurate representation on the display thus adapts in real time to the orientation of the mobile terminal; when the user rotates with the mobile terminal, the display of the objects on the display rotates in a corresponding manner. Objects that disappear from the user's field of vision also disappear on the display, others are redrawn because they appear in the user's field of vision. In a preferred embodiment, it is provided to represent the objects without text as symbols, for example as pictograms, stylized drawings, stylized photos or the like. In conjunction with a touchscreen can by touching the on the display P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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displayed symbols are retrieved the associated information, which is then output acoustically.

In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, it is provided that the data to which a location identifier is assigned relate to objects or parts (entrance, prominent points or the like) of objects which are located at the position designated by the location identifier are located. The method can be used particularly advantageously for individual city tours, since a tourist using a mobile terminal on which the method according to the invention is implemented by software can explore a city independently of a fixed route and is always provided with information relating to sights or events of the

Refer to the current location. Even in unfamiliar areas, orientation is facilitated by always outputting only information that relates to objects or events that affect an area that is located exactly in the current field of vision of the user of the mobile terminal.

The data can be output as a video sequence and / or acoustically. For the acoustic output, the mobile terminal is in a preferred embodiment with a

Headphones equipped, preferably with a cordless headphone. To implement the method according to the invention an arrangement for the location-dependent output of data by mobile terminals is used, wherein the mobile terminal a data processing device, such as a processor or the like, means for data input and / or output, means for data storage, in which at least a part of P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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is stored for the output certain data along with their associated location identifiers, and comprises a unit for determining the positions of the mobile terminal. According to the invention, the mobile terminal is further provided with a unit for determining the orientation of the mobile

Equipped. Furthermore, the arrangement according to the invention is set up such that, in addition to the evaluation of the location of the mobile terminal, its orientation is also evaluated. Based on the determined position and the determined orientation of the mobile

Terminals are now the stored, provided for the output, provided with a location identifier data filtered by such data are selected, whose location identifier is located in a predeterminable environment of the current location of the mobile terminal and finally from this first selection, a further selection depending on Orientation of the mobile terminal is taken. As a rule, by this second selection step those are selected whose location identifiers are located in a sector of the environment of the current position of the mobile terminal. This sector is selected so that it corresponds to the field of view of the user of the mobile terminal when the mobile terminal is used as intended.

As a unit for determining the position of the mobile terminal is in a preferred embodiment of the inventive arrangement, a receiver for signals from a satellite-based system for position determination, such as a GPS receiver or a receiver for signals from other satellite-based positioning systems such as Galileo, GLONASS, MTSAT (= Multifunction Transport Satellite System), P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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Beidou or comparable systems. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided to use an electronic compass as the unit for determining the orientation of the mobile terminal.

It proves to be advantageous if the mobile terminal is equipped with a touch screen. This makes it possible to intuitively display the associated information via symbols shown on the display by touching the respective symbol on the touchscreen.

A preferred embodiment of the invention further provides that the arrangement comprises a headphone over which information is output acoustically. Preferably, I am talking about headphones that are connected to the mobile terminal via a wireless interface. Alternatively or additionally, the mobile terminal can also be equipped with a loudspeaker which is integrated in the housing.

It also proves to be an advantage if the mobile terminal is also equipped with an inclination sensor and / or an acceleration sensor, as functions of the mobile terminal, in particular power management functions, can be activated or deactivated depending on the orientation of the mobile terminal. For example, the display light can be switched off when the tilt sensor indicates that the display is hanging, for example, vertically downwards and is thus in a non-use position. P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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Another preferred embodiment of the inventive arrangement provides that the mobile terminal has a photosensitive sensor. This photosensitive sensor can also be used to save power by the brightness in the environment of the mobile terminal is detected by the photosensitive sensor, such as a photodiode, and the background brightness of the display is adjusted according to the detected brightness. This avoids the display being constantly operated at full brightness.

Another power saving effect can be exploited through the use of a transflective display. Transflective displays reflect the incoming ambient light and use it to represent their pixels. thanks to this

Functionality is not required in very bright places an additional backlight, so that the energy required here can be saved.

A further preferred embodiment of the inventive arrangement provides that outside the mobile terminal further external means for data storage are arranged. These may be, for example, databases on a server of a service or content provider. In this case, the externally stored data are taken into account in the evaluation of which data should be output as a function of the current position and the current orientation of the mobile terminal. For this purpose, provision may be made, for example, for such servers of providers to provide data in each case which provide information about the respective region in which the server is located. The one for a particular P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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Location to be output data are then transmitted from the server to the mobile terminal and issued there visually and / or audibly. For this data exchange is provided in a preferred embodiment of the inventive arrangement that the mobile terminal provides a wireless communication interface for this purpose.

A preferred solution, however, is that all relevant data is located on the mobile device itself, as this simplifies both the process itself and the technology required for it. In addition, this solution does not incur any additional costs through communication between the mobile terminal and the external server.

In order to be able to use such a mobile terminal independent of external databases for different regions or for different functionalities, it is provided in a further preferred embodiment of the invention that the databases or databases used on the mobile terminal

Software can be exchanged. For this purpose, the mobile terminal has a communication interface, via which a new database or new software can be transmitted from an external data processing device to the mobile terminal and installed there. This makes the device universally applicable.

A computer program according to the invention allows a data processing device, after it has been loaded into storage means of the data processing device, a method for the location-dependent output of data by mobile P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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Terminal devices to be performed, wherein the data output additionally takes place in dependence of the orientation of the mobile terminal.

Such computer programs can for example be provided downloadable in a data or communication network (for a fee or free of charge, freely accessible or password-protected). The computer programs thus provided can then be made usable by a method in which a computer program according to claim 21 is downloaded from an electronic data network, such as for example from the Internet, to a data processing device connected to the data network.

According to the invention, there is further provided a computer-readable storage medium on which a program is stored which, after having been loaded into storage means of the data processing device, enables a data output device to be operated by mobile terminals, the data output being additionally dependent the orientation of the mobile terminal takes place.

The invention will be explained below with reference to an embodiment example shown at least partially in the figures. Show it:

Figure 1: an exemplary block diagram of an electronic city guide;

Figure 2: An illustration of an accurate angle representation of objects on a display of an electronic city guide. P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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The invention will be described by way of example on an electronic city guide 20, which outputs not only location-related information, but also the information to be output to the viewing direction of a

User of the electronic city guide 20 adapts, if the electronic city guide 20 is used as intended.

The invention is of course not limited to this specific embodiment as an electronic city guide 20. Rather, a multiplicity of further possible uses of the invention are conceivable. For example, the invention can be used to perform the maintenance or inspection of larger industrial equipment by displaying on the display of the mobile terminal such areas of industrial or technical equipment that a user of the electronic terminal has in his field of vision. By touching corresponding elements of the display shown on the display, a user of the mobile terminal can retrieve specific information about the selected item.

The electronic city guide 20 explained below is equipped with a display 5 as well as with headphones, which are preferably connected to the electronic city guide 20 via a wireless interface. Information can thus be output visually and / or acoustically. In a special embodiment of the electronic city guide 20, a very simple user interface is provided. In this case, all elements that are displayed on the display 5, without text, but only by P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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Symbols 21a, 22a, 23a (pictograms, stylized drawing, stylized photos or the like). In conjunction with the directional data representation, this allows an intuitive assignment of the symbols 21a, 22a, 23a to the actual objects 21b, 22b, 23b.

The determination of the location-dependent and direction-related data to be output by the electronic city guide 20 takes place in the following way: In a first step, the current position of the electronic city guide 20 is determined by means of a satellite-based positioning system, such as via GPS. The GPS position of the electronic city guide 20 forms the basis for the selection of possibly displayed information or objects (sights).

In a second step, the direction information of an electronic compass 12 integrated in the electronic city guide 20 is evaluated, thereby additionally determining the orientation of the electronic city guide 20. With the help of this direction information, a further preselection of the information to be output or the objects to be displayed on the display 5 can be made. It is thus possible to display only objects that are in the user's field of vision. In a preferred variant, it is therefore intended to display only those objects on the display which are located in the 180 ° range of the semicircle in front of the user of the electronic city guide 20. There are also other, preferably narrower, angle for the field of vision conceivable. P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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The direction-based representation of the objects can be further adapted to the real scene representing the user of the electronic tour guide 20 by determining the objects visible to the user of the electronic tour guide 20 with its corresponding position and orientation. In this specific embodiment of the invention, the symbols 21a, 22a, 23a of the visible objects 21b, 22b, 23b (sights) are placed on the display 5 according to the viewing direction of the user, so that the arrangement of the symbols 21a, 22a, 23a on the display 5 corresponds exactly to the perception of the real objects 21b, 22b, 23b (sights) in the field of vision of the user.

The determination of the data to be output taking into account the position and orientation of the electronic city guide 20 will be explained in more detail below:

The electronic city guide 20 comprises a database in which information on sights or events is stored in each case as a database entry. In order to enable the information output according to the invention or in particular the representation according to the invention on the display 5 of the electronic city guide 20, in a preferred embodiment, for example, the following data is stored for each database entry:

a central GPS position of the object,

In addition, several GPS positions that span a frame around the object (sight). With that you can

Sights that have particularly large footprints, facades or unusual shapes, better P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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evaluated and presented to the user. In particular, thus the determination of the visible or hidden areas of the objects is supported.

- It will also GPS position and direction of the

Inputs of a displayed building stored in order to evaluate this data for the Wegfuhrung the user of the electronic city guide 20 can. Since a representative front of a sight is usually more interesting and also better known than an unspectacular back entrance, it is often more advantageous to display the representative, known front as a symbol 21a, 22a, 23a on the display 5. A preferred embodiment of the invention provides for this case that the user of the electronic city guide 20, the way is directed from its location to the (back) entrance of the building. For this purpose, a program in the manner of a route planner can be integrated in the electronic city guide 20.

It is also possible to store information about the height of an object in the database. As a result, even more distant objects that are very high, are more likely to be displayed, as they are much earlier visible to the user of the electronic city guide 20.

Stylized drawings or pictograms for the simplified representation of the objects are also stored. The stylization allows an improved and simplified assignment of the displayed on the display 5 to the real objects 21b, 22b, 23b. The intuitive P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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Placement of the symbols 21a, 22a, 23a on the screen 5 additionally supports the association.

For the objects or events, voice data are stored in digital, preferably compressed form. Preferably, the contributions are spoken by a (real) speaker, since natural language and the like may be used. is perceived as more pleasing and interesting by the emphasis and can be more easily grasped than synthetically generated speech output.

The data (database) for each region is stored on the device, so the electronic city guide 20 can always operate autonomously and is not dependent on an external infrastructure (such as a radio communication transmitting station or the like). There are thus no additional costs for the user, as is the case with SMS services, for example.

However, under certain circumstances, it may also prove advantageous if the databases are stored on a central data server. This may for example be the case if the use takes place exclusively in an intranet, in which no additional communication costs for the data transmission between the mobile terminal and the data server occur. An example of this could be the above-mentioned use of the invention for the inspection of larger industrial plants. One advantage of such external databases is that it is easier to update the database than if the data were on the mobile P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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Endgerat, especially on many terminals, are themselves.

In a specific embodiment of the exemplary electronic city guide 20, the database and software stored on the electronic city guide 20 may be exchanged by direct connection to an external computer. In a preferred embodiment, instead of the direct connection to an external computer or in addition thereto, it is provided that a removable data carrier, such as a USB stick or the like, on which a new database or new software is stored, communicates with the computer via an interface Electronic City Guide 20, the new database / software will be transferred to the electronic city guide and installed there.

This exchange of database or software makes the mobile terminal universally applicable:

The exchange of data allows the use of the same device in different regions of the world. The exchange of the language data in the database additionally enables the support of different languages for the output.

The replacement of the program code allows the functionality of the mobile terminal to be changed. The device is then no longer a city guide, but another location- and orientation-based service, such as the already mentioned service for the inspection of large technical equipment. P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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To determine the location-based and direction-based information to be output, the stored data associated with at least one GPS position as a location identifier is evaluated as follows:

The current position of the electronic city guide 20 / user provided by the GPS module 10 integrated into the electronic city guide 20 is compared with the GPS positions of the stored entries (objects or events). On the basis of this comparison, those objects / events are now selected which are located in a prescribable environment of the current position of the electronic city guide 20. Preferably, such database entries are selected which are located near the current location or which are of special characteristics for the user. Such special properties may be, for example, the height of a building or a particular position of the object 21b, 22b, 23b, whereby they fall into the field of vision of the user of the electronic city guide 20.

Subsequently, the position of the object 21b, 22b, 23b (angle or direction) with respect to an internal, with the electronic city guide 20 fixed coordinate system is determined.

The distance from objects 21b, 22b, 23b to device 20 is calculated.

Following this, the visible or hidden areas of the objects 21b, 22b, 23b are determined. This is done taking into account the distance and the height, shape or shape of the facade of the object 21b, 22b, 23b. P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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As a result of the preceding calculation steps, the symbols 21a, 22a, 23a are now placed (substantially) at an exact angle on the display 5 (see FIG. "Substantially accurate in angle" means that for a user of the electronic city guide 20, when used properly, real objects 21b, 22b, 23b and the symbols 21a, 22a, 23a of the objects displayed on the display 5 of the electronic city guide 20 are in substantially the same viewing direction 24 lie. In the true-to-the-scale representation, however, additional storage relations of the real objects 21b, 22b, 23b can also be taken into account, for example, whether a first object is located in front of or behind a second object (compare real objects 21b and 22b with associated symbols 21a and 22a in FIG Figure 2).

A special embodiment of the exemplary electronic city guide 20 provides for an intuitive operation of the device that the operation is done exclusively via a touch screen. The retrieval of additional information takes place by direct selection via the symbols shown on the display 5 21a, 22a, 23a. This exemplary embodiment has next to a switch for switching on and off the device only an additional slide switch to completely interrupt the power supply of the device by the power supply (battery) can. With this slide switch, a real restart of the device can be carried out in an emergency.

Another particular embodiment of the exemplary electronic city guide 20 provides that selected information is only available to the interested party in spoken language P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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to get presented. In this embodiment, a visual text representation is dispensed with in order not to distract the interested visitor by reading a text from the actual viewing of the sight.

Ease of use is also enhanced by the use of a cordless headset. Using this solution does not restrict the user's freedom of movement. Furthermore, he is presented with a high-quality speech output, without the crackling and crackling of a cable-based system. A preferred embodiment provides that as audio to be output files digital audio files, such as MP3 files, used and the audio data are sent directly to the headset via Bluetooth. The used Bluetooth profile depends on the respective headphone. In a preferred embodiment of the exemplary electronic city guide 20, both the headset profile (HST) and Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) are supported.

An optional connection of a corded headset may also be enabled to give the user the freedom to choose between these two types. Corded headphones can be used, for example, when the batteries of the cordless headphones are exhausted and need to be charged. The usability of the electronic city guide 20 is thus ensured even in this case on.

In the described in the special embodiment of the electronic city guide 20, the operation P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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Only via the touch screen, functions such as starting, pausing and / or stopping the audio output via the touch screen are also performed. For this purpose, 5 standard icons for these functions are shown on the display.

Another exemplary embodiment of the invention provides a power saving function. The power saving function takes into account the handling of the device. In an exemplary embodiment, a position / inclination / acceleration sensor 13 is integrated into the electronic city guide 20 for this purpose. This sensor detects whether the device is being used by tourists or is hanging down unused at the neck. Once it is determined that the device is not being used, all automatically

Shut down functional units that are not needed in this state, e.g. the display 5 and its backlight. Once the tourist moves the device back to a position to use it, the electronic city guide 20 automatically turns on again. In this embodiment of the electronic city guide 20, the user does not have to take care of the energy saving himself.

This exemplary embodiment provides for the installation of a special system software, since such a system software can make better use of the power saving function of the device than a normal operating system for conventional PDA 's, since the desired function of the device is known from the outset. P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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Because backlighting is one of the biggest consumers of power on a mobile device, smart use of this backlight promises to save a significant amount of power:

Therefore, in a particular exemplary embodiment of the electronic city guide 20, the use of transflective displays is provided. Transflective displays reflect the incoming ambient light and use it to represent their pixels. The backlighting is not required due to this operation in very bright places. Since the electronic city guide 20 is designed as an out-door device, therefore, if appropriate, the incoming sunlight can be used as "supportive lighting".

Nut using a photodiode, which is adapted to the sensitivity of the human eye, the current brightness can be determined in the user's environment. Thus, the brightness of the backlight can be adjusted so that the tourist can read the display optimally. In this way, electricity can be saved in a relatively bright environment, since the full luminosity of the backlight does not have to be used.

The backlight is conventionally dimmed by a potentiometer. However, this has the significant disadvantage that energy useless in the potentiometer in warm, that is: wasted. In contrast, according to the invention, an alternative approach is used. For controlling the illumination according to the invention a pulse width modulation (PWM) P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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used. Here, the backlight LEDs are always turned on and off at a high frequency. When the LEDs turn on and off quickly enough, the human eye can no longer see this as flickering. By the ratio of the time period from "light on" to "light off", the brightness perceived by the human eye can be controlled. This solution ensures optimum utilization of energy, since the energy flow is controlled by switching on and off and energy is not unnecessarily converted into heat.

1 shows the circuit diagram of an exemplary inventive dungsgemaßen electronic city guide 20 is shown in the form of a block diagram:

This exemplary electronic city guide 20 comprises a processor (microcontroller) 1 which accesses various memories such as mobile SD-RAM 2, an SD card 3 and a programmable (read-only) memory 4. For the visual data output, a display 5 with touchscreen functionality 6 is activated by the processor 1. For voice output, an MP3 module 7 is controlled, which comprises a DAC amplifier audio out 8 in a special embodiment. In a preferred embodiment, the MP3 module 7 is also connected to a Bluetooth interface 9. The audio data is transmitted to the cordless headphones (not shown in FIG. 1) via the Bluetooth interface 9.

For positioning purposes, the exemplary electronic city guide 20 comprises a GPS module 10, for example P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

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example, a GPS module 9 with passive patch antenna 11 can be used. To determine the orientation of the exemplary electronic city guide 20, an electronic compass 12 is evaluated by the processor 1. In addition, the circuit arrangement of the exemplary electronic city guide 20 includes an acceleration sensor 13, which is evaluated, for example, in the context of power saving functionality. As already mentioned, by adapting the backlight 16 to the ambient brightness, the energy consumption of the

Device minimized. To detect the ambient brightness of the electronic city guide 20 is equipped with a photodiode 17. Furthermore, the exemplary electronic city guide 20 has a power supply 14, preferably a rechargeable battery. For charging the batteries, a charging electronics 15 is integrated in the exemplary device.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the electronic city guide 20 is extended by additional functions. Thus, an acceleration sensor 13 used for position detection may additionally be used to continuously detect the accelerations acting on the electronic city guide 20. For example, it can be determined how the device is handled by the user - e.g. whether it fell more often on the floor, or whether it was treated very brutally. This collected information can be stored and used for service or maintenance.

Furthermore, a tour mode can be integrated into the electronic city guide 20, which guides the tourist from one sight to the next. This tour mode can P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

19. 01. 2007

For this purpose, not only use (electronic) maps on which the route from A to B is marked, but also provide tips on the use of public transport (OPNV) to the tourist so that he can affordably cover longer distances routed. Since the device determines the current position at any time, it can be checked at any time, whether the tourist is still on the right track and thus possibly given helpful hints.

Since the device is designed as an out-door device when used as an electronic city guide 20, in a preferred embodiment, the housing of the device is completely splash-proof and dust-protected. Thus, the device can be used safely even in rain, etc. Conventional handhelds, cell phones, etc. usually do not have this feature. The device must be completely sealed for this.

To achieve this, the openings of the housing cover for the display 5 and the light sensor are covered by a film glued all-flat in the lid. The film used need only be non-reflective and translucent.

The openings in the housing for the plug connections (to charge the device or exchange data) are sealed with a silicone-like compound.

The on-off switch in the splash-proof embodiment is designed as a contactless switch. Thus, no opening for the connection from the switch to the board of the device is required. P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

19. 01. 2007

Finally, a constant pressure equalization between device and the environment is taken care of, otherwise moist air can penetrate creeping through the pressure difference despite all sealing in the device. The pressure equalization is achieved via a sealed with an air- and water-impermeable membrane bore.

Since device is exposed as an out-door device usually a high stress, is provided in a further preferred embodiment, to provide the device in a shock-protected execution.

In its embodiment, the invention is not limited to the preferred exemplary embodiments specified above. Rather, a number of variants are conceivable that make use of the inventive method and the inventive arrangement even with fundamentally different types of execution.

P378405PC-HH / SO TRIPLE EASY - Creative IT Systems GmbH

19. 01. 2007

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 processor (microcontroller)

2 Mobile SD RAM

3 SD card

4 programmable memory

5 Display 6 Touch screen function

7 MP3 module

8 DAC Amplifier Audio Out

9 Bluetooth interface

10 GPS module 11 passive patch antenna

12 electronic compass

13 acceleration sensor

14 power supply

15 charging electronics 16 backlight 17 photodiode

20 electronic city guides 21a, 22a, 23a Symbols of objects 21b, 22b, 23b real objects 24 viewing direction

Claims

P378405PC-HH/SO THREE TIMES SIMPLE - Kreative IT-Systeme GmbH 19 . 01. 2007 patent claims

1. Method for the location-dependent output of data by mobile devices, the data output also taking place depending on the orientation of the mobile device, characterized in that

Representations of objects are visualized with essentially precise angles in accordance with their actual arrangement in relation to the mobile device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that objects are visualized that are in the field of vision of a user of the mobile terminal.

3. Method according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that data is stored to which a location identifier is assigned, the mobile terminal with a unit for

Position determination and a unit for determining the orientation of the mobile terminal is combined, and data to be output is determined by at least part of the stored data to which a location identifier is assigned, at least part of the unit for position determination and - at least part of the the unit to

Determining the orientation of the mobile device P378405PC-HH/SO THREE TIMES SIMPLE - Kreative IT-Systeme GmbH

19. 01. 2007

be evaluated.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data to which a location identifier is assigned relate to objects and/or parts of objects which are located at the position designated by the location identifier, and the determination of the data to be output is as follows includes: - Comparison of the current position of the mobile device with the location identifiers assigned to the stored data,

Determination of an angle of objects and/or parts of objects with respect to a coordinate system linked to the mobile terminal,

Determination of the distance between objects and/or between parts of objects and the mobile device,

Calculating whether objects and/or parts of objects are visible from the current position of the mobile device.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that data to which a location identifier is assigned are stored locally in the mobile terminal and/or in an external storage means.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that P378405PC-HH/SO THREE TIMES SIMPLE - Kreative IT-Systeme GmbH

19. 01. 2007

the data output depending on location and orientation includes information about the surroundings of the current position of the mobile device.

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data is output acoustically and/or as a video sequence.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that data to be output acoustically is saved as a digital audio file (s).

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that objects and/or parts of objects are represented as symbols during visual data output.

10. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mobile terminal is operated via a touch screen.

11. The method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that depending on the orientation of the mobile terminal

Functions of the mobile device can be activated or deactivated.

12. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that P378405PC-HH/SO THREE TIMES SIMPLE - Kreative IT-Systeme GmbH

19. 01. 2007

the mobile device is equipped with a display and the backlighting of the display is adapted to the ambient light.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that pulse width modulation is used to control the lighting of the display.

14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mobile terminal is equipped with an acceleration sensor and at least part of the data recorded by the acceleration sensor is recorded.

15. Arrangement for the location-dependent output of data by mobile terminals, the mobile terminal having a data processing device, means for data input and output, means for data storage, a unit for determining the position of the mobile terminal and a unit for determining the orientation of the mobile terminal includes, and the arrangement is set up in such a way that the data output also takes place depending on the orientation of the mobile terminal, characterized in that

16. Arrangement according to claim 15, P378405PC-HH/SO THREE TIMES SIMPLE - Kreative IT-Systeme GmbH

19. 01. 2007

characterized in that

Unit for determining the position of the mobile terminal is designed as a receiver for signals from a satellite-based system for position determination and / or the unit for determining the orientation of the mobile terminal is designed as an electronic compass.

17. Arrangement according to one of claims 15 or 16, characterized in that the mobile terminal comprises a touch screen, a headphone, an inclination sensor, an acceleration sensor, a light-sensitive sensor and / or at least one wireless communication interface.

18. Arrangement according to one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that the mobile terminal comprises a transflexive display.

19. Arrangement according to one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that the mobile terminal has a splash-proof and dust-proof housing.

20. Arrangement according to one of claims 15 to 19, characterized in that the arrangement comprises second means for data storage arranged outside the mobile terminal, P378405PC-HH/SO THREE TIMES SIMPLE - Kreative IT-Systeme GmbH

19. 01. 2007

at least part of the data to be output is stored in the second data storage means, and data stored in the second data storage means for output by the mobile terminal using the at least one wireless

Communication interface is transmitted to the mobile device.

21. Computer program which enables a data processing device, after it has been loaded into storage means of the data processing device, to carry out a method for the location-dependent output of data by mobile devices, the data output also depending on the orientation of the mobile device and representations of objects can be visualized with essentially precise angles in accordance with their actual arrangement in relation to the mobile device.

22. Computer-readable storage medium on which a program is stored that is one

The data processing device makes it possible, after it has been loaded into the storage means of the data processing device, to carry out a method for the location-dependent output of data by mobile terminal devices, whereby the

Data is also output depending on the orientation of the mobile device and representations of objects are visualized with essentially precise angles in accordance with their actual arrangement in relation to the mobile device. P378405PC-HH/SO THREE TIMES SIMPLE - Kreative IT-Systeme GmbH

19. 01. 2007

23. Method in which a computer program according to claim 21 is downloaded from an electronic data network, such as the Internet, to a data processing device connected to the data network.