JP2002073668A - Information providing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide optimal information to a mobile terminal. SOLUTION: A present location and a user ID are transmitted to an information center 12 from a vehicle 10. The center 12 retrieves facility information matched with liking of a user regulated by the user ID among the facility information in the neighborhood of the present location of the vehicle, and sends it back to the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 superimposes and displays the received facility information on a map data.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an information providing system,
In particular, it relates to a system for transmitting and receiving information between a mobile terminal and an information center.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, techniques for providing various information to mobile terminals have been known. For example, JP-A-11-
In Japanese Patent No. 248484, dedicated advertisement information corresponding to an area is prepared in the network, the current position of the own vehicle during traveling is determined, and the home page including local advertisement information is prepared. A navigation system for acquiring and displaying the local advertisement information is described.

[0003]

According to this prior art, every time a vehicle enters an area, local advertisements in the area can be viewed. However, these local advertisements are only for unspecified majority. There is a problem that the advertisement is an advertisement and is not always a preferable advertisement for the user. In other words, the user needs unique information unique to the area, but it is preferable that the user can obtain only the information that he or she needs, and the value of the information increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the related art, and has as its object to supply only useful information to the user from an information center, thereby enabling smooth movement, or An object of the present invention is to provide a system, an apparatus, and a method that can make traveling more enjoyable.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a system for providing information from an information center to a mobile terminal, wherein the mobile terminal detects a current position, Means for transmitting a current position and user identification data to the information center, wherein the information center stores facility information, and means for receiving the current position and user identification data transmitted from the mobile terminal And means for searching for facility information from the storing means based on the current position and user identification data, and means for transmitting the searched facility information to the mobile terminal. In addition to providing facility information based on the current position of the moving object, it also provides useful facility information to the user based on the user's identification data, thereby increasing the value of the information and timing appropriate for the traveling user Can give facility information.

Here, it is preferable that the searching means searches for facility information that matches a user attribute defined by the user identification data from facility information existing near the current position. The user attribute defined by the user identification data is a characteristic of the user specified by the user identification data, and specifically includes the user's preference in addition to the biological or sociological characteristics of the user. . By searching for facility information that matches the characteristics of these users,
The user can obtain only information that is close to the current position and that is useful to him. If the user is a specific social group, specifically a specific member, and a specific facility provides a service for that member, the specific facility is searched and provided to the mobile terminal. No matter where you move, you will be able to receive appropriate services.

In the present system, it is preferable that the mobile terminal includes means for displaying map data, and the facility information transmitted from the information center is superimposed and displayed on the map data. As a result, it is possible to know where the facility obtained by the search is near the current position, and the facility can be used easily. The display of the facility information is represented by icons or any other format. This system is
For example, it can be applied to vehicles.

[0008] The present invention also provides an information processing apparatus. The apparatus comprises: means for detecting a current position; means for transmitting the detected current position and user identification data;
The apparatus includes means for receiving facility information transmitted according to the current position and the user identification data, and means for displaying the facility information.

Here, it is preferable that the display means displays map data and superimposes the transmitted facility information on the map data.

The present device can function as a mobile terminal of the information providing system, and a typical example is a vehicle-mounted terminal or a portable information terminal.

The present invention also provides an information providing device. The apparatus includes means for receiving a current position of the moving body and user identification data of the moving body, means for storing facility information, means for storing user data, and facility information existing near the current position of the moving body. And means for searching for information matching the user data specified by the user identification data, and means for transmitting facility information obtained by the search to the mobile unit.

Here, it is preferable that the user data includes at least user preference data.

This device can function as an information center of the information providing system.

Further, in the information providing method according to the present invention, a current position and user identification data of a moving object are transmitted from a mobile terminal, and an information center receives the current position and user identification data, and receives the current position and user identification data. The facility information is transmitted to the mobile terminal based on the mobile terminal, and the facility information is received by the mobile terminal and displayed on a display device.

Here, it is preferable that the information center transmits to the mobile terminal, among the facility information within a predetermined distance from the current position, facility information that matches a user attribute specified by the user identification data. It is.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, taking a vehicle as a moving body and an on-board terminal as a mobile terminal.

FIG. 1 shows a system conceptual diagram of the present embodiment. The communication between the vehicle 10 and the information center 12 is performed, the current position data and the like are transmitted from the vehicle 10,
The information center 12 searches for information determined to be useful for the vehicle 10 and transmits the information to the vehicle 10. Vehicle 1
The communication between the information center 12 and the information center 12 may be performed using a car phone, or may be performed via a beacon provided on the road. The information center 12 may be constituted by a server computer connected to the Internet.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a terminal (vehicle-mounted terminal) mounted on the vehicle 10 (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as a vehicle-mounted terminal 10). The in-vehicle terminal 10 is a GPS 10
a, an input unit 10b, a storage unit (memory) 10c, a navigation ECU (navi ECU) 10d, a display unit 10e, and a transmission / reception unit 10f.

The GPS 10a detects the current position of the vehicle, and the detected current position is supplied to the navigation ECU 10d. In addition to the GPS, an error signal may be multiplexed with an FM multiplex broadcast or the like and transmitted, and DGPS for improving the position accuracy may be used, or the current position may be detected by combining a speed sensor and a direction sensor.

The input unit 10b is used to input a destination for navigation and a waypoint, as well as a user ID and user preference data. The input data is supplied to the navigation ECU 10d. The input unit 10b can be configured with a touch switch or a button, and can also be configured integrally with a display unit 10e described later.

The storage unit 10c stores map data necessary for navigation. The stored map data is read out by the navigation ECU 10d and displayed on the display unit 10e. The map data may be divided into search map data and display map data, and the input user ID and user preference data may be stored.

The navigation ECU 10d is specifically constituted by a microcomputer, and displays the current position detected together with the map data on the display unit 10e, or searches for a route to the input destination, and obtains the obtained route. Is displayed on the display unit 10e to execute the navigation function of guiding the vehicle, and the detected current position, the user ID, and the user preference data are transmitted to the information center 12 via the transmission / reception unit 10f. When the user preference data is registered in the information center 12 in advance, there is no need to transmit the user preference data to the information center 12 again, and only the current position and the user ID need be transmitted. In addition, navigation ECU
10d receives the facility information transmitted from the information center 12 via the transmission / reception unit 10f, and superimposes and displays it on the map data displayed on the display unit 10e based on the position data added to the facility information.

The display unit 10e can use any display device such as a CRT, a liquid crystal, or a plasma, and the transmission / reception unit 10f can use a car telephone, an optical transceiver, or the like.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information center 12. The information center 12 includes a processor 12
a, communication interface I / F 12b, facility information database (D / B) 12c, and user database (D
/ B) 12d.

The facility information database 12c stores information on restaurants, accommodation facilities, gas stations, and other facilities, and is stored in a searchable manner using the location and type (genre) of the facility as a search key. For example, in the case of a restaurant A, the position data Pa and the type data Ja (Italian, French,
Chinese and Japanese) are stored. In the case of a store that employs a point system for specific members, it is preferable to add data indicating that fact.

The user database 12d stores user attributes, specifically, user ID, user name, user age, gender, date of birth, preference data, and the like. The preference data is specifically the type of facility desired by the user, the user's hobbies, etc., and the user's preference data may be registered in advance for each user as described above, or when transmitted from the user. May be newly stored in the database 12d.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a file stored in the user database 12d. For each user ID, a flag indicating the type or hobby of the facility that the user prefers, and a flag indicating whether the user is a specific member is stored. Preference categories are Italian, French, Chinese, and Japanese for restaurants, and hot spring inns, hotels, and resort hotels for accommodation, and hobbies include fishing, golf, and hot springs. In the figure, the preference type of the user whose user ID is defined by AA is a (for example, a hot spring inn), the hobby is e (fishing), and indicates that the user is a specific member. When there is a facility search request from a user whose user ID is AA, the processor 12a of the information center 12 uses this file to search for facilities located near the current location of the user.
You can search for hot spring inns, fishing gear stores, facilities where you can enjoy fishing, and facilities that provide member services (for example, facilities that grant point cards).

The system configuration of the present embodiment is as described above, and its operation will be described below with reference to the processing flowchart of FIG.

In FIG. 5, first, the current position of the vehicle is detected by the on-board terminal 10 (S101). Next, in response to a facility information request from the user (this request can be input by the user from the input unit 10b), the detected current position and the user ID are transmitted to the information center 12 (S10).
2). The user ID may be input by the user from the input unit 10b each time, but it is preferable that the user ID be stored in the internal memory of the navigation ECU 10d or the storage unit 10c, read out when requested, and transmitted to the information center 12. .
In addition to the user ID, a user password can be transmitted.

After transmitting the current position and the user ID, the information center 12 receives these data, and first accesses the information database 12c to access the vicinity of the current position of the vehicle.
Specifically, a radius rkm from the current position (for example, 3 to 5 km)
The information of the facility within m) is searched (S103). Next, from the facility information obtained by the search, only the facility information that matches the user's preference is searched (S104). For example, if the user's preference is an Italian restaurant, only restaurants in the vicinity of the current position of the vehicle are searched. If the user's preference is a hot spring inn, only the hot spring inn is searched among accommodation facilities near the current position of the vehicle. If the user's hobby is fishing, a fishing tackle shop is searched among shops near the current position of the vehicle, or if there is a place where fishing is possible, the place is searched. If the user is a specific member, only the stores that adopt the point system for the member are searched. In addition, when not only the current position but also the remaining fuel amount data is transmitted from the in-vehicle terminal, the information center 12 searches for a gas station existing near the vehicle. Find only gas stations that offer services for. When it is determined from the user ID that the birthday of the user is near, the information center 12 may search for shops (restaurants and goods stores) that are determined to be usable for the birthday among shops near the vehicle. .

When the facility information is searched based on the current position and the user ID, the information center 12 transmits the searched facility information to the vehicle terminal 10 (S105). The facility information to be transmitted includes, in addition to the facility name, the type, and the position data, the available date of the facility and the available time. The in-vehicle terminal 10 receives the transmitted facility information and displays it on the display unit 10e (S106). That is, the position to be displayed is determined from the position data included in the transmitted facility information, and is superimposed on the map data displayed on the display unit 10e.
The form of superimposed display may be an icon, and detailed information of the facility may be displayed by operating the icon.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 10e. The current position of the vehicle is displayed as the current position mark 100 together with the map data. Of the facilities in the area 102 within a predetermined distance rkm from the current position, the positions of facilities that match the user's preference and are useful for the user are displayed by icons 200, 202, and 204. This allows the user to easily know where the desired facility is located with respect to the current position. Of course, instead of displaying the facility information superimposed on the map data, the facility information may be displayed in a message format at a predetermined position on the display unit 10e. For example, "Your favorite hot spring inn is nearby. Please operate the button below for details."
"There is a gas station where points are added as a member service nearby. If you operate OK, you will be guided.""There is a shore near which you can fish. Display the location."

As described above, in this embodiment, not only the local information of the area where the vehicle is present is provided, but only the information that matches the attribute of the user or the preference of the user is provided and provided. As compared with information for an unspecified number of users, the value of the information is increased, and a more user-friendly system can be provided.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible.

For example, in the present embodiment, the user's preference data is transmitted from the vehicle-mounted terminal 10 or registered in the information center 12 in advance.
Alternatively, the facility visit history may be analyzed by the information center 12, and user preference data may be created and stored. For example, when the vehicle frequently stops at an Italian restaurant, the preference of the user is determined to be an Italian restaurant and stored.

The range near the vehicle to be searched can be changed as appropriate. For example, if there is no facility information that matches the user's preference within the default range, the area is further expanded by a predetermined distance (for example, 2 km) to search for facility information that matches the user's preference.

The information center 12 determines whether or not the user actually used the facility obtained by the search.
To adjust the user's preference data.

Further, in the present embodiment, the in-vehicle terminal is exemplified as the mobile terminal, but the present invention can be similarly applied to a portable terminal such as a PDA. In this case, it is preferable to change the range near the current position according to the type of the terminal. Specifically, in the case of a mobile terminal, the range near the current position may be narrower than that of the in-vehicle terminal. To do this, the mobile terminal sends data indicating the type of the terminal,
Alternatively, the information center 12 may calculate the average moving speed of the mobile terminal, and change the search range according to the average moving speed.

[0039]

According to the present invention, useful information can be provided at an appropriate timing to a moving user such as a vehicle driver.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a configuration block diagram of a vehicle-mounted terminal.

FIG. 3 is a configuration block diagram of an information center.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a database configuration of an information center.

FIG. 5 is a processing flowchart of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a display screen according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 vehicle (vehicle-mounted terminal), 12 information center.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04H 1/00 H04B 7/26 M

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A system for providing information from an information center to a mobile terminal, wherein the mobile terminal detects a current position, transmits the current position and user identification data to the information center, The information center comprises: means for storing facility information; means for receiving the current position and user identification data transmitted from the mobile terminal; and storing the information based on the current position and user identification data. An information providing system comprising: means for retrieving facility information from means; and means for transmitting facility information obtained by the search to the mobile terminal. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the searching means searches facility information existing near the current position for facility information that matches a user attribute defined by the user identification data. An information providing system characterized by the following. 3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal includes means for displaying map data, and the facility information transmitted from the information center is superimposed on the map data. An information providing system characterized by: 4. A means for detecting a current position, a means for transmitting the detected current position and user identification data, a means for receiving facility information transmitted according to the current position and user identification data, An information processing apparatus comprising: means for displaying facility information; 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said displaying means displays map data,
An information processing apparatus, wherein the transmitted facility information is superimposed on the map data. 6. An information providing apparatus, comprising: means for receiving a current position of a moving object and user identification data of the moving object; means for storing facility information; means for storing user data; Of the facility information near the current location,
An information providing apparatus, comprising: means for searching for information that matches user data specified by the user identification data; and means for transmitting facility information obtained by the search to the mobile object. 7. The information providing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the user data includes at least user preference data. 8. A method for providing information from an information center to a mobile terminal, wherein the mobile terminal transmits a current position and user identification data of a mobile body, and the information center transmits the current position and user identification data. Receiving facility information based on the current position and the user identification data, and transmitting the facility information to the mobile terminal and displaying the facility information on a display device. 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the information center moves facility information that matches user attributes specified by the user identification data among facility information within a predetermined distance from the current position. An information providing method, wherein the information is transmitted to a terminal.