JP2003150616A - Information retrieval method in portable information device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To retrieve and acquire information related to an object on an actual space indicated by a portable information device. SOLUTION: A device for measuring a state indicated by the portable information device, that is a position on the actual space and a posture of the portable information device and a distance from the portable information device to the object, is loaded. By using the information obtained from the device, a position information data base where prescribed information and position and posture information and shape information of the object on the actual space related to the information are registered together is retrieved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to information retrieval in a portable information device, and more particularly, by pointing an object in a real space as a retrieval condition based on position coordinate information and orientation information of the portable information device. Information retrieval method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A method and apparatus for retrieving surrounding area information based on position information of a mobile information device includes a control signal received from a mobile telephone system base station in a mobile telephone system such as a mobile telephone or PHS. As a system for obtaining information on a wireless service area called a cell from this and obtaining regional information based on the information, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 5-37462 and 1-hei 1
1-4474 and the like. Further, there is JP-A-2001-134618 as a system for searching regional information based on position coordinate information obtained by GPS.

In the method according to the prior art described above, since the area information of the surrounding area is obtained starting from the position where the portable information device exists, only the area range can be narrowed down.

In addition to the position coordinate information used in the prior art, the object of the present invention is to directly use an object in the real space pointed by the portable information device as a target of information retrieval by utilizing the posture information of the portable information device. To instruct.

[0004]

According to the present invention, it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable information device with a device for obtaining position coordinate information, and, in addition, to provide vector information to which the portable information device is directed, attitude information of the portable information device. It is achieved by a database having a device obtained from, and providing information associated with an object in a real space based on position coordinates serving as a base point and posture vector information pointed from the base point.

Further, the above-mentioned object is that the portable information device has a distance measuring device to the object at the same time as the position coordinate information and the posture vector information described above, or has means for inputting an approximate distance to the object by visual observation. Then, it is achieved by searching the above-mentioned database based on the distance to the object in addition to the position information and the vector information which are the base points.

According to the present invention having the above-described structure, the position in the real space of the object intended as the object of information retrieval can be specified in a narrow range as compared with the range specified in the prior art. Yes, the efficiency of information retrieval can be improved.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of an information search method in a portable information device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

In the information retrieval method for a portable information device according to the first embodiment of the present invention described below, by pointing an object of information retrieval by the portable information device, the position information device and the posture measuring device can be used in a real space. By acquiring the position coordinates of the mobile information device and the pointing direction, and the distance to the target object by the distance measuring device, the coordinates of the target object for information retrieval in the real space are specified, and the information is searched through the network. , Is used for information retrieval of the location information database by connecting to the information providing server.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system for implementing an information search method in a portable information device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 10
0 indicates a portable information device. Further, 111 is a position information providing service, 112 is a network, 113 is an information providing server, and 114 is a position information database.

The portable information device 100 shown in FIG.
The PU 101, the position information receiving device 102, the position information receiving antenna 103, the posture measuring device 104, the distance measuring device 105, the communication device 106, and the display device 107.
And an input / output device 108, a main storage device 109, and a secondary storage device 110.

The position information receiving apparatus 102 receives the position information provided by the position information providing service 111 using the antenna 103, and detects the position coordinates of the portable information device 100 in the real space in response to a request from the CPU 101. To do.

The attitude measuring device 104 detects the attitude of the portable information device 100, and detects the direction vector pointed by the portable information device 100 in response to a request from the CPU 101.

The distance measuring device 105 detects the distance to the object pointed by the portable information device 100 in response to a request from the CPU 101.

The communication device 106 connects to the network 112. The display device 107 displays the search result. The input device 108 receives an input for starting the information search.

The execution program is stored in the secondary storage device 110, loaded into the main storage device 109 at the time of execution, and stored in the CP.
It is executed in U101.

The information providing server 113 responds to the request from the portable information device 100 by the position information database 11
Search 4 is performed. The position information database 114 stores the position coordinate information in the real space and the information and reference destination of the target object associated with the position coordinates.
With respect to the position designation input from 13, the associated information and reference destination are returned.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining a processing procedure for information retrieval by the portable information device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. (1) Processing is started by an instruction from the input device 108. (Step 201) (2) The position information receiving apparatus 102 acquires the position coordinates of the portable information device 100 in the real space from the position information providing service 111. (Step 202) (3) The orientation measuring device 104 acquires a direction vector pointed to by the portable information device. (Step 20
3) (4) The distance measuring device 105 measures and acquires the distance to the object pointed by the portable information device, or acquires the estimated distance visually from the input device 108. (Step 204) (5) Steps 202 and 20 by the communication device 106
Using the information acquired by 3, 204 as the search condition,
It is transmitted to the information providing server 113 via the network 112. (Step 205) (6) In the information providing server 113, the portable information device 10
Receive a search request from 0. (Step 211) (7) The information providing server 113 searches the database 114 based on the search condition received in Step 211 (Step 212) (8) The search result of Step 212 is obtained from the portable information device 1
To 00. (Step 213) (9) The communication device 106 receives the search result of step 213. (Step 206) (10) The search result of Step 206 is displayed on the display device 107. (Step 207) The information retrieval method in the portable information device according to the second embodiment of the present invention described below has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Prior to the search based on the location information of the location information, the location information database downloads to the secondary storage device a reduced partial database that is limited to those around the current location and that can search only the reference destination from the location coordinates. Aside
It is possible to display a temporary search result such as the presence / absence of information related to the pointed object and reference information without communication.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining a processing procedure for information retrieval by the portable information device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In addition to the first embodiment, after the position information acquisition (step 202b), a process of checking the existence of a partial database effective for the acquired current position coordinates is added (step 302). If the corresponding partial database does not exist, the information providing server 1
13 is inquired (step 303) and downloaded to the secondary storage device 110 (step 3).
04).

Also in the information providing server 113, a new flow occurs, the position information is acquired in response to the inquiry in step 303 (step 311), and the peripheral information starting from the position information is reconstructed as a partial database. (Step 312), and transfers it to the portable information device 100 (step 313).

Regardless of the branch of the above step 302, the posture information acquisition (step 203b) as in the first embodiment.
Then, the distance information is acquired (step 204b), the partial database stored in the secondary storage device 110 is searched (step 305), and this result is displayed as a temporary result (step 306).

At this point, the input device 108 checks the input (step 307). If no input is detected, the process is repeated from step 202b. New provisional results are always displayed for search conditions such as changing position / orientation distance information.

When an input is detected in step 307, the information providing server 113 is again inquired based on the temporary result (step 308). Information providing server 113
Then, the inquiry is received (step 314), the database is searched (step 315), and the search result is returned to the portable information device 100 (step 316). The portable information device 100 receives the search result (step 206b), displays the search result (step 207b), and then shifts to the input waiting (step 201b), which is the same as the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system for implementing an information search method and device in a portable information device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. In contrast to the first embodiment, the communication device 106 and the display device 107 that are connected to the network 112 are eliminated, and the PC connection device 401 and the connector 402 that can be connected using the PC 410 and the USB are provided. In the first embodiment, the PC 410 substitutes for the communication processing with the information providing server 113, which is performed by the mobile information device 100. Further, as an alternative to the display device 107, the result of the information search is displayed on the PC 410.

The information retrieval method in the portable information device according to the third embodiment of the present invention described below is the same as the first embodiment.
On the other hand, the role of the portable information device is limited to collecting and accumulating the information search conditions, and the collected and accumulated information can be searched when the connection with the PC is made. Compared with the first embodiment, similar effects can be obtained with a simplified configuration.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining a processing procedure for information retrieval by the portable information device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

When not connected to the PC 410,
As in the first embodiment, the input is accepted, and the position information (step 202c), the posture information (step 203c), and the distance to the target object (step 204c) are acquired as search conditions. The acquired search condition and acquisition time are stored in the secondary storage device 11
It is saved in 0 (step 503).

When the PC 410 is connected, the search condition stored in the above-mentioned secondary storage device 110 is transferred (step 502). In the PC 410, the transferred search condition is copied (step 521), and similarly to the processing performed on the mobile information device in the first embodiment, the information requesting server 113 is sequentially inquired (step 522) and the search result is received. Then, the search result is displayed (step 523). The processing flow in the information providing server 113 is the same as that in the first embodiment.

When searching the position information database 114, especially when the information related to the registered object such as a display advertisement changes with time,
Using the time when the search information is acquired, the related information displayed at the acquisition time is output as the search result.

FIG. 6 shows the configuration of the position information database and the search method performed in the first to third embodiments of the present invention.

In the position information database 114, for the object 601 that provides information existing in the real space, the provided information 6 associated with the position / orientation information and shape information thereof.
11 are stored as one database entry 602. The database entry 602 is the object 60
It is composed of position / orientation information in one real space and shape information, and it is possible to calculate the inclusion and proximity relationship of points in an arbitrary real space and the intersection and proximity relationship with a straight line.

In Embodiments 1 to 3 according to the present invention, as described above, the portable information device 100 retrieves the acquired position information, orientation information, and distance information to the object as search conditions 612.
As an inquiry to the information providing server. The information providing server searches for an entry stored in the position information database 114 based on the search condition 612. The search is performed by calculating the intersection of the position / orientation information and the shape information in the database entry 602 and the specified range in the real space obtained from the position information, the attitude information, and the distance information of the portable information device input as the search condition, Related information and reference destinations from the corresponding database entries are transmitted to the portable information device 100 as search results 613.

In the database entry 602 registered in the position information database 114, when a display advertisement that changes with time is targeted, the database entry including the change with time is registered and searched.

FIG. 7 shows an example in which a camera and a video display device are used for instructing a real space object in the first embodiment of the present invention. A camera 701 is provided, an image of the camera 701 is displayed on the display device 107, and a cursor 702 is displayed so as to be overlaid on the image.
The distance measuring device 105 measures to the real space position indicated by the cursor 107 on the image, and uses the result obtained by adding the deviation of the viewing angle to the designated point to the posture information as the above search condition, Provide a method for specifying an object in the real space that is easy to grasp visually.

[0034]

As described above, according to the information retrieval method in the portable information device of the present invention, the portable information device provided with the position information receiving device, the posture information acquisition device and the distance measuring device can When entering
By searching the position information database using the position coordinates, the posture information, and the distance information as search conditions, it is possible to acquire information about the target object in the real space by the operation of pointing to the target object in the real space.

Further, according to the present invention, even in a portable information device which is not provided with a distance measuring device, the above-mentioned effect can be obtained by performing intersection point calculation at the time of user's visual input or position information database search. Is possible.

Further, according to the present invention, even in a device having no communication device, by storing the above-mentioned search condition in the secondary storage device, it is transferred to an environment such as a communicable PC, and the above-mentioned effect is obtained. Can be obtained. By accumulating the time information together with the above-mentioned search conditions, it is possible to search the information when the object is pointed out, even with respect to data that changes with time.

According to the present invention, in the above-mentioned portable information device provided with the camera device and the image display device, when the object in the real space is designated, the object is put in the camera image and the cursor is moved to the user. An easy-to-understand search condition input method can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an apparatus that implements an information search method and apparatus in a portable information device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing for implementing an information search method in a portable information device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing for implementing an information search method in a portable information device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an apparatus that implements an information search method in a portable information device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing for implementing an information search method in a portable information device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a position information database and a search method according to the first to third embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a designation method when designating an object in a real space according to the first to third embodiments of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

100 portable information devices 102 Position information receiver 104 Attitude measuring device 105 distance measuring device 113 Information provision server 114 Location database

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Yasuko Yokoyama             1099 Ozenji, Aso-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture             Ceremony company Hitachi Systems Development Laboratory (72) Inventor Kawa saki Shinichiro             1099 Ozenji, Aso-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture             Ceremony company Hitachi Systems Development Laboratory F term (reference) 5B075 KK07 KK34 KK40 PP10 PP28                       PP30 PQ02 QS20 UU14

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A portable information device which a user can freely carry, comprising a position information receiving device, a posture information acquisition device and a distance measuring device, and position coordinate information and portable information of the portable information device in a real space. Point the object in the real space by the posture information of the device and the distance information from the portable information device, and use the position information, the posture information, and the distance information as search conditions, and the related information about the object in the real space. It is characterized in that the position information database containing the position and orientation information and the shape information is searched by using the above-mentioned search condition to obtain the information associated with the object designated by the portable information device in the real space. Information retrieval method for portable information devices. 2. The portable information device according to claim 1, wherein the distance measuring device is eliminated, and the position coordinate information and the posture information are used as search conditions, and the position and posture information of the object registered in the position information database are stored. An information search method for a portable information device, characterized in that information associated with an object in the real space pointed to by the portable information device is obtained by calculating an intersection of the shape information and the search condition. 3. The portable information device according to claim 1, further comprising means for inputting an approximate distance by user's visual observation, as an alternative to the distance measuring device, together with position coordinates and posture information of the portable information device, An information search method in a portable information device, characterized in that the position information database is searched using the input distance information as a search condition. 4. The portable information device according to claim 1, wherein the position information, the posture information, and the distance information are acquired as the portable information device moves, and the position information database is accessed to obtain the portable information device. An information search method for a portable information device, characterized by constantly searching for information about an object pointed to by, and updating and displaying the search result or a part thereof at any time. 5. The portable information device according to claim 1, wherein the position information, the posture information, and the distance information are accumulated in a secondary storage device of the portable information device as search conditions, and the accumulated information is stored after the fact. An information retrieval method in a portable information device, characterized in that the location information database is retrieved for retrieval information to obtain information associated with an object. 6. The portable information device according to claim 5, wherein, in addition to the search conditions, search conditions including a measurement time are accumulated in a secondary storage device, and time information is used as a search requirement when searching the position database. An information search method for a portable information device, characterized by using the information to acquire information associated with an object at a specified position and time in the real space. 7. The portable information device according to claim 1, further comprising a camera device and a display device for displaying a video image projected by the camera, wherein the distance information is acquired for a designated point of the displayed video image. An information retrieval method in a portable information device, characterized in that information associated with an object in a real space displayed as an image is obtained by searching the location information database as a retrieval condition together with the location information and the posture information. .