JP2003244738A - Information providing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information providing system capable of providing service information most proper to a current position of an ordinary mobile information terminal to the mobile information terminal. <P>SOLUTION: The information providing system 30 calculates a moving speed and a moving direction of the mobile information terminal 10 on the basis of a history of positioning information of the terminal 10, predicts the position of the mobile information terminal 10 at a display point of time of service information and transmits area service information extracted from a searching range in front of the predicted position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information providing system, and more particularly to an information providing system capable of providing optimum service information to a position of a mobile terminal based on the position information of the mobile terminal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Mobile phones, navigation systems,
Personal digital assistants such as PDAs are widespread. Here, for example, via a mobile information terminal carried by the user,
It would be convenient to be able to provide service information related to events at theme parks, department stores, and museum exhibitions. In view of such circumstances, an information providing business is conceivable in which, based on a request from an unspecified company or organization, the service information that the user may desire is provided to the mobile information terminal carried by the user.

In the above information providing business, if it is possible to provide, as service information, an event at a location that can be easily accessed from the location based on the location information of the portable information terminal obtained by the positioning, it is more suitable for the purpose. Information can be provided.

In the information providing system for distributing the service information as described above, the information retrieval range is determined based on the current location information transmitted from the portable information terminal and the service information extracted within the information retrieval range is delivered. It is possible to do it. However, because of the time required for a series of processes, such as the transmission of location information used for content extraction, the extraction of content from the database, and the distribution of the extracted content, it is not enough to display the service information on the mobile information terminal. Time is needed.

If the portable information terminal is moving at a high speed during the above series of processing, the positioning position of the portable information terminal and the portable information terminal device existing when the content is actually distributed. The current position of is very different. In this case, there is an inconvenience that a wasteful content retrieved from a positioning position that has already passed is delivered. Further, in order to avoid this, if the extraction range of the content to be searched is expanded, the amount of useless content increases in proportion to the expanded extraction range, and the processing load on the system increases.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-51666 discloses an information search / delivery apparatus that sets a search range within a circle whose radius is the distance from the midpoint between the current location and the destination of the portable information terminal to the current location. . Further, in this information retrieval and distribution device, when the portable information terminal device has information on the moving direction and speed information, it is described that the search range of service information is set based on the moving direction and speed information. . According to such an information retrieval and distribution device, it is considered that the drawbacks of the conventional information providing system can be solved.

[0007]

However, in the information retrieval and distribution apparatus described in the above publication, it is premised that the information on the current location and the destination and the information on the traveling direction and the moving speed are transmitted from the portable information terminal. There is. Therefore, in the case of a user other than the user who wants to provide such service information, or in the case of a normal mobile phone or the like in which the mobile information terminal cannot transmit the information on the speed and the moving direction, the information providing system is within the information search range. It is difficult to set. For this reason, the target to which the service information can be provided is limited, which is a great obstacle to the expansion of the target to which the service information is provided.

In view of the problems of the above-mentioned conventional information providing system and the information search / delivery device described in the official gazette, the present invention provides service information suitable for the current position of the mobile information terminal device to a mobile phone such as an ordinary mobile phone. It is an object of the present invention to provide an information providing system that can be widely provided to general users who carry information terminals.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an information providing system of the present invention is an information providing system for providing service information to a user's portable information terminal, which is provided with position information of the portable information terminal. Position prediction for predicting the position of the portable information terminal after a lapse of a predetermined time from the time of measuring the position information, based on the position information input means to be intermittently input and the history of the position information input from the position information input means. Means, a search range setting means for setting an information search range based on the predicted position predicted by the position predicting means, and a database in which service information is stored in association with an area, and set by the search range setting means. Information extracting means for extracting service information based on the information retrieval range, and service information extracted by the information extracting means for storing the mobile information. And having an information transmission means for transmitting to the terminal.

According to the information providing system of the present invention, the service information associated with the position where the mobile information terminal is expected to exist at the time of displaying the service information is delivered to the general mobile information terminal. No useless content is transmitted, and service information can be provided to a wide range of targets.

It is sufficient for the database to store service information that is content in association with an area,
It doesn't matter what kind. The database may exist inside the service information providing system or may exist outside the system. The information search range may be any range that can be easily accessed from the predicted position, and its shape and size can be set arbitrarily.

Here, in a preferred aspect of the information providing system of the present invention, the predetermined time is determined based on a time required from the positioning of the portable information terminal to the display of service information. In this case, there is a high possibility that the most appropriate content will be delivered to the current position of the mobile information terminal when the service information is displayed.

Further, the position predicting means calculates the prediction based on the moving direction and the moving speed calculated from the latest position information and the history position information input immediately before the latest position information. Predicting location is also a preferred aspect of the invention. In this case, it is possible to predict the current position of the mobile information terminal with high accuracy.

Further, the search range setting means moves from the predicted position to the moving direction by ½ of the distance obtained by the product of the time interval at which the position information inputting means inputs the position information and the moving speed. It is also a preferable aspect of the present invention to set the information search range around the moved point. In this case, it becomes possible to deliver service information suitable for each time point of inputting position information.

Further, when the latest position information and the immediately preceding history position information are at the same position, it is also a preferable aspect of the information providing system of the present invention that the service information providing process is not performed. If the latest location information and the previous history location information are the same, it is considered that there is no need to provide new service information because the mobile information terminal has not moved, and information provision processing should not be performed. This reduces the processing load on the system.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will now be described in more detail based on the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Figure 1
Referring to FIG. 1, an information providing system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is configured as a content distribution device 30 connected to a large number of mobile information terminals 10 via a communication network 20 (mobile phone / PHS network or the like). It

The portable information terminal 10 has a GPS (Global Posi)
location acquisition device 11 capable of acquiring (positioning) a user's position such as a communication system, and a communication network 20.
Position information to the content distribution device 30 via
The mobile communication device 12 capable of receiving the content from the content distribution device 30 and the information display device 13 capable of outputting the content are included. The position acquisition device 11 has a function of automatically acquiring the current position information at fixed time intervals or at fixed distances, and transmitting the current position information to the content distribution device 30 via the communication network 20.

The content communication device 30 includes a communication device 31.
And a position prediction device 32 that manages and analyzes the sent position information, and a content processing device 33 that performs a process related to the content to be distributed.

Referring to FIG. 2, the content distribution device 3
The position prediction device 32 of 0 includes a current position management unit 321, a history position management unit 322, an extraction position analysis unit 323, and an extraction position output unit 324. The current position management means 321 stores the position information of the mobile information terminal received for use in calculating the extracted position. The history position management means 322 stores the position information acquired by the current position management means 321 for each mobile information terminal 10. The extracted position analysis unit 323, based on the history position information acquired from the history position management unit 322 and the current position information acquired from the current position management unit 321, when the content is distributed to the information display device 13, the portable information terminal 10 Predictive calculation is performed at which position exists, and which position should be the extraction position of the content is analyzed. The extraction position output unit 324 changes the predicted position of the mobile information terminal calculated by the extraction position analysis unit 323, that is, the content extraction position and the moving direction at that time, into a format that can be used by the content processing device 33 and outputs it. To do.

Referring to FIG. 3, the content processing device 3
3 is the extraction position input means 331 and the search range setting means 33.
2, content extraction means 333, content processing means 3
34, a content distribution unit 335, and a content management unit 336. Extraction position input means 331
Stores the content extraction position and the terminal moving direction input from the position prediction device 32 for use by the content processing device 33. The content management means 336 has a database of content groups associated with regions.

The search range setting means 332 sets the search range of the content based on the extraction position acquired from the extraction position input means 331 and the moving direction. The content extraction unit 333 stores the content group as a database in relation to the area, from the content management unit 336,
A content group within the set search range is extracted and output. The content processing unit 334 changes the plurality of contents extracted by the content extracting unit 333 into a format that can be displayed on the information display device 13 and outputs the content. The content distribution unit 335 changes the format into a format receivable by the mobile communication device 12 and transmits it.

The information providing system performs the following processing. The position acquisition device 11 of the mobile information terminal 10 measures the current position of the mobile information terminal 10 at a predetermined fixed time interval, and the mobile communication device 12 uses the new position information measured via the mobile communication device 12. Twelve unique IDs are added and transmitted to the communication device 31 of the content distribution device 30. The unique ID is a number that can be uniquely identified by the mobile communication device 12, and is a telephone number for a mobile phone, for example. The transmitted position information is received by the communication device 31 of the content distribution device 30 via the communication network 20 and taken in by the current position management means 321. When the new position information is acquired, the current position management unit 321 acquires the history position management unit 322 and the extracted position analysis unit 3.
The position information is passed to 23 and. History position management means 322
Stores the received position information.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a process of determining the content extraction position in the information providing system according to the above embodiment. The extraction position analysis unit 323 first checks whether or not the history position information corresponding to the added unique ID exists (step A1). If the history position information does not exist, the extraction position information indicates the current position management unit. The new positioning position acquired in 321 is substituted (step A9), and the extraction position is output without performing the extraction position calculation process (step A8). In this case, the content related to the current position of the mobile information terminal is extracted. If the history information is present in step A1, the extraction position analysis means 323 acquires the latest history position from the history position management means 322 (step A2).

Next, the measured current position (positioned position) is compared with the latest history position, and it is determined whether or not both positions are the same (step A3). If both positions are the same, it is considered that the position acquisition device 11 has not moved, so the process ends without performing processing and output of the extraction position, and returns to the state of waiting for input from the communication device 31. In step A3, if the measured position and the latest history position are different,
From the two points of the positioning position and the latest history position, how much distance has been moved between two positionings is acquired, and the moving speed of the portable information terminal 10 is calculated from the moving distance and the positioning time interval. (Step A4).

The position acquisition is performed by multiplying the calculated moving speed by a time lag preliminarily assumed on the system side, that is, the time required from the positioning of the position acquisition device 11 to the output of the content display by the information display device 13. The estimated moving distance that the mobile information terminal 10 moves after the positioning is performed by the device 11 until the content is displayed on the screen of the information display device 13 is acquired (step A5). This time lag is calculated from the time required to transmit via the communication network 20, the time required to extract the content to be distributed, the time required to display the content, and the like.

The moving direction of the portable information terminal 10 is calculated on the assumption that the portable information terminal 10 moves on the straight line from the latest history position toward the positioning position (step A6). Next, the position that has moved the estimated moving distance from the positioning position to the assumed moving direction is the predicted position, and the distance that a general person moves within the predetermined time is set as the general moving distance. General movement distance (R) in the movement direction from the predicted position
The half of the distance (R / 2) is added to obtain the extraction position (step A7). This state is shown in FIG. Next, the extraction position output unit 324 shapes the extraction position and the moving direction into a format that can be used by the content processing device 33, adds the unique ID, and outputs the added result (step A8).

Next, the extraction position input means 331 acquires the extraction position and the moving direction output from the position predicting device 32. The search range setting means 332 is the extraction position input means 33.
Based on the extraction position and the moving direction passed from 1, the rectangular search range is calculated so that the content reception position does not deviate from the extraction range, and this is set as the content extraction range. The content extraction unit 333 extracts the content group stored in the content management unit 336 on the condition of the extraction range. Note that this range does not necessarily have to be a quadrangle, and may be a circle or a fan shape depending on the intended use.

The content extracting means 333 saves the history of the extracted contents for each unique ID in order to prevent duplicate contents from being distributed to the same mobile communication device 12, and excludes the contents once extracted. It is also possible to extract only the content that has not been extracted in the past.
The extracted content group is processed by the content processing unit 334.
The information display device 13 is shaped into a format that can be displayed on the screen. The content distribution unit 335 further shapes the formed content group into a format that can be received by the mobile communication device 12, and directs the communication device 3 toward the mobile communication device 12.
1 to send. The mobile communication device 12 receives the data distributed from the content processing device 33, and the information display device 13 outputs the received content on the screen.

A more specific example of the processing of the information providing system of the above embodiment will be described. Here, the user has a PDA (Personal Dig
ItalAssistant) and assume that you are moving. Positioning is performed at fixed time intervals, and the time lag H from positioning to content distribution is shorter than the time interval of positioning. Positioning is performed by GPS, communication is performed by PHS, and content display is performed by the electronic mail function of PDA.

In FIG. 5, assuming that the positioning time interval is T and the GPS performs positioning at the current positioning position, the positioning coordinates (X, Y) use the PHS data communication function and the content distribution device. Sent to 30. At that time,
The PHS telephone number is added to the coordinate data as a unique ID. The positioning coordinate data (X, Y) is sent to the content distribution device 30 via the communication network 20 of the carrier.

The content distribution device 30 receives the measured coordinate data (X, Y), checks whether or not the history coordinate corresponding to the added telephone number exists (step A1), and the history coordinate is already obtained. Exists, the latest stored history coordinate (X1, Y1) is extracted (step A2). Next, it is checked whether the positioning coordinates and the latest history coordinates are the same (step A3), and when it is determined that the coordinates are different, the movement distance D is: D = √ {(X−X1) * (X−X1 ) + (Y-Y1) *
(Y-Y1)}.

Next, based on the distance D and the time T, the average moving speed S between the previous positioning and the current positioning is S = D / T.
(Step A4). Further, from the time lag H, the estimated moving distance I within the time required from positioning to content distribution is obtained by I = S * H (step A5). Next, in order to determine the moving direction, history coordinates (X1, Y1)
Create a straight line formula that connects the and the positioning coordinates (X, Y). The equation is expressed as y = {(Y-Y1) / (X-X1)} x + Y1
And (Y-Y1) / (X-X1) is the moving direction (step A6).

Next, in order to obtain the extracted coordinates, the general movement distance is set to R, and the following equation, I + (R / 2) = √ {(x-
X) * (x−X) + (y−Y) * (y−Y)} is substituted for the straight line expression obtained in step A6 to obtain the content extraction coordinates (x ′, y ′). (Step A7). In the extracted coordinates (x ', y') obtained, the moving direction and unique ID
And are added and output (step A8).

Next, a rectangle with the extracted coordinates (x ', y') as the center of gravity, the short side as R, the long side as 2R, and the short side parallel to the moving direction is created. A search range is set such that the predicted position of the mobile information terminal is arranged such that the long side passes through. Using this rectangle (FIG. 5) as the content extraction range, the content associated with the area included in this is extracted from the content database.

The extracted contents have a history for each unique ID and are used as extraction conditions for the next and subsequent times. The extracted content is converted into an electronic mail format that can be displayed on a PDA and sent to PHS. Thereby, when the user is near the predicted position (x, y), the electronic mail including the content extracted by the PHS is transmitted via the communication network 20.

In step A6, if the mobile information terminal 10 performs positioning immediately after the direction change, the assumed moving direction of the mobile information terminal 10 and the actual moving direction will be different. This state is shown in FIG. The conventional extraction range is also illustrated for comparison. As described above, even in the conventional technique, there is a large difference between the optimum content extraction range and the actual content extraction range, and the movement direction may be estimated based on the history position information and the current position information as in the present embodiment. Conceivable.

FIG. 7 shows a modification of the above-described embodiment, in which the search range is expanded by ΔR. Similar to FIG. 5, the figure shows the search range of the conventional system. In this modification, the previously described R × 2R rectangular search range is expanded by ΔR in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the portable information terminal. Expanding by ΔR in this way is prepared in case the actual moving speed is slower than the calculated moving speed, and gives an optimum search range even if there is an error in the calculated moving speed. Is.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 when the moving speed of the portable information terminal is high. In the conventional information providing system, a large search range is required to search for effective contents corresponding to a large moving speed. However, in the information providing system according to the above-described embodiment, it is not necessary to expand the content extraction range even if the moving speed of the portable information terminal is high, and it is possible to obtain the content that matches the predicted current position, and therefore, a large amount of No need to handle content. Therefore, the load on the system can be reduced.

Although the rectangular search range is illustrated in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. The search range can include, for example, a circular area having a radius R centered on the extraction position.

The mobile information terminal carried by a moving user need only have a positioning function, and does not require a device that is difficult to carry, such as a speed sensor or a gyro sensor for measuring the moving speed or direction. Therefore, the cost of the device carried by the user can be reduced.

Further, in the above embodiment, an example in which the moving speed and the moving direction are calculated based on the latest position information and the previous history position information has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of history position information is obtained. May be used for the calculation, and for example, the moving direction may be acquired from a plurality of pieces of history position information and a road map.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the PDA with GPS and PHS is used as one device for the portable information terminal. However, the information providing system of the present invention uses the PHS dedicated for positioning. Alternatively, a mobile phone or the like that is capable of receiving an e-mail other than this may be used. FIG. 9 shows a configuration of a portable information terminal used in such an information providing system. In this portable information terminal 10A, the position acquisition device 41 and the mobile communication device 42 are configured by one device, Mobile communication device 51 and information display device 52
And are composed of one device. In this way, the mobile information terminal may be composed of a single device or a plurality of devices.

Further, in the above embodiment, the GP is used as the position acquisition device 11 for measuring the current position of the portable information terminal 10.
Although S is used, it is not limited to this. Even with a portable information terminal that includes a transmitter but does not have a method of acquiring the current location, even when the portable information terminal can be positioned on the content distribution device side, the same effect as that of the above embodiment can be obtained.

Further, in this embodiment, the information display device 13
Although the PDA having the e-mail function is used in the above, the mobile phone can use the e-mail function.

Further, in the above embodiment, the position acquisition device 11 is configured to send the measured position at a constant time interval, but the present invention is not limited to this. History position management means 32
It is also possible to change the positioning time interval based on the moving speed estimated from the history stored in 2.

Although the present invention has been described based on its preferred embodiment, the information providing system of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, but the configuration of the above embodiment. Various modifications and changes are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0047]

As described above, according to the present invention, useful service information can be provided to a general portable information terminal, since service information truly suitable for the current position of the portable information terminal can be provided. It is possible to provide an information providing system that can provide the information and can expand the target terminal.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information providing system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a position prediction device in the mobile information terminal shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a content processing apparatus of the content distribution apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process of determining a content extraction position in the information providing system of FIG.

5 is a schematic plan view showing how the content extraction position is determined in the information providing system of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing a modified example of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing another modification of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view showing still another modified example of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing another example of a mobile information terminal.

[Explanation of symbols]

10: Mobile information terminal 11: Position acquisition device 12: Mobile communication device 13: Information display device 20: Communication network 30: Content distribution device (information providing system) 31: Communication device 32: Position prediction device 33: Content processing device 321: Current position management means 322: History position management means 323: Extraction position analysis means 324: Extraction position output means 331: Extraction position input means 332: Search range setting means 333: Content extraction means 334: Content processing means 335: Content delivery means 336: Content management means

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An information providing system for providing service information to a mobile information terminal of a user, comprising position information input means for intermittently inputting position information of the mobile information terminal, and input from the position information input means. Based on the history of the position information, a position prediction unit that predicts the position of the portable information terminal after a predetermined time has elapsed from the measurement time of the position information, and an information search range based on the predicted position predicted by the position prediction unit. Search range setting means for setting, information extracting means for extracting service information based on the information search range set by the search range setting means from a database in which service information is stored in association with an area, and the information extracting means And an information transmitting means for transmitting the service information extracted by the above to the portable information terminal. System. 2. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is determined based on a time required from the time of positioning the portable information terminal to displaying service information. 3. The position predicting means calculates the prediction based on a moving direction and a moving speed calculated from latest position information and history position information input immediately before the latest position information. The information providing system according to claim 1, which predicts a position. 4. The search range setting means in the moving direction from the predicted position by ½ of a distance obtained by a product of a time interval at which the position information inputting means inputs position information and the moving speed. The information providing system according to claim 3, wherein the information search range is set around the moved point. 5. The information provision according to claim 1, wherein the service information provision processing is not performed when the latest location information and the immediately preceding history location information are at the same location. system.