JP2006245678A - Portable telephone utilization system for foreign traveler - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable telephone utilization system for foreign traveller through which a foreign traveller traveling a foreign country or making a short stay can travel or work comfortably while overcoming such barriers as language, geography, custom, and the like. <P>SOLUTION: In the portable telephone utilization system for foreign traveller, (1) an exclusive portable telephone terminal is preset to the frequency of a specific foreign country, e.g. U.S. or a European country such as Britain, by a terminal service provider, e.g. a travel company, so that smooth travel is ensured and various travel assist services can be utilized, (2) the exclusive portable telephone terminal thus set is lent to a foreign traveller traveling a foreign country or making a short stay with or without pay, and (3) a foreign traveler to whom the exclusive portable telephone terminal is lent can receive traveler assist service from the terminal service provider in the foreign country by using the exclusive portable telephone terminal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention allows various travelers to receive various services by using a mobile phone terminal by a foreign traveler who travels abroad or stays for a short period of time, especially a foreign traveler who is unfamiliar with foreign languages or is not accustomed to foreign life. Mobile phone use system for foreign travelers.

  For foreign travelers unfamiliar with foreign languages or unfamiliar with foreign life, for example, contact with Japan is usually done through the local telephone company, but the international telephone number and contact information of the telephone company This is especially important for those who are not familiar with the rules of the elderly, etc., because they must be dialed after adding the country code and adjusting the number of digits (excluding the first 0 when making a call from abroad to Japan). In reality, it is complicated and difficult to use. For example, universal universal mobile phone terminals that can be used in foreign countries are on the market. However, because this universal mobile phone terminal needs to be set to the frequency of that country locally, It is difficult to use for those who do not know, and even when the frequency is set, the operation when actually making a call has the same complexity as described above.

  On the other hand, each telephone company in Japan offers a service for selling terminals that can make international calls using terminals that can be used both in foreign countries and in Japan. However, in many cases, there are few opportunities to use it overseas, and it is troublesome to make a contract for a short stay abroad. Also, according to this service, for example, when calling from Japan to a person staying in a foreign country, the foreign country is contacted through a Japanese telephone company. However, call charges from Japan to foreign countries will be borne by foreign visitors who are recipients of the calls. Therefore, for foreign travelers, if a general-purpose mobile phone terminal is in a call-ready state, if a call is made from Japan without knowing that it is in a foreign country, the call charge incurred by the recipient may be enormous. As a result, the actual use cases are very limited.

  In addition, language barriers are extremely large for foreign travelers, so it is almost impossible to freely travel and enjoy various tourist spots as in Japan due to restrictions on local activities. As a result, the enjoyment of traveling abroad was significantly impaired. As a result, most foreign tourists had to leave for a uniform group trip, which was very inconvenient. In addition, if there is a problem in overseas travel, there are accompanying tour operators and information desks of Japanese travel agencies installed locally, but it is difficult to use because the number of people, location, and contact time are limited. It was not possible to fully compensate for the inconvenience of foreign travel.

  The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problem, and a foreign traveler who travels abroad or stays for a short time travels comfortably and safely in the area over the barriers of language, geography, customs, etc. It is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile phone usage system for foreign travelers that makes it possible to perform activities.

  In order to achieve the above object, the structural features of the present invention include various features that allow a foreign traveler traveling in a specific foreign country to set a specific foreign frequency in advance and smoothly travel. Terminal services are provided by lending or transferring a dedicated mobile phone terminal that is set to be able to use the travel assistance service of a foreign country from a terminal service provider, and a foreign traveler using the dedicated mobile phone terminal in a specific foreign country. It is now possible to receive travel assistance services provided by tourists. Here, as the terminal service provider, there are a travel agency, a telephone company, an insurance company, a security company, and the like.

  In the present invention configured as described above, a dedicated mobile phone set so that a foreign traveler traveling in a specific foreign country is set in advance to a specific foreign frequency and can use various travel assistance services. By lending or transferring the telephone terminal from a terminal service provider, the mobile telephone terminal can be used immediately without any adjustment in a specific foreign country, and various travel assistance services can be used. For this reason, foreign travelers can enjoy traveling and staying relatively freely and safely even in foreign countries where language and geography are inconvenient.

  Further, in the present invention, as a travel assistance service, a foreign traveler inputs a telephone number of a contact address in his / her home country to a dedicated mobile phone terminal as it is, so that the dedicated mobile phone terminal is based on a connection procedure set in advance. It may be automatically connected to the contact. Thus, as a travel assistance service, when a foreign traveler inputs the phone number of a contact in his country as it is to a dedicated mobile phone terminal, the international call of the telephone company, which is a connection procedure that is set in advance for the dedicated mobile phone terminal By adding the number and country code of your home country, and automatically adjusting the number of digits, you can be surely connected to the contact. Therefore, there is no need to memorize the international call number of the telephone company, the country code of the home country, etc., so that it is possible to easily make a call to the contact information as in the home country.

  Further, in the present invention, as a travel assistance service, when a foreign traveler is in trouble in a specific foreign country, the dedicated mobile phone terminal is connected to the consultation acceptance organization by making an input according to when the dedicated mobile phone terminal is in trouble. It may be done. Here, when you are in trouble in foreign countries, for example, tourist information (tourism spots, theaters, hotels, restaurants, etc., usage fees, usage reservations, etc.), road guidance (transportation to tourist spots, time required, etc.) , Fares, etc.), consultations (lost items, purchase of necessary items, poor physical condition, etc.). As a result, when a foreign traveler has trouble in a foreign country, the dedicated mobile phone terminal can be connected to the consultation reception organization and receive a consultation by making an input according to when the dedicated mobile phone terminal is in trouble. . For this reason, foreign travelers can deal with problems with peace of mind even when they are in trouble, so there is no need to feel inconvenience in foreign countries.

  Further, in the present invention, it is preferable that video information around a foreign traveler can be transmitted to a consultation reception organization in addition to performing an input in response to a problem with the dedicated mobile phone terminal. As a result, when a foreign traveler gets lost on the spot, the current location can be transmitted to the consultation reception organization along with the consultation as video information to the consultation reception organization. Therefore, the consultation reception organization can make a more accurate answer to the other party based on the video information.

  Also, in the present invention, as a travel assistance service, when an emergency situation occurs in a foreign traveler in a specific foreign country, the emergency situation is given to the foreign traveler by selecting the emergency contact of the dedicated mobile phone terminal. What has occurred may be transmitted from the dedicated mobile phone terminal to the emergency contact. Here, the emergency situation includes, for example, sudden illness, accident, theft, kidnapping and the like. As a result, when an emergency situation occurs in a foreign traveler in a foreign country, the emergency contact is automatically sent to the sender as the foreign traveler selects emergency contact on the dedicated mobile phone terminal. Be contacted. For this reason, the emergency contact information can cope with the emergency situation of the sender.

  In the present invention, the dedicated mobile phone terminal has a GPS position detection function, and the foreign traveler selects emergency contact of the dedicated mobile phone, so that the traveler based on GPS together with the emergency situation of the foreign traveler The current location may also be sent to the emergency contact. As a result, the dedicated mobile phone terminal has a position detection function using GPS, so that an emergency situation has automatically occurred in the sender when a foreign traveler selects emergency contact of the dedicated mobile phone terminal. In addition to being contacted to the emergency contact, the location of the sender is also contacted to the emergency contact. Therefore, the emergency contact can take a more accurate response based on the position of the sender.

  Further, in the present invention, as a travel assistance service, when a dangerous situation actually occurs or is predicted to occur in a specific foreign country, the danger information is transmitted from the terminal service provider side to the dedicated mobile phone terminal of the foreign traveler. It is preferable. Here, the dangerous situation includes, for example, natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods and tsunamis, destructive activities such as terrorism, and human disasters caused by sudden battles and conflicts. Thereby, when a dangerous situation actually occurs or is predicted to occur in a specific foreign country, the danger information is transmitted from the terminal service provider side to the dedicated mobile phone terminal of the foreign traveler. For this reason, foreign travelers can take appropriate measures in accordance with the danger information even in an unfamiliar foreign country, so that it is possible to minimize damage due to a large disaster or the like.

  According to the present invention, a dedicated mobile phone terminal that is set in advance so that a foreign traveler traveling in a specific foreign country is set to a specific foreign frequency and can use various travel assistance services is provided as a terminal service. By lending or transferring from a provider, you can easily contact your local contact with a dedicated mobile phone terminal without any adjustment in a specific foreign country, tourist information, route guidance, consultation etc. In case of an emergency, you can receive a response by simply contacting the emergency contact. As a result, in the present invention, a foreign traveler can enjoy traveling and staying freely and safely even in a foreign country where language and geography are inconvenient. Further, in the present invention, when a dangerous situation occurs or is predicted to occur in a foreign country, the danger information is communicated from the terminal service provider side, so foreign travelers can use the dangerous information even in an unfamiliar foreign country. Appropriate measures can be taken accordingly, and it is possible to minimize damage caused by a major disaster.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 to FIG. 6 are block diagrams showing a schematic configuration of a mobile phone usage system for foreign travelers who travels in a specific foreign country or stays for a short time according to an embodiment. . The mobile phone usage system for foreign travelers is as follows: (1) The dedicated mobile phone terminal is set in advance in a specific foreign country, such as the United States, the UK, or other European countries, by a travel agency that is a terminal service provider. It is set so that various travel assistance services that enable smooth travel can be used. (2) The set dedicated mobile phone terminal travels to the foreign country or stays for a short period of time. (3) A foreign traveler who has been lent a dedicated mobile phone terminal provides the terminal service provider by using the dedicated mobile phone terminal in the foreign country. You can get travel assistance services.

  The dedicated mobile phone terminal 10 is of a general-purpose format that can be used in various countries around the world. As shown in FIG. 7, a microcomputer having a normal mobile phone terminal configuration, such as a CPU, ROM, RAM, I / O, etc. A control unit 11 composed of: an operation unit 12 used for inputting a telephone number, a display unit 13 for displaying input contents, a call unit 14 for transmitting and receiving speech, an antenna 15, and a camera 16 And a power source 18 for supplying power to each unit. Further, the dedicated mobile phone terminal 10 is provided with a specific control unit 21 for controlling the travel assistance service, and further, an input button 22 for inputting when a foreign traveler receives the travel assistance service, and a signal from the GPS The GPS terminal 23 for determining its own location based on the information, and when receiving a transmission sent from a travel agency or the like when a dangerous situation occurs locally, it is input to the specific control unit 21 and displayed on the display unit 13 And a danger information receiving unit 25 that sounds a warning buzzer 26 to warn.

  The travel agency sets the dedicated mobile phone terminal 10 to the frequency of the United States in the United States, for example, by operating the operation unit 12, and when the phone number of a Japanese contact is entered, An international call number and a Japanese country code are added, and the number of digits is further adjusted. Then, according to the entered telephone number, adjustments are made so that the telephone of the contact in Japan is connected. In addition, when tourist information, road information, or consultation in the United States is selected, the dedicated mobile phone terminal 10 is provided by a travel agency or the like at a consultation reception institution 30 provided in Japan or the United States to provide information on sightseeing, road information, or consultation. It adjusts so that it may be connected to each charge department 31-33 for every. At this time, when a photo transmission is input, the surrounding video imaged by the dedicated mobile phone terminal 10 is adjusted so as to be transmitted to the consultation receiving organization 30. Furthermore, when “Emergency” is selected as an emergency contact, the number of the dedicated mobile phone terminal 10 and the current location of the foreign traveler based on GPS are set to be immediately transmitted to the emergency contact 35. The The dedicated mobile phone terminal 10 set in this way is handed to a Japanese traveler traveling in the United States. However, the various adjustments of the dedicated mobile phone terminal 10 may be performed not only by the travel agency but also by a consignee.

Next, the usage state of the mobile phone usage system for foreign travelers according to the embodiment will be described.
First, consider a case where a Japanese traveler calls a home in Japan from the United States. When a Japanese traveler presses the input button 22 of the dedicated mobile phone terminal 10, the selection screen 13 a shown in FIG. 2 is displayed on the display unit 13, and “call” is selected from the display. As a result, the “input country name” selection screen 13 b shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the display unit 13, so that “Japan” is selected by the Japanese traveler. In response to this, the selection screen 13c of “input telephone number” shown in the lower part of FIG. 3 is displayed on the display unit 13, so that a Japanese traveler can directly input a contact number in Japan, for example, a telephone number at home. Then, by selecting outgoing call, the dedicated mobile phone terminal 10 automatically adds the international telephone number of the telephone company or the country code of Japan, and further adjusts the number of digits automatically, and then enters the entered telephone number. In response, it is connected to a home phone. As a result, foreign travelers do not need to remember the international telephone number of the telephone company, the country code of Japan, or entering a number other than “0”. You can easily make a phone call first. Especially for middle-aged travelers, it is very convenient because they can contact their home without being aware of being in the United States.

  Next, consider a case where a Japanese traveler wants to go to a park in New York. A Japanese traveler selects “when in trouble” from the display of the selection screen 13a shown in FIG. As a result, a selection screen 13d for “when in trouble” is displayed on the display unit 13 as shown in FIG. 4, and “sightseeing guidance” is selected here. In response to this, the call unit 14 of the dedicated mobile phone terminal 10 transmits the data from the antenna 15 to the sightseeing guidance department 31 and is connected to the call state. As a result, the Japanese traveler is introduced to Central Park, for example, by calling the tourist information department 31. Also, if you want to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, select “Getting Directions” from the “Getting Help” menu, and you can talk to the department in charge 32 and ask about the means of transportation to the museum. Can do.

  If the user gets lost in the middle of the destination, the user selects the “way guide” and also selects “send photo” to activate the camera 16 of the dedicated mobile phone terminal 10. The surrounding scenery is photographed, and the image is transmitted to the road guidance department 32. As a result, the route guidance department 32 can grasp the state of the current position while talking with a Japanese traveler, and thus can provide route guidance more appropriately. In addition, if there is a consultation such as dropping your belongings, select “For each consultation” from the “When you have a problem” menu, and consult with the department 33 in charge for each consultation. can do.

  In addition, during a trip, when an emergency situation occurs to a foreign traveler, for example, when a sudden illness occurs, the foreign traveler automatically selects the “emergency” on the dedicated mobile phone terminal 10 to prompt the sender. The emergency contact 35 is notified that a situation has occurred. Furthermore, since the dedicated mobile phone terminal 10 has a position detection function by the GPS terminal 23, by selecting “in case of emergency”, the location of the sender is simultaneously notified to the emergency contact 35. Therefore, the emergency contact address 35 can more accurately respond to the sender's emergency based on the position of the sender.

  Also, for example, when a dangerous situation such as a big fire or tsunami actually occurs or is predicted to occur in the United States, as shown in FIG. The danger information is transmitted to the dedicated mobile phone terminal 10 of the foreign traveler through a member. The dedicated mobile phone terminal 10 receives the danger information at the danger information receiving unit 25, transmits an alarm sound by the alarm buzzer 26 based on the control of the specific control unit 21, and displays the danger information on the display unit 13. Therefore, foreign travelers can take appropriate measures according to the danger information even in an unfamiliar foreign country, so that it is possible to minimize the occurrence of damage due to the occurrence of a major disaster or the like. In some cases, the travel information is obtained by a travel company through a unique route and directly contacts a foreign traveler.

  In the above-described embodiment, in the case of “when in trouble”, each of the departments 31 to 33 in charge of the consultation receiving organization 30 is divided into “tourist guidance”, “way guidance”, and “for each consultation”. However, for example, these can be combined into one or two departments in charge. For example, when the department in charge is one place, the dedicated mobile phone terminal can be immediately connected to the department in charge by selecting “when in trouble”. By selecting a time when the dedicated mobile phone terminal is in trouble, the dedicated mobile terminal can be connected to the consultation reception organization.

  In the above embodiment, the mobile phone utilization system for foreign travelers is used by renting a dedicated mobile phone terminal for a fee or free of charge, but it may also be performed by selling a dedicated mobile terminal. Is possible. In the above embodiment, the dedicated mobile phone terminal service includes the telephone contact to the home country, the consultation, the notification of the occurrence of the emergency, and the notification of the danger information from the travel agency. It is also possible to limit the service to the department. Moreover, in the said Example, although the GPS terminal was provided in the exclusive mobile telephone terminal, this can also be omitted as a simple apparatus. Further, in the above embodiment, when danger information is transmitted from the travel agency to the dedicated mobile phone terminal 10, it is forcibly interrupted even during a call or operation by the control of the specific control unit 21, It is also possible to prioritize the generation of display and alarm sound and make it impossible to erase.

  In the above embodiment, the travel company as a terminal service provider provides various travel assistance services to Japanese foreign travelers, but instead, telephone companies, insurance companies, security companies, etc. Can also provide this service. In the above embodiment, Japanese foreign tourists are described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and when a traveler in an English-speaking country travels in a non-English-speaking country or vice versa. In addition, the mobile phone utilization system for foreign travelers according to the present invention can be suitably used. In addition, the mobile phone utilization system for foreign travelers shown in the above embodiment is merely an example, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  According to the present invention, a foreign traveler who travels in a specific foreign country is set to a specific foreign frequency by a terminal service provider in advance, and a dedicated mobile phone set so that various travel assistance services can be used. By lending or transferring a telephone terminal from a terminal service provider, various services can be immediately received without any adjustment in a specific foreign country. Therefore, the present invention is useful for foreign tourists because they can enjoy traveling comfortably and safely even in foreign countries where language and geography are inconvenient.

It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the exclusive mobile telephone utilization system for specific foreign travelers concerning the Example of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows schematically the initial display screen of a dedicated mobile phone terminal. It is explanatory drawing which shows schematically the display screen etc. in the case of making a call to the contact information of the home country from abroad with a dedicated mobile phone terminal. It is explanatory drawing explaining the case where a call is made to a department in charge when trouble with a dedicated mobile phone terminal. It is explanatory drawing explaining the case where it contacts with an emergency contact address at the time of emergency with an exclusive mobile telephone terminal. It is explanatory drawing explaining the system in which generation | occurrence | production of a dangerous situation is notified to a dedicated portable telephone terminal. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of a dedicated portable telephone terminal.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Dedicated mobile phone terminal, 11 ... Control part, 12 ... Operation part, 13 ... Display part, 14 ... Call part, 21 ... Specific control part, 22 ... Input button, 23 ... GPS terminal, 25 ... Danger information receiving part.

Claims (7)

A dedicated mobile phone set to allow foreign travelers who travel to a specific foreign country to use various travel assistance services that are set in advance to the specific foreign frequency and that enable smooth travel. A telephone terminal is lent or transferred from a terminal service provider, and the foreign traveler receives the travel assistance service provided by the terminal service provider by using the dedicated mobile phone terminal in the specific foreign country. A mobile phone use system for foreign travelers, which is made possible. As the travel assistance service, a foreign traveler automatically inputs a phone number of a contact in his country to the dedicated mobile phone terminal, so that the dedicated mobile phone terminal is automatically set based on a connection procedure set in advance. The mobile phone utilization system for foreign travelers according to claim 1, wherein the system is connected to the contact information. As the travel assistance service, when a foreign traveler is in trouble in a specific foreign country, the dedicated mobile phone terminal is connected to the consultation acceptance organization by making an input according to when the dedicated mobile phone terminal is in trouble The mobile phone utilization system for foreign travelers according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above. In addition to performing input to the dedicated mobile phone terminal in response to the trouble, video information around the foreign traveler can be transmitted to the consultation receiving organization. Item 4. The mobile phone use system for foreign travelers according to Item 3. As a travel assistance service, when an emergency situation occurs in a foreign traveler in a specific foreign country, the emergency situation occurs in the foreign traveler by selecting the emergency contact of the dedicated mobile phone terminal. The mobile phone utilization system for foreign travelers according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the information is transmitted from the dedicated mobile phone terminal to an emergency contact. The dedicated mobile phone terminal has a position detection function by GPS, and when a foreign traveler selects emergency contact of the dedicated mobile phone, the current situation of the traveler based on GPS together with the emergency situation of the foreign traveler The mobile phone utilization system for foreign travelers according to claim 5, wherein the location is also transmitted to the emergency contact information. As the travel assistance service, when a dangerous situation actually occurs or is predicted to occur in the specific foreign country, danger information is transmitted from the terminal service provider to the dedicated mobile phone terminal of the foreign traveler. The mobile phone utilization system for foreign travelers according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that:

Images