JP6550796B2 - Information guidance system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention also relates to the information guidance system for guiding the information about a particular area.

  Conventionally, in various information terminals (hereinafter referred to as navigation devices etc.) such as in-vehicle navigation devices, mobile phones, smart phones, tablet-type terminals, personal computers etc., whether information about map images and points are stored in various storage devices Alternatively, it can be obtained by downloading from a server or the like and provided to the user. In addition, as the information on the point, for example, it is possible to provide information on the name, the position, the business hours, the usage charge and the like on the store and the public facilities.

  Moreover, when providing the user with the information on the map image and the point, it is performed to extract and guide only the information necessary for the user. For example, in JP 2009-25675 A, while displaying a map image around the current position of the user on the display, when the user is located within a predetermined tourist area, a tourist facility icon indicating a tourist facility is displayed on the map In addition, it is stated that the distance to the tourist facility and the required time are indicated.

JP, 2009-25675, A (page 8-9, FIG. 9)

  Here, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, when a user enters the tourist area, information on the tourist facilities in the tourist area is guided regardless of whether or not the user desires. However. For example, when the user only passes through the sightseeing area on the way to another destination, or when the user lives in the sightseeing area, the user does not need information on the tourist facility. In Patent Document 1, even in such a case, the information on the tourist facility is uniformly presented, so there is a problem that the user is provided with information that is not required.

The present invention has been made to solve the problems in the prior art, to provide an information guidance system which allows a user to guide only the appropriately extract information about the region in need To aim.

In order to achieve the above object, an information guidance system (1) according to the present invention is an information acquisition means (11) for acquiring symbol related information in which the area and the symbol of the area are associated with each other. Map display means (11) for displaying a map image (32) of an arbitrary area on the display device (18), and a symbol associated with a display target area which is an area where the map image is displayed on the display device Symbol display means (11) for displaying the image (42, 43) of the symbol together with the map image on the display device, if any, and the image of the symbol displayed by the symbol display means by the user Region information guiding means (11) for guiding information on the display target area associated with the operated symbol when operated. And butterflies.
In addition to administrative divisions such as prefectures and municipalities, "area" also includes areas more limited than administrative divisions (e.g., malls, in towns).
“Symbol” is a symbol registered or used in the above region (for example, prefectural chapter, prefectural bird, city flower, etc.), as well as regional promotion (advertising advertisement) of the above region regardless of whether it is authorized or not Also includes mascot characters (referred to as Yura-chara (registered trademark) or local characters (registered trademark) etc.) used for PR and the like of special products and tourism.

According to the information guidance system according to the present invention having the above configuration, if there is any symbol in an area where the map image is displayed on the display device, the symbol is displayed together with the map image, it is and displayed symbols When operated, since information on the area associated with the operated symbol is guided, it is possible to appropriately extract and guide only information on the area related to the symbol that the user is interested in. On the other hand, if the user is not interested in the displayed symbol, information on the area related to the symbol is not provided unless the displayed symbol is operated, thereby preventing provision of information unnecessary for the user. it can. In addition, since it is possible to guide the user's desired information by an easy operation of operating the displayed symbol image, there is no need for the user to perform complicated work such as inputting a search condition, operability Can be improved.

It is the schematic block diagram which showed the information guidance system which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of symbol pertinent information memorized by symbol information DB of an information management center. It is the figure which showed an example of the information regarding the action memorize | stored in action list DB of an information management center. It is a block diagram which shows typically the control system of the communication terminal which concerns on this embodiment. It is a flowchart of the area information guidance processing program which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure showing the navigation screen displayed on a display. It is the figure shown about the identification method of the display object area. It is the figure which showed the image of the symbol displayed on a display. It is a figure showing the change mode of the picture of the symbol displayed on a display. It is a figure showing the action genre selection screen displayed on a display. It is the figure which showed an example of the guidance aspect of area information. It is the figure which showed an example of the guidance aspect of area information. It is the figure which showed an example of the guidance aspect of area information.

  Hereinafter, based on one embodiment which materialized the information guidance system concerning the present invention, it explains in detail, referring to drawings. First, a schematic configuration of the information guidance system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration view showing an information guidance system 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information guidance system 1 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the information guidance system 1 according to the present embodiment basically includes an information server 3 included in an information management center 2 and a communication terminal 5 owned by a user 4. The communication terminal 5 includes a navigation device as a vehicle-mounted device mounted on a vehicle, a mobile phone, a PDA, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, and the like. In addition, the user 4 may be moving by moving means such as a vehicle or may not be moving. Further, the information management center 2 and the communication terminal 5 are configured to be able to mutually transmit and receive electronic data via the communication network 6.

  Here, the information server 3 stores, in the symbol information DB 7, symbol related information in which the area and the symbol of the area are associated with each other for each area of the country where the symbol exists. In addition, the regional information DB 8 stores regional information on facilities and events held in the region in each region of the country. Further, for each region in the country, the type of action that can be executed by the communication terminal 5 in relation to the region and information (URL, URL scheme, etc.) necessary for executing the action are stored in the action list DB 9. To do. And it is a server apparatus which provides the information regarding the symbol relevant information, area information, and action which were memorized by DB according to the demand of communication terminal 5. In addition to administrative divisions such as prefectures and municipalities, "area" also includes areas more limited than administrative divisions (e.g., shopping malls and towns). In addition to the symbols (for example, prefectural chapters, birds of the prefecture, flowers of the city, etc.) registered or used in the above areas, the "symbols" Mascot characters (referred to as Yuru-chara (registered trademark) and local characters (registered trademark)) used for special products and tourism PR.

  Here, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of symbol related information stored in the symbol information DB 7 of the information server 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the symbol related information is stored in association with a region, a type of symbol (including a name if the symbol has a name) existing in the region, and an image of the symbol. For example, as a symbol of A prefecture, a prefectural chapter of A prefecture is associated and stored, and as a symbol of B city in A prefecture, “○ ○ kun” which is a mascot character used for regional promotion of B city is associated and stored As a symbol of C city in A prefecture, 'Tulip', which is a flower of C city, is stored in association, and as a symbol of D city in A prefecture, it is a mascot character used for regional promotion of D city ] Is stored in association with each other. In the present embodiment, basically, one symbol is associated with one region. Further, a symbol is associated with a region (a region associated with a symbol) is a region that is more limited than the administrative division (for example, a shopping street) in addition to administrative divisions such as prefectures and municipalities. , In the town) is the area associated with the symbol, and if a symbol is associated with the area, information within the range of the area associated with the symbol is displayed for the area to be displayed. It will be information.

  Further, in the area where the mascot character used for regional promotion exists, the mascot character is preferentially associated as a symbol. In other words, in the example shown in FIG. 2, prefecture A and city B have no mascot character used for regional development, so the prefecture emblem or city flower is associated as a symbol. Further, only mascot characters used for regional promotion may be associated as symbols. In that case, since there is no mascot character used for regional promotion in A prefecture and B city, it is an area where no symbol is associated.

  On the other hand, the regional information stored in the regional information DB 8 of the information server 3 is classified for each region in the country, and various types of information (name, genre, location, Business hours, usage charges, etc. are stored. In addition, the facility or event associated with the symbol particularly associated with the area (for example, a shop selling products related to the symbol, an event in which a mascot galactor appears when the symbol is a mascot character, an official character In the case of a city office etc.), it is stored separately from other information.

  Further, the action list DB 9 of the information server 3 is set in each region of the country and is necessary for executing the type of action that can be executed by the communication terminal 5 in relation to the region and the action. Information is stored. Here, in the present embodiment, “(A) Display of an event associated with a symbol or a resource on the Internet related to a facility”, “(B) symbol” as an action that can be executed by the communication terminal 5 in relation to a region. "Display of map image around facilities related to (e.g. city hall and landmark)", "(C) Launch of application software related to symbols", "(D) Routes related to symbols (e.g. city halls and landmarks) “Set to destination in search function”. The application software related to the symbol corresponds to, for example, an application or the like in which the symbol appears as a character.

  Then, in the action list DB 9, as shown in FIG. 3, the types of actions that can be executed by the communication terminal 5 are defined for each region of various places across the country, and further, for each action, the item name of the action and the action Information necessary for execution (hereinafter referred to as action parameters) is stored. For example, as an action parameter of “(A) Display of an resource associated with an event or facility associated with a symbol”, a URL or the like specifying the resource is stored. It is not necessary to set all the actions (A) to (D) for each area, and depending on the area, only some actions may be set or no actions may be set. In addition, the type of action to be set may be changed depending on the time (for example, (A) is added only while a festival or other event is being performed in the city, etc.). Further, the item name of the action may not be included in the action list DB, and may be created on the communication terminal 5 side or may be configured to use a default item name.

  On the other hand, the communication terminal 5 has a function for specifying the current position of the communication terminal 5 (i.e., the current position of the user 4) such as GPS or a map image around the current position of the user 4 or any point specified by the user 4 An information communication terminal provided with a function of displaying a key is used, for example, a navigation device, a mobile phone, a PDA, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, etc. A navigation application is particularly installed for communication terminals 5 other than the navigation device. For example, the navigation application is an application that executes a navigation function (hereinafter referred to as a navigation function) in the communication terminal 5.

  The communication terminal 5 is connected to the communication network 6 via a transmission / reception circuit unit (RF) 13 described later, and is configured to be capable of bidirectional communication with the information management center 2. When symbol-related information is received from the information management center 2, a symbol image is displayed on the display of the communication terminal 5 based on the received symbol-related information as described later (see FIG. 8). When the area information is received from the information management center 2, the received area information is displayed on the display of the communication terminal 5 for guidance as described later (see FIG. 13). Furthermore, when the image of the displayed symbol is manipulated by the user and an action is designated, the designated action is performed. The action includes display of Internet-like resources, display of a map image around a specific facility, activation of application software, setting of a destination in a route search function, and the like. Details of the communication terminal 5 will be described later.

The communication network 6 includes a large number of base stations arranged in various parts of the country and a communication company that manages and controls each base station. The base station and the communication company are connected to each other by wire (optical fiber, ISDN, etc.) or wirelessly. It is configured by connecting.
Here, the base station has a transceiver (transceiver) that communicates with the communication terminal 5 and an antenna. Then, while the base station performs wireless communication among the communication companies, the communication terminal 5 which is at the end of the communication network 6 and in the range (cell) to which the radio wave of the base station can reach is communicated with the information management center 2. Have a role to relay.

  Next, a schematic configuration of the communication terminal 5 owned by the user 4 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing a control system of the communication terminal 5 according to the present embodiment. In the following example, the case where the communication terminal 5 is a smart phone will be described as an example.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the communication terminal 5 has a data bus BUS, a CPU 11, a memory 12 storing user information (user ID, name, etc.), map information, etc. regarding the user 4 who owns the communication terminal 5, a communication network A transmission / reception circuit unit (RF) 13 that transmits / receives signals to / from a base station of the network 6, converts an RF (Radio Frequency) signal received by the transmission / reception circuit unit 13 into a baseband signal, and converts the baseband signal into an RF signal Input processing composed of a baseband processing unit 14 for converting data into an input / output unit 17 which is an interface between the microphone 15 and the speaker 16 etc., a display 18 composed of a liquid crystal display panel It is comprised by the part 19 and GPS20 being connected.

  Here, the CPU 11 built in the communication terminal 5 is a control means of the communication terminal 5 that executes various operations in accordance with the operation program stored in the memory 12, and constitutes the communication terminal ECU 21 together with the memory 12. Further, various processing contents of the communication terminal ECU 21 are displayed on the display 18 as necessary. The communication terminal ECU 21 configures various means as a processing algorithm. For example, the information acquisition means acquires symbol related information in which the area and the symbol of the area are associated for each area where the symbol exists. The map display means displays a map image of an arbitrary area on the display 18. When there is a symbol associated with a display target area that is an area where a map image is displayed on the display 18, the symbol display means displays the image of the symbol together with the map image on the display 18. The area information guiding means guides information on a display target area associated with the operated symbol when the displayed image of the symbol is operated by the user.

  Further, the memory 12 relates to user information (user ID, name, etc.) and map information related to the user 4 possessing the communication terminal 5, area information acquired from the information server 3, information related to actions, installed navigation applications and symbols. This is a storage medium in which an application program such as an application, a regional information guidance processing program (FIG. 5) described later, and the like are stored.

  Here, the map information stored in the memory 12 is, for example, link data on roads (links), node data on node points, intersection data on intersections, facility data on facilities, map display data for displaying a map, It consists of search data for searching for routes, search data for searching for points, and the like. The map information may be acquired by communication from an external server (for example, the information management center 2) without being stored in the memory 12. The memory 12 may be configured by a hard disk, a memory card, an optical disk such as a CD or a DVD, and the like.

  Further, the display 18 is disposed on one surface of the housing, and a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like is used. Then, a top screen for executing various applications installed in the communication terminal 5, screens related to the executed applications (Internet screen, mail screen, navigation screen, etc.), and various information such as images and videos are displayed. Is done. In particular, on the navigation screen displayed when the navigation application is executed, a map image including a road, traffic information, a guidance route from the departure place to the destination (traveling planned route), guidance information along the guidance route, etc. Is displayed. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the map image is displayed, an image of a symbol associated with the area where the map image is displayed is also displayed. Further, when a symbol image displayed as described later is operated by the user, information on the area (facility, event information, etc.) associated with the symbol is also displayed.

  The input operation unit 19 is configured by a touch panel provided on the front surface of the display 18. And communication terminal ECU21 performs control in order to perform various corresponding operations based on an electric signal outputted by pressing of a touch panel etc. In particular, in this embodiment, when starting and operating various application programs, when scrolling or changing the scale of a map image displayed on the display 18, when operating an image of a symbol displayed together with the map image, etc. Used. The input operation unit 19 can also be constituted by various keys such as a number / character input key, a cursor key for moving a cursor for selecting displayed contents, and an enter key for confirming selection.

  The GPS 20 can detect the current position and the current time of the communication terminal 5 (that is, the user 4) by receiving radio waves generated by the artificial satellite. In addition to the GPS 20, another device (for example, a gyro sensor or the like) for detecting the current position or direction of the communication terminal 5 may be provided.

  The transmission / reception circuit unit 13 is configured to be able to communicate with the information management center 2 via the communication network 6. Then, a request for symbol related information and area information stored in the DB of the information management center 2 is transmitted to the information management center 2, and symbol related information and area information extracted from the DB in response to the request are transmitted. Used to receive. It is also possible to acquire traffic information such as traffic jam information, regulation information, traffic accident information, etc. via an external traffic information center (for example, VICS (registered trademark) center) not shown.

  Subsequently, a regional information guidance processing program executed in the communication terminal 5 constituting the information guidance system 1 having the above configuration will be described based on FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the area information guidance processing program according to the present embodiment. Here, the area information guidance processing program is a program that is executed after the navigation application is activated in the communication terminal 5 and provides information related to the area desired by the user in accordance with the user's operation. The program shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5 below is stored in the memory 12 or the like of the communication terminal 5 and executed by the CPU 11.

  First, in step (hereinafter abbreviated as S) 1 in the regional information guidance processing program, the CPU 11 displays a navigation screen including a map image of an arbitrary area on the display 18.

  Here, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the navigation screen 31 displayed on the display 18. As shown in FIG. 6, a map image 32 around the user 4 and a current position mark 33 indicating the current position specified on the map of the user 4 are displayed on the navigation screen 31. Further, various operation buttons 34 to 36 operated when performing point registration or route search are also displayed. On the map image, icons indicating the type and position of the facility, traffic information, and the like are also displayed. Furthermore, when the guide route to the destination is set in the communication terminal 5, the guide route line drawn along the guide route on the map image and the destination mark indicating the position of the destination are also displayed. Is done. The user can grasp the road shape around the user, the facility, the route to the destination, and the like by referring to the navigation screen 31 displayed on the display 18.

  Further, the area to be the display target of the map image on the navigation screen 31 is configured to be changeable along with the operation of the user 4 or the movement of the current position of the user 4. For example, when the user 4 moves, the area to be displayed of the map image changes according to the position of the moving user 4. Specifically, in order to display a map image around the user 4, the map image is scrolled so that the current position of the user 4 is always located at a predetermined position (for example, near the center) of the map image. On the other hand, when the user 4 performs a flick operation or a drag operation on the map image, the map image scrolls in the flick direction or the drag direction, and the area to be displayed of the map image changes. Furthermore, when the user 4 performs a pinch operation (pinch in, pinch out) on the map image, the scale of the map image is changed.

  Next, in S2, the CPU 11 relates to the area information corresponding to the area where the map image is displayed on the display 18 from the information server 3 of the information management center 2 (hereinafter referred to as a display area) and the display area The action information on the action that can be executed by the communication terminal 5 is acquired. Here, the display target area is an area including at least a part of the map image displayed on the display 18, more specifically, an area including the central point of the displayed map image. The area specified as the display target area includes not only administrative divisions such as prefectures and municipalities but also more limited areas (for example, shopping streets and towns) than the administrative divisions. Therefore, a plurality of areas may correspond to the display target area.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the area 41 that is the display target of the map image is located in the communication terminal 5, the area including the center point X of the map image is specified as the display target area. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 7, A prefecture and D city are respectively identified as display target areas. Of the area including the center point X of the map image, only the narrowest area may be specified as the display target area.

  Here, the regional information is information in which various information (name, genre, location, business hours, usage fee, etc.) relating to facilities, events, tourist attractions, etc. located in the region are associated with each region in the country. On the other hand, the action information is information in which the type of action that can be executed by the communication terminal 5 in relation to the area and the action parameter which is information necessary for executing the action are associated with each area. (See FIG. 3).

  Next, in S3, the CPU 11 determines whether there is at least one symbol associated with the display target area. Here, whether or not there is a symbol associated with the area specified as the display target area may be determined based on, for example, the symbol related information (FIG. 2) acquired from the information management center 2. The communication terminal 5 may be preliminarily provided with information for identifying a region associated with a symbol and a region not associated with any symbol, and a determination may be made based on the identification information.

  Further, in S3, the symbol to be determined may be limited to a specific type of symbol. For example, it may be determined whether or not a mascot character used for area promotion is associated with the display target area.

  Then, when it is determined that there is at least one symbol associated with the display target area (S3: YES), the process proceeds to S4. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no symbol associated with the display target area (S3: NO), the process proceeds to S6.

  In S4, the CPU 11 acquires symbol related information from the information server 3 of the information management center 2. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the symbol related information is information in which the area and the symbol of the area are associated for each area in the country where the symbol exists. The symbol related information also includes information on the type of symbol (including the name if the symbol has a name) and the image of the symbol. The symbol-related information to be acquired in S4 may be symbol-related information for each region in the country, or may be configured to extract and acquire only symbol-related information related to the display target region.

  Subsequently, in S5, the CPU 11 displays an image of the symbol associated with the display target area together with the map image on the display 18 based on the symbol related information acquired from the information server 3 in S4. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S7. When there are a plurality of display target areas associated with the symbol, basically, the image of the symbol associated with the narrowest display target area is displayed. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when A prefecture and D city are specified as display target areas, respectively, and symbols are associated with A prefecture and D city, they are associated with D city. The symbol is the display target.

  Here, FIG. 8 is a view showing an example of the navigation screen 31 after the image of the symbol is displayed in S4. As shown in FIG. 8, in addition to the map image 32, an image 42 of a symbol associated with the display target area is displayed on the navigation screen 31. The symbol image 42 is displayed superimposed on the map image 32 at a position (for example, the lower left corner) that does not interfere with the visual recognition of the map image 32.

  When there are a plurality of display target areas associated with the symbols, the images of the plurality of symbols associated with the respective display target areas may be switched and displayed. For example, each time the image of the symbol displayed on the display 18 is flick-operated, the image of the symbol is switched. Specifically, when A prefecture and D city are respectively identified as display target areas, and when A prefecture and D city are respectively associated with a symbol, as shown in FIG. 9, the symbol first associated with D city The image 42 is displayed, and when the user flicks the symbol image 42 thereafter, the image 42 of the symbol associated with the D city is switched to the image 43 of the symbol associated with the A prefecture.

  On the other hand, in S6, since there is no symbol associated with the display target area, the CPU 11 displays the icon image on the display 18 together with the map image instead of the symbol. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S7. The icon is, for example, an icon of a button displayed as "Tourism information".

  Next, in S <b> 7, the CPU 11 has received a user operation on the symbol image (or icon image) displayed on the display 18 in S <b> 5 (or S <b> 6) based on the signal transmitted from the input operation unit 19. Determine whether or not. Specifically, it is determined whether or not a touch operation for touching a symbol image (or icon image) has been received. In addition, it is good also as a structure which determines whether operation other than touch operation (For example, the touch operation, flick operation, drag operation which continued for 1 second or more) was received.

  If it is determined in S5 (or S6) that the user's operation on the symbol image (or icon image) displayed on the display 18 has been received (S7: YES), the process proceeds to S8. On the other hand, if it is determined in S5 (or S6) that the user's operation on the symbol image (or icon image) displayed on the display 18 is not accepted (S7: NO), the process returns to S1. , Continue displaying the map image and the image of the symbol (or the image of the icon).

  In S8, the CPU 11 creates a list of action items and genre items to be displayed on the display 18. Here, the action item is created based on the action information acquired in S2. In the action information, as shown in FIG. 3, an item name is determined in advance for each type of action that can be executed in the display target area. For example, if the display target area is "A Prefecture B City", 4 of "Go to B City Hall", "Show B City Hall", "Association with ○○", and "Meet ○○" One item is created as an action item. When the item name is not defined in the action information, it may be created according to a pattern predetermined on the communication terminal 5 side, or a default item name may be used. On the other hand, with regard to the genre item, the item name of the genre in which all the area information acquired in S2 is divided is created. For example, “All”, “Sightseeing spots”, “Temple / shrine”, “Eat”, etc.

  In S9, the CPU 11 displays on the display 18 an action / genre selection screen including the list of action items and genre items created in S8. Here, the action / genre selection screen is a screen for selecting the action that can be executed by the user and the genre of the information to be presented. On the action / genre selection screen 45 shown in FIG. 10, “go to D city hall”, “display D city hall”, “play with XX-chan”, “play with XX-chan”, which suggests each action as selectable action items. “Meet” is displayed. In addition, "all", "sightseeing spots", "temple, temples and temples", and "eat" are displayed as selectable genre items. When any action item is selected, an action corresponding to the selected action item is executed as described later. On the other hand, when any genre item is selected, information corresponding to the selected genre item is guided as described later. Specifically, when "all" is selected, information on the display target area associated with the symbol (or icon) operated by the user is all targeted for guidance regardless of the genre as described later. . In addition, when “sightseeing spot” is selected, among the information on the display target area associated with the symbol (or icon) operated by the user as described later, in particular, a sightseeing spot (for example, a landmark or the like) Only information related to is targeted for guidance. In addition, when “Temple / shrine / shrine” is selected, only information about the shrine / shrine / temple is included in the information about the display target area associated with the symbol (or icon) operated by the user as described later. . In addition, when “eating” is selected, only information related to eating and drinking facilities among the information related to the display target area associated with the symbol (or icon) operated by the user as described later is set as the guidance target. To do.

  Next, in S10, the CPU 11 accepts the user's operation to select any genre item on the action / genre selection screen displayed on the display 18 in S7 based on the signal transmitted from the input operation unit 19. Determine whether or not.

  And when it determines with having received the user's operation which selects any genre item on the action * genre selection screen displayed on the display 18 (S10: YES), it transfers to S11. On the other hand, when it is determined that the user's operation of selecting any genre item is not received on the action / genre selection screen displayed on the display 18 (S10: NO), the process proceeds to S12.

  In S11, the CPU 11 guides the user of information of the selected genre among the area information on the display target area associated with the symbol (or icon) operated by the user acquired in S2. In addition, as a guide mode of information, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, various information (name, genre, position, opening hours, usage fee, etc.) related to the corresponding facilities and events are displayed in list form on the display 18 The information list 46 may be newly displayed, or, as shown in FIG. 12, point marks 50 to 53 indicating the position of the corresponding facility or event may be displayed superimposed on the map image 32 displayed on the display 18. You may comprise as follows. The point marks 50 to 53 are displayed with respect to the corresponding facility on the map image 32 or the point where the event is held. When the point marks 50 to 53 are displayed, the user selects any one of the displayed point marks 50 to 53 as shown in FIG. 13 to correspond to the selected point marks 50 to 53. An information window 54 displaying information on facilities and events (name, genre, position, opening hours, usage fee, etc.) is newly displayed. As a result, the user can acquire information related to the area related to the selected symbol (or icon).

  In addition, in the structure which displays the point marks 50-53 as shown in FIG. 12, after the genre is selected in the action genre selection screen 45 shown in FIG. 10, the facility and event to be guided are held. The area to be displayed of the map image is changed to include at least a part of the point. The scale of the map image may also be changed. For example, the area to be displayed of the map image is changed so as to include a predetermined number or more (for example, three or more) of locations where facilities or events to be guided are held.

  The information to be guided in S11 is information related to the event or facility related to the symbol operated by the user among the information related to the display target area (for example, a shop selling products related to the symbol, the symbol being a mascot The event may be limited to an event in which a mascot character appears in the case of a character, or a city hall in the case of an official character. In this case, even if the information is on the display target area, the information on the event or facility not related to the symbol operated by the user is not considered as the information on the guide target.

  On the other hand, in S12, based on the signal transmitted from the input operation unit 19, the CPU 11 has received a user operation to select any action item on the action / genre selection screen displayed on the display 18 in S7. Determine whether.

  Then, if it is determined that the user's operation of selecting one of the action items is received on the action / genre selection screen displayed on the display 18 (S12: YES), the process proceeds to S13. On the other hand, when it is determined that the user's operation for selecting any action item on the action / genre selection screen displayed on the display 18 is not accepted (S12: NO), the process returns to S10, and either Wait until an action item is selected.

  In S13, the CPU 11 executes an action corresponding to the selected action item. For example, when an action item (for example, “go to D city hall” in the example shown in FIG. 10) that suggests “(A) display of resources on the Internet related to the event or facility related to the symbol” is selected, the symbol The resources on the Internet regarding the events or facilities associated with are displayed on the display 18. As a result, it is possible to easily obtain a coupon, for example, when a discount coupon is issued at a facility.

  In addition, when an action item (for example, “display D city hall” in the example shown in FIG. 10) that suggests “(B) display of map image around facility related to symbol” is selected, it is related to symbol. The surrounding map image of the facility to be displayed is displayed on the display 18. At this time, at the position of the facility associated with the symbol in the map image, a pin is set so that the position can be identified.

  In addition, when an action item suggesting “(C) activation of application software relating to symbol” (for example, “play with xx” in the example shown in FIG. 10) is selected, application software relating to the symbol is activated. It should be noted that when the application software needs to be downloaded, the downloading may be performed together.

  In addition, when an action item (for example, “Meet XX-chan” in the example shown in FIG. 10) that suggests “set the facility related to the symbol (D) to the destination in the route search function” is selected, The facility associated with the symbol is set as the destination in the route search function. In the destination setting, when the communication terminal 5 itself has a navigation function, it can be set as the destination of the communication terminal 5, or the destination can be set in the navigation device connected to the communication terminal 5 so as to be communicable. It is also possible to transmit as the ground.

  Then, by selecting each action item, the user can obtain information on an event or facility associated with the surrounding map or symbol. Furthermore, it becomes possible to execute an application associated with the symbol and obtain a route to a facility associated with the symbol.

  As described above in detail, the information guidance system 1 according to the present embodiment, the information guidance method by the information guidance system 1 and the computer program executed in the information guidance system 1 display the map image 32 of an arbitrary area on the display 18 (S1) When there is a symbol such as a mascot character associated with the display target area that is the area where the map image is displayed on the display 18, the symbol image 42 is displayed on the display 18 together with the map image. When the image 42 of the displayed symbol is displayed (S9) and the displayed symbol image is operated by the user, information on the display target area associated with the operated symbol is presented (S11, S13), so the user is interested Properly extract and guide only the information about the related symbol and the related area It can become. On the other hand, when the user is not interested in the displayed symbol, the information related to the area related to the symbol is not provided unless the symbol is operated, so that it is possible to prevent the information unnecessary for the user from being provided. In addition, since it is possible to guide the user's desired information by an easy operation of operating the displayed image 42 of the symbol, it is not necessary to make the user perform complicated work such as inputting a search condition. It is possible to improve the performance.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and it is needless to say that various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
For example, although the communication terminal 5 executes the processing of S1 to S13 of the regional information guidance processing program (FIG. 5) in the present embodiment, the information server 3 may execute a part or all of the processing. .

  Further, in the present embodiment, the area including the central point of the map image displayed on the display 18 is specified as the display target area, but the display target area is also specified based on the points other than the central point. good. Further, an area where at least a part is included in the map image displayed on the display 18 may be specified as a display target area. Furthermore, an area including all of the map images displayed on the display 18 may be specified as a display target area.

  In this embodiment, one symbol is basically associated with one region, but a plurality of symbols may be associated with one region. In that case, all the images of the plurality of symbols associated in S4 may be displayed at the same time, or only a part of the symbols may be displayed. Moreover, when displaying only the image of a part of symbol, it is desirable to be able to switch the image of a symbol based on a user's operation and elapsed time.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the information guidance system 1 is configured of the communication terminal 5 and the information management center 2 (information server 3), but may be configured of only the communication terminal 5. In that case, the communication terminal 5 has the symbol information DB 7 in which the symbol related information is stored and the regional information DB 8 in which the regional information is stored. In S3 and S9, the symbol related information and the regional information are read from the DB and acquired. To be configured.

  Moreover, although the embodiment which actualized the information guidance system according to the present invention has been described above, the information guidance system can also have the following configuration, and in that case, the following effects can be obtained.

For example, the first configuration is as follows.
Action information in which information acquiring means for acquiring symbol related information in which the area and the symbol of the area are associated with each other for each area where the symbol exists and action information to be executed by the communication terminal for each area where the symbol exists Associated with a display target area which is an area in which the map image is displayed on the display device, and an action information acquiring means for acquiring the map information, a map display means for displaying the map image of an arbitrary area on the display device of the communication terminal Symbol display means for displaying an image of the symbol together with the map image on the display device when the symbol exists, and a case where the image of the symbol displayed by the symbol display means is operated by the user run of the action corresponding to the display target area associated with the symbols that have been engineered to the communication terminal By Rukoto, that have a, and local information guide means for guiding the information relating to the display target area.
According to the information guidance system having the above configuration, when there is any symbol in the area where the map image is displayed on the display device, the symbol is displayed together with the map image and the displayed symbol is manipulated. Since the information on the area associated with the operated symbol is guided, it is possible to appropriately extract and guide only the information on the area related to the symbol that the user is interested in. On the other hand, if the user is not interested in the displayed symbol, information on the area related to the symbol is not provided unless the displayed symbol is operated, thereby preventing provision of information unnecessary for the user. it can. In addition, since it is possible to guide the user's desired information by an easy operation of operating the displayed symbol image, there is no need for the user to perform complicated work such as inputting a search condition, operability Can be improved.

The second configuration is as follows.
The area information guiding means is operated as an action corresponding to the display target area associated with the operated symbol when the image of the symbol displayed by the symbol display means is operated by the user Information on the display target area is guided by displaying on the display device a resource on the Internet regarding an event or facility associated with the symbol .
According to the information guidance system having the above configuration, by operating the displayed symbol, it is possible to display the resource on the Internet regarding the event or facility associated with the operated symbol on the display device. Therefore, the user's desired action related to the symbol can be realized by an easy operation.

The third configuration is as follows.
When the image of the symbol displayed by the symbol display means is operated by the user, the area information guiding means first performs, as an action corresponding to the display target area associated with the operated symbol, the resource An item suggesting the start of the display is displayed on the display device, and then the resource is displayed when the item is operated by the user .
According to the information guidance system having the above-described configuration, by operating the displayed symbol and then operating the displayed item, the resource on the Internet regarding the event or facility associated with the operated symbol is displayed Can be displayed.

The fourth configuration is as follows.
The area information guiding means is operated as an action corresponding to the display target area associated with the operated symbol when the image of the symbol displayed by the symbol display means is operated by the user Information on the display target area is guided by displaying on the display device a peripheral map image of a facility associated with the symbol.
According to the information guidance system having the above configuration, by operating the displayed symbol, it is possible to display the peripheral map image of the facility associated with the operated symbol on the display device. Therefore, the user's desired action related to the symbol can be realized by an easy operation.

The fifth configuration is as follows.
When the image of the symbol displayed by the symbol display means is operated by the user, the area information guiding means first operates as the action corresponding to the display target area associated with the operated symbol. An item suggesting the start of display of the map image is displayed on the display device, and then the peripheral map image is displayed when the item is operated by the user.
According to the information guidance system having the above configuration, the peripheral symbol image of the facility associated with the operated symbol is displayed on the display device by operating the displayed symbol and then operating the displayed item. It becomes possible.

The sixth configuration is as follows.
The area information guiding means is operated as an action corresponding to the display target area associated with the operated symbol when the image of the symbol displayed by the symbol display means is operated by the user Information related to the display target area is guided by activating application software related to the symbol.
According to the information guidance system having the above configuration, it is possible to activate application software related to the operated symbol by operating the displayed symbol. Therefore, the user's desired action related to the symbol can be realized by an easy operation.

The seventh configuration is as follows.
When the image of the symbol displayed by the symbol display means is operated by the user, the area information guiding means first performs the application as an action corresponding to the display target area associated with the operated symbol. An item suggesting the start of software activation is displayed on the display device, and thereafter the application software is activated when the item is operated by the user.
According to the information guidance system having the above configuration, it is possible to activate application software related to the operated symbol by operating the displayed symbol and then operating the displayed item.

The eighth configuration is as follows.
The area information guiding means is associated with the operated symbol when the image of the symbol displayed by the symbol displaying means is operated by the user. As an action corresponding to the displayed area, the facility related to the operated symbol is set as a destination in the route searching means to guide information on the displayed area.
According to the information guidance system having the above configuration, it is possible to set the facility associated with the operated symbol as the destination in the route search function by operating the displayed symbol. Therefore, the user's desired action related to the symbol can be realized by an easy operation.

The ninth configuration is as follows.
When the image of the symbol displayed by the symbol display means is operated by the user, the area information guiding means first performs the action as an action corresponding to the display target area associated with the operated symbol. An item suggesting the setting of the ground is displayed on the display device, and the setting of the destination is performed when the item is subsequently operated by the user.
According to the information guidance system having the above configuration, the facility associated with the operated symbol is set as the destination in the route search function by operating the displayed symbol and then operating the displayed item. It becomes possible.

The tenth configuration is as follows.
It has a display target area change means which changes the display target area according to the operation of the user or the movement of the user.
According to the information guidance system having the above-described configuration, it is possible to switch and display a plurality of symbols in accordance with the user's operation or the user's movement, and appropriately select a symbol that the user is interested from among the displayed symbols. It is possible to select.

The eleventh configuration is as follows.
The symbol display means displays an image of the symbol associated with the narrowest display target area when there are a plurality of display target areas associated with any one of the symbols.
According to the information guidance system having the above configuration, when there are a plurality of display target areas to be guided , the information on the narrower display target area is to be the guidance target, so the amount of information to be guided is not too large. It becomes possible to select and guide information desired by the user.

The twelfth configuration is as follows.
The symbol display means switches and displays images of the plurality of symbols associated with each display target area, when there are a plurality of display target areas associated with any one of the symbols.
According to the information guidance system having the above configuration, when there are a plurality of display target areas to be guided , the information on the display target area selected by the user is regarded as a guidance target, so the amount of information to be guided is too large. Therefore, it becomes possible to select and guide the information desired by the user.

The thirteenth configuration is as follows.
An area where at least a part of the map image displayed on the display device is included is set as the display target area.
According to the information guidance system having the above configuration, it is possible to appropriately select the symbol associated with the area where the map image is displayed on the display device and to display it on the display device.

The fourteenth configuration is as follows.
An area including the center point of the map image displayed on the display device is set as the display target area.
According to the information guidance system having the above configuration, even when map images of a plurality of areas are displayed straddling over the display device, a symbol associated with the displayed area is appropriately selected and displayed It can be displayed on the device.

The fifteenth configuration is as follows.
The symbol is a mascot character used for regional promotion, and the area associated with the symbol is an area where regional promotion is performed by the mascot character.
According to the information guidance system having the above configuration, when there is a mascot character used for regional promotion in the area where the map image is displayed on the display device, the mascot character is displayed together with the map image and displayed When the character is operated, the user is guided to the information of the area associated with the operated mascot character, so that the user can appropriately extract and guide only the information on the area related to the mascot character in which the user is interested. It becomes possible. On the other hand, when the user is not interested in the displayed mascot character, the information on the area related to the mascot character is not guided unless the displayed mascot character is operated, and thus information unnecessary for the user is provided. Can be prevented. In addition, since the user's desired information can be guided by an easy operation of manipulating the displayed mascot character image, it is not necessary to perform complicated operations such as allowing the user to input search conditions. It is possible to improve the performance.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Information guidance system 2 Information management center 3 Information server 4 User 5 Communication terminal 7 Symbol information DB
8 area information DB
11 CPU
12 Memory 21 Communication terminal ECU
32 Map image 42, 43 Symbol image

Claims (15)

An information acquisition means for acquiring symbol related information in which the area and the symbol of the area are associated for each area where the symbol exists;
Action information acquisition means for acquiring action information in which the content of the action to be executed by the communication terminal is associated with each area where the symbol exists;
Map display means for displaying a map image of an arbitrary region on the display device of the communication terminal ;
Symbol display means for displaying an image of the symbol together with the map image on the display device when there is a symbol associated with the display target area which is the area where the map image is displayed on the display device;
When the image of the symbol displayed by the symbol display means is operated by the user, the display can be performed by causing the communication terminal to execute an action corresponding to the display target area associated with the operated symbol. And an information guide system for guiding information related to the target area . The area information guiding means is operated as an action corresponding to the display target area associated with the operated symbol when the image of the symbol displayed by the symbol display means is operated by the user The information guidance system according to claim 1, wherein information on the display target area is guided by displaying on the display device a resource on the Internet regarding an event or facility associated with the symbol. The regional information guide means
When the image of the symbol displayed by the symbol display means is operated by the user , first, the user suggests the start of the display of the resource as an action corresponding to the display target area associated with the operated symbol Display items on the display device;
The information guidance system according to claim 2 , wherein the resource is displayed when the item is subsequently operated by the user. The area information guiding means is operated as an action corresponding to the display target area associated with the operated symbol when the image of the symbol displayed by the symbol display means is operated by the user The information guidance system according to claim 1, wherein information on the display target area is guided by displaying on the display device a peripheral map image of a facility associated with the symbol. The regional information guide means
When an image of the symbol displayed by the symbol display means is operated by the user, the display of the surrounding map image is first started as an action corresponding to the display target area associated with the operated symbol. Display the suggested item on the display device,
The information guidance system according to claim 4 , wherein the surrounding map image is displayed when the item is subsequently operated by the user. The area information guiding means is operated as an action corresponding to the display target area associated with the operated symbol when the image of the symbol displayed by the symbol display means is operated by the user The information guidance system according to claim 1, wherein information on the display target area is guided by activating application software on the symbol. The regional information guide means
When an image of the symbol displayed by the symbol display means is operated by a user, as an action corresponding to the display target area associated with the operated symbol, first , start of the application software is suggested. Display the item to be displayed on the display device,
7. The information guidance system according to claim 6 , wherein when the item is subsequently operated by the user, the application software is activated. Having route search means for searching for a route to the destination,
The area information guiding means is operated as an action corresponding to the display target area associated with the operated symbol when the image of the symbol displayed by the symbol display means is operated by the user The information guidance system according to claim 1, wherein information on the display target area is guided by setting a facility associated with the symbol as a destination in the route searching means. The regional information guide means
When the image of the symbol displayed by the symbol display means is operated by a user, as an action corresponding to the display target area associated with the operated symbol, an item that first suggests setting of the destination Is displayed on the display device,
9. The information guidance system according to claim 8 , wherein, when the item is subsequently operated by the user, setting of the destination is performed. The information guidance system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising display target area changing means for changing the display target area according to the operation of the user or the movement of the user. The symbol display means is
When there are a plurality of display target areas associated with any of the symbols,
The information guidance system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein an image of the symbol associated with the narrowest display target area is displayed. The symbol display means is
When there are a plurality of display target areas associated with any of the symbols,
The information guidance system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein images of a plurality of the symbols associated with each display target area are switched and displayed. The information guidance system according to any one of claims 1 to 12 , wherein an area including at least a part of the map image displayed on the display device is set as the display target area. The information guidance system according to claim 13 , wherein an area including a central point of the map image displayed on the display device is set as the display target area. The symbol is a mascot character to be used for regional development, areas where the symbol is associated to one of claims 1 to 14 is a region have been made regional development by the mascot character Information guidance system described.

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