WO2003023733A1

WO2003023733A1 - Method and devices for assisting tourist movements

Info

Publication number: WO2003023733A1
Application number: PCT/FR2002/002999
Authority: WO
Inventors: Eric Jacquelin
Original assignee: Eric Jacquelin
Priority date: 2001-09-07
Filing date: 2002-09-03
Publication date: 2003-03-20
Also published as: FR2829608B1; FR2829608A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a data storage device comprising a database, called an itinerary database, containing at least one data record, called the tourist itinerary arc. Each tourist itinerary arc corresponds to at least one part of the geographical area and comprises data relating to (i) cartographic characteristics of the tourist itinerary arc and (ii) activity characteristics associated with the part of the geographical area corresponding to the itinerary arc. The inventive method consists in extracting data from the itinerary arcs of the device according to a user's detection criterion in order to create a journey sheet providing a tourist movement itinerary which is associated with a multimedia tour guide. Subsequently, the journey sheet is used by a guide device according to the invention.

Description

Method and devices for assisting tourist trips

The present invention relates to the technical field of routing or guiding a user moving in a given geographical area.

In the above field, it is known to implement on-board routing systems in a vehicle as described in application FR 2 783 913 or patent EP 601 914. An on-board routing system or device generally comprises positioning means such as, for example, a GPS positioner in relation to a microprocessor unit associated with a cartographic database.

Such a cartographic database relating to a given geographical area, stored or recorded on a data storage device, generally includes a notion of graph, that is to say digital data having a cartographic correspondence and being associated with information likely to be understood directly by a user. Most often, the geographic area is described using two types of elements, namely:

- vertices or nodes, each associated with these geographic coordinates in the axis system of the region concerned, and,

- Segments comprising ordered pairs of vertices which can be broken down into a succession of physical points describing the curvature of the segment and being associated with concepts understandable directly by the user.

The routing device further comprises means for inputting information by the user which are, for example, constituted by a selection button or a touch screen. The routing device also includes interface means for the transmission of information to the user which are connected to the microprocessor assembly.

Such a routing device makes it possible to calculate a route from the knowledge of a point of arrival and a point of departure which have entered the device by the user and generally gives satisfaction in its guiding or routing of the user during his travels.

Patent application FR 2 801 158 has also described the possibility of providing a remote guidance device from a server and depending on the position of the remote device with cartographic information such as for example graphic elements of maps or maps allowing the user of the remote device to locate and move around a given geographical area.

An application DE 195 31 824 also described an on-board system in a vehicle for the routing and positioning of the vehicle involving a management center to which the on-board device transmits the starting point and the ending point, so that the center management calculates the optimal route and transmits to the on-board device all the necessary data to ensure vehicle routing along the route calculated by the management system.

Such devices give complete satisfaction in their routing function for practical or utility purposes without any other interest for the user than allowing him to go from point A to point B without error.

However, in certain cases, the user can also seek to reach a particular place of activity such as, for example, a factory, a head office or even a restaurant of which he does not know the exact geographical location. To this end, a patent application EP 1 043 567 proposed a cartographic database according to which a determined geographic region is divided into meshes, each mesh being identified geographically and being associated with data relating to shops or businesses existing in the mesh. Thus, the implementation of such a database allows a user to go to a place of activity clearly identified and known to him. Such a base therefore assists, as for the systems described above, a user in his utility or practical journeys and in no case makes it possible to conceive of a journey which could be qualified as tourist or even leisure, in a more or less well-known geographical area. known to the user. In this case, in fact, it is no longer a question of assisting a user in an approach consisting in going from a known point A to a point also known, in optimal conditions of traffic and movement, but, on the contrary, to assist a user in the creation and, possibly, the execution of a tourist trip in a given geographical region without the user having a knowledge of the places where to go to satisfy his centers of interest. In addition, within the meaning of the invention, it is to assist the user in his tourist trips in the broad sense, that is to say in the choice, the structuring and the realization of his trip, or route , for the pleasure of exploring another place than the one where the user usually lives, even if the trip is small or if the main purpose of the trip is other. In order to achieve these objectives, the invention relates to a method of assisting the tourist movement of a user in a given area, characterized in that it consists in determining a tourist route in particular by:

- implementing selection criteria which characterize the user and which include at least the following criteria:

• an activity criterion comprising at least one activity chosen from among activities belonging to at least one field of activity chosen from the following fields of activity and their combinations: sport, culture, shopping, leisure, accommodation, catering, • a total travel time,

. a place to start moving,

. and, optionally according to the user's selection criteria, a place for the end of the trip,

- implementing a database, known as routes, comprising at least one data record, known as tourist route arc, each tourist route arc corresponding to at least part of the geographical area and comprising data which relate in particular to:

. cartographic characteristics of the tourist route arc,

• characteristics of activities associated with the tourist route arc, • duration of travel through the tourist route arc and execution of each activity belonging to the tourist route arc,

• extracting from the route database, according to the selection criteria, a set of route arcs, known as a road map, which includes at least one tourist route arc and which defines the corresponding tourist route the selection criteria,

- writing the constituent data of the roadmap on or in a data storage device.

According to the invention, the database can be stored on any storage device for storing data such as, for example but not exclusively, a CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD, a removable or non-removable hard disk , magnetic tape, computer RAM, EPROM, flash memory, mini disk, RAM or any other digital data storage device. The invention also relates to a device for the storage of data associated with a determined geographical area, characterized in that it comprises a database of routes comprising at least one data record, known as the tourist route arc. According to the invention, each tourist route arc corresponds to at least part of the determined geographical area and includes data which concern, on the one hand, cartographic characteristics of the tourist route arc and, on the other hand , characteristics of activities associated with the tourist route arc.

According to the invention, a tourist route arc can correspond to a movement between two points, to a tourist movement in a loop or even to a geographical place presenting an interest in itself from a tourist point of view.

In accordance with an essential characteristic of the invention, the data or cartographic characteristics of the tourist route arc are associated with characteristics of activities present on the tourist route arc which qualify the tourist arc in itself . This qualification allows, as will appear later, to select according to criteria associated with the user, tourist route arcs among all those present in the database, in accordance with the method according to the invention.

Thus, each route arc includes activity data corresponding to the existence or not of activities on the relevant part of the geographic area in at least one activity domain chosen from the following activity domains and their combinations. : sport, culture, shopping, leisure, accommodation, catering. Preferably, each tourist route arc is filled in so as to include data corresponding to the existence or not of activities on the part concerned of the geographical area in at least the following fields of activity: sport, culture, shopping, leisure.

In order to ensure an optimization in terms of space necessary for the storage of the database and speed of access and calculation, each route arc includes for each field of activity a data coded on a bit corresponding to l 'existence or not of at least one activity belonging to this field of activity in the relevant part of the geographical area.

In the same way and preferably but not necessary, in order to speed up the consultation of the database and, in particular, the extraction of the route arcs according to the selection criteria without the need to read all data from characteristics of activities associated with the route arc, each tourist route arc includes data corresponding to the existence or not of activities in at least one of the sub-domains of the activity domains.

In order to rationalize the volume of data associated with each type of tourist route arc, the latter includes, preferably but not strictly necessary, for each sub-domain a data coded on a bit corresponding to the existence or not of '' at least one activity belonging to this sub-field of activity for the relevant part of the geographic area. Of course, any other type of coding could be envisaged. According to one embodiment of the invention, each route arc comprises data corresponding to the existence or not of activities in at least one sub-domain of at least one of the activity domains.

Of course, the activities of a field of activity are not necessarily attached to a sub-field. Similarly, the sub-domains can be different from one activity domain to another. Thus, each tourist route arc can include data corresponding to the existence or not of activities, on the part concerned of the geographical area in at least one sub-domain of the sports domain chosen from the following sub-domains and their combinations: nautical, aerial, mechanical, outdoor summer (outdoor summer), outdoor winter (outdoor winter), rooms (indoor). In the same way, each tourist itinerary arc can include data corresponding to the existence or not of activities, on the part concerned of the geographical area in at least one sub-domain, of the culture domain, chosen from among the - following areas and their combinations: museums, monuments, typical districts, festivals and concerts, exhibitions. In the same way, each tourist route arc can also include data corresponding to the existence or not, on the part concerned of the geographical area, of at least one activity chosen from among the nautical sub-activities of the sports, following and their combinations: sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, diving, rafting, whitewater swimming, water skiing, fishing, others. In the same way, each tourist route arc can also include data corresponding to the existence or not, on the part concerned of the geographical area, of at least one activity chosen from the activities, of the aerial sub-domain of the field sports, following and their combinations: motor flight, glider, paragliding, hang gliding, parachuting, others.

Likewise, each tourist route arc may include data corresponding to the existence or not, on the part concerned of the geographical area, of at least one activity chosen from the following mechanical activities in the sports domain. and their combinations: all terrain, karting, speed circuit.

Each tourist itinerary arc may also include data corresponding to the existence or not, on the part concerned of the geographical area, of at least one activity chosen from among the activities, in the outdoor summer sub-domain of the sports, following and their combinations: golf, tennis, skate, rollerblading, climbing, canyoning, cycling,

Mountain biking, horse riding, hiking, caving, others.

Each tourist route arc may also include data corresponding to the existence or not, on the part concerned of the geographical area, of at least one activity chosen from among the activities, in the winter outdoor sub-domain of sports, following and their combinations: skiing, surfing, cross-country skiing, luge, bobsleigh, others.

In the same way, each tourist route arc can include data corresponding to the existence or not, on the concerned part of the geographical area, of at least one activity chosen from the activities, of the room sub-area (indoor ) in the following sports fields and their combinations: fitness clubs, squash, skating, team games, others.

Each tourist itinerary arc may also include data corresponding to the existence or not, on the part concerned of the geographical area, of at least one activity chosen from the following activities, from the museum of the culture domain, and their combinations: for children, history, technique, contemporary art, Fine Arts.

Similarly, each tourist route arc may include data corresponding to the existence or not, on the part concerned of the geographical area, of at least one activity chosen from the following activities, shopping, and their combinations: products regional, clothing, jewelry, fairs and typical markets, antique dealers, flea markets, decoration, unusual, other.

In the same way, each tourist route arc can also include data corresponding to the existence or not, on the part concerned of the geographical area, of at least one activity chosen from among the following leisure activities, and their combinations: amusement park, remarkable landscapes, thalassotherapy establishment, tourist excursions, cinema, bars, night clubs, cabarets, casinos, theater, opera, bowling, billiards.

In order to ensure optimization of the size of the database, each tourist route arc preferably, but not strictly necessary, includes, for each activity, data coded on a bit corresponding to the existence or not of this activity on the relevant part of the geographic area. Of course, another type of digital or alphanumeric coding or combination of the two could be retained.

Likewise, it should be noted that the presence of data relating to the fields and sub-fields of activities is not strictly necessary insofar as each tourist route arc according to the invention may simply include data corresponding to the existence of one or more activities in the part of the geographical area corresponding to the tourist route arc.

Furthermore, in a preferred but not exclusive form of producing the database, each route arc comprises data relating to travel times of the tourist route arc and / or of execution of at least an activity belonging to the tourist itinerary arc.

According to a preferred but not strictly necessary feature of the invention, each tourist route arc includes data relating to the urban character or not of the part concerned of the geographical area. The implementation of such data identifying the urban character or not of the route arc makes it possible to speed up the process of extracting route arcs insofar as certain activities corresponding to selection criteria can only be practiced in cities while others can only be practiced in rural or non-urban areas. According to the invention, the cartographic data of each route arc may be more or less complete depending on the device and the method of assisting tourist travel intended to use the information included in each route arc. Thus, when a minimum size of the recording constituted by a tourist route arc is sought, the cartographic data include the coordinates, on the one hand of the two ends of the route arc and, on the other hand , of at least one geographic location of activities concerned by the route arc. The two ends of the route arc can then be confused with the place of activities or, on the contrary, the two ends of the arc of tourist route can be distinct, the place of tourist activity being confused with either end. The ends of the route arc as well as the place of activity can also be distinct from each other. Of course, all combinations are possible with a route arc comprising two distinct ends and several places of activity or even a route arc whose two ends are combined while the places of activity are distinct from the ends of the 'tourist route arc.

Such tourist route arcs which could be described as minimum can then be implemented with a routing device which will search in a complementary cartographic database for the information necessary to allow the user to browse the route arc. tourist going from one to the other of the extremities and passing by the activity or activities, present on the arc of route.

Insofar as it is not desired to use a complementary base, the tourist route arc may also include map data relating to tourist route segments or not connecting the ends of the tourist route arc passing by each place of activity of the tourist route arc.

In the same sense, the tourist route arc may also include map data relating to routing points located between the ends of the tourist route arc. These routing points can correspond to all or part of the road intersections (conventionally called way-points) encountered by the user when he traverses the arc of the route in order to guide him in the realization of the latter.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the storage device also comprises a so-called "infrastructure" database comprising at least one data record corresponding to a place of catering and / or accommodation associated with at least one arc tourist itinerary. As will appear later, the implementation of such an infrastructure database makes it possible to provide, after determining a tourist trip, the user with information as to the infrastructure available for accommodation or catering.

Furthermore, according to another characteristic of the invention, the storage device further comprises a so-called "multimedia" database comprising at least one recording of multimedia data corresponding to at least one activity of at least one arc d tourist itinerary. This characteristic of the invention makes it very advantageous after determining a tourist trip to extract from the multimedia database data relating to the various activities of the route arc from so as to create a multimedia guide in line with the tourist movement created in accordance with the method according to the invention.

Furthermore, the tourist route database can also include at least one record called the connecting route arc. According to the invention, each connecting route arc then corresponds to a geographical displacement between two arcs of tourist routes and includes data which relate to cartographic characteristics of the movement between the two arcs of tourist routes.

It should be noted that the data storage device according to the invention relates to either a storage device comprising all the data available concerning the determined geographical area or, on the contrary, a restricted database, known as a roadmap, comprising a series of records, defining a polygonal line of displacements in the geographical area. In the case of a restricted base, the storage device according to the invention can also comprise a database relating to multimedia data relating to at least one activity present on a tourist route arc of the road map. The roadmap may also include arcs of link routes as well as a restricted database of information of infrastructure data relating to the arcs of route in the roadmap.

According to the method, according to the invention, the tourist travel route and the corresponding roadmap can be generated automatically from the selection criteria by the implementation of a path search algorithm or even a travel algorithm. classic route calculation, such as, for example, those detailed in the work "algorithms and software", published by M. Minou & S. Parnik at the publisher DUNOD informatique.

According to a preferred form of implementation of the assistance method according to the invention, the creation of the roadmap involves choices of the user and is carried out in stages during which a proposal is made to the user who must validate his choice.

Thus, for example, the method can assist the user in the choice of places for the start and end of tourist travel by:

- offering the user a graphic representation of a geographic area divided into regions, each region being associated with at least one score depending on the presence of activity (ies), meeting the user's selection criteria, on the arcs of tourist routes in the region, - asking the user to choose a region for the start and / or end of the tourist trip.

According to the invention, the term region must here be understood in the sense of geographical area or mesh and not in the administrative sense of this term. The assistance process can then propose to the user to choose from a series of arcs of tourist routes intended to constitute a first stage of the tourist movement, one of the ends of which will locate the start and / or end point of the tourist trip.

According to a variant of the method, it may be proposed to the user, from the region he has chosen, to determine himself the start or the end of tourist travel. To this end, it can be envisaged to offer the user a graphic representation of the region showing different places at the start and / or end of tourist routes associated with functions of user selection criteria.

According to one form of implementation of the method of assistance for tourist travel according to the invention, the places of start and end of tourist trips are combined. Thus, the user is offered a circuit of tourist trips in a loop or in the shape of a star or flower corresponding, for example, to a series of circuits lasting a day, all having one thing in common: departure and return.

According to the invention, in addition to the possibilities offered to the user to choose himself his starting and / or end of travel points, it can also be envisaged, during the extraction of the database of arcs of routes intended to constitute the roadmap, to offer the user choices among the possibilities of arcs of tourist routes compatible with the selection criteria characteristic of the user.

Thus, the method for assisting tourist trips according to the invention may consist in extracting, from the route database, the set of route arcs constituting the road map, in particular at:

- offer the user at least one route arc, one end of which coincides with the place of departure of the tourist trip and which corresponds to the selection criteria, - ask the user to select a route arc from among the arcs proposed

- calculate a remaining travel time from the total travel time desired and the time associated with the selected route arc, - then determine a new route arc as long as the remaining travel time allows and until you have a series of route arcs forming a polygonal line going from the start place to the end place, :

. offering the user at least one tourist route arc, one end of which coincides with the other end of the previously selected route arc, which corresponds to the selection criteria and which is compatible with the remaining travel time, • asking the user to select a tourist route arc from the proposed route arcs, • calculating the remaining travel time from the total travel time and the duration associated with each of the chosen route arcs . According to another form of implementation of the method according to the invention, the construction of the road map can be carried out by offering the user the possibility, for the selection of the arcs of tourist route from the road map, to choose non-contiguous tourist route arcs possibly belonging to distinct regions. Of course, the route arc proposal to the user is then made on the basis of a preselection of tourist route arcs in relation at least with the selection criteria of the user.

In addition, insofar as some of the tourist route arcs selected by the user and / or corresponding to their selection criteria are not contiguous or in relation to each other, it is possible to:

- implement a database comprising a series of records, called link route arcs, each link route arc corresponding to a geographical displacement between two non-contiguous tourist route arcs and comprising data which relate to cartographic characteristics of the movement between the two arcs of the tourist route,

- extract from the database at least one link route arc in order to complete the tourist route arcs to obtain a polygonal line which goes from the start place to the end place of the trip and which meets the criteria of selection.

According to a variant of the invention, insofar as two consecutive tourist route arcs of the road map are too far apart from each other, the assistance process can, instead of constructing or extracting an arc link route under the form of cartographic data, to propose a link arc comprising information on different means of transport, possibly associated with durations and costs according to a profile of the user, for a movement between the two arcs of tourist route. At the end of the process of creating the roadmap, that is to say the restricted database comprising a series of arcs of tourist routes possibly supplemented by arcs of connecting routes forming an open polygonal line or closed for travel within the geographical area, this roadmap is saved on a data storage device. According to the invention, the data storage device can then be a space allocated in a data storage device equipping a management center from which the roadmap will be transmitted to an assistance device implemented by the 'user. Within the meaning of the invention, the data storage device can also be a device for the sole use of the user, removable or not, which can then be implemented by the user in a movement assistance device and guide according to the invention.

Furthermore, according to a preferred but not strictly necessary form of the invention, it is created, as the tourist route arcs of the road map are determined or at the end of the process of creating the road map. route, a multimedia guide associated with the tourist route defined on the road map. To this end, the method according to the invention also consists in:

- implementing a so-called multimedia database comprising multimedia data records corresponding to at least one activity of at least some of the tourist route arcs of the route database,

- extract from the multimedia database the multimedia data corresponding, on the one hand, to the activities of the tourist route arc (s) of the road map and, on the other hand, to the selection criteria of the user, just like the roadmap, the associated multimedia guide is at the end or in the process of its extraction process, recorded on or in a data storage device of the same kind as that used for the recording of the roadmap. It should be noted that the multimedia data can be of any kind and include, for example, visual data text and / or images, animated or not, as well as voice and / or music sound data or various sounds. In addition, according to one form of implementation of the invention, the multimedia data relating to the arcs of tourist route or to the activities present on the arcs of tourist route, can be made accessible to the user when proposing tourist route arcs to be selected in order to assist them in their choice. In the same sense, according to another form of the invention, the method is designed to assist the user in the material organization of his tourist trip, in particular with regard to accommodation and / or catering issues. An infrastructure guide associated with the road map is then created, as and when the route arcs of the road map are determined or at the end of the process of creating the road map.

To this end, the method according to the invention consists in creating the infrastructure guide, in particular in:

- implementing a so-called infrastructure database comprising data records called cards corresponding to at least one place of catering and / or accommodation, associated with at least some of the arcs of routes of the route base ,

- extract from the infrastructure base, as a function or not of user selection criteria, infrastructure data associated with at least some of the route arcs of the roadmap, - write to or in the device the extracted file (s).

Such infrastructure sheets include, for example, links to websites, multimedia data relating to infrastructure and geographic coordinates of the infrastructure in a format usable by a navigation aid system.

In accordance with the invention, the extraction of infrastructure files can be carried out either entirely automatically or by involving choices or selections by the user. In the same sense, the extraction process can involve putting in contact with an infrastructure location likely to be selected in order to ensure its availability, as may be necessary for a hotel reservation for example .

Like the roadmap, infrastructure sheets are at the end or in the process of their extraction process, recorded on a data storage device of the same kind as that used for the registration of the roadmap.

According to the invention, the roadmap can, after its creation, be partially or totally the object of a printing in the form of a kind of personalized travel guide to which the information in the infrastructure sheets concerning the catering and / or accommodation infrastructures as well as the textual and iconographic part of the multimedia guide may relate to one or more activities associated with at least one tourist itinerary arc of the sheet. of road. This personalized travel guide can then be directly implemented by the user during his tourist trip.

The invention also relates to a device for assisting tourist movements in a given geographical area. According to the invention, this assistance device is characterized in that it comprises at least: - a data storage device comprising at least one base of tourist routes,

- a microprocessor assembly connected to the data storage device,

- information input means by the user, which are connected to the microprocessor assembly, - interface means for the transmission of information to the user, which are connected to the microprocessor assembly . Such an assistance device can for example be constituted by a personal computer from which the user will, in accordance with the method according to the invention, establish a roadmap. The use of a personal computer, in addition to allowing the user to construct, according to the method according to the invention, an itinerant journey corresponding perfectly to his wishes and centers of interest, offers the advantage for the user to structure his trip in advance, having time to define the trip and the comfort of a tool adapted in particular by the size of the screen and the keyboard. Furthermore, insofar as the method according to the invention allows the extraction of only the data necessary for the chosen route so as to limit its size, it is possible to use the data extracted on a mobile device.

Thus, the device for assisting tourist movement according to the invention can also be constituted by a mobile system associated or not with a vehicle in which the user will carry out his tourist movement. The mobile system can for example consist of a portable computer, a computer assistant or even a portable telephone adapted to implement all or part of the assistance method according to the invention. According to a characteristic of the invention, the device for assisting tourist movement according to the invention comprises a removable data storage device. Such a removable data storage device can for example be used on a personal computer to, after creation of the roadmap, save the latter on the removable medium which will then be adapted into a portable or mobile device for assisting tourist travel according to the invention.

According to a characteristic of the invention, the device for assisting tourist movement according to the invention also comprises means for determining in real time the geographical position of the assistance device and of the user. These means, such as, for example but not exclusively, a system based on GPS technology, are connected to the microprocessor assembly.

In the case where the assistance device is intended to allow guidance or routing of the user, the microprocessor unit is suitable for guiding the user during his tourist trip, in particular by: - recording a progression of the user along the tourist route defined by the road map,

- reading at least part of the roadmap data on or in the storage device,

- delivering to the user, from the data read and according to the progress of the user, at least one routing message.

When the device comprises means for determining the real position of the user, the microprocessor unit is then adapted to provide or guide the user by:

- determining the real geographical position of the user, - comparing the real position of the user with the progression of the user along the tourist movement defined by the road map,

- delivering to the user as a function, on the one hand, of the real position of the user and, on the other hand, of the progression of the user along the tourist movement defined by the road map, at least a guidance message to keep the user on the tourist route or lead the user on the tourist route. In a preferred embodiment, the mobile device for assisting tourist travel is also adapted to ensure the dissemination of multimedia information in depending on the activity or activities present on the tourist trip defined by the roadmap. This distribution is done according to the geographical position of the user on the route and the geographical position of the activity.

Preferably the microprocessor unit of the assistance device is then adapted to deliver priority routing messages by interrupting if necessary, the delivery of a multimedia message relating to an activity.

According to a characteristic of the invention, the method of assisting with tourist movement is adapted to supplement if necessary, the data present on the database constituting the roadmap in order to be able to ensure the routing of the user. Thus, according to another characteristic of the invention, the device for assisting tourist travel:

- comprises at least one data storage device comprising a complementary so-called routing database which includes cartographic data records corresponding to the geographical area, - is suitable for: extracting from the routing base, if necessary and depending on the actual position of the user and the progress of the user along the roadmap, data complementary to the data of the roadmap to ensure the routing of the user, • deliver to the user, to from the roadmap data and / or the data extracted from the routing database, at least one routing message. According to another characteristic of the invention, the device for assisting tourist movement is characterized in that it comprises means for bidirectional transmission of information between the assistance device and a management center. Preferably, the management center then comprises at least:

- a data storage device according to the invention,

means of bidirectional transmission of information between the management center and the assistance device,

- And a microprocessor assembly connected to the storage device and the transmission means.

The management center and the assistance device are further adapted to implement the method of assistance for tourist travel according to the invention. According to one form of implementation of the invention, the management center is adapted to allow the downloading of all or part of the roadmap as well as possibly the multimedia guide and / or the infrastructure guide, on or in an assistance device, in accordance with the invention, mobile or on-board. Insofar as the implementation of the invention involves a management center, the data storage device of the management center comprises all of the complete databases while the data storage device of the management device individual assistance only includes a limited database corresponding to all or part of the roadmap. Various other characteristics of the invention will emerge from the description below, given with reference to the drawings which illustrate nonlimiting examples of embodiment and implementation of the data storage device as well as of the device and of the movement assistance method. tourist according to the invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a device for assisting tourist movement according to the invention used for interrogating a management center allowing the implementation of the method for assisting tourist movement according to the invention .

FIG. 2 is a table illustrating the various activities classified into fields and sub-fields which it is possible to list in order to qualify a tourist route arc according to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a table illustrating examples of arcs of a tourist route according to the invention.

FIG. 4 is an example of display summarizing selection criteria associated with a user of a device for assisting tourist travel according to the invention. Figure 5 is a schematic representation of a tourist travel route, or roadmap, created by the method according to the invention.

FIG. 6 is an example of a graphical representation of a geographical area divided into regions, associated with scores relating to the selection criteria of a user implementing the method according to the invention. Figure 7 is a schematic representation of a mobile device for assisting tourist movement according to the invention.

Figure 8 is a schematic view of another embodiment of a mobile device for assisting tourist movement according to the invention. According to a first embodiment of the invention, assistance for tourist trips by a user first involves creating a tourist route or trip by means of an assistance device 1 as illustrated in figure 1 and which could be qualified as individual. The assistance device 1 is connected by a communication network 2, wireless and / or wired, with a management center 3.

The individual assistance device 1 is for example constituted by a personal computer and comprises a microprocessor assembly 5 connected to a data storage device 6 as well as to means 7 for inputting information by the user, such as as for example a keyboard and / or a microphone associated with a voice recognition system. The microprocessor assembly 5 is, moreover, connected to interface means, for the transmission of information to the user, such as for example a screen 8 and a loudspeaker 9. The individual assistance device 1 further comprises means 10 for bidirectional transmission of information intended to allow the exchange of information or data between the individual assistance device 1 and the management center 3.

In general, the management center or server 3 also comprises a microprocessor unit 11 which is connected to a device 12 for storing data, called mass, associated with buffer memories. The microprocessor unit 11 of the management center 3 is also connected to means 13 for bidirectional transmission of information intended to communicate, simultaneously or not, with one or more individual assistance devices 1.

In accordance with an essential characteristic of the invention, the data storage device 12 of the management center 3 comprises at least one database, known as a tourist route, in a given geographical area, such as for example but not exclusively, France.

The tourist route database includes a series of records called tourist route arcs. According to the invention, each tourist route arc corresponds to at least part of the geographical area and includes data which concern, on the one hand, cartographic or geographical characteristics of the tourist route arc and, d on the other hand, activity characteristics associated with the part of the geographical area corresponding to the route arc. Thus, a tourist route arc generally corresponds to a trip during which it is possible to meet different types of activities located in places of activity present along the arc tourist itinerary. However, within the meaning of the invention, a tourist route arc can also relate to a single geographic location without there being any notion of movement attached thereto.

In order to be able to qualify a tourist route arc, the invention proposes to code the existence or not of predetermined activities on a route arc. Thus, the table in Figure 2 offers an example of activities for which it will be sought whether or not they exist on a given route arc while Figure 3 then illustrates an example of coding of four route arcs references A , B, C and D according to the invention.

As is very clear from FIG. 3, each record, constituting a route arc, therefore comprises a set Gl of digital data, called qualification of the route arc, describing the activity characteristics of the arc routing. The qualification data set Gl is associated with a set G2 of cartographic data corresponding to the cartographic characteristics of the route arc and relating to at least the ends of the route arc as well as one or more places of activities located on the route arc and possibly intermediate points or waypoints WP remarkable for the course of the arc of tourist route. The cartographic or geographic data of the G2 set are preferably recorded in a format usable by a navigation aid system of the GPS type or other, as for example described in the "Practical Guide to GPS - ^2nd edition March 2001 by P. CORREIA ". According to the example illustrated, the group Gl includes, for each route arc A or B, first of all an indicator of the urban character or not of the route as well as a duration of journey of the arc taking into account at least the journey times. According to the invention, the durations associated with all the activities of the arc can be totaled and included in the duration associated with the arc or, on the contrary, associated with each activity, independently of the route arc to be used as a function user selection criteria. Then, the group Gl, of qualification data, includes for each route arc the indication of the existence or not of activities in the fields of sport, culture, shopping and leisure and the existence or not of activities in sub-fields of the fields of activity as listed in the table in Figure 2 as well as the existence of the activities themselves. Note that the table in Figure 2 provides a legend for the coded data for each route arc in Figure 3.

Preferably, the existence of activities or not is coded on one bit for each of the route arcs A, B, C or D. Furthermore, the coding, of the existence of activities in the areas and sub-areas, is intended to ensure a greater speed of extraction of the arcs of tourist route. Indeed, for example, for route arc B, a simple reading of the code, associated with the sport domain and having the value zero, makes it possible to determine that there is no sporting activity on the route arc B without having to consult the codes corresponding to the activities themselves. In the same way, for this same arc B, the coding of the culture domain makes it possible to determine that there are cultural activities, so that one can read one or the other of these corresponding codes to the activities themselves in order to determine their presence or not on the route arc B. It should be noted that the concept of route arc, which must be considered in the broad sense, makes it possible to pre-design and to code thematic routes, so that it is not necessary to have exhaustive data concerning a given geographical area to implement the method according to the invention. Of course, depending on the wealth of data available, it is possible to implement route arcs corresponding to relatively short elementary routes.

In accordance with an essential characteristic, the individual assistance device 1 and the management center 3 are adapted to extract, from the base of tourist routes, route arcs in relation to selection criteria associated with the user. Among these selection criteria, the user determines in particular his preferences from the list of activities as established by the table in FIG. 2. This selection is made from the assistance device 1 which transmits the choices of the user in the management center.

Figure 4 illustrates a summary display of an example of preferences selected by a user. In addition to his preferences, the user must also provide the system with an indication of the total duration of the tourist trip he plans to make.

From these selections and the entry of the indication of the planned travel time, the management center will assist, in accordance with the method according to the invention, the user in the creation of a tourist trip corresponding to the criteria of selection as illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 1. According to a preferred but not strictly necessary form of implementation of the assistance method according to the invention, this creation is carried out according to an iterative process which consists in proposing to the user to choose route arcs from one or more presets made on the basis of the user selection criteria by the management center and displayed on the individual device 1.

The invention can then manage two configurations depending on whether or not the user has determined the geographic area in which he wishes to make his tourist trip. If the user specifies the zone of his choice, the management center will perform the route arc preselection only in this zone.

On the other hand, if the user has not precisely determined the zone in which he wishes to travel, he will proceed as follows.

As part of a first step in the iterative process, after entering preferences and travel time, it is, for example, proposed a graphical representation of the geographic area, where the user plans his tourist trip, divided into regions associated with scores corresponding to the correlation of each region to the selection criteria associated with use. Thus, FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a possible representation of France in the region associated with the scores in relation to the selection criteria of FIG. 4. It should be noted that according to this example of representation, a dark background indicates a high relevance, while a clear background indicates less relevance to the user's selection criteria.

From the display, the user selects a region and the system then determines and offers a series of tourist route arcs likely to meet the selection criteria and offers them to the user as a choice. The user then chooses a route arc which will constitute the first stage referenced El to E2 in FIG. 5 of his tourist trip.

Once this first selection has been made, the management center 3 calculates, as a function of the duration associated with the tourist route arc El to E2, the remaining duration and offers the user the possibility of choosing a second arc tourist itinerary. This second tourist route arc can then be selected in the same region as the previous arc or in another region. According to the example illustrated in FIG. 5, the second arc E2 to E3 is selected in the same region and is located in the continuity of the arc El to E2. After selecting the second tourist route arc, the system determines the remaining duration and offers, if possible, the user to choose a third tourist route arc. According to the example illustrated in FIG. 5, the user has chosen a third tourist route arc referenced E4 to E5 which is not adjacent to the second arc E2 to E3 and is for example in a region close to that of first two arcs El to E2 and E2 to E3.

In accordance with a preferred form of implementation of the method according to the invention, a connecting arc E3-E4 is then proposed corresponding to a simple route making it possible to connect the end E3 of the second arc of tourist route to the end E4 of the third tourist stage. The link route arc E3-E4 is either constructed by the management center 3, from a routing database, or extracted from a link arc base recorded on the storage device 12 When the travel time, represented by all the tourist route arcs and any connecting route arcs, corresponds substantially to the duration chosen by the user, the iterative selection process is terminated.

The set of arcs E1-E2, E2-E3, E3-E4 and E4-E5 then forms, within the meaning of the invention, a roadmap 20 which is recorded on the data storage device 6 of the device individual assistance 1. This roadmap thus constitutes a restricted database comprising the only records corresponding to the arcs of selected routes.

Preferably but not strictly necessary, at the end of the extraction process leading to the roadmap 20, a multimedia guide is created corresponding to the different activities of the route arcs of the roadmap. To this end, the data storage device of the management center comprises a multimedia base comprising multimedia data associated with at least some of the activities present on the route arcs qualified in accordance with the invention. According to the invention, the multimedia data are preferably, but not necessarily, coded in accordance with the activity criteria, so that after the creation of the roadmap, only the multimedia data related to the activities of the arcs are extracted. selected route and with user selection criteria. However, within the meaning of the invention, it can also be envisaged to select all of the multimedia data associated with a route arc independently of the selection criteria of the user. It should be noted that the management center 3 can also make the multimedia data accessible to the user on the assistance device 1, during the phase of selecting the tourist route arcs, in order to provide the user with elements to make your choice. Furthermore, the extracted multimedia data are also recorded on the data storage device 6.

Furthermore, in the same way as a multimedia guide is created associated with the roadmap 20, the invention proposes, preferably but not strictly necessary, an accommodation and / or catering infrastructure guide which is also in relation with the roadmap 20. To this end, an infrastructure database is used which is recorded in the data storage device 12. The infrastructure database then includes information or files on places of accommodation and / or catering in connection with one or more tourist route arcs of the tourist route database.

Thus, once the roadmap 20 has been created, the system extracts the data relating to the infrastructures in relation to the arcs of the tourist route from the roadmap. This extraction can then be carried out automatically without any particular selection criterion or, on the contrary, as a function of comfort, price or other criteria selected by the user. This extraction makes it possible to obtain a series of infrastructure sheets forming an infrastructure guide in relation to the roadmap 20 and comprising, in addition, the geographic coordinates of the infrastructures. The infrastructure guide is preferably also recorded on the data storage device 6.

Under these different processes for extracting tourist route arcs, multimedia data and infrastructure files, the user has all the information necessary for carrying out their tourist trip recorded on the data storage device. 6.

Preferably, this storage device 6 is removable and can be transferred from the assistance device 1 to a second movement assistance device 25 which could be described as mobile and which is illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 7. Such a device 25 comprises for example a microprocessor assembly 26 which is connected to the data storage device 6. The mobile device 25 also includes means 27 for inputting information by the user such as a keyboard, a selection wheel or a touch screen, as well as interface means for the transmission of information to the user such as for example a screen 28 and / or a loudspeaker 29. The microprocessor unit 26 is moreover connected to means 30 determining in real time the geographic position of the assistance device 25. Preferably but not strictly necessary, the means 30 are constituted by a system implementing GPS technology.

The mobile device 25 for assisting with tourist trips can for example constitute an on-board system in a vehicle or form a personal electronic assistant or even a mobile telephone. Of course, the mobile device 25 has all the hardware resources, in particular random access memory and computation capacity, for implementing the method according to the invention.

The mobile device 25 for assisting with tourist movements then operates, in accordance with the method according to the invention, in the following manner. First of all, it should be recalled that, according to the example illustrated, the road map 20 defines a tourist route forming an open polygonal line extending from points El to E5. In addition, all of the data relating to this tourist movement, namely road map, multimedia guide and possibly infrastructure guide, are recorded in the data storage device 6 of the mobile device 25. By way of example, it will be considered that the user decides to make his tourist trip from a point A outside the route defined by the road map 20.

The assistance device 25 then performs a routing of the user in accordance with conventional routing techniques, so as to take the user from point A to point El of the start of the tourist travel route defined by the sheet. of road.

Once arrived at the starting point El, the microprocessor unit 26 reads, in the data storage device 6, the information necessary for the routing of the user from the place El to the place E2, so as to take him by the way by the different WP waypoints of the first tourist route arc E1-E2. This routing is then carried out by delivering the user routing messages via the screen 28 and the loudspeaker 29. The microprocessor unit 26 calculates the actual position of the user to determine the progress of the user along the route arc El to E2. Thus, the reading of the data and the routing are carried out by the device 25, so as to take the user to the place of activities Al of the route arc El to E2. When approaching this place of activity A1, the microprocessor unit broadcasts multimedia information relating to activity A1 recorded on the data storage device 6 during the process of creating the roadmap. However, the routing information is broadcast by the assistance device 25, priority to multimedia information, so as to guarantee proper routing of the user.

It should be noted that, insofar as the user does not deviate from the route arc, the broadcasting of routing messages is preferably reduced to its strict minimum, so as to favor the broadcasting of multimedia messages. The assistance device 25 thus operates throughout the course of the movement defined by the roadmap.

Furthermore, the movement assistance device 25 is preferably designed so as to allow the user to suspend his tourist movement to make, for example, detours not provided for by the initial roadmap. At each interruption, the assistance device is then designed to replace the user on the tourist route defined by the road map regardless of his initial position. In addition, the device proceeds in the same way in case of drift of the user compared to the roadmap.

Under the terms of the tourist movement, according to the example of FIG. 5, when the user has arrived at point E5 of the third tourist route arc, the mobile device 25 routinely routes the user from point E5 to 'at the starting point A or another point chosen by the user. Routings, from A to El, E5 to A as well as during detours or in case of deviation from the road map, can then be carried out either by implementing a cartographic and routing database present on a device storage device of the mobile assistance device 25, either by using an external complementary base.

Thus, according to another embodiment of the invention, the mobile device 25 comprises, as illustrated in FIG. 8, means 32 for bidirectional transmission of information intended to allow communication between the mobile device 25 and the center management 3.

Thus, according to this example, the roadmap 20 is recorded in an allocated space of a data storage device 35 of the management center 3. The relative data of the roadmap as well as the multimedia data, the infrastructure and the routing data, link arc and possibly additional routing are then transmitted by the management center 3 to the mobile device 25 either in packets according to the progress of the user along the road map, or in their completeness at the start of the journey, to be recorded in a data storage device 36 fitted to the device 25. Furthermore, in accordance with the invention, it is possible to print, from the route sheet 20, a personalized route guide offering a paper medium in addition to the routing information and multimedia information provided. by the routing device. According to the examples described above, the tracking of the roadmap is automatic.

However, in accordance with the invention, the tracking of the roadmap can be carried out in a non-automatic manner. The movement assistance device then broadcasts the multimedia information as a function of progress information supplied by the user or at the request of the user.

Furthermore, according to the examples illustrated, assistance for tourist trips is carried out as part of a tourist trip in a vehicle within a relatively large geographic area. However, in accordance with the invention, the method of assistance, for tourist trips, could be implemented as part of the creation of a visit route, in a small area, for example within a museum . The system could then be used to not only provide a travel itinerary in the museum according to the user's selection criteria but also to create a multimedia guide, adapted to the user's journey and / or interests and distribute it according to the progress of the user in his visit.

According to the examples illustrated and described above, the implementation of the method according to the invention involves a management center 3 which it accesses by means of an individual device. However, according to the invention, the functionalities of the management center and in particular the general databases could be integrated within the framework of an individual autonomous device such as for example a personal computer comprising a data storage device comprising at least the tourist itinerary database. The creation of the roadmap would then be directly performed on this personal computer.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples described above because various modifications can be made without departing from its scope.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Data storage device for the storage of data associated with a given geographical area, characterized in that it comprises a database, known as of routes comprising at least one data record, known as tourist route arc , each tourist route arc corresponding to at least part of the geographical area and comprising data which concern, on the one hand, cartographic characteristics of the tourist route arc and activity data corresponding to the whether or not there are activities in the relevant part of the geographic area in at least one field of activity chosen from the following fields of activity and their combinations: sport, culture, shopping, leisure, accommodation, catering and, for each field of activities, the data is coded on a bit corresponding to the existence or not of at least one activity belonging to the field of activities on the part ie concerned with the geographic area.

2. Storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that each tourist route arc includes data corresponding to the existence or not of activities on the part concerned of the geographical area in at least the following fields of activity : sport, culture, shopping, leisure.

3. Storage device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each tourist route arc comprises data corresponding to the existence or not of activities in at least one sub-domain of at least one of the domains d 'activities.

4. Storage device according to claim 3, characterized in that each tourist route arc comprises for each activity sub-field a data item coded on a bit corresponding to the existence or not of at least one activity belonging to this sub-field of activities in the relevant part of the geographic area.

5. Storage device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that each tourist route arc comprises data corresponding to the existence or not of activities on the part concerned of the geographical area in at least one sub-domain. of the sport field chosen from the following sub-fields and their combinations: nautical, aerial, mechanical, summer exteriors (outdoor summer), winter exteriors (outdoor winter), rooms (indoor).

6. Storage device according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that each tourist route arc includes data corresponding to the existence or not, on the relevant part of the geographical area, of activities in at least one sub-domain of the cultural domain chosen from the following sub-domains and their combinations: museums, shows, monuments, typical neighborhoods, festivals, concerts, exhibitions

7. Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that each tourist route arc includes data corresponding to the existence or not, on the part concerned of the geographical area, of at least one activity chosen from the following activities, from the nautical sub-domain to the sport domain, and their combinations: sailing, canoeing, diving, rafting, whitewater swimming, water skiing, fishing, others.

8. Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that each tourist route arc includes data corresponding to the existence or not, on the part concerned of the geographical area, of at least one activity chosen from the following activities, in the aerial sub-domain of the sport domain, and their combinations: motor flight, glider, paragliding, hang gliding, parachuting, others.

9. Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that each tourist route arc comprises data corresponding to the existence or not, on the part concerned of the geographical area, of at least one activity chosen from the following activities, from the mechanical sub-domain to the sport domain, and their combinations: all-terrain, karting, speed circuit.

10. Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that each tourist route arc comprises data corresponding to the existence or not, on the part concerned of the geographical area, of at least one activity chosen from the following activities, from the summer outdoor sub-domain to the sport domain, and their combinations: golf, tennis, skateboarding, climbing, canyoning, cycling, mountain biking, horse riding, hiking, caving, others.

11. Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that each tourist route arc comprises data corresponding to the existence or not, on the part concerned of the geographical area, of at least one activity chosen from the following activities, from the winter outdoor sub-domain (outdoor winter) of the sport domain and their combinations: skiing, surfing, cross-country skiing, sledding, bobsleigh, others.

12. Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that each tourist route arc includes data corresponding to the existence or not, on the part concerned of the geographical area, of at least one chosen activity among the activities, in the indoor indoor sports area, and their combinations: fitness clubs, squash, skating, group games.

13. Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that each tourist route arc includes data corresponding to the existence or not, on the part concerned of the geographical area, of at least one activity chosen from the following activities in the museum sub-domain of culture, and their combinations: for children, history, technique, contemporary art, Fine Arts.

14. Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that each tourist route arc includes data corresponding to the existence or not, on the part concerned of the geographical area, of at least one activity chosen from the following shopping activities, and their combinations: regional products, clothing, jewelry, fairs and typical markets, antique dealers, flea markets, decoration, unusual.

15. Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that each tourist route arc includes data corresponding to the existence or not, of at least one activity chosen from among the leisure activities , following and their combinations: amusement park, remarkable landscapes, thalassotherapy establishment, tourist excursions, cinema, bars, night clubs, cabarets, casinos, theater, opera, bowling, billiards.

16. Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that each tourist route arc comprises for each activity a datum coded on a bit corresponding to the existence or not of this activity on the part concerned of the geographic area.

17. Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that each tourist route arc comprises cartographic data concerning the coordinates, on the one hand, of the two ends of the tourist route arc and , on the other hand, at least one place of activity in the geographic area concerned.

18. Storage device according to claim 17, characterized in that each tourist route arc comprises data relating to a duration of travel of the tourist route arc and / or of execution of at least one activity belonging to the tourist route arc.

19. Storage device according to claim 17 or 18 characterized in that each tourist route arc comprises map data relating to segments tourist route connecting the ends of the tourist route arc passing through each place of activity of the tourist route arc.

20. Storage device according to one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that each tourist route arc comprises map data relating to routing points located between the ends of the route arc.

21. Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that each tourist route arc includes data relating to the urban character or not of the part concerned of the geographical area.

22. Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that it comprises a so-called infrastructure database comprising at least one data record corresponding to a place of catering and / or associated accommodation. at least one arc of tourist route.

23. Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that it comprises a database, called multimedia, comprising at least one recording of multimedia data corresponding to at least one activity of at least one arc d tourist itinerary.

24. Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 23, characterized in that the database comprises at least one record, known as the link route arc, each link route arc corresponding to a geographical displacement between two arcs of tourist route and comprising data relating to cartographic characteristics of the movement between the two arcs of tourist route.

25. Storage device according to one of claims 1 to 24, characterized in that the database comprises a series of records, called road map, defining an open or closed polygonal line of movement in the geographical area.

26. A method of assisting tourist travel for a user in a given geographic area, characterized in that it consists notably in determining a tourist travel route, in particular by:

. an activity criterion comprising at least one activity elected from among activities belonging to at least one field of activity chosen from among following fields of activity and their combinations: sport, culture, shopping, leisure, accommodation, catering,

• total travel time,. a place to start the trip, • and, possibly according to the user's selection criteria, a place to end the trip,

- implementing a database, known as itineraries comprising at least data records, known as tourist route arcs, each tourist route arc corresponding to at least part of the geographical area and comprising data relating to especially :

• cartographic characteristics of the tourist route arc,

. characteristics of activities associated with the tourist route arc,. a duration of the tour of the tourist itinerary arc and possibly the execution of at least one activity belonging to the Tourist itinerary park,

- extracting from the route database, according to the selection criteria, a set of route arcs, known as the roadmap, which includes at least one tourist route arc and which defines the corresponding tourist route selection criteria, - writing the constituent data of the roadmap on or in a data storage device.

- recording a progress of the user along the tourist route defined by the road map.

27. Method for assisting tourist trips according to claim 26, characterized in that it consists in assisting the user in the choice of the places of start and / or end of tourist trips by:

- offering the user a graphic representation of a geographic area divided into regions, each region being associated with at least one score depending on the presence of activity (ies), meeting the user's selection criteria, on the arcs of the region's tourist route,

- asking the user to choose a region for the start and / or end of the tourist trip.

28. Method for assisting tourist trips according to claim 27, characterized in that it consists in assisting the user in the choice of the places of start and / or end of tourist trips by:

- offering the user a graphic representation of the chosen region, - asking the user to select in the chosen region a place for the start and / or end of tourist travel.

29. A method of assisting with tourist trips according to claim 26 or 27, characterized in that it consists in determining according to the selection criteria of the user a place of start and / or end of tourist trip.

30. Method for assisting tourist trips according to one of claims 26 to

29, characterized in that the places of start and end of tourist movement are combined.

31. Method for assisting tourist trips according to one of claims 26 to

30, characterized in that it consists, during the extraction of the database of route arcs intended to constitute the road map, to offer the user choices from among the possibilities of route arcs tourist compatible with the selection criteria.

32. A method of assisting with tourist trips according to claim 31, characterized in that it consists in extracting from the route database, the set of route arcs constituting the road map, in particular at: - offer the user at least one route arc, one end of which coincides with the place of departure of the tourist trip and which corresponds to the selection criteria,

- ask the user to select a route arc from among the proposed arcs, - calculate a remaining travel time from the total travel time and the duration associated with the chosen route arc,

- then determine a new route arc as long as the remaining travel time allows and until you have a series of route arcs forming a polygonal line going from the start place to the end place, by: • proposing to the user at least one tourist route arc, one end of which merges with the other end of the previously selected route arc, which corresponds to the selection criteria and which is compatible with the remaining travel time, • asking the user to select a tourist route arc from the proposed route arcs,

• calculating the remaining travel time from the total travel time and the time associated with each of the selected route arcs.

33. Method for assisting tourist trips according to one of claims 26 to 32, characterized in that it consists of:

- implementing a database comprising a series of records, called link route arcs, each link route arc corresponding to a geographical displacement between two arcs of tourist route and comprising data which relate to cartographic characteristics of the displacement between the two arcs of tourist itinerary

- extract from the database at least one link route arc in order to complete the tourist route arc to obtain a polygonal line which goes from the start place to the end place of the trip and which meets the criteria of selection.

34. Method for assisting tourist trips according to claim 33, characterized in that it also consists in guiding the user during his tourist trip, in particular by:

- recording a progress of the user along the tourist route defined by the road map,

- reading at least part of the roadmap data on or in the storage device,

35. Method for assisting tourist trips according to claim 26, characterized in that it consists in guiding the user by:

- determining the user's actual geographic position,

- comparing the real position of the user with the progression of the user along the tourist movement defined by the roadmap, - delivering to the user as a function, on the one hand, of the real position of the user and, on the other hand, the progression of the user along the tourist trip defined by the road map, at least one guide message for keep the user on the tourist route or bring the user on the tourist route.

36. A method of assisting with tourist trips according to claim 35, characterized in that it consists in guiding the user by: - implementing a complementary so-called routing database comprising cartographic data records corresponding to the area given geographic,

- extracting from the routing base, if necessary and according to the real position of the user and the progress of the user, data complementary to the data of the roadmap to ensure the routing of the user,

- delivering to the user, from the roadmap data and / or data extracted from the routing database, at least one routing message.

37. Method for assisting tourist trips according to one of claims 26 to 36, characterized in that it consists in creating a multimedia guide associated with the tourist route determined in particular by:

- implementing a so-called multimedia database, comprising multimedia data records corresponding to at least one activity of at least some of the tourist route arcs of the route base,

- extracting from the multimedia database the multimedia data corresponding, on the one hand, to the activities of the tourist route arc (s) of the road map and, on the other hand, to the selection criteria of the user,

- writing on or in the data storage device the extracted multimedia data.

38. Method for assisting tourist trips according to claim 37, characterized in that it consists in delivering multimedia messages to the user, in particular:

- reading at least part of the multimedia guide data on or in the storage device,

- delivering to the user, from the data read and according to the progress of the user, at least one multimedia message corresponding to at least one activity located near the point of progress of the user.

39. Method for assisting tourist trips according to claim 37 or 38, characterized in that it consists in delivering multimedia messages to the user and in guiding the user in particular:

- delivering, if the user is on the route defined by the road map and near an activity, to the user at least one multimedia message relating to the activity, - delivering, if the user is finds near a routing point or deviates from the tourist route defined by the road map, the user at least one routing message to keep the user on the tourist route or bring the user on the tourist route.

40. Method for assisting tourist trips according to one of claims 37 to 39, characterized in that the delivery of routing messages has priority over the delivery of multimedia messages.

41. Device for assisting tourist trips in a given geographical area, characterized in that it comprises at least:

- a data storage device (6, 12) according to one of claims 1 to 25, - a microprocessor assembly (5, 11) connected to the data storage device

(6, 12),

- means (7) for inputting information by the user, which are connected to the microprocessor assembly,

- interface means (8, 9) for the transmission of information to the user, which are connected to the microprocessor assembly (5).

42. Tourist travel assistance device according to claim 41, characterized in that the data storage device (6) is removable.

43. Tourist travel assistance device according to claim 41 or 42, characterized in that it comprises means (30) for determining in real time the geographical position of the assistance device and of the user, which are connected to the microprocessor assembly.

44. Device for assisting tourist trips according to claim 43, characterized in that: - The storage device (6, 12) comprises, on the one hand, a series of records, called road map (20), defining an open or closed polygonal line of movement in the geographical area and, on the other hand , at least one multimedia data record corresponding to at least one activity of at least one tourist route arc of the roadmap,

- the microprocessor assembly (5) is suitable for:

• record user progress along the roadmap,. determine the user's actual geographic position,

• compare the actual position of the user with the progression of the user along the tourist trip defined by the roadmap,

. if the user is on the route defined by the roadmap and near an activity, deliver to the user at least one multimedia message relating to this activity,

• if the user is near a routing point or deviates from the tourist route defined by the roadmap, deliver to the user at least one routing message to keep the user on the tourist route or take the user to the tourist route.

45. Tourist travel assistance device according to claim 44, characterized in that the microprocessor unit (5) is adapted to deliver priority routing messages by interrupting if necessary the delivery of a relative multimedia message to an activity.

46. Tourist travel assistance device according to one of claims 41 to 45, characterized in that it comprises means (10) for bidirectional transmission of information between the assistance device (1) and a management (3).

47. Assistance device for tourist trips according to claim 46, characterized in that:

- the management center (3) includes at least:

• a storage device (12) according to one of claims 1 to 25,

• and an assembly with microprocessors connected to the storage device and to the transmission means - And the assistance device and the management center are adapted to implement the travel assistance method according to one of claims 26 to 40.

48. Device for assisting tourist trips according to one of claims 41 to 47, characterized in that:

it comprises at least one data storage device comprising a complementary so-called routing database which includes cartographic data records corresponding to the geographical area,

- it is suitable for: • extracting from the routing base, if necessary and as a function of the real position of the user and the progress of the user along the roadmap, data complementary to the data of the roadmap for routing the user,

• deliver to the user, from the roadmap data and / or data extracted from the routing database, at least one routing message.

49. Assistance device for tourist trips according to claim 47, characterized in that:

the management center comprises at least one data storage device comprising a complementary so-called routing database which includes cartographic data records corresponding to the geographical area,

- the system and the management center are suitable for:

• extract from the routing database, if necessary and according to the actual position of the user and the progress of the user along the roadmap, data complementary to the data in the roadmap to ensure the user routing,. deliver to the user, from the roadmap data and / or data extracted from the routing database, at least one routing message.