Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Navigation – Determination of travel data based on the start point and...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-28
2002-09-17
Arthur, Gertrude (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Navigation
Determination of travel data based on the start point and...
C701S201000, C701S207000, C701S208000, C705S005000, C340S990000, C342S357490
Reexamination Certificate
active
06453232
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information provision system capable of providing convenience to travelers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, with the widespread use of the Internet, various distribution businesses are being incorporated with the Internet. Similarly, in the travel agency business, various services, such as searching and reservation of package travels, provision of travel information, and personal bulletin boards, are provided on the Web. In the future, it is considered that the trend will become increasingly stronger, but at present, the incorporation is confined to substitutions of actual travel agency businesses. Regarding uses of the Internet, promptness, taste of users, and services meeting needs are possible, and there is a possibility that the services of current travel agency businesses can be greatly expanded.
On the other hand, regarding GPS navigation systems, as an apparatus relating to a global positioning system (GPS) apparatus having high-speed performance, in particular, for determining a time to a first position and for recapturing, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-191127 is known. In order to measure the current position by GPS, time, orbit information (Ephemeris) of each satellite, information (Almanac) of a group of satellites, and correction data of the ionosphere are required as initial information. In order to determine the current position in a short time, it is more preferable that approximate positional information be available. Conventionally, under the precondition that approximate positional information and the almanac cannot be known in advance, improvements in technology for achieving higher speed are being made, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-191127 is an example thereof.
Thus, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-191127 relates to a method for searching and capturing a signal from a GPS satellite by a multi-channel GPS receiver and to a multi-channel GPS receiver. A method is described therein in which the time until the initial position determination of a GPS receiver is improved by calculating in advance GPS satellites which are expected to appear at a plurality of times in the future on the basis of the current time, a GPS almanac, and a predetermined geographical position, and by searching for a GPS satellite when power is switched on again.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a travel data package which makes it possible to enjoy more a travel by being installed in a portable terminal and a system, and an information provision system for supplying it. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a client/server system capable of providing a wide range of services in combination with a travel agency business on the Web which can be accessed via the Internet and by adding new best functions thereto.
In addition, this invention also aims to provide a system which is, by using this travel data package, capable of shortening the time for measuring the current position even when a large distance is traveled, such as on a travel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, in the information provision system of the present invention, by providing a data package in which information relating to a travel site location is extracted in advance and stored on the basis of an itinerary, it is only necessary to carry a compact portable terminal to easily see information relating to the location of each travel site, for example, contents introducing that place, a map, photographs, etc. Then, by estimating and creating approximate positional information and an almanac, which are difficult to create each time on the portable terminal side, in the position-related information on the basis of an itinerary, it is possible to provide a system which can shorten the time for obtaining a position even when a large distance is traveled, such as, on a travel.
More specifically, the information provision system of the present invention comprises means for obtaining itinerary information in which at least one place and a date and time are associated; means for extracting position-related information which is related to the place contained in the itinerary information; means for creating a travel data package by associating the extracted position-related information with the date and time contained in the itinerary information; and means for distributing the travel data package. Also, the information provision method of the present invention comprises a step of obtaining itinerary information in which at least one place and a date and time are associated; a step of extracting position-related information related to the place contained in the itinerary information and of creating a travel data package in which the position-related information is associated with the date and time contained in the itinerary information; and a step of distributing the travel data package.
In the information provision system and the information provision method of the present invention, an operation is performed for extracting position-related information, for which processing performance is required, on a server side having added functionality and a high-speed operation in which an information provision system is installed, the position-related information is formed as a data package in advance, and travel data is distributed. Therefore, a user receiving this travel data package can easily obtain information relating to a travel site at each travel site by merely storing a travel data package in a portable small-capacity terminal. It is possible to carry a data package containing all information relating to the travel sites, for example, the country to be visited, and to obtain information by retrieving it for each place visited. However, since the amount of data is too large, it is not easy to store all of it in a portable terminal. On the other hand, although it is also possible to obtain information on a place visited on demand via the Internet, a connection time with a network is required. Also, depending on the travel site, there is a possibility that an infrastructure for connecting to the Internet is not available, or the information obtained is only in a language which cannot be understood.
In contrast, in the information provision system and the information provision method of the present invention, since position-related information is extracted on the basis of an itinerary, it is possible to considerably reduce the travel data to be formed as a package. Therefore, the travel data can also be easily stored in a portable terminal. Also, since position-related information is extracted on the basis of an itinerary, most of the information requested at a travel site can be covered. Also, since position-related information is formed as a package in advance, it is possible to quickly see information relating to a travel site. Also, since a travel data package can be created for each user, it is possible to collect information on which language can be easily understood by the user. In addition, since the taste of the user can be reflected, it is possible to form in advance information as a package which will be required by the user, which is easier to use.
Furthermore, it is possible to put, into position-related information, at least some auxiliary position-measurement information used when the current position is measured, at least one piece of longitude and latitude information corresponding to a place in the itinerary information, or map data containing places. The auxiliary position-measurement information is, for example, an almanac used when radio waves from a satellite are received to measure the position of a current position. The almanac is effective for about one to three months, and information relating to the date and time and an area, which are required at a travel site, can be anticipated in advance and can be put in a travel data package. Then, at the travel site
Arthur Gertrude
Seiko Epson Corporation
LandOfFree
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