JP3531667B2 - Information provision system - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the location of a user from an information providing device of an information providing station installed in a plurality of predetermined areas via a movable information device (portable information terminal) used by the user. Area-specific service information, especially map data on the streets, location information, detailed information on the area (for example, stores, transportation and routes),
The present invention also relates to an information providing system that provides the user with information such as the direction in which the mobile information terminal used by the user is facing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional information providing apparatus has been disclosed in which a receiving terminal has a built-in compass or detects a direction by a phase difference using radio waves. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-132392 discloses a technique of detecting a position and a direction by receiving a radio wave from an information providing device (sign post) by an in-vehicle terminal device. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-177013 discloses a technique in which a navigation device of an automobile receives azimuth information from an information providing device (sign post) and corrects a geomagnetic azimuth detection result. In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 62-279720, a technique is shown in which a portable receiving device receives map data from an information providing device (sign post), and a map is rotated by using a built-in compass to display the map so as to match the actual direction. Is disclosed. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-252279 discloses a remote control device utilizing infrared rays, which enables infrared rays to be received from all directions by rotating an infrared ray receiving portion. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 6-350539 discloses a technique for a remote control light receiving device for infrared rays, which enables stable control by rotating the light receiving unit by sunlight even if ambient light of a predetermined level or more is received. It is disclosed.

[0003]

However, the above-mentioned technique still has the following problems.

When the receiving side terminal has a built-in compass as in the prior art, there is a problem that the receiving side terminal becomes large. Further, when the direction is detected by the phase difference using the radio wave, the terminal side needs to keep moving to obtain the phase difference, and the use of the radio wave causes a problem that the device becomes expensive.

Further, in the technique from the above,
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-132392, the position and the direction are detected by receiving the radio waves from the information providing device (sign post), but the receiving side terminal needs to move to detect the direction. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-17701
In the publication No. 3, since it is intended to inform the direction of the road,
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-279720, which only informs the moving direction of the terminal moving on the road, not the direction in which the terminal is facing, an information providing device (sign post). The map data is received from the device and the map is rotated to display the actual orientation using the built-in compass, but since the receiving terminal has a built-in compass, the receiving terminal becomes larger. 9-252
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 279 and No. 6-350539, there is a problem that the direction information is not transmitted to the terminal side.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a portable information terminal without a special device for direction detection and for direction detection. Without moving the mobile information terminal,
By communicating with the information providing device, the information providing device detects the direction in which the mobile information terminal is facing without using a compass or radio waves, and rotates the map image so that the detected direction is up, An object of the present invention is to provide an information providing system including an information providing device and a portable information terminal capable of marking a direction cursor on a map and transmitting it to a portable information terminal.

[0007]

An information providing system according to the present invention is for solving the above-mentioned problems, and has a database storing various service information and a directivity in a specific direction for outputting the various service information. An information providing apparatus including a signal transmitting unit for transmitting and receiving a signal and a communication unit including a signal receiving unit; and a communication unit including a signal transmitting unit and a signal receiving unit for exchanging information with the information providing apparatus. A portable information terminal including input means for inputting data and instructing operation, and display means for displaying the instructing operation or information acquired from the information providing device;
In the information providing system, the information providing device comprises: direction storing means for storing direction information corresponding to a direction in which the signal transmitting means faces; and direction storing means stored in the direction storing means. The portable information terminal receives various service information including direction information transmitted by the signal transmitting means of the information providing device. It is characterized by comprising control means for controlling the display means to display various information including the direction information.

Further, in the information providing system of the present invention, in the information providing apparatus, the signal transmitting means of the communication means is movable, and is stored in the direction storage means according to the movement of the signal transmitting means. It is characterized by having a function of changing direction information.

Furthermore, in the information providing system of the present invention, the information providing apparatus receives the signal from the signal receiving means specific direction of the communication unit, the signal from the mobile information terminal by said signal receiving means The portable information terminal has a function of transmitting the direction information only when it is received, and the portable information terminal receives the signal from the specific direction by the signal receiving means of the communication means, and transmits the information from the information providing device. It is characterized in that it is provided with a function of displaying the facing direction on the basis of the transmitted direction information on the display means.

Furthermore, in the information providing system of the present invention, the information supply device comprises at least a plurality of signal transmit means of the communication means, the direction storage means, wherein a plurality of signal transmitting means facing It is characterized in that direction information corresponding to each of the directions is stored.

Further, in the information providing system of the present invention, the communication means of the information providing apparatus and the communication means of the portable information terminal use light or radio waves as signals having directivity in a specific direction used for transmission and reception. It is characterized by

Further, in the information providing system of the present invention, the information providing apparatus includes map data storage means for storing map data, and the map data storage means stores the direction information stored in the direction storage means. It is characterized by having a function of transmitting the stored map data to the portable information terminal by the signal transmitting means of the communication means.

Further, in the information providing system of the present invention, the information providing device is configured to include the direction information based on the map data stored in the map data storage means and the direction information stored in the direction storage means. The mobile information terminal comprises means for making an instruction request as to whether or not the map data can be rotated, and the information providing device is provided with a map data creation means for creating composite map data including the map data from the mobile information terminal. The mobile information terminal has a function of transmitting the composite map data created by the map data creating means from the signal sending means in response to an instruction request for permission / inhibition of rotation. It is characterized by having a function of receiving map data by the signal receiving means and displaying it by the display means.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of an information providing system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an information providing apparatus of an information providing system according to the present invention.

The information providing device 100 is mainly composed of the optical communication device 1.
10, input device 120, display device 130, external storage device 110, communication device 150, information providing device controller 1
It is composed of 60, and exchanges information with a movable portable information terminal used by a user. Hereinafter, a mobile information terminal that can be used by a user is referred to as a mobile information terminal. The information providing apparatus 100 is intended for computers including a personal computer, a workstation, and a POS, and portable information terminals include electronic notebooks, personal navigation terminals, portable information tools, mobile phones,
Targets include wearable computers such as watches.

The optical communication device 110 includes an optical signal transmitting / receiving section 11
1 and a light intensity measuring unit 112. The optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 111 transmits / receives data to / from the portable information terminal and has at least one optical signal transmitting / receiving unit. The light intensity measuring unit 112 measures the intensity of external light entering the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 111. This optical signal transmission / reception unit is an IR
Infrared rays such as the above may be used, or other infrared rays may be used.

The input device 120 is the information providing device 10.
It has a function as an input means for operating 0 or inputting some data.

The display device 130 has a function as a display means for displaying an operation instructed by the input device 120, input data, or a communication status with the portable information terminal. is there.

The external storage device 140 is a device composed of a storage medium that stores map data on the street, position information, and detailed information of the area, for example, information on stores, transportation facilities, routes, and the like. is there. This external storage device 140 is
This is a kind of database, which is a tape system such as a magnetic tape or a cassette tape, a magnetic disk such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk or a hard disk, or a CD-ROM /
Disc system of optical disc such as MO / MD / DVD, IC
Card (including memory card) / card system such as optical card, mask ROM, EPROM, EEPRO
It may be a storage medium including a semiconductor memory such as M or a flash ROM.

The communication device 150 is the information providing device 100.
Is a communication device for exchanging information with the host device or the host system. This communication device 150
May have a function of connecting to the Internet or an external beta base via a public line, and thus may have either a wired communication function or a wireless communication function. Therefore, various necessary information such as map data may be acquired from the outside via the communication device 150 and stored in the external storage device 140. Further, the communication device 150 may be a device in which the function of the optical communication device 110 is expanded, and in this case, it may be a device in which two functions are integrated.

The information providing device controller 160 is composed of a buffer memory 161, a map image creating section 162, a data converting section 163, an optical signal transmitting / receiving operation control section 164, a direction storage memory 165, and a direction calculating section 166. When the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 111 of the optical communication device 110 receives a signal from the mobile information terminal, it processes a map image, writes a directional cursor on the map image, and controls a series of processes for transmitting to the mobile information terminal. The buffer memory 161 of the information providing device controller 160 stores the map data read from the external storage device 140. The map image creation unit 162 rotates the map image stored in the buffer memory 161 based on the direction information stored in the direction storage memory 165 and synthesizes a direction cursor. The data conversion unit 163 converts the map image data created by the map image creation unit 162 into a predetermined optical signal, and the optical signal transmission / reception unit 1 of the optical communication device 110.
Output to 11. The optical signal transmission / reception operation control unit 164 controls the optical signal transmission / reception unit 111 by moving the optical signal transmission / reception unit 111 so that the light intensity becomes equal to or lower than a certain value when the intensity of the light entering the optical signal transmission / reception unit 111 exceeds a predetermined value. To do. Direction memory 1
65 stores the direction information in which the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 111 is currently facing. The direction calculation unit 166 calculates the direction in which the optical signal transmission / reception unit 111 faces in accordance with the movement of the optical signal transmission / reception unit 111.

Next, the portable information terminal used by the user will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the portable information terminal of the information providing system according to the present invention. Note that the information providing apparatus 100 actually transmits the area information such as a map and the direction information separately.

The portable information terminal 200 is mainly composed of optical communication means, input means, display means, and information processing control means. The optical communication unit is composed of an optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 210, and this optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 210 transmits / receives various data to / from the information providing apparatus 100. The input means is composed of the input unit 220, and the portable information terminal 2 is provided with a pen or buttons.
It is provided with a function for operating 00 or inputting some data. The display means is composed of a display device 230, and a map image including instructions and data input from the input unit 220 for operating the portable information terminal 200, data sent from the information providing device 100, and direction information. Is provided with a function for displaying. Note that, like the information providing apparatus 100, an external storage device may be provided and the map data may be owned by the user. The portable information terminal controller 240 controls to add the direction information to the map image using the map data and the direction information received by the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 210 and display the map image on the display device 230. Mobile information terminal controller 2
Of the 40, the buffer memory 241 is the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 21.
The map data and direction information received at 0 are stored, and the map image drawing unit 242 draws the map image together with the direction cursor. The video RAM 243 stores the image drawn by the map image drawing unit 242, and the video conversion unit 244 reads the image stored in the video RAM 243, converts it into a predetermined video signal, and outputs it to the display device 230.

The information providing device 100 is installed in a main building such as a station, a harbor or an airport, or on a street, and provides the user of the portable information terminal 200 with service information peculiar to the area where the user is located, especially on the street. It provides map data, location information, detailed information on the area (for example, stores, transportation facilities, routes, etc.). When the portable information terminal 200 tries to access the information providing device 100, the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit forming the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit of both the information providing device 100 and the portable information terminal 200 has directivity, The range in which the terminal 200 can access the information providing apparatus 100 is limited. Therefore, the direction in which the portable information terminal 200 is facing can be detected from the direction information in which the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit is facing.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the mechanism of direction detection of the information providing device of the information providing system according to the present invention. The mechanism of direction detection will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

The optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 111 in the information providing apparatus 100 has an optical signal irradiation range (communicable range) as indicated by W in FIG. 3 (1). Therefore, the portable information terminal 2
00 has a limited range of access to the information providing apparatus 100, and at the same time, as shown in FIG.
The range of directions in which you may face is also limited.
From this, the information providing apparatus 100 can calculate the general direction in which the mobile information terminal 200 being accessed is facing. FIG. 3C shows an example in which the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 111 has a plurality of optical signal transmitting / receiving units. At this time, the direction storage memory 165 stores the direction information corresponding to each optical signal transmitting / receiving unit. Figure 3 (3)
In, the direction A is transmitted to the portable information terminal 200 that has accessed the first optical signal transmitting / receiving unit, and the direction B is transmitted to the portable information terminal 200 that has accessed the second optical signal transmitting / receiving unit. When accessing from just the middle of the first optical signal transmitting / receiving unit and the second optical signal transmitting / receiving unit, the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit that receives the signal from the portable information terminal earlier is made effective, or the direction C is transmitted. .

4 and 5 are flowcharts showing the operation of the information providing device controller of the information providing device of the information providing system according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 is provided by the information providing device of the information providing system according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of a display example of direction information (display screen of a portable information terminal), and FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing an example in which the direction of the optical signal transmission / reception unit of the information providing device of the information providing system of the present invention is changed. Yes, the operation will be described below with reference to these figures.

The information providing apparatus 100 stands by in a normal signal reception waiting state, and first determines whether or not the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 111 has received a signal from the portable information terminal 200 (step S101). When the signal is received, the map image creation unit 162 reads the map data around the self position from the external storage device 140 into the buffer memory 161 (step S102). Next, the mobile information terminal 200 determines whether or not the processing (rotation) of the map data is requested (step S103). If not requested, the map image creation unit 162 creates a map image by adding a direction cursor to the map data in the same direction read from the buffer memory 161 (step S105). FIG. 6 (1) is an example of the map data in the same orientation read from the buffer memory 11, and FIG. 6 (2) is the above step S10.
The map information generated by the process 5 is an example of a map image when it is not processed (rotated).

When the portable information terminal 200 requests the processing (rotation) of the map data, the map image creation unit 162 uses the map data read from the buffer memory 161 based on the information obtained from the direction storage memory 165. The map data is rotated so that the direction in which the mobile information terminal 200 faces is upward (step S104).
A map image to which a direction cursor indicating the direction in which the arrow is pointing is added is created (step S105). When there are a plurality of optical signal transmitting / receiving units, the map is rotated according to the direction of the unit that received the signal, and the direction cursor is added. FIG. 6C is the map information generated by the process of step S104, which is an example of the map image when processed (rotated).

Next, the data conversion unit 163 converts the map image created by the map image creation unit 162 into a predetermined optical signal (step S106) and transmits the signal to the portable information terminal 200 (step S107). After that, the signal reception waiting state is resumed (step S101).

On the other hand, in step S101, when the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 111 does not receive the signal from the portable information terminal 200, the light intensity measuring unit 112 measures the intensity of external light entering the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 111 ( Step S20
1) It is determined whether or not the light intensity exceeds a predetermined value (step S202). If the prescribed value is not exceeded,
The signal reception waiting state is resumed. When the light intensity exceeds a predetermined value (step S202), the optical signal transmission / reception operation control unit 164 determines the direction of the optical signal transmission / reception unit 111 until the light intensity measured by the light intensity measurement unit 112 becomes a certain value or less. Is changed (steps S203, 204).

This changing method is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-350.
A method of physically rotating the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit as described in Japanese Patent No. 539 may be used. Alternatively, FIG.
When a plurality of optical signal transmission / reception units are provided in different directions, as shown in FIG. 2, one of the installed optical signal transmission / reception units is electrically enabled. Good. At this time, for example, instead of the currently effective first optical signal transmitting / receiving unit as shown in FIG. 7A, the second optical signal transmitting / receiving unit as shown in FIG. 7B is made effective.

When the light intensity falls below a certain value, the direction calculation unit 166 recalculates the direction in which the optical signal transmission / reception unit 111 faces (step S205) and stores it in the direction storage memory 165 (step S206). After step S206, the signal reception waiting state is resumed.

As described above, according to the present invention, even if the signal receiving state deteriorates due to sunlight or the like, a good communication state can be maintained and the correct direction can be transmitted by automatically changing the direction of the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 111. .

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the portable information terminal controller of the portable information terminal of the information providing system according to the present invention. The operation will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.

After turning on the power source of the portable information terminal 200,
It is determined whether there is a signal transmission instruction from the input unit 220 to the information providing apparatus 100 (step S301), and if there is no signal transmission instruction, the process waits until there is a signal transmission instruction. If there is a signal transmission instruction, it is determined whether or not to receive the signal after rotating the map (step S3).
02). When it is desired to receive the rotated map, the optical signal transmission / reception unit 210 transmits a signal requesting the rotated map (step S303) and waits for a signal from the information providing apparatus 100. If the user wants to receive a map that does not rotate, the optical signal transmission / reception unit 210 transmits a signal that requests a map that does not rotate (step S304), and waits for a signal from the information providing apparatus 100.

The optical signal transmitting / receiving unit 210 is the information providing device 10.
It is judged whether or not the signal from 0 is received (step S3
05) If not received, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has passed since the reception standby state was entered (step S30).
6). If the fixed time has not elapsed, the system waits for reception, and after the fixed time elapses, waits again for a signal transmission instruction. When the optical signal transmitter / receiver 210 receives a signal from the information providing apparatus 100 within a fixed time, the received map data and direction information are read to the buffer memory 241 (step S307).

Next, the map image drawing unit 242 converts the map data stored in the buffer memory 241 into the video RAM 243.
Is drawn (step S308). Furthermore, step S
When the rotated map is requested at 302, the direction cursor is drawn upward in the video RAM 243. Step S3
When the map which is not rotated is requested in 02, the direction cursor is rotated based on the direction information stored in the buffer memory 241 and is drawn in the video RAM 243 (step S
309).

The image drawn in the video RAM 243 is read out by the video converter 244, converted into a predetermined video signal, output to the display device 230, and displayed on the screen (step S310). After step S310, the process waits until a signal transmission instruction is input from the input unit 220. still,
The state processed in step S310 is the screen display example shown in FIG.

As described above, the portable information terminal 200 can operate the information providing device 1 even if it does not have a built-in compass or map.
By communicating with 00, it is possible to obtain information such as a map around the self position and the direction in which the user is facing. Further, in the above description (screen display example of FIG. 6), the map to which the direction information is added is displayed using the map image and the direction information transmitted from the information providing device 100. The map image added with may be transmitted, or only the direction information may be transmitted and added to the map information held by the portable information terminal 200 side.

The information providing device and the portable information terminal in the information providing system described above are movable information devices (portable information terminals) used by the user from the information providing devices of the information providing stations installed in a plurality of predetermined regions. ), Service information peculiar to the area where the user is located, especially map data on the street, location information, detailed information of the area (for example, stores, transportation facilities and routes), and further use It is realized by a program for causing a process of providing information such as a direction in which a personal digital assistant used by a person is facing to the user. This program is stored in a computer-readable recording medium.
In the present invention, the above program is assumed to be processed by the illustrated microcomputer.

Such a storage medium program medium is a recording medium which can be separated from the main body, and is a tape system such as a magnetic tape or a cassette tape, a magnetic disk such as a floppy disk or a hard disk, or a CD-ROM.
/ MO / MD / DVD and other optical disc systems, I
C card (including memory card) / card system such as optical card, mask ROM, EPROM, EEPRO
It may be a medium that fixedly holds the program, including a semiconductor memory such as M and a flash ROM. Further, since the present invention has a system configuration that can be connected to a communication network including the Internet, it may be a medium that carries the program fluidly so that the program is downloaded from the communication network.
When the program is downloaded from the communication network in this way, the download program may be stored in the apparatus main body in advance, or may be installed from another recording medium. The content stored in the recording medium is not limited to the program and may be data.

In the above embodiment, the exchange of information between the information providing device 100 and the portable information terminal 200 has been described by the communication using light. However, the communication means is not limited to light. For example, radio waves such as radio waves may be used. When using radio waves, the optical communication device 110 of FIG. 1 becomes a radio communication device that transmits and receives directional radio waves. The transmission / reception unit serves as a radio wave intensity measurement unit, and the optical signal transmission / reception operation control unit 164 of the information providing device controller 160 serves as a radio signal transmission / reception operation control unit. Further, the optical signal transmission / reception unit 210, which is the optical communication means in FIG. 2, serves as a radio wave signal transmission / reception unit that transmits and receives directional radio waves. As described above, not only a single structure in which only light is used but only a radio wave is used, or a structure having both functions and allowing the user to select may be used, and these may depend on cost performance.

Based on the above contents, the conventional (known) technology is that the person who has the portable terminal device can "receive" the radio wave from the GPS or the information providing device (sign post) "while moving". There is a method of displaying the moving direction on the mobile terminal device. However, in the present invention, so that the direction can be known even in a stationary state, the direction in which the person holding the mobile terminal device is oriented (the information providing device) without the GPS receiving device or the compass built in the mobile terminal device. It is realized by displaying on a mobile terminal device (detected by communicating with (sign post)). Actually, if you have a built-in compass, you can see it even when it is stationary, but since the compass has problems in terms of cost and size, in order to realize this, optical transmission / reception in the information providing device (sign post) We have realized an information providing device (sign post) characterized by storing the direction in which a part (which may be directional light or radio waves) is stored and transmitting the stored direction to a mobile terminal device. This is the main point of the present invention.

Therefore, specifically, the following effects can be obtained. When the mobile information terminal accesses the information providing device, the information providing device transmits the direction in which the mobile information terminal is facing to the mobile information terminal. This allows the portable information terminal to know the direction it is facing even if it does not have a large and expensive compass built in.・ Sending the map image together with the direction information to the mobile information terminal makes it easy to know the location of the user. At this time, if the map image is rotated and displayed, the self-position grasping becomes much easier. -In optical communication, by making the optical signal transmitter / receiver movable, it is possible to avoid direct sunlight from the sun and perform efficient communication. At this time, by recalculating the direction information according to the movement of the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit, the direction information can be obtained even if the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit moves. By configuring the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit with a plurality of optical signal transmitting / receiving units, the signal transmitting / receiving range of the information providing device can be widened. -If the direction information is provided only when the signal from the mobile information terminal is received, it is not necessary to transmit unnecessary information.

In summary, since the object of the present invention is to provide direction information and map information from the information providing device to the portable information terminal, the portable information terminal on the receiving side is provided with a large and expensive compass. Since it does not need to be built in, it is miniaturized. Furthermore, it is not necessary to move the receiving side portable information terminal, and when using optical communication, the information providing device and the receiving side portable information terminal use an optical unit. Can be created at low cost.

The contents of the above-described embodiments are not limited to the above contents unless the gist of the present invention is changed.

[0049]

According to the information providing system of the present invention,
The following effects can be obtained.

Since the object of the present invention is to provide direction information and map information from the information providing device to the mobile information terminal, the mobile information terminal on the receiving side needs to have a large and expensive compass built therein. Since there is no need to move the mobile information terminal on the receiving side,
Further, when the optical communication is used, the information providing device and the portable information terminal on the receiving side use the optical unit, so that the information providing device and the portable information terminal on the receiving side can be manufactured at low cost.

Specifically, the following effects are obtained, respectively. When the mobile information terminal accesses the information providing device, the information providing device transmits the direction in which the mobile information terminal is facing to the mobile information terminal. This allows the portable information terminal to know the direction it is facing even if it does not have a large and expensive compass built in.・ Sending the map image together with the direction information to the mobile information terminal makes it easy to know the location of the user. At this time, if the map image is rotated and displayed, the self-position grasping becomes much easier. -In optical communication, by making the optical signal transmitter / receiver movable, it is possible to avoid direct sunlight from the sun and perform efficient communication. At this time, by recalculating the direction information according to the movement of the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit, the direction information can be obtained even if the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit moves. By configuring the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit with a plurality of optical signal transmitting / receiving units, the signal transmitting / receiving range of the information providing device can be widened. -If the direction information is provided only when the signal from the mobile information terminal is received, it is not necessary to transmit unnecessary information.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an information providing device of an information providing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a portable information terminal of the information providing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a mechanism of direction detection of the information providing device of the information providing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the first operation of the information providing apparatus controller of the information providing apparatus of the information providing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the second operation of the information providing device controller of the information providing device of the information providing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a display example of direction information provided by the information providing apparatus of the information providing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which the direction of the optical signal transmitting / receiving unit of the information providing apparatus of the information providing system according to the present invention is changed.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the portable information terminal controller of the portable information terminal of the information providing system according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

100 Information providing device 110 Optical communication device 111 Optical signal transceiver 112 Light intensity measurement unit 120 input device 130 display device 140 external storage 150 communication devices 160 Information providing device controller 161 buffer memory 162 Map Image Creation Department 163 data converter 164 Optical signal transmission / reception operation control unit 165 Direction storage memory 166 Direction calculator 200 Personal Digital Assistant 210 Optical signal transceiver 220 Input section 230 display device 240 Mobile information terminal controller 241 buffer memory 242 Map image drawing unit 243 video RAM 244 Video converter

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Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] 1. An information providing device comprising: a database storing various service information; and a communication means having a signal transmitting means for transmitting and receiving a signal having directivity in a specific direction for outputting the various service information, and a communication means having a signal receiving means. And a communication means having a signal transmitting means and a signal receiving means for exchanging information with the information providing device, an input means for performing data input and an instruction operation, and the instruction operation or acquired from the information providing device. A portable information terminal having a display unit for displaying the stored information, wherein the information providing apparatus stores direction information corresponding to the direction in which the signal transmitting unit is facing. And a control means for transmitting the direction information stored in the direction storage means by the signal transmission means. The information terminal controls such that the communication unit receives various service information including direction information transmitted by the signal transmission unit of the information providing apparatus, and controls the display unit to display various information including the direction information. An information providing system comprising means. 2. The information providing device, wherein the signal transmitting means of the communication means is movable, and has a function of changing the direction information stored in the direction storing means in accordance with the movement of the signal transmitting means. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein: Wherein the information providing device, the direction information only when the signal receiving means of said communication means receives a signal from a specific direction, a signal from the mobile information terminal is received by said signal receiving means The mobile information terminal receives a signal from a specific direction by the signal receiving means of the communication means, based on the direction information transmitted from the information providing device. The information providing system according to claim 1, further comprising a function of displaying the facing direction on the display means. Wherein said information providing apparatus comprises at least a plurality of signal transmit means of the communication means, the direction storage means, direction information corresponding to each of directions in which the a plurality of signal transmitting means facing The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein: 5. The communication means of the information providing apparatus and the communication means of the portable information terminal use light or radio waves as a signal having directivity in a specific direction used for transmission and reception. 4. The information providing system according to any one of 4. 6. The information providing device comprises map data storage means for storing map data, and the map data stored in the map data storage means together with the direction information stored in the direction storage means is used for the communication. 6. The information providing system according to claim 1, further comprising a function of transmitting the signal to the portable information terminal by the signal transmitting means of the means. 7. The map, wherein the information providing device creates composite map data including direction information from the map data stored in the map data storage means and the direction information stored in the direction storage means. Data providing means, the mobile information terminal comprises means for making an instruction request of whether to rotate the map data, the information providing device, in response to the instruction request of whether to rotate the map data from the mobile information terminal, The mobile information terminal has a function of transmitting the composite map data created by the map data creating means from the signal transmitting means, and the portable information terminal receives the composite map data transmitted from the information providing device by the signal receiving means. The information providing system according to claim 6, further comprising a function of displaying by the display means.