JP4425840B2 - Navigation system, information distribution server and portable terminal - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a communication type navigation system including a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone and an information distribution server, and in particular, information on a place of interest (POI) around a position desired by a user is searched and searched. The present invention relates to a navigation system capable of guiding a route to POI, an information distribution server and a portable terminal, and a marketing data creation method in the navigation system.
In the navigation system as described above, the POI having a desired merchandise inventory that exists near the desired position in consideration of the distance or time of the actual movement route from the desired position such as the current position to the POI. Further, the present invention relates to a navigation system, an information distribution server and a portable terminal, and a marketing data creation method in the navigation system that can quickly and efficiently perform a route search to POI in the information distribution server.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, mobile terminals such as mobile phones are equipped with browsers and can access the Internet to receive desired information. In such a system, the user operates a mobile terminal, finds a desired site using a search engine provided in the server, downloads the content of the site, and browses the content with a browser. ing. The content includes information belonging to various categories, and includes information on stores and events, provision of railway timetables, and train transfer guidance.

  In providing information on stores and events, a user operates a mobile terminal to input a store or event category and an area to be searched for a search request. The server searches for stores and events that fall into the specified category and exist in the area, and the information is distributed to the mobile terminal device. In providing the timetable, when the user operates the mobile terminal to designate a route, the timetable of the route is presented on the screen of the display device of the mobile terminal. Further, in the transfer guidance, the recommended route is presented by the user specifying the departure place and the destination.

  Information distribution server is also rich in functions, not just providing timetables and transfer guidance for railway lines and bus lines as described above, but also providing information distribution functions that provide the functions of conventional in-vehicle navigation systems to mobile terminals such as mobile phones A server is also realized. According to such a system, it is possible to provide a navigation service not only for the driver of the automobile but also for the pedestrian.

  A user of a mobile phone can obtain various desired information by using the service as described above. For example, it is possible to obtain information such as a map, business content, price, business hours, and the like regarding a location of interest (Point of Interest: hereinafter simply referred to as POI) in which the user is interested. The POI may be any store or facility such as a hotel, restaurant, department store, theme park, convenience store, gas station, exercise facility, or park. For this reason, POI has an enormous number of types (categories), and there are countless stores and places belonging to the category. The wider the range covered by the information distribution server, the larger the number.

  Therefore, the information distribution server is provided with a POI database in order to provide information regarding these countless POIs to the user. In this POI database, POIs are classified into categories, and this POI category is hierarchized into a large classification, a medium classification, a small classification, and the like because of its large number. The user selects a desired POI category from the menu screen displayed on the mobile terminal and requests data from the information distribution server. In order to select a specific desired POI category, a large classification, a medium classification, The POI category for which information distribution is desired is selected by following the sub-category and category hierarchy.

  When a mobile terminal used by a user is a mobile phone, a recent mobile phone has a GPS receiver and has a positioning function for receiving a signal from a GPS satellite and calculating its current position. The current position can be transmitted to the information distribution server by using it. If the mobile terminal is capable of receiving a navigation service, after obtaining desired specific POI information, a route search to the specific POI is received as a desired starting point such as the current position, home, or work place. You can also.

  Various such POI information providing systems have been proposed. For example, a system disclosed as an “information distribution method” in the following Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-132483) is known.

  The information distribution method disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a system including an information distribution computer system and a mobile phone as a terminal device. In this information distribution computer system, when guidance information of a certain POI is requested from an external mobile phone, the POI position information and the optimum route information for route search request to the information distribution computer system are added to the guidance information of the desired POI. A link with URL as link information is attached and sent back to the request source. When the link displayed together with the POI guidance information is selected on the mobile phone, the current location detected by the GPS receiver is the departure location, the POI location information is the destination, and the date and time measured by the timing unit is scheduled to depart A route search condition with the date and time is automatically set, and a route search request accompanied by the route search condition information is made to the information distribution computer system.

  That is, this information distribution computer system receives a POI search request from a mobile phone, and searches for a specific POI and distributes the POI guide information (map, business guide, etc.) to the mobile phone. The link information is added and distributed, and when the mobile phone selects the link, the optimum route from the current position to the POI is searched for and distributed.

  Further, a system disclosed as “information providing system and method” in the following Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-150475) is also known. The information providing system disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a system including a mobile terminal and a Web application server.

  In this information providing system, a user who uses a portable terminal selects a requested service from the displayed provided service menu. Information on the selected service is transmitted to the Web application server. GPS satellites output position information. The mobile terminal receives the position information, calculates the current position based on the received position information, and transmits the current position information to the Web application server via the Internet. The Web application server receives the information on the current position transmitted from the mobile terminal, and transmits information related to the service selected by the user using the mobile terminal and related to the current position to the mobile terminal.

  In general, when there are a plurality of specific POIs belonging to the target POI category around the current position or a desired position (for example, within a radius of 2 km), the POI search system or the route guidance system as described above searches. The position information and related information related to a plurality of POIs are arranged in order from the current position or a desired position and distributed to the mobile terminal. The close order is the order in which the linear distance from the current position or desired position to each POI is short.

  For example, the following Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-281797) discloses an in-vehicle navigation device and a peripheral facility searching method system terminal device that searches for and guides POIs in order of a linear distance from the current position. Yes.

  In the system disclosed in Patent Document 3, categories that are grouped by usage are stored in a table storage unit. When the user inputs a use via the operation unit, the control unit checks the category of the group corresponding to the input use, and searches for a facility existing around the current position of the vehicle from these categories. The searched facilities are arranged in order from the current position, and when the user selects a desired facility, the control unit is configured to search for a guide route from the current position to the selected facility.

  In addition, in a peripheral facility search system such as Patent Document 3, a system configured to efficiently search for a facility (POI) existing within a certain distance range from the current position is disclosed in Patent Document 4 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-2004). A POI information display method and a navigation system disclosed in JP-A-61503 are also known.

  The system disclosed in Patent Document 4 is a navigation system in which cells each having a specific POI are arranged in a cell array, and the cell is based on the distance from the cell position in the cell array corresponding to the cell closest to the user position. Sort into several different levels. This navigation system is configured to extract POIs from cells at a predetermined level, sort POIs according to distances, and display the POIs.

  That is, this system accumulates a cell array in which a specific POI exists in the same manner as a unit map divided by a predetermined latitude and longitude range, and stores the corresponding cell array according to the distance level from the current position. Search efficiency is improved by selecting and searching for a POI existing in the cell.

  In general, the purpose of the user searching for a desired POI is when the user requests service provision using the POI or purchases a product. In particular, when the purpose is to purchase a product, the purpose is not to go to the POI, but to purchase the desired product. From this point of view, a system that searches for stores that actually have stock of desired products and provides a store list close to the purchaser's position is disclosed in the following Patent Document 5 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-134652) as “Stock Check”. “Reservation system”.

  The system disclosed in Patent Document 5 is based on the position information of the purchaser obtained by the position information input, the station name selection, etc., and the position information of the purchaser obtained by the position determination means. And a means for searching for a store that is within a distance range and sells products specified by a predetermined purchaser. With such a system configuration, the user can search for a POI that has a desired product inventory, and does not have to visit a POI that is not in stock in order to obtain the desired product, which increases convenience.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-132483 (FIG. 1, paragraph [0006]) JP 2003-150475 A (FIG. 1, FIG. 2, paragraph [0013]) JP-A-10-281797 (FIG. 1, paragraphs [0028] and [0029]) Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-61503 (FIGS. 4, 6, 7, and 8) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-134652 (FIG. 7)

  In the above-mentioned patent document 5, based on the purchaser's location information, a store where the desired product is actually in stock is searched to provide a store list close to the purchaser's location. As described above, user preferences vary and the number of POIs belonging to POI categories and categories is enormous. Therefore, even if a user specifies a desired product for purchase, if there is not enough narrowing down to search for a desired POI such as a POI category, a large number of stores are searched within a predetermined area centered on the purchaser's position. If each route search is performed, the load on the server becomes very large. In particular, in a system in which a mobile phone is used as a terminal device, the display screen is small, so that the input screen hierarchy for selecting a POI category is deep and condition setting becomes complicated. There is also a problem that it is difficult to select appropriate conditions.

  Moreover, in the system of the above-mentioned Patent Document 5, since the target stores are obtained in the order of the shortest distance from the position designated by the purchaser, the presence / absence of the inventory is confirmed, so there is a waste of performing a route search to a store that does not have the inventory . Then, it seems to be good to search for the route after extracting the store with inventory first, but there is a problem of how to extract the store to check the inventory. Since then, there was only a way to check the availability of each store.

  The system that searches for POIs within a certain range from the current position or desired position and arranges the POIs in the closest order sorts the POIs based on the linear distance as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4 above. It was something to do. For this reason, the load of POI search of the information distribution server increases, and when search requests from mobile terminals are concentrated in a specific time zone, there is a problem that the search processing of the information distribution server is delayed and the service is lowered. In addition, the POI route that is guided by this is actually blocked by rivers and railways even if the distance is short, and the road may be far away, so the shortest route is not always guaranteed. There was also. In particular, the above problem becomes even more serious when processing for searching for the presence of merchandise inventory is added.

  The inventor of the present application has conducted various studies to solve the above-described problems. As a result, when there is a POI search request close to the current position or the desired position by designating the desired product, first, from the current position or the desired position, Search the range (service area) on the road network that the user can reach at the desired time or distance, extract the POI in the service area, check the inventory of goods in the extracted POI, identify the POI in stock, The present invention has been completed by conceiving that the above problems can be solved if the POIs are sorted and guided in the order of short distance (or time) as a route from the current position or the desired position.

  That is, the present invention has an object to solve the above-described problems, and in a terminal such as a mobile phone having limited input means and display means, it is possible to narrow down products by a simple operation and to determine the current position. In consideration of the actual movement route from the desired position to the POI, such as the POI existing near the desired position can be selected, and the route search to the POI of the information distribution server can be efficiently performed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a navigation data, an information distribution server, a portable terminal, and a marketing data creation method in the navigation system.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application is
Comprising a product input means for inputting the commodity code as POI search condition, and have contact to the POI search, from a reference position and reference made reference position for specifying the service area is an area that can be reached in less than a predetermined cost and the cost A mobile terminal that transmits a search request to the information distribution server by specifying
A POI database storing POI information including POI position information for each POI for each category, inventory information acquisition means for acquiring product inventory information for each POI, and below the predetermined cost based on the reference position to search for all nodes and links to the farthest node can be reached, the a route search means for storing temporarily calculate the accumulated cost at each node to reach the farthest node and the farthest node, the farthest a service area POI range determining means for determining as a service area POI range area specified based on either one of the links connected to the node or the farthest nodes, based on the POI search condition, the POI Bei a service area POI discriminating means, that by referring to the database to extract the POI that matches the POI search condition in the service area POI range With the information distribution server,
For each POI extracted by the service area POI discrimination means, the inventory information acquisition means acquires the inventory information of the product to identify the POI in which the inventory exists , and the nearest node or link for each identified POI. And the POI from the reference position with reference to the accumulated cost of the temporarily stored node based on either the determined closest node or the node connected to the closest link. The POI information is generated in the order of the accumulated cost up to.

The invention according to claim 2 of the present application is the navigation system according to claim 1,
The mobile terminal is a mobile phone equipped with a camera, and the product input means is a bar code reader using the camera.

The invention according to claim 3 of the present application is the navigation system according to claim 1,
The portable terminal includes positioning means including a GPS receiver, and a reference position serving as a reference for a range of a service area in the POI search is a current position measured by the positioning means.

The invention according to claim 4 of the present application is the navigation system according to claim 1,
The mobile terminal or the information distribution server includes product storage means for each mobile terminal, registers the code of the product input by the mobile terminal, stores the code in the product storage means, and the mobile terminal stores the product storage means as necessary. The product is read out from the product and the product is input.

The invention according to claim 5 of the present application is the navigation system according to claim 1,
The information distribution server further includes storage means for storing information on a reference area for service area search requested by each mobile terminal and information on a product, and statistically processing the information on the reference position for service area search and the product. Features.

The invention according to claim 6 of the present application is
Comprising a product input means for inputting the commodity code as POI search condition, and have contact to the POI search, from a reference position and reference made reference position for specifying the service area is an area that can be reached in less than a predetermined cost and the cost An information distribution server connected via a network to a portable terminal that transmits a search request to the information distribution server,
The information distribution server is
A POI database storing POI information including POI position information for each POI for each category, inventory information acquisition means for acquiring product inventory information for each POI, and below the predetermined cost based on the reference position A route search means for searching all nodes and links to the farthest node that can be reached , calculating a cumulative cost in each node reaching the farthest node and the farthest node, and temporarily storing the calculated cost ;
Wherein a service area POI range determining means for determining the area to be identified based on one of the links connected to the farthest node or farthest node as service areas POI range, based on the POI search condition, A service area POI discrimination means for referring to the POI database and extracting a POI that matches the POI search condition within the service area POI range ;
For each POI extracted by the service area POI discriminating means, the inventory information obtaining means obtains the inventory information of the product to identify the POI in which the inventory exists , and the nearest node or link for each identified POI. And the POI from the reference position with reference to the accumulated cost of the temporarily stored node based on either the determined closest node or the node connected to the closest link. The POI information is generated in the order of the accumulated cost up to.

The invention according to claim 7 of the present application is the information distribution server according to claim 6,
The information distribution server includes product storage means for each mobile terminal, registers the code of the product input to the mobile terminal, stores the code in the product storage means, and the mobile terminal reads out the product storage means as necessary. It is characterized by inputting goods.

The invention according to claim 8 of the present application is the information distribution server according to claim 6,
The information distribution server further includes storage means for storing information on a reference area for service area search requested by each mobile terminal and information on a product, and statistically processing the information on the reference position for service area search and the product. Features.

The invention according to claim 9 of the present application is
POI database that stores POI information including POI location information for each POI for each category, inventory information acquisition means for acquiring product inventory information for each POI, and specified in the POI search as a POI search condition from a portable terminal based on reference serving as a reference position and the cost for specifying the service area from the reference position is an area that can be reached in less than a predetermined cost has, all to the farthest node can be reached at more than the predetermined cost A route search means for searching for a node and a link, calculating a cumulative cost in each node reaching the farthest node and the farthest node and temporarily storing it, and connecting to the farthest node or the farthest node a service area POI range determining means for determining a service area POI range area specified based on any one of links, pre A service area POI determining means for extracting a POI that matches the POI search condition within the service area POI range by referring to the POI database based on the POI search condition, and by the service area POI determination means For each extracted POI, the inventory information acquisition means acquires the inventory information of the product to identify the POI in which the inventory exists, and determines either the closest node or link for each identified POI. The POI in the order of the accumulated cost from the reference position to the POI with reference to the accumulated cost of the temporarily stored node based on either the determined nearest node or the node connected to the nearest link A portable terminal connected via an network to an information distribution server that generates information,
The portable terminal includes an item input means for inputting the commodity code, have you the POI search, from said reference position between the reference and made a reference position for specifying the Oh Ru service area in the area that can be reached in less than a predetermined cost It specifies the cost, and transmits a search request to the information distribution server as a POI search condition.

The invention according to claim 10 of the present application is the portable terminal according to claim 9,
The mobile terminal is a mobile phone equipped with a camera, and the product input means is a bar code reader using the camera.

The invention according to claim 11 of the present application is the portable terminal according to claim 9,
The portable terminal includes positioning means including a GPS receiver, and a reference position serving as a reference for a range of a service area in the POI search is a current position measured by the positioning means.

The invention according to claim 12 of the present application is the portable terminal according to claim 9,
The mobile terminal includes product storage means for each mobile terminal, registers the code of the product input by the mobile terminal, stores the code in the product storage means, and reads the product code from the product storage means and inputs the product as necessary. Features.

In the invention according to claim 1, the mobile terminal sends a POI search request including a product, a reference position for specifying an area (a service area) within which a predetermined cost or less can be reached from the reference position, and the cost to the information distribution server The information distribution server searches all nodes and links to the farthest node that can be reached at a predetermined cost or less, and calculates the accumulated cost at each of the farthest node and the farthest node. And temporarily store, extract the POI in the area specified based on either the farthest node or the link connected to the farthest node, obtain the product inventory information of each POI, for a POI, to determine one of the closest nodes or links, either one of the nodes connected to the determined the nearest node or the nearest links Zui and guiding the mobile terminal sorts the POI in order of accumulated cost from reference to reference position the accumulated cost of the temporary storage nodes to the POI.
Accordingly, the user requests the information distribution server to search the store using the product code displayed on the appearance of the product and the packaging, and checks the inventory, so that the target product can be searched for accurately. In addition, since the information distribution server performs a service area search, the route search is performed only once. Therefore, the information distribution server is not burdened.

  In the invention according to claim 2, in the navigation system according to claim 1, the mobile terminal is a mobile phone provided with a camera, and the commodity input means is a bar code reader using the camera. Therefore, the user can easily input the product code of the desired product using the camera of the mobile terminal.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the navigation system according to the first aspect, the mobile terminal includes positioning means including a GPS receiver, and the reference position serving as a reference for the range of the service area in the POI search is the positioning means. Is the current position. Therefore, the user can easily specify the reference position of the range of the service area search as the current position by using the positioning result of the positioning means of the portable terminal.

  In the invention according to claim 4, in the navigation system according to claim 1, the mobile terminal or the information distribution server includes product storage means for each mobile terminal, and registers the code of the product input to the mobile terminal. The product is stored in the product storage unit, and the portable terminal reads the product from the product storage unit and inputs the product as necessary. Therefore, once the user inputs a product for a product that is often purchased and registers the result in the product storage means, the user can read it out from the product storage means and use it repeatedly as necessary.

In the invention according to claim 5, in the navigation system according to claim 1, the information distribution server further includes storage means for storing information on a reference position for service area search requested by each portable terminal and information on a product. Provided, and statistical processing is performed on the reference position information and products for the service area search.
In this way, marketing data can be generated by taking statistics by combining the product and the position information for which the search is requested. Conventionally, sales data remains in the POS for the first time after the product is sold, but since there is no sales data for items that are not in stock, it is not known whether there is a potential demand. Marketing data indicating what kind of product is required in which region, even if the inventory is not kept. In addition, if a trend is obtained by taking statistics, it is actual data. In the past, it was impossible to arrange all the products in the store on a trial basis, so it would be possible to provide a new marketing method closely related to the region.

  Moreover, in the invention concerning Claim 6-Claim 8 of this application, the information delivery server which comprises the navigation system concerning Claim 1, Claim 4, and Claim 5, respectively can be provided now. Moreover, in the invention concerning Claims 9-12 of this application, the portable terminal which comprises the navigation system concerning Claims 1-4 can be provided, respectively.

  Hereinafter, specific examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples and drawings. In the following embodiments, a mobile phone is used as a terminal device, and a navigation system that has a POI information providing function in a navigation system that performs route search and route guidance will be described as a specific example. Without being limited to an example, the terminal device may be a mobile terminal such as a vehicle-mounted terminal device. The information distribution server in the present invention needs to have network search route data and a function for performing route search.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing a configuration of a navigation system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The navigation system 10 is mainly composed of a mobile terminal 20 including a mobile communication network 11 and a mobile phone connected via a network 12 such as the Internet, and an information distribution server 30 having a route search function and a POI search function. Has been. The portable terminal 20 includes positioning means for receiving a signal from a GPS satellite (GPS) and positioning the current position (latitude / longitude).

  The information distribution server 30 includes a database DB1 that stores road network data for route search, network data for transportation, map data, and the like, and a database DB2 that stores POI data for POI search. The POI is various places of interest that the user desires to search, and the data (location, guidance map, service contents, etc.) of each POI for the hotel, theme park, restaurant, convenience store, department store, store, etc. is the database DB2. Accumulated in. Data regarding these POIs can be collected from each POI home page or POI information distribution server (not shown) via the network 12.

  Since the present invention is intended for an action in which a user purchases a product, in the following description, a store such as a convenience store, a department store, or a store will be described as a specific example. The information distribution server 30 can be connected to the POS management server 50, which is a server of the POS store system, via the network 12, and can refer to data such as product inventory of each store managed by the POS management server 50. Of course, for this purpose, it is necessary that an agreement for providing data is made between the operator operating the information distribution server 30 and the operator operating the POS system.

  As is well known, the POS management server 50 grasps the location of each store under the POS system and a map of the location, and sales data and inventory data of products can be grasped by data sequentially transmitted from the store terminal 52. Store merchandise, sales results, inventory, and the like are stored in a POSDB (database) 51 by time zone. Therefore, if the information distribution server 30 specifies the product specified by the user and specifies the store in the area requested by the user, the presence or absence of the stock of the specific product in the store is searched via the POS management server 50. Is possible.

  According to the present invention, by using such a system, when a user makes a route search request or a POI search request to the information distribution server 30 using the portable terminal 20, a desired product is specified and the store where the product is in stock The information distribution server 30 can guide stores that exist in the area specified by the mobile terminal 20 and that have the specified product stock. At that time, the information distribution server 30 can search for a corresponding store in an area designated by the user efficiently without increasing the search load of the route search server by performing a service area route search described later.

  That is, in the present invention, the product code acquired by the mobile terminal 20 and a route search condition such as a desired search start position and a search range are sent to the information distribution server 30, and the information distribution server 30 Perform service area search, check inventory based on product code for stores included in service area, extract stores in stock to search list, store stores extracted in search list for service area search data Are sorted in the order of closer route distances, the results are transmitted to the mobile terminal 20, and the store information is displayed on the mobile terminal 20.

  If comprised in this way, since inventory confirmation of a store is performed using the product code displayed on the external appearance and packaging of the product, the target product can be searched and searched accurately. In addition, since the route search is performed only once, the information distribution server 30 is not burdened. Also, if the product code is stored, the search can be performed without acquiring the product code from the next time. Moreover, even if the goods are not actually placed, if the statistics of such a route search request are obtained from the information distribution server 30, it becomes possible to obtain the potential purchase data of the area.

  The present invention is most effective when, for example, when traveling or going out, it is noticed that a commonly used over-the-counter drug is over and it is desired to purchase it immediately. In the empty box, the product code of the marketed drug is printed as a barcode. Alternatively, if the battery or AC adapter of an electronic device such as a notebook PC or digital camera that you carry is damaged, the same parts can be purchased immediately from the barcode printed on the battery or AC adapter.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the portable terminal 20 and the information distribution server 30 that constitute the navigation system 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention. In order to provide POI information to the mobile terminal 20, the information distribution server 30 is divided into POI categories, and each POI belonging to the category, its position information (latitude / longitude), and a unit similar to the unit map where the POI is located. POIDB 37, which is a database storing information related to POI such as segment identification numbers (mesh numbers) and business guidance, route search means 33, service area POI range determination means 36, search network data 35, service area The apparatus includes a POI determination unit 38, a POI sort unit 39, an inventory information acquisition unit 40, and the like.

  All the POI information stored in the POIDB 37 is based on a mesh obtained by dividing an area by a predetermined latitude / longitude, and information on each POI is stored in the corresponding mesh based on the location where each POI exists. One mesh may be the same size as the unit map obtained by dividing the map by latitude and longitude. Of course it can be of different sizes.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the POI information stored in the POIDB 37 described above. As shown in FIG. 3, the accumulated POI information is divided in units of meshes separated by a predetermined latitude and longitude such as mesh numbers 0001 to 0002, and the POI information existing in the meshes corresponds. Accumulated in the mesh. The accumulated POI information includes a category to which the POI belongs, a POI (name), a POI location (latitude / longitude), a homepage (URL), a business guide, and the like. The search network data 35 stores road network data for route search and traffic network data. Road network data is used for route search for automobiles and pedestrians, and traffic network data is used for route search for sections using transportation.

  The information distribution server 30 also includes a control unit 31, a distribution data editing unit 32, and a communication unit 34. Although not shown, the control unit 31 is a microprocessor having a RAM, a ROM, and a processor, and controls the operation of each unit by a control program stored in the ROM. The communication means 34 is an interface for communicating with the portable terminal 20, the POS management server 50, and various POI information providing servers (not shown) via the networks 11 and 12. The distribution data editing means 32 is for editing the results of route search and POI search into data for distribution to the mobile terminal 20. The information distribution server 30 can collect POI information from various POI information providing servers (not shown) via the network 12 and register it in the POIDB 37 to enhance POI information that can be provided to the user. .

  The mobile terminal 20 is a mobile phone equipped with positioning means 23 such as a GPS receiver, for example, and can perform a peripheral search around the current location and the destination, that is, a desired POI search. When a peripheral search request is sent to the information distribution server 30 with the current position and destination position information, the information distribution server 30 considers the current position of the mobile terminal 20 or the position of the destination and the route to the POI, It is configured so that a POI search request in which the required time of the route or the distance of the route is within a desired range can be made. Hereinafter, the distance or time of this route is referred to as a service area. In the POI search, the mobile terminal 20 displays a POI category selection screen. The user selects a desired POI category, inputs a desired service area (distance or time), and sends a POI search request to the information distribution server. 30 to search for POIs belonging to the POI category. In the following description, a specific example will be described taking a peripheral search based on the current position as an example.

  The service area search is to determine an area that can be reached from a certain point (for example, the current location) at a predetermined cost or less (distance (route distance), required time, etc.) without setting a destination. This technology is mainly used for store opening plans and real estate selection. This technique is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-187653 filed and published by the present applicant. This technique discloses a method for searching a service area of a train line.

  In the present embodiment, a service area search is performed from the current location under predetermined conditions (route distance, required time), and as a result, the service area is obtained graphically, and the POI included in the graphic is used as a list candidate. After the service area search is executed, the potential (shortest cost) of each node has been calculated from a certain point by the Dijkstra method, so the potential of the node adjacent to the POI (nearest node) is the cost of the route to that POI. Thus, the POIs can be sorted and guided in ascending order of cost, that is, in the order of the actual route length or required time from the current position to the POI. In the following embodiments, a route distance including a time required for a route is simply referred to as a route distance.

  When the information distribution server 30 receives a search request specifying the current position, the desired service area, and the POI category from the mobile terminal 20, the route search means 33 uses the search network data 35 to specify the service area. Search for all reachable nodes (nodes on the road network) in the range. This search is called a service area search, and generally uses the Dijkstra method, which is used for route search, and follows the nodes sequentially from the current position (called diffusion in the Dijkstra method), and its potential (cumulative distance or time to the passed node) ) Stops reaching the designated service area (predetermined distance or time). All nodes when the diffusion is stopped are nodes that can be reached at a predetermined distance or time from the current position. Hereinafter, this node is referred to as a reachable node.

  Next, the service area POI range determination means 36 creates a polygonal figure (polygon) connecting the reachable nodes searched by the route search means 33 by the service area search, and determines the POI range that overlaps the service area. The service area POI discriminating means 38 extracts a POI that is within the service area POI range and is present within the polygon range, and associates the closest node with each POI. This method will be described in detail later. That is, this process associates the POI with the route node, and the route to the POI has already been searched. In addition, since a service area search is performed, the search itself is completed in a very short time within a realistic distance or time range, and at the same time, the route search to the POI in the service area is completed. Thus, it is possible to efficiently provide guidance in consideration of the route to the POI without increasing the search load of the information distribution server 30.

  The inventory information acquisition means 40 acquires the inventory information of the goods which the user input from the portable terminal 20 via the POS management server 50 for the POI searched by the service area search, and identifies the POI in stock.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the mobile terminal 20 is distributed from a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, a positioning unit 23 including a GPS receiver, a display unit 24 including a liquid crystal display unit, and an information distribution server 30. Distribution data storage means 25 for storing data, distribution request editing means 26 for editing various requests to the information distribution server 30, and operation / input means 27.

  The control means 21 includes a microprocessor (CPU) having a RAM and a ROM (not shown), and controls the operation of each unit by a control program stored in the ROM. The operation / input means 27 is for operation / input means composed of numeric keys, alphabet keys, other function keys, selection keys, scroll keys, and the like. From the menu screen displayed on the display means 24 which is output means. Various input operations are performed by selecting a desired menu or operating keys. Accordingly, the display unit 24 also functions as a part of the operation / input unit 27. The communication unit 22 is an interface for communicating with the information distribution server 30 via the network 11.

  Further, the portable terminal 20 includes a product input unit 28, and the user can input a product to be purchased from the product input unit 28 and add it to the conditions of the POI search request and the route search request. The product input means 28 may be configured, for example, by connecting a bar code reader as an option, or may directly input a product code, and if the mobile phone is a model equipped with a camera, it is attached to the product. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a barcode or a product code published in a magazine or the like is photographed and input by a camera.

This bar code is generally a JAN code in Japan, but in the United States, UPC has been established in various countries including UPC and Europe, and is widely put into practical use in POS systems worldwide. The product can be identified by reading the product code.
The barcode reader may decode an application mounted on the mobile phone from the photographed image using the camera of the mobile phone. For example, if the pattern cannot be analyzed, the image is sent to the information distribution server 30 and the information distribution server The information distribution server 30 may relay the image and transmit it to the POS management server 50, and obtain the result of decoding the product code by the POS management server 50. It may be configured to.

  When the product code is input, the information distribution server 30 searches the current database from the product code and returns the product name and image information to the mobile phone. This is to confirm whether the product code correctly represents the desired product. Since the same code may already be used for another product, such as when an old bar code is read, it is preferable to configure so that it is confirmed just in case.

  When there is a route search request or POI search request for specifying a product from the mobile terminal 20 (user), the information distribution server 30 obtains inventory information acquisition means for the POI (store) narrowed down by the service area search described above. 40 checks the availability of the product in the corresponding store via the POS management server 50 and guides the portable store 20 to the store with the inventory.

  Next, a method for inputting goods will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the appearance of the mobile terminal 20 and the initial menu screen of the service menu. The portable terminal 20 includes a display unit 24 and an operation / input unit 27. When a user requests navigation or POI search from the information distribution server 30, an initial menu screen shown in FIG. A desired service is selected from the operation / input means 27. As the initial menu, there are “Destination Search”, “Nearby Search”, “Nearby Product Search”, etc., and “Nearby Product Search” is selected when searching for a store with product inventory. In the present invention, “peripheral product search” is a service for searching for a POI around the current location of the mobile terminal 20 or a desired destination and then searching for a desired POI around the destination and having a desired product inventory. I mean.

  When “Peripheral product search” is selected on the initial menu screen, the display screen changes to a display screen of a screen transition diagram in the product input process shown in FIG. Screen 1 is a screen for selecting means for inputting a desired product. On the screen 1, selection items such as “code reader”, “numerical input”, “call history”, and “keyword” are displayed as selection items for product input.

  The “code reader” is a method of optically reading a code, and is a method of reading a numeric code with various bar codes and an OCR function. “Numeric input” is a method of directly inputting a numeric string attached to a barcode. “History call” allows past search results and the like to be registered and read from there. The information may be stored by the information distribution server 30 for each mobile terminal 20 (client) or by the mobile terminal 20 itself (see FIG. 5 and screen 3 described later).

  When a keyword is not attached to the “keyword” product, it is possible to input a keyword and select a desired product from the keyword search result. It should be noted that there is a check button for accepting alternative products, and if this is checked, products of the same specification are also searched for, in addition to products strictly specified by the product code. For example, even if the batteries are different manufacturers, compatible products are searched for from the name “AA alkaline batteries”.

  When the user selects “code reader”, the display screen transitions to screen 2, and the user uses a CCD camera mounted on the mobile terminal 20 or a bar code affixed to the product by an optional bar code reader. Or read barcodes printed on catalogs, brochures and magazines. On the screen 2, “Reading” guidance is displayed, and the barcode being read by the barcode reader is displayed. In addition, “Return” and “Cancel” selection buttons are displayed on the screen 2, and the user can select to cancel reading or return to the previous screen (Screen 1).

  When reading by the barcode reader is completed, the display screen changes to screen 3. On the screen 3, “reading completion” guidance is displayed, and an image of a product corresponding to the read barcode is displayed. In addition to the “return” button, the screen 3 displays an “OK” button for confirming the read result and a “register” button for registering the read data. When the “OK” button is operated on the screen 3 and the input of the product is completed, the display screen transitions to a peripheral product search process screen shown in FIG.

  The product code may be transmitted as it is, or may be transmitted with an auxiliary condition that can be substituted. This can be a substitute product, such as a dry cell or a CD-R, so long as the product has the same specifications, a substitute check box is displayed (see screen 1).

  This process is realized by reading the barcode and sending it to the information distribution server 30, and another POS management server 50 searches for the product and returns the product name and image information. If the item is missing or different from the desired item, return to the beginning. When the product is confirmed and “OK” is pressed, a search start condition screen shown in FIG. 6 is displayed. The information distribution server 30 may have a system configuration having the function of the POS management server 50. In this case, the above processing can be performed only by the information distribution server 30.

  On the display screen of the screen 4 shown in FIG. On the screen 4, selection items of “present location”, “my spot”, and “call history” are displayed. “Current location” is a selection item for searching from the current location using GPS. “My spot” is a selection item for registering a specific place such as a POI place frequently visited by a user in advance in the navigation application, and calling and selecting the spot. “Call history” is a selection item for selecting a point from the past search history.

  “Current location” for searching around the current position of the mobile terminal 20, “My spot” for searching around a specific spot registered by the user, “history call” for selecting a past usage history and selecting from among them The selected items are displayed. Of course, after selecting a route to the destination, this selection item may be provided with a “destination” selection item for searching around the destination. At the bottom of the screen 4, an “OK” button for confirming the selected item, a “set” button for setting the selected item as a search condition, and a “return” button for returning to the previous screen are displayed. The “set” button is a link to a search range condition setting page (not shown).

  When “current location” is selected and the “OK” button or the “set” button is operated, a service area search described later is performed. Then, as a result of the service area search, the data regarding the presence or absence of the stock of the product input by the user for the POI (store) extracted in the service area is acquired from the POS management server 50, and the POI which is the shortest distance from the current position. And an answer as shown in the screen 5 is displayed. At the bottom of the screen 5, a “return” button for returning to the previous screen and a “next” button for proceeding are displayed. The screen 5 displays information on the specified POI, a selection item of “start route guidance” requesting route guidance to the POI, and a selection item of “route map confirmation” requesting a guidance map of the POI. The

  The search start position is generally the current position acquired by GPS. For example, it is possible to input the hotel where the travel destination is located by name or telephone number and check whether the desired product can be procured in the vicinity. . As a search condition, for example, a range within a distance of 400 m (corresponding to a standard walk of 5 minutes) is set as a default, and can be changed as appropriate.

  When “Start route guidance” is selected on the screen 5, the guidance route and map screen shown in the screen 6 are displayed. In the screen 6, S indicates the current position that is the departure place, G indicates the position of the searched POI (store where the product is in stock), and the guide route from the departure place S to POI (G) is displayed by a bold line. .

  For the extracted stores, the POS management server 50 is inquired whether there is a stock of the searched product, and stores that do not have the stock are removed from the extracted POI. If there is no store left, the product is reselected or the condition is set to widen the search range. Details of this procedure will be described later with reference to a flowchart. If the stores remain, the stores are sorted in order of route cost (known by the service area search), and the closest store information is sent to the mobile phone and displayed (see screen 5 in FIG. 6).

  Here, what is characteristic is that it is not always necessary to display a list of stores in stock or display the price of a product for each store. The present invention is valuable in that it can provide information that can be purchased as close as possible, and if the price is displayed, it induces consumption behavior from a viewpoint different from the original purpose. End up. If there is a price-only competition, some stores will hesitate to participate in the system, so it is better not to display price information. Since the present invention is a service that adds value to being readily available for purchase, it is an attractive system that can surely acquire customers nearby when viewed from a store.

  Next, it is a flowchart showing the procedure of the process of specifying and guiding the POI in stock after the product input process and the product input based on the flowcharts shown in FIGS. In FIG. 7, a product input means is selected in the process of step S30 (see screen 1 in FIG. 5). When the bar code reader is selected, the user reads the product code using the bar code reader in the process of step S31. If the barcode reading result is not normal in the process of step S32, the process returns to the process of step S30. If the reading result is normal, the process proceeds to the process of step S33 to determine whether there is POI data such as the POI category that handles the corresponding product. judge.

  If there is no corresponding POI data in the process of step S33, the process returns to the process of step S30, and if there is corresponding POI data, the product input in the process of step S35 is selected. This selection is performed by operating an “OK” button on the bar code reading result display screen as shown in screen 3 of FIG. If the input product is not selected, the process returns to step S30. When the product input in the process of step S35 is selected, the process proceeds to the search condition input process of step S37. The search condition is input by selecting a selection item such as “current location” on the screen 4 in FIG.

  When a search condition is input in the process of step S37, the process proceeds to the process of step S40 in the flowchart of FIG. 8, and a service area search is performed. The procedure for the service area search will be described in detail later. In the following description, it is assumed that the current location is selected as the search condition in step 37. In the process of step S40, a POI (store) within a predetermined range set by the user starting from the current position is searched. Then, a POI (store) within a predetermined range is extracted in the process of step S41.

  When the store corresponding to the search condition (the store that handles the input product and is within a predetermined range from the current location) is extracted in the process of step S41, the information distribution server 30 in the process of step S42, the POI management server 50 To acquire the inventory data information of the corresponding product at each store. Next, it is determined whether or not there is an inventory in each store in the process of step S43. If there is a store in stock among the extracted stores, the store in stock is sorted in the order of the route distance from the current position in the process of step S44.

  And the information of the store with the shortest route distance from the present location among the stores (POI) sorted by the process of step S44 is displayed in the process of step S45 (see screen 5 in FIG. 6). When the “next” button is operated in order to advance to the next candidate store on the guidance screen of the screen 5 in the process of step S46, the process returns to the display process of step S45, and information on the store with the next closest route distance from the current location is displayed. The When the “Route Guidance” button is operated on the guidance screen of the screen 5, the process proceeds to the route guidance and the route guidance screen of the screen 6 (see FIG. 6) is displayed. If the end operation is performed, the process ends.

  If there is no store in stock in the process of step S43, it is determined whether or not to re-enter the product in the process of step S47. If the process for re-inputting the product is selected, the process returns to step S30 in the flowchart of FIG. 7, and the product input process is performed again. If the product is not re-input, it is determined whether or not the condition setting is changed in the process of step S48. If the condition setting is not changed, the process ends. If the condition setting is changed, the process returns to step S37 in FIG.

  The condition setting can be changed, for example, by expanding the range of the route distance of the service area search, or the desired destination and the user registered in the mobile terminal 20 in the past from the current position as the starting point of the service area search. Depending on the method of changing to the spot. If the condition setting for expanding the service area is changed, the POI search process is performed again from the process of step S40 in FIG.

  When the user wants to request the information distribution server 30 to search for a POI, the user operates the operation / input means 27 on the portable terminal 20 to make a desired selection input. For example, when the user wants to search for a pharmacy close to the current location, “current location” is selected on the screen 4 in FIG. When the product input in the product input is “medicine”, “pharmacy” is selected as the POI, and the range of the route distance of the service area search is set as a default “within 400 m (standard walking 5 minutes) Is equivalent to a search condition, and is edited as a POI search request by the distribution request editing means 26 and transmitted to the information distribution server 30.

  When the information distribution server 30 receives this search request, the route search means 33 performs a service area search with reference to the search network data 35. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the concept of a service area search. In FIG. 9, P represents the current position measured by the mobile terminal 20, black circles represent nodes, and solid lines connecting the black circles represent links. In the service area search by the Dijkstra method, links and nodes are traced in all directions of the links L1 to L4 from the current position P, and the accumulated link cost (distance or time of the traced link) is calculated for each node. Of potential. When the potential of the node reaches a predetermined distance or time range, the diffusion (search) to the link and node ahead is stopped. In FIG. 10, the nodes N1 to N9 and the like are the nodes with the highest potential in the service area, and this node is the farthest node that can be reached within a predetermined service area. The calculation process and calculation result of the Dijkstra method are temporarily stored and used later for POI sorting and route guidance.

  Next, the service area POI range determination means 36 creates a polygonal figure (polygon) that connects the nodes in the service area including the reachable nodes N1 to N9 searched by the route search means 33. Hereinafter, this polygon is referred to as a service area polygon. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a concept of processing for drawing the reachable node shown in FIG. That is, in FIG. 10, P is a current position measured by the mobile terminal 20, a black circle represents a node, and a solid line connecting the black circles represents a link. The nodes N1 to N9 and the like are the farthest nodes from the current position P among the reachable nodes. As shown by a dotted line in FIG. 10, the node is looked at every predetermined angle (10 °) around the current position P, and is the farthest node for each angle region (nodes N1 to N9 and N10 to N21 in FIG. 10). And the node number is stored. If there is no node in the angle area, the node is not stored. For each angle range, a farthest node (farthest from the current position) is connected to form a service area polygon.

  The inside of the polygon can be expressed by, for example, a process of painting on the video RAM. If the video RAM is filled, it can be seen that the position corresponding to the bit is inside the polygon, that is, within the reachable range (there is no need to actually perform it on the video RAM. It can be processed even if it is expanded on a general RAM used). The service area can now be represented graphically.

  Thereafter, the service area POI determination means 38 extracts the corresponding POI (here, a pharmacy) existing in the service area polygon created by the service area POI range determination means 36. As described in the configuration of the POIDB 37 (see FIG. 3), information on each POI is stored in the corresponding mesh based on the location where each POI exists, with a mesh obtained by dividing an area by a predetermined latitude and longitude. Accumulated. Therefore, the service area POI range determination means 36 can specify the mesh where the service area polygons overlap, and can thereby determine the service area POI range.

  That is, the service area POI determination means 38 extracts POIs that match the search conditions from all the POIs present in the meshes M1 to M4 where the service area polygons 81 are geographically overlapped as shown in FIG. That is, FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the service area polygon 81 formed as shown in FIG. 10 and the mesh unit storing the POI information, and meshes M1 to M4 overlapping the service area polygon 81 are shown. Show.

  The service area POI discriminating means 38 narrows down the corresponding POI from all the POIs existing in the meshes M1 to M4 overlapping the service area polygon 81 on the condition of the category “pharmacy” designated as the search condition (see FIG. 3). ). Then, the narrowed “pharmacy” within the service area polygon 81 is extracted. In FIG. 11, POI 3 is “pharmacy”, but it is not in the meshes M1 to M4 overlapping the service area polygon 81, so it is not targeted for narrowing down.

  Since POI1 and POI2 are in meshes M1 to M4 that overlap with the service area polygon 81, they are targeted for narrowing down. Since POI1 is inside the service area polygon 81, it is extracted as the corresponding POI. On the other hand, since POI2 is outside the service area polygon 81, it is not extracted as the corresponding POI. Since the service area polygon 81 means a range that can be reached by a distance or time on a route desired by the user, POI1 can be reached by a desired distance or time, and POI2 can be reached by a desired distance or time. Means that the POI cannot. Therefore, POI1 is extracted as the corresponding POI.

  In FIG. 11, for the sake of explanation, the state where the corresponding POI in the service area polygon 81 is only POI 1 is illustrated. However, when a plurality of corresponding POIs are extracted, each POI is extracted from the current position P as follows. The POIs can be sorted according to the route distance or time to the POI, and the POI list can be distributed and guided to the mobile terminal 20 in the order of the actual route distance or time from the current position. Prior to this sorting, the information distribution server 30 obtains inventory information of the product designated by the product input from the POS management server 50 for each extracted POI, and performs a process of narrowing down the POI in stock.

  In other words, the POI sorting means 39 is extracted by the service area POI determination means 38 as described above, and associates each POI in the product inventory with the node in the service area polygon 81 that is closest to each other. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram for explaining this processing, and shows a state in which POIN is extracted in addition to POI1 in the service area polygon in FIG. In FIG. 12, nodes N4 and N14 indicate nodes searched by the service area search of FIG.

  For POI1, node N14 is the closest node, and for POIN, node N4 is the closest node. This can be easily determined by comparing the position information of the node and the position information of each POI. Since each node is the result obtained by the service area search, the node potential represents the path distance or time from the current position to each node, and the node potential associated with each POI is the path to the POI. Approximate distance or time. Therefore, by sorting the POIs according to the potential of each node, the POIs can be arranged in ascending order of the route distance or time to each POI to obtain a search result.

  As described above, among POIs (pharmacies) extracted by the service area search, the POIs in stock of products input by the user are sorted in the order of close to the actual route distance from the current location, and the screen 5 in FIG. Thus, the POI information closest to the current location is distributed to the mobile terminal 20.

  As a result of the search, when a sufficient POI is not searched, the input screen may be changed so that the search is performed again by changing the conditions (with longer walking time). At this time, since the calculation result of the service area search is saved, if the diffusion (route search) is performed from the continuation, the redundant calculation (route search) can be avoided.

  In addition, when map data is requested, the information distribution server can retrieve the relative relationship between the mesh in which the POI exists and the unit map, and distribute the map data of the corresponding area to the mobile terminal 20. If the unit map section and the mesh section are combined and the mesh number and the map number are the same, the map data of the corresponding area can be easily specified and distributed to the mobile terminal 20. Further, if the search network data 35 is also divided in the same unit as the mesh into which the unit map and the POI data are divided, the map data at the corresponding position from the identification code of the mesh that has reached the search for the service area and the link, The correspondence with the mesh of POI data can be immediately identified.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the above service area search. The information distribution server 30 first receives a POI search request from the portable terminal 20 in the process of step S10. This POI search request includes at least the current position of the mobile terminal 20, the POI category desired to be searched, and the service area (distance or time). This search request is analyzed in the process of step S11, and in the process of step S12, the route search means 33 performs a service area search according to the designation of the service area range. The service area search method is as described above.

  In the process of step S13, it is determined whether or not the service area search has been completed. If not, the process returns to the process of step S12 and the search is continued. If the service area search has been completed, the service area POI range determination means 36 determines a node in the service area and creates a service area polygon in the process of step S13. The method for creating service area polygons has also been described in detail earlier.

  Next, in the process of step S15, the service area POI determination means 38 extracts a mesh that overlaps the service area polygon and includes the POI that is included in the mesh (located within the mesh) and that exists within the service area polygon. Extract. The POI extracted in this process is a POI belonging to the category specified by the POI search condition. In the process of step S15, the service area POI determination means 38 determines, for each extracted POI, a node closest to the POI (a node in the service area polygon) and stores it in association with each POI.

In the process of step S16, it is determined whether all the above-mentioned service area POI determination processes have been completed. If the process has not been completed, the process returns to step S15 to continue the service area POI determination process, and the process ends. If so, the process proceeds to the POI sort process in step S17.
In the process of step S17, the POI sorting means 39 compares the potentials of the nodes associated with the POIs extracted in the process of step S15, and the path length (distance or distance) from the current position in ascending order of potential. Sort POI in ascending order of time. As described above, the sort target is a POI with a commodity inventory. As a result of the sorting, that is, the list of POIs searched and sorted by the processes in steps S12 to S17 is edited by the distribution data editing means 32 in the process of step S18 and distributed to the portable terminal 20.

  In the above service area search procedure, the example in which the service area POI determination unit 38 extracts the POI in the service area polygon and associates the node in the nearest service area polygon with each extracted POI has been described. It is also possible to take other service area search modes as described in (1).

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing another service area search processing procedure. This procedure is different from the flowchart of FIG. Assume that the POI category designated by the user is “pharmacy” as in FIG. In FIG. 14, the processing procedure from step S20 to step S23 is the same as the processing procedure from step S10 to step S13 in FIG. When the service area search is completed in the process up to step S23, the process proceeds to step S24.

  In the process of step S24, the service area POI range determination means 36, unlike the process of step S14 of FIG. 13, does not create a service area polygon, and creates a mesh including nodes and links that have spread in the service area search. A service area POI range is specified by extraction, and a POI included in the mesh (located in the mesh) is extracted. The POI extracted in this process is a POI (“pharmacy”) belonging to the category specified by the POI search condition.

  Thereafter, in the process of step S25, the service area POI discrimination means 38 finds the nearest link (the closest link by dropping a perpendicular line from the POI to the nearest link) for each of the extracted POIs, and the link arrives. If it is a link (see FIG. 10) that has been subjected to a zone search (diffusion), it is regarded as a POI included in the service area, and if not, it is deleted from the extracted POI. Each POI thus narrowed down is stored in association with the nearest nearest link. If the link closest to the POI has not spread, the POI is discarded (deleted) from the extracted POI as not being in the service area.

  FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the concept of this processing procedure. In FIG. 15, POI 4 and POI 5 are “pharmacies” that exist in the mesh specified by the service area POI range determination means 36, that is, the mesh that overlaps the range of the specific service area search. Take the nearest perpendicular from POI4 and POI5 and find the nearest link. Since the distance D4n of the perpendicular line dropped from POI4 to the link Ln and the distance D5m of the perpendicular line dropped from POI5 to the link Lm are the shortest, the nearest links are determined as Ln and Lm, respectively.

  The link Ln is a link that has undergone a service area search as indicated by a solid line, and the link Lm is a link that has not been reached by a service area search as indicated by a dotted line. Therefore, POI4 is extracted as a POI within the service area, and POI5 is excluded from the extracted POI as being outside the service area. The distance to the POI (path length) may be determined in detail in consideration of the length of the connected perpendicular and the distance to the link connection point. In some cases, there may be POIs that are far from the nearest link and do not meet the conditions. According to this procedure, the verification can also be performed.

In the process of step S26, it is determined whether all the above-mentioned service area POI determination processes have been completed. If the process has not been completed, the process returns to step S25 to continue the service area POI determination process, and the process ends. If so, the process proceeds to the POI sort process in step S27.
In the process of step S27, the POI sorting means 39 calculates the path length or time based on the links associated with each POI extracted in the process of step S25, and in order of increasing path length or time, that is, The POIs are sorted in ascending order of the route length (distance or time) from the current position. The POI to be sorted is a POI with a stock of merchandise as in the case of FIG. Since the search for all nodes and links in the predetermined route range has been made by the service area search, the route length can be easily obtained using the result.

  As a result of the sorting by the POI sorting means 39, the list of POIs arranged in ascending order of path length or time is edited by the delivery data editing means 32 in the process of step S28 and delivered to the portable terminal 20. The distribution result is the same as described with reference to FIG.

  Moreover, marketing data can be generated by taking statistics by combining the product and the position information requested to be searched. Conventionally, sales data remains in the POS for the first time after the product is sold, but since there is no sales data for items that are not in stock, it is not known whether there is potential demand.

  By applying the present invention, it is possible to generate marketing data indicating what kind of product is required in which region without keeping a stock of the product. In addition, since the GPS pinpoints a position rather than an area, there is a possibility that a product suitable for a certain store can be found accurately.

  As mentioned above, it is a coincidence that it is a coincidence that you get a medical condition when you are on the road, or if a PC part breaks down, but if you find a trend by taking statistics, it is actual data. In the past, it was impossible to arrange all the products on the storefront on a trial basis, so it was possible to provide a new marketing method closely related to the region. Of course, since such data is important statistical data, a service that can be provided only to the type of industry and company that participated in the system can be considered.

  It is desirable to introduce this system all at once in the retail industry, but it is practical to gradually expand the system by, for example, connecting a server in a business type with a complete POS or a company unit. Convenience stores, supermarkets, bookstores, etc. are the top, and if they are introduced ahead of the industry, they will gain advantages.

  In addition, when it is widely used worldwide, it is possible to search for products at overseas destinations. In particular, since the EAN code or the like contains the country identification, it will be possible to find the product of the home country without confusing the product. It would also be very convenient for long-term business travelers to find stores that handle such products from their home countries.

1 is a system configuration diagram showing a configuration of a navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the information delivery server and portable terminal in the navigation system of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the data structure of POI information accumulate | stored in a POI database (DB). It is a figure which shows the structure of the external appearance of a portable terminal, and the menu screen of a service. It is a figure which shows the screen transition in the goods input process in the case of searching a shop with goods stock. It is a figure which shows the screen transition in the process which specifies and guides POI which has stock after goods input. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the merchandise input process in the case of searching for a store with merchandise inventory. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the process which specifies and guides POI which has stock after goods input. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the concept of a service area search. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the concept of the polygon figure formation (a service area polygon) which comprises a service area. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the concept of the process which searches for the desired POI which exists in a service area polygon. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the concept of the process which sorts by several path | route distance or time about several POI which matches search conditions among POI in a service area polygon. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of POI search by service area search. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of POI search by another service area search. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the procedure of the other service area POI discrimination | determination in the service area search of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

10. Navigation system 11, 12. Network 20 ... Portable terminal 21 ... Control means 22 ... Communication means 23 ... Positioning means 24 ... Display means 25 ... ··· Distribution data storage means 26 ··· Distribution request editing means 27 ··· Operation / input means 28 ··· Product input means 30 ··· Information distribution server 31 ··· Control means 32 ··· ··· Distribution data editing means 33 ··· Route search means 34 ··· Communication means 35 ··· Network data for search 36 ··· POI range determination means 37 ··· POIDB (database )
38 ... Area of arrival POI discrimination means 39 ... POI sorting means 40 ... Stock information acquisition means 50 ... POS management server 51 ... POSDB

Claims (12)

Comprising a product input means for inputting the commodity code as POI search condition, and have contact to the POI search, from a reference position and reference made reference position for specifying the service area is an area that can be reached in less than a predetermined cost and the cost A mobile terminal that transmits a search request to the information distribution server by specifying
A POI database storing POI information including POI position information for each POI for each category, inventory information acquisition means for acquiring product inventory information for each POI, and below the predetermined cost based on the reference position to search for all nodes and links to the farthest node can be reached, the a route search means for storing temporarily calculate the accumulated cost at each node to reach the farthest node and the farthest node, the farthest a node or service area POI range determining means for determining the area to be identified based on one of the links connected to the farthest node as service area POI range, based on the POI search condition, the POI database reference to and a service area POI discrimination means for extracting the POI that matches the POI search condition in the service area POI range An information distribution server,
For each POI extracted by the service area POI discrimination means, the inventory information acquisition means acquires the inventory information of the product to identify the POI in which the inventory exists , and the nearest node or link for each identified POI. And the POI from the reference position with reference to the accumulated cost of the temporarily stored node based on either the determined closest node or the node connected to the closest link. A navigation system that generates POI information in the order of the accumulated cost up to.   The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal is a mobile phone provided with a camera, and the product input means is a bar code reader using the camera.   The navigation according to claim 1, wherein the portable terminal includes positioning means including a GPS receiver, and a reference position serving as a reference for a range of the service area in the POI search is a current position measured by the positioning means. system.   The mobile terminal or the information distribution server includes product storage means for each mobile terminal, registers the code of the product input by the mobile terminal, stores the code in the product storage means, and the mobile terminal stores the product storage means as necessary. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein a commodity is read out from the data and inputted.   The information distribution server further includes storage means for storing information on a reference area for service area search requested by each mobile terminal and information on a product, and statistically processing the information on the reference position for service area search and the product. The navigation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Comprising a product input means for inputting the commodity code as POI search condition, and have contact to the POI search, from a reference position and reference made reference position for specifying the service area is an area that can be reached in less than a predetermined cost and the cost An information distribution server connected via a network to a portable terminal that transmits a search request to the information distribution server,
The information distribution server includes a POI database that stores POI information including POI position information for each POI for each category, inventory information acquisition means for acquiring product inventory information for each POI, and the reference position as a reference . Search for all nodes and links to the farthest node that can be reached at a predetermined cost or less, calculate a cumulative cost at each of the farthest node and the farthest node, and temporarily store the route Means,
Wherein a service area POI range determining means for determining the area to be identified based on one of the links connected to the farthest node or farthest node as service areas POI range, based on the POI search condition, A service area POI discrimination means for referring to the POI database and extracting a POI that matches the POI search condition within the service area POI range ;
For each POI extracted by the service area POI discriminating means, the inventory information obtaining means obtains the inventory information of the product to identify the POI in which the inventory exists , and the nearest node or link for each identified POI. And the POI from the reference position with reference to the accumulated cost of the temporarily stored node based on either the determined closest node or the node connected to the closest link. An information distribution server that generates POI information in the order of accumulated costs up to.   The information distribution server includes product storage means for each mobile terminal, registers the code of the product input to the mobile terminal, stores the code in the product storage means, and the mobile terminal reads from the product storage means as necessary. The information distribution server according to claim 6, wherein a product is input.   The information distribution server further includes storage means for storing information on a reference area for service area search requested by each mobile terminal and information on a product, and statistically processing the information on the reference position for service area search and the product. The information distribution server according to claim 6, wherein POI database that stores POI information including POI location information for each POI for each category, inventory information acquisition means for acquiring product inventory information for each POI, and specified in the POI search as a POI search condition from a portable terminal based on reference serving as a reference position and the cost for specifying the service area from the reference position is an area that can be reached in less than a predetermined cost has, all to the farthest node can be reached at more than the predetermined cost A route search means for searching for a node and a link, calculating a cumulative cost in each node reaching the farthest node and the farthest node and temporarily storing it, and connecting to the farthest node or the farthest node a service area POI range determining means for determining a service area POI range area specified based on any one of links, pre A service area POI determining means for extracting a POI that matches the POI search condition within the service area POI range by referring to the POI database based on the POI search condition, and by the service area POI determination means For each extracted POI, the inventory information acquisition means acquires the inventory information of the product to identify the POI in which the inventory exists, and determines either the closest node or link for each identified POI. The POI in the order of the accumulated cost from the reference position to the POI with reference to the accumulated cost of the temporarily stored node based on either the determined nearest node or the node connected to the nearest link A portable terminal connected via an network to an information distribution server that generates information,
The portable terminal includes an item input means for inputting the commodity code, have you the POI search, from said reference position between the reference and made a reference position for specifying the Oh Ru service area in the area that can be reached in less than a predetermined cost mobile terminal, characterized in that specifying the cost, transmits a search request to the information distribution server as a POI search condition.   The navigation system according to claim 9, wherein the mobile terminal is a mobile phone provided with a camera, and the product input means is a bar code reader using the camera.   The portable terminal according to claim 9, wherein the portable terminal includes positioning means including a GPS receiver, and a reference position serving as a reference for a range of a service area in the POI search is a current position measured by the positioning means. Terminal.   The mobile terminal includes product storage means for each mobile terminal, registers the code of the product input by the mobile terminal, stores the code in the product storage means, and reads and inputs the product from the product storage means as necessary. The mobile terminal according to claim 9, wherein

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