JP2002365082A - Information providing apparatus and information providing method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To present a travel route to a destination to an information terminal and to arrange transportation means that can be arranged on the presented travel route. SOLUTION: A route guidance service center 10 receives a departure place and a destination from an information terminal 50, searches for a moving route to a destination including a transportable means including a taxi, and finds the searched route. The guidance data is transmitted to the information terminal. When the route guidance data includes a travel route by taxi, information for inquiring whether to arrange a taxi is also included. Upon receiving the taxi reservation request from the information terminal, the route guidance service center 10 extracts the taxi ride location and the scheduled transfer time, transmits the location, the scheduled time, and the name of the reserved person to the taxi reservation center 30 to make a reservation arrangement. When the report of the reservation completion is received, the report of the reservation completion is transmitted to the information terminal requesting the reservation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information providing apparatus and an information providing method, and more particularly, to an information providing apparatus and method for providing a portable information terminal with route information from a departure place to a destination. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Navigation devices for vehicles which search for a route to a predetermined destination and provide guidance on the searched traveling route are widely used. This navigation device for a vehicle is provided with a GPS receiver and map data, and guides the searched traveling route while detecting the current position of the vehicle. On the other hand, there is a case where it is desired to provide guidance on a route to a destination using various transportation means other than vehicles. In such a case, a mobile phone or PDA (p.
personal digital assistant
t) By using a portable information terminal such as a notebook personal computer, it is convenient to be able to obtain guidance information on a route to a destination using various transportation means and to reach the destination.

As a technique using such a vehicle navigation device or information terminal, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-1619 is known.
No. 78 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-105889. The former is a vehicle navigation device that searches for routes to destinations using both public transportation including taxis and non-public transportation routes (roadside routes), This is a technology that allows you to search for a route that combines with a car. On the other hand, the latter sends the user's location from the information terminal to the taxi dispatch center,
The dispatch center is a technology for a system for distributing a taxi by notifying the location of the user to the taxi. Since the information terminal is provided with means for detecting or inputting the position information of the user, it is useful when the user wants to dispatch a taxi at the current position of the user.

[0004]

However, in the former navigation device, when using a taxi, where and when to get in the taxi is not considered as a system, and all the users need to plan by themselves. is there. Further, in the latter system using an information terminal, when a taxi is desired to be used on a route to a destination, no consideration is given to pre-booking a taxi at a place where one wants to take a taxi. Therefore, when a user uses a taxi, the user sends the current position to the taxi dispatch center after the user arrives at the desired position, and the user transmits a taxi use request before the taxi arrives. There is a problem that you have to wait at the place until you do. Further, in order to use the position of the user for dispatching a taxi, the information terminal needs to have a GPS device or the like for detecting the position of the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to present a travel route to a destination to an information terminal and arrange transportation means that can be arranged on the presented travel route. It is an object of the present invention to provide an information providing apparatus and method capable of performing the above.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information providing apparatus which provides a portable information terminal with route information from a departure place to a destination, and transmits the information from the information terminal. Origin information, destination information, and
A search basic information acquisition unit for acquiring departure or arrival time information as search basic information; and a transportation means including a transportation means that can be arranged based on the acquired search basic information. A route searching means for searching for a moving route to the ground, a transmitting means for transmitting the searched moving route to the information terminal, and a case where the searched moving route includes a moving route using available transport means. A use start time calculating means for calculating a use start time of the arrangeable transportation means from the time information; and a use start place on the searched moving route and the calculated use start time, the arrangeable transportation means. The above object is achieved by providing the information providing device with means for making arrangements. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the information providing apparatus according to the first aspect, the information providing apparatus further includes an arrangement request accepting unit that accepts an arrangement request for transportation means from the information terminal that has transmitted the search basic information, When an arrangement request is received from the terminal device, arrangement of the transportation means is performed. According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect,
Alternatively, in the information providing apparatus according to claim 2, when the searched travel route includes a travel route using an available transport means, the transmitting means determines whether to arrange the transport means. It is also characterized in that inquiry information for inquiry is transmitted. According to the invention described in claim 4, in the information providing device according to claim 1, 2, or 3,
Identification information storage means for storing identification information of a user who is provided with the route information, wherein the arranging means, when arranging the transportation means, transmits the movement route to an operator who operates the transportation means. The identification information of the transmitted user is notified. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the information providing apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, when the arranging means arranges the transportation means, It is characterized by notifying the operation entity operating the information of the end point of the moving route by the means of transportation. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the information providing device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, at least the operating range of each operating entity operating the arrangeable transportation means is set. A transportation means database in which information including the transportation means is stored, wherein the arranging means, when arranging the transportation means, selects an operating entity whose operating range is a starting point and an ending point of a moving route by the transportation means, and It is characterized by arranging means of transportation. According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the first to sixth aspects are provided.
In the information providing apparatus according to any one of claims, completion information receiving means for receiving completion information indicating that the arrangement has been completed from the operating entity who arranged transportation means in the arrangement means, Arrangement completion reporting means for reporting to the information terminal that the arrangement has been completed when the completion information is received. According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information providing method for providing route information from a departure point to a destination to a portable information terminal, wherein the search basic information acquisition unit is transmitted from the information terminal. A search basic information obtaining step of obtaining departure place information, destination information, and departure or arrival time information as search basic information, and a route search means which can arrange transportation means based on the obtained search basic information. A route searching step of searching for a travel route from the departure place to the destination using transportation means including: a transmitting step of transmitting the searched travel route to the information terminal; In the case where the searched travel route includes a travel route using an arrangeable transportation means, the time calculation means determines a use start time of the arrangeable transportation means from the time information. And a arranging step for arranging the transportation means that can be arranged based on the use start location on the searched moving route and the calculated use start time. It is characterized by the following.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of an information providing apparatus and an information providing method according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. (1) Outline of Embodiment For a mobile information terminal such as a mobile phone, a PDA, and a notebook personal computer, an information providing device of a route guidance service center (hereinafter simply referred to as a route guidance service center) is provided as a departure point. Provide a route from to the destination. That is, the route guidance service center receives the departure place information, the destination information, and the time information from the information terminal, and searches for a travel route from the departure place to the destination including a transportable means including a taxi. Then, the searched route guidance data is transmitted to the information terminal. The route guidance data includes the transfer location of the means of transportation and the scheduled time of the transfer, and when the travel route by taxi is included, information for inquiring whether or not to arrange a taxi. The transmitted route data is stored in the user information storage means at the route guidance service center in association with the transmitted information terminal. When the route guidance service center receives the taxi reservation request from the information terminal that has transmitted the travel route, the route guidance service center extracts the taxi ride location and the scheduled transfer time from the stored route data, and the location, the scheduled time, and the reservation information ( The reservation person's name, the reservation person's ID (identifier), the reservation person's telephone number, etc.) are transmitted to the taxi reservation center as a reservation request. Upon receiving the report (completion information) of the reservation completion from the taxi reservation center, the route guidance service center transmits the report of the reservation completion to the information terminal requesting the reservation.

As described above, in the route guidance service center,
A search is made for the requested travel route from the departure point to the destination, including the available means of transportation including taxis, and if the travel route includes a travel route by taxi or the like, an arrangement request from the information terminal is made. Wait for and arrange a taxi.
As a result, taxi dispatch reservations (transport arrangements) can be made easily without forcing the user of the information terminal to consider a plan for using a taxi at any point on the searched travel route. Will be possible.

(2) Details of Embodiment FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a route guidance service system including a route guidance service center according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the route guidance service system includes a route guidance service center 10 according to the present embodiment.
(Information providing device), an information terminal 50 that is a portable information terminal, a taxi dispatch center 30 that dispatches taxis (transportable transportation means), and a traffic information center 40. Then, the route guidance service center 10
And the traffic information center 40, the taxi dispatch center 30, and the information terminal 50 can be connected by communication means. As the communication means of the present embodiment, the route guidance service center 10 and the traffic information center 40 are connected via the Internet 60, and the taxi dispatch center 30 is connected via the Internet 60 via the telephone line exchange 20,
The information terminals 50 are connected via the telephone line exchange 20.

In this embodiment, the following two modes exist for connecting the route guidance service center 10 and the taxi dispatch center 30. That is, the first mode is a case where the route guidance service center 10 is connected to the computer of the taxi dispatch center 30 via the Internet 60 or the telephone line exchange 20. In the first embodiment, the route guidance service center 10 transmits / receives various data relating to taxi arrangements to / from the computer of the taxi dispatch center 30. On the other hand, the second
Is a case where the route guidance service center 10 is connected to the telephone of the taxi dispatch center 30 via the telephone line exchange 20. In this case, the route guidance service center 10 converts the information relating to the taxi arrangement into voice and transmits it to the taxi dispatch center 30 telephone. In the taxi dispatch center 30, the operator performs a taxi dispatch procedure in response to a telephone call, and provides information indicating whether the dispatch has been completed to the completion information by an operation such as pressing a predetermined numeric keypad of the telephone. It is transmitted to the center 10. As described above, in the present embodiment, the first and second modes exist when the vehicle is connected to the taxi dispatch center 30, but for convenience of explanation, the operation of the taxi dispatch center 30 is described in the first mode. Alternatively, it means an operation based on the second mode.

The route guidance service center 10 includes a public transportation database 102, a map database 104, a user information storage unit 106, and a route guidance data generation unit 11.
0, a process control unit 112, and a communication unit 114.

The public transportation database 102 stores route data such as buses and railroads, operation time data (timetables and the like), taxi company data, and other data (such as the location of rental car centers and business hours). The data about is stored.

The map database 104 stores road data and map data. In the map database 104, the name and location information of the departure point, destination facility, and the like are stored as facility information in association with ID information that specifies the facility. This facility information is stored in the information terminal 5
In the case where 0 has no facility information, the route guidance service center 10 transmits the information to the information terminal 50 in response to a request from the information terminal 50. Then, when the user of the information terminal 50 selects the departure place or the destination and selects the received facility, the information terminal 50 displays the ID of the selected facility and the departure place or the destination. The information for discriminating the information is transmitted to the route guidance service center 10. When the information terminal 50 has the facility information, the facility information is displayed without requesting the route guidance service center 10 to transmit the facility information, and the ID of the selected departure place is displayed. And destination ID
Is transmitted to the route guidance service center 10.

The user information storage means 106 stores data unique to each user, such as an identifier of an information terminal held by the user and route guidance data transmitted to the information terminal described below, for each user. I have. This user information storage means 10
6 stores facility information that is not included in the facility information of the map database 104 and that is set independently by the user.

The route guidance data generating means 110 uses the map database 104 and the public transportation database 102 to search for a travel route from the departure point set at the information terminal 50 of the user to the destination, and to search the travel route. Is generated based on the route guidance data.

The communication control means 114 controls the Internet 6
The communication with the outside such as the information terminal 50 or the taxi dispatch center 30 is controlled via the telephone line exchange 20 or the telephone line exchange 20. The process control unit 112 controls the entire service provided by the route guidance service center 10.

The route guidance service center 10 includes a CPU (not shown), a storage medium such as a ROM, a RAM, and a hard disk; a storage medium driving means such as a CD ROM drive; an input means such as a keyboard; an output means such as a display device and a printer;
It is constituted by a computer system having other hardware resources such as a communication modem.

Next, the operation of the information providing apparatus and the information providing method configured as described above will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a sequence of the entire route guidance service.
The user of the information terminal 50 transmits a request for route guidance data from the information terminal 50 to the route guidance service center 10 together with the data of the destination and the departure place for which route guidance is desired (2).
00). Note that the information terminal 50 does not depart immediately after receiving the travel route transmitted from the route guidance service center 10 but instead departs at a predetermined time, or sets a departure time or a predetermined time. If you want to arrive at the destination at
Send to 0.

When the route guidance service center 10 receives the route guidance data request (200) from the information terminal 50, the route guidance service center 10 determines the route connecting the departure place and the destination from the received data on the departure place and the destination by the public transportation database. An optimal travel route is searched from the database 102 and the map database 104 to generate route guidance data (202). At this time, the route guidance service center 10 accesses the traffic information center 40 via the Internet 60 by the communication means 114 to obtain the latest traffic congestion information and the operation status of public transportation, and considers such information. To generate optimal route guidance data. The route guidance data is generated including the estimated time at the time of transfer of each means of transport, using the current time as the departure time. At this time, when the departure time is transmitted from the information terminal, the transmitted time is used as the departure time, and the estimated time at each transfer point on the route is calculated and added. The generated route guidance data is stored in the user information storage unit 106 as user information of the information terminal for which the route data request has been made. If there is a route using a taxi in the travel route based on the generated route guidance data, taxi reservation screen data (inquiry information) for reserving a taxi at the information terminal 50 is generated.

The route guidance service center 10 transmits the generated route guidance data and taxi reservation input screen data (if it has been generated) to the information terminal 50 that has made the request via the communication means 114 (204). ).

Upon receiving the route guidance information (route guidance data, taxi reservation input screen data), the information terminal 50
According to the route guidance data, a moving route for arriving from the destination to the destination is displayed. Then, when there is taxi reservation input screen data, and when a section for moving by taxi is selected by the user, a taxi reservation input screen is displayed. When the user selects taxi dispatch on this screen, the information terminal 50 transmits a taxi dispatch request (transport arrangement request) to the route guidance service center 10 (206).

Upon receiving this taxi dispatch request, the route guidance service center 10 checks the information terminal identifier (ID).
To identify the user and collect dispatch request information (20
8). In other words, the name of the specified user (reservation information)
From the user information storage means 106, the transmitted route guidance data, the start and end points of the route using the taxi, and the estimated transit time to the taxi added at the time of generating the route guidance data (scheduled ride time). I do. Then, the route guidance service center 10 transmits the extracted information to the taxi dispatch center 30 as taxi reservation information (210).

The taxi dispatch center 30 arranges taxi dispatch according to the received taxi reservation information.
Then, information indicating that the vehicle allocation has been completed (completion information) or information indicating that the vehicle allocation has not been performed (arrangement impossible information) is transmitted to the route guidance service center 10 as the vehicle allocation status (212).

When the route guidance service center 10 receives the dispatch status from the taxi dispatch center 30, it sends the dispatch status to the corresponding information terminal 50 as a dispatch reservation result in accordance with the received dispatch status (214).

Next, the details of the route guidance data transmission process and the taxi dispatch process in the route guidance service center 10 will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the route guidance data transmission process. The route guidance service center 10 monitors whether the information terminal 50 has requested route guidance data (step 100).

When there is a request for route guidance data (step 100; Y), the route guidance service center 10 acquires basic search information (step 101). That is, the route guidance service center 10 acquires the destination data, the departure place data, the departure or arrival time information transmitted from the information terminal 30 as the search basic information, and the ID of the requested information terminal. As the destination data and the departure point data, the destination ID and the discrimination information, the departure point ID and the discrimination information, or the destination and departure point coordinate data and the discrimination information are received. The distinguishing information is information for distinguishing between a destination and a departure place. When the time information is not included in the data received from the information terminal 50, the route guidance service center 10 acquires the current time as the departure time.

If the information terminal 50 does not have facility information for specifying a departure place or a destination, the route guidance service center 10 stores the information in the map database 104 in response to a request from the information terminal 50. The facility information read out is transmitted to the information terminal 50. Then, the facility ID and the distinguishing information selected and transmitted by the information terminal 50 are acquired as the search basic information.

Then, the route guidance service center 10
The route guidance data generating means 110 searches for a moving route to the destination based on the acquired search basic information, and generates route guidance data according to the type of the information terminal 50 (step 102). That is, the route guidance data generation unit 110 determines the optimal travel route from the departure place to the destination in consideration of the operation status of various transportation means acquired from the traffic information center 40.
2. Search using the map database 104 to generate route guidance data. In generating this route guidance data,
According to the departure or arrival time information, the start and end points of each mode of transportation to be used and the usage time (riding time), the required time when changing various modes of transportation, the departure time when changing, the exit number of the station, etc. Search including various types of information. At the time of this search, timetable data of a train or a bus stored in the public transportation database case 102 is referred to.

The route guidance service center 10 stores the generated route guidance data in the user information storage means 106 in association with the requested information terminal ID (step 10).
4). Then, the route guidance service center 10 determines whether or not the searched travel route includes a mode of transportation such as a taxi (step 106). As a mode of transportation that can be arranged, there is, for example, a taxi as a mode of transportation that can move to a location specified by the user. In addition, as a means of transportation that operates only on the determined route and does not move to the designated place on the user side, there are ships such as bullet trains and ferries, airplanes, etc. In this case, reservation of ticket reservations Done.

If transportation means that can be arranged is included (step 106; Y), the route guidance service center 10
Generates reservation input screen data (inquiry information) capable of making a request for the transportation means to the route guidance service center 10 (step 108). The reservation input screen data is also screen data that prompts the user to transmit a request for arranging the means of transportation in order to move using an arrangable means of movement that has searched for the relevant movement route. For example, if the available means of transportation is a taxi, a use distance is calculated from the map database 104, an estimated fare for using the taxi is calculated from the calculated distance, and a taxi reservation input displaying this fare is displayed. Generate screen data. If the available transportation is the Shinkansen, the rate of the green seat and the rate of the designated seat are calculated, and the reservation input screen data of the Shinkansen displaying the rate is generated.

The route guidance service center 10
The generated route guidance data (including the reservation input screen data if present) is transmitted to the requested information terminal 50 (step 110), and the route guidance data transmission processing for the information terminal is terminated.

FIG. 4 is an example showing a display screen on a mobile phone which has received route guidance data generated by the route guidance service center 10 when the information terminal 50 is a mobile phone. In this example, a guidance route from Company A (departure place) to Company B (destination) is displayed as character information along with time. This display data is the aforementioned route guidance data. In the example of FIG. 4, it is indicated that the user departs from A at 11:42, moves to Tokyo Station on foot for 11 minutes, gets on the Chuo Line departing at 11:55, and arrives at Shinjuku Station after 7 minutes. Have been. The display "Shinjuku Station: 4" on the display screen indicates the fourth exit of Shinjuku Station. In consideration of the traveling time from Shinjuku Station Exit 4 to the taxi stand and the taxi waiting time, 12:05 is displayed as the taxi ride time. Then, it is displayed that the user gets on a taxi and arrives at the destination company B at 12:15 after 10 minutes, which is the traveling time.

As shown in FIG. 4, there is a taxi as a transit means that can be arranged along the moving route in the display screen, so that a taxi ride is desired during this time (between Shinjuku Station and Company B). If the user wants to
By selecting the part underlined with "minute",
A reservation input screen can be displayed.

FIG. 5 shows a reservation input screen in the case of a taxi. The display screen in FIG.
Are displayed on the information terminal 50 in accordance with the "taxi reservation input screen data" generated in step S108. After confirming the estimated fare displayed on the reservation input screen, the user selects an underlined portion such as "call a taxi", and wishes to dispatch the taxi from the information terminal 50 (mobile phone). The request (arrangement request) is automatically transmitted to the route guidance service center 10. In this way, the user of the information terminal 50 can reserve a taxi on the route to the destination with only a simple button operation without planning at all times where and when a taxi is desired to be dispatched on the route. Can be. In the above-described embodiment, only the character data is displayed in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5, but the map data is also transmitted from the route guidance service center 10 to the information terminal 50 so that the map can be displayed together with the character data. It is also suitable.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of a taxi dispatch process when a user (user) requests a taxi dispatch as a possible means of transportation.
When there is a request for a taxi reservation request (arrangement request) from the information terminal 50 (step S200; Y), the route guidance service center 10 stores the user information from the ID of the information terminal 50 transmitted from the information terminal 50 together with the request. Means 10
6 (see FIG. 1) to obtain the user's name (step S202). Then, the route guidance information created and stored in the user information storage unit 106 in response to the route search request from the information terminal 50 is obtained, and the route guidance information already transmitted to the information terminal 50 is obtained, and the route using the taxi is obtained from the route guidance data. The start and end points of the part and the scheduled transfer time to the taxi are extracted (step S206). For example, FIG.
In the case of the route plan data including the taxi illustrated in FIG. 5, "12:05 Shinjuku Station Exit 4, ride to Company B" is extracted.

A taxi company having a business area with a start point and an end point (operating entity that operates available means of transportation)
Is retrieved from the public transportation database 102 (step 208). If there is no taxi company having both the start point and the end point in the business range, the route guidance service center 10 searches for a taxi company having the start point in the business range.

The route guidance service center 10 transmits the determined taxi company and the name of the user (reserver information) extracted in step S202 together with the reservation information to the dispatch center 30 as dispatch request information (step S210). It is monitored that the dispatch status as the dispatch result from the center 30 is transmitted (step 212).

The dispatch center 30 arranges a taxi of a designated taxi company in accordance with the received dispatch request information. Then, the dispatch center 30 transmits to the route guidance service center 10 information indicating that the dispatch has been completed (completion information) or information indicating that the dispatch has not been performed (arrangement impossible information) as the dispatch status. . The completion information indicating that the dispatch is completed includes the name of the arranged taxi company and the number of the assigned taxi.

On the other hand, in the arranged taxi, the name of the user, the dispatch time and the dispatch location are indicated by the taxi dispatch center 30.
You will be notified directly from or via your arranged taxi company.

The search for a taxi company having a start point and an end point within the business range is performed by the route guidance service center 10 (step 208), but this search may be performed by the dispatch center 30. In this case, the dispatching center 30 such as a taxi may contact an external service company via the Internet or the like in addition to the database held by the dispatching center 30. If there is a dispatching service company nationwide, the dispatching center 30 may directly contact it. The reservation information may be transferred. In this case, the search for the taxi dispatch center (step S208) can be omitted.

When the route guidance service center 10 receives the dispatch status from the taxi dispatch center 30 (step 212; Y), it prepares arrangement result screen data in accordance with the received dispatch status and dispatches it to the information terminal 50 that has requested the dispatch. The data is transmitted as a result of the reservation (step 214), and the process ends. When transmitting the dispatch assignment confirmation screen indicating that the dispatch has been made as the dispatch reservation status, the route guidance service center 10 extracts the map data near the taxi stop location (taxi meeting place) from the map database, and transmits the information to the information terminal 50. And send it.

FIG. 7 shows a dispatch confirmation screen displayed on the information terminal 50 when a taxi dispatch reservation can be made (when completion information is received from the taxi dispatch center 30). As shown in the example of FIG. 7, the name of the taxi company, the number of the dispatched taxi, and the number of the license plate are displayed so that the user can easily find the reserved taxi, in addition to the time and place of the meeting. In this example, the map data is attached to notify the more specific meeting place, and if the user selects "View Map" on the display screen, the taxi will stop to wait for the user. The location is displayed. This means that, for example, if a taxi company knows a suitable place to stop a taxi, the taxi distribution center 30
Is notified to the route guidance service center 10, the location is created as map data by the route guidance service center 10, and transmitted to the information terminal of the user. With this configuration, the user can easily find the taxi that he / she wants to dispatch.

As described above, according to the information providing apparatus and the information providing method of the present embodiment, the departure place ID and the destination I
Since the starting point and the destination are specified by D, G
Even for an information terminal that does not have a means for detecting the current position such as a PS, it is possible to search for and provide a moving route from a departure place to a destination. In addition, in the case where the means of transportation for moving along the searched travel route includes a means of transportation that can be arranged, the means of transportation can be arranged. Therefore, the user of the information terminal can arrange a taxi or the like without considering the time and place to get on a mode of transportation that can be arranged, such as a taxi, in order to move to the destination.
In addition, the user of the information terminal has a route guidance service center 1
Since the reservation input screen is received together with the route guidance data from 0, it is possible to easily make a request to arrange transportation means included in the route guidance data by operating the screen.

As described above, one embodiment of the information providing apparatus and the information providing method of the present invention has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiment, and various modifications may be made within the scope described in each claim. It is possible to do. For example, in the embodiments described above, a mobile phone is described as an example of an information terminal, but other information terminals such as a notebook personal computer and a PDA may be used. Also in this case, an ID is assigned to each information terminal, and data relating to the display screen of the information terminal is stored in the user information storage means. The route guidance service center 10 creates route guidance data, a reservation input screen, an arrangement confirmation screen, and the like, in addition to a display screen corresponding to the ID of each information terminal.

In the embodiment described above, a taxi has been described as an example of a transportation means that can be arranged, but other transportation means such as a bullet train, an airplane, a ship, a rental car and the like may be used. In this case, the route guidance service center 10
It connects to the reservation center of each means of transportation and transmits arrangement information.

The route guidance service center 10 transmits the user name (reservation person information) corresponding to the ID of the information terminal that has made the arrangement request to the taxi dispatch center 30 together with the reservation information. ID, the telephone number when the information terminal is a mobile phone, the information terminal 50
The user's phone number (home phone number or mobile phone phone number) may be transmitted as the reservation information.

[0047]

According to the present invention, it is possible to present a traveling route to a destination to a portable information terminal, and to arrange transportation means that can be arranged on the presented traveling route.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a route guidance service system including a route guidance service center of the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram of the entire route guidance service according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of route guidance data transmission processing according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a display screen on a mobile phone that receives route information generated by a route guidance service center when the information terminal is a mobile phone according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a taxi reservation input screen in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a taxi dispatch process when a taxi dispatch request is made by a user as a possible means of transportation in the present embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a dispatch confirmation screen displayed on the information terminal when a taxi dispatch reservation can be made in the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Route guidance service center 102 Public transport database 104 Map database 106 User information storage means 110 Route guidance data generation means 112 Process control means 114 Communication means 20 Telephone exchange 30 Taxi dispatch center 40 Traffic information center

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme court ゛ (Reference) G06F 17/60 326 G06F 17/60 326 502 502 506 506 506 G08G 1/123 G08G 1/123 A G09B 29/00 G09B 29/00 Z 29/10 29/10 A (72) Inventor Hirotake Hayashi 2-19-12 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo F-Term in Equos Research Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 2C032 HB25 HC11 HD21 2F029 AA07 AB13 AC06 AC09 AC14 AC16 5B075 PQ02 UU13 UU16 5H180 AA21 BB04 BB05 BB15 EE02 EE05

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An information providing apparatus for providing a portable information terminal with route information from a departure place to a destination, comprising: departure place information, destination information transmitted from the information terminal,
And search basic information acquisition means for acquiring departure or arrival time information as search basic information, and, based on the acquired search basic information, using transportation means including arrangeable transportation means, from the departure place. Route search means for searching for a travel route to the destination; transmitting means for transmitting the searched travel route to the information terminal; and the searched travel route includes a travel route using an arrangeable transport means. Use start time calculating means for calculating a use start time of the arrangeable transportation means from the time information; and a use start place on the searched moving route and the calculated use start time, An information providing device, comprising: means for arranging transportation means. 2. An arrangement request receiving unit for receiving an arrangement request for transportation means from the information terminal that has transmitted the search basic information, wherein the arrangement means is configured to, when receiving an arrangement request from the terminal device, transmit the transportation means. 2. The information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the information providing device arranges the information. 3. The transmitting means, when the searched travel route includes a travel route using an available transport means, also transmits inquiry information for inquiring whether or not to arrange the transport means. The information providing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: 4. An identification information storage means for storing identification information of a user who is provided with the route information, wherein the arranging means, when arranging the means of transportation, is provided to an operator who operates the means of transportation. 4. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information providing apparatus notifies the identification information of the user who transmitted the moving route. 5. The arranging means, when arranging the transportation means, notifies an operator who operates the transportation means of end point information of a travel route by the transportation means. An information providing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. A transportation means database storing at least information including a business range of each operator who operates the transportation means that can be arranged, wherein the arrangement means arranges the transportation means when arranging the transportation means. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an operating entity having a business range of a start point and an end point of the moving route by means is selected, and transportation means of the operating entity is arranged. Information providing device described. 7. Completion information receiving means for receiving completion information indicating that the arrangement has been completed from the operator who has arranged transportation means by the arrangement means, and when the completion information has been received, the arrangement is completed. The information providing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising an arrangement completion reporting unit that reports the completion to the information terminal. 8. An information providing method for providing a portable information terminal with route information from a departure place to a destination, wherein the search basic information acquisition means includes: a departure place information transmitted from the information terminal; A search basic information acquisition step for obtaining destination information and departure or arrival time information as search basic information; and a transportation means including a transportation means that can be arranged by the route search means based on the acquired search basic information. A route searching step of searching for a moving route from the departure place to the destination using: a transmitting step of transmitting the searched moving route to the information terminal; and a use start time calculating means. , When the searched travel route includes a travel route using available transportation means,
A use start time calculating step of calculating a use start time of the available means of transportation from the time information; and the arranger means is able to arrange the use start location on the searched travel route and the calculated use start time. An arranging step of arranging a mode of transportation.