JP2010086024A - Information terminal device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To recognize, in advance, from what storage location information to be obtained during a user-specified process is obtained. <P>SOLUTION: An information terminal device 20 includes an output means (e.g., display means 25) for acquiring and outputting desired information from storage locations for various pieces of information; an operation input means 26 having the function of outputting a menu image including a plurality of menu items for information acquisition to the output means, and adapted for selecting one of the menu items included in the menu screen; a control means 201 for performing a process designated according to the menu item selected, and acquiring desired information from either of the storage locations; and a menu image storage means 27 for storing the menu image. When the menu image is output to the output means, the menu items included in the menu screen are output while identification information for identifying the storage location where the information is obtained during the process designated by the menu item is added thereto. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information terminal device such as a navigation device, and in particular, in an information terminal device provided with output means such as display means for acquiring and outputting desired information from various information storage locations. The present invention relates to an information terminal device to which identification information for identifying a storage location of information to be obtained or acquired information is added and output.

  In recent years, information processing devices have been reduced in size and performance, communication means such as the Internet have become widespread, and data communication charges have also been reduced, so various information terminal devices that are convenient to carry are widely used. It is becoming. Examples of such information terminal devices include portable game machines, music players, radio broadcast and television broadcast receivers, navigation devices, and the like, and information terminal devices having these functions in combination are also provided. Has been. In addition, it is also widely performed that various applications are installed in a mobile phone and the mobile phone is used as an information terminal device by using the data communication function of the mobile phone.

  In such an information terminal device, various processing requests can be transmitted to a desired server using communication means, and desired information stored in a database of the server can be acquired. In addition, it is possible to obtain desired information from a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a data card using a reading means provided in the information terminal device. Furthermore, recently, hard disk units have also been reduced in size, and devices having hard disk units in information terminal devices have also been provided. The amount of data that can be stored inside information terminal devices has increased dramatically. In such an information terminal device, information read from a CD-ROM or a data card is stored in a hard disk unit, so that the information processing speed can be improved.

  Using these information terminal devices, the user can acquire desired information from various storage locations and display the acquired information on the display means. For example, the desired information is specified from the storage location such as a CD-ROM or a hard disk unit provided in the information terminal device or the storage location such as a database provided in various servers, or the desired information is searched and searched. Can be acquired and displayed. When the information terminal device is a music player, game machine, or the like, a desired music content or game content can be specified or retrieved from a server, a CD-ROM, or a hard disk, and can be displayed or output. In addition, when the information terminal device is a navigation device, it is possible to designate or search for, obtain, display, and output desired facility information and map information including a desired point.

  Such an information terminal device is disclosed, for example, in the following Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 3441859) as an invention of an in-vehicle navigation device. This in-vehicle navigation device includes a reading device that acquires information from a CD-ROM, a display device that outputs the acquired information, and output means such as a speaker. A search means is provided, and the map information stored in the CD-ROM is acquired and displayed on the display means.

  Further, the following Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-29885) discloses the facility search system as an invention. The facility search system includes a communication processing unit that acquires information from a storage unit included in an external server, and an output unit such as a display unit that outputs the acquired information. The facility information relating to a plurality of facilities is stored in association with the genre indicating the contents, and whether or not there is a facility belonging to each genre within a predetermined range including the search base point is searched for for each genre. Based on the search results for each genre, the presence or absence of facilities belonging to each genre is displayed so as to be identifiable.

Japanese Patent No. 3441859 JP 2006-29885 A

  Normally, as described in Patent Document 2, information stored in a storage location such as a database of a server that provides various types of information distribution is always up-to-date because of the large amount of information and frequent updating of information. This information can be searched over a wide range of categories to obtain desired information. On the other hand, as in Patent Document 1, the hard disk unit and CD-ROM provided in the information terminal device are not updated to the latest information unless the user updates the information stored in them. In addition, since the amount of information that can be stored is limited, the amount of information is generally smaller than the amount of information stored in the server.

  On the other hand, the local storage means such as the hard disk unit and CD-ROM provided in the information terminal device stores information according to their own interests and preferences, but there is a limit to the amount of information that can be stored. It is possible to obtain user-specific information that cannot be obtained from information stored for an unspecified number of users, such as storage means of various servers.

  In addition, even if a server provides services to an unspecified number of users, the information provided by the server covers a wide range of areas, for example, provides information on a shopping area in a specific area. Different information is available. Information specific to a shopping district in a specific area may not be obtained from a server that provides information over a wide area. Similarly, the information obtained between the local storage means such as a CD-ROM and the information stored in the local storage means composed of a hard disk unit capable of intentionally storing information collected by the user is different.

  In general, as in the information terminal device described above, the information acquisition means for acquiring desired information from various information storage locations and the display means for displaying the acquired information are provided. Information terminal device having a function of acquiring and displaying information from a storage location such as a hard disk unit, and a function of acquiring and displaying information from a storage location such as a database provided in the server connected to various servers via a network In order to acquire or display desired information on a display means in order to obtain, display, or output desired music content or game content from a server, CD-ROM, or hard disk Display the menu image and select the category of information to be acquired from the menu image to acquire information. It is.

  In an information terminal device that displays a menu image and selects a desired menu item (processing item) from the displayed menu image, an input that specifies the desired information when the desired menu item (processing item) is selected The screen transitions to screens and images (search screens) for setting search conditions for searching for desired information, and the storage location of the specified information is specified using those screens, or the search screen is used. As a result of searching according to the specified search condition, the storage location of the corresponding information is specified, and the information terminal device acquires desired information from the specified storage location.

  Information terminal devices configured to acquire desired information using menu images in this way, in particular, information is stored from a storage location such as a CD-ROM or a hard disk unit provided in the information terminal device as in Patent Document 1 above. An information terminal device having both a function of acquiring and displaying and a function of connecting to various servers via a network as in Patent Document 2 and acquiring and displaying information from a storage location such as a database provided in the server In the menu image, a menu item for acquiring information from a storage location (such as a hard disk unit or a CD-ROM) local to the information terminal device, a menu item for searching for desired information (for example, address search), and communication with an external server. Menu items to obtain information from the server and menu items to search for desired information (for example, gas So that the stand search) and are mixed.

  When acquiring information from the local storage means, the processing speed of acquiring information is fast, the information accumulated according to the user's own interests and preferences can be acquired, and communication costs also occur. Absent. When obtaining information from an external server, it is possible to search for and obtain desired information from the latest and wide-ranging information accumulated for an unspecified number of users. The processing speed is not faster than when information is acquired from the local storage means, and communication costs are incurred.

  However, when information is acquired from a local storage location included in the information terminal device (or when information is acquired by searching) and when information is acquired from a storage location of an external server (or information is acquired by searching). The cost of information acquisition (such as communication costs), time, and the quality (accuracy, novelty, etc.) and amount of information may vary depending on the storage location. There is a problem that the user cannot determine the information acquisition source (that is, the storage location) in advance. That is, the user cannot identify from which storage location the menu item selected by the user is to obtain information, whether the latest information can be obtained, whether communication costs are incurred, There arises a problem that it cannot be determined whether or not the accumulation range is wide.

  In addition, a similar problem occurs in displaying the result of acquiring information. For example, even if the display screen of the information acquired from the storage location or the answer screen of the searched result is viewed, the display means of the information terminal device may be the information acquired from the local storage location of the information terminal device, Although the quality (accuracy, freshness, etc.) and amount of the retrieved database information may differ depending on whether the information is obtained from the storage location of the server, there is a problem that it cannot be determined.

  Such a problem is that information belonging to the same genre (for example, gas station information) is stored in a plurality of storage locations, and the information can be acquired from any storage location, and is based on the transition of the menu screen. This is a particularly significant problem when the storage locations of information when the genre is selected through different screen transitions are different. In addition, such a problem is not only between the local storage location of the information terminal device and the storage location of the external server, but also between the local storage means and between the storage media locations of a plurality of external servers. But it can happen in the same way.

  As a result of various studies to solve the above problems, the inventor of the present application acquires desired information from output means such as display means for acquiring and outputting desired information from various information storage locations. And a function of outputting a menu image including a plurality of menu items to the output means, the information acquisition source when the menu item is selected as the menu item of the menu image If the identification information for identifying the storage location is added and output, the above-mentioned problems can be solved and the present invention has been completed.

  That is, the present invention aims to solve the above-described problems, and in an information terminal device that acquires and outputs desired information from various information storage locations, information to be acquired or a storage location of the acquired information It is an object of the present invention to provide an information terminal device in which identification information for identifying a message is added and output.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application is
A function of outputting desired information from various information storage locations and outputting the obtained information, and outputting a menu image including a plurality of menu items for obtaining the desired information to the output means In an information terminal device comprising:
The information terminal device performs an operation input means for selecting one of the menu items included in the menu image, a process designated according to the selected menu item, and stores desired information in the storage location. Control means for acquiring from any of the above, and a menu image storage means for storing the menu image,
When outputting the menu image to the output means, the menu item included in the menu image is added with identification information for identifying a storage location from which information is acquired in the process specified by the menu item. It is characterized by outputting.

  The invention according to claim 2 of the present application is the information terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the information terminal device receives information from any of storage locations configured by a plurality of local storage means provided in the information terminal device. The identification information is information for identifying which of the plurality of local storage means.

  The invention according to claim 3 of the present application is the information terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the information terminal device acquires information from any of storage locations such as databases provided in a plurality of servers via a network. And the identification information is information for identifying a storage location such as a database provided in the plurality of servers.

  The invention according to claim 4 of the present application is the information terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the information terminal device acquires and outputs information from a storage location configured by a local storage means included in the information terminal device. And a function for acquiring and outputting information from a storage location such as a database provided in various servers via a network, and the identification information is stored in a database provided in the local storage means or the server. It is information that identifies which of the places.

The invention according to claim 5 of the present application is the information terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the information terminal device is designated by the menu item according to the menu item of the menu image. An identification information adding means for adding identification information for identifying a storage location from which information is acquired in the processed processing,
When outputting the menu image to the output means, the identification information adding means is used to identify a storage location from which information is acquired in the process specified by the menu item in the menu item included in the menu image. It is characterized by adding identification information.

  The invention according to claim 6 of the present application is the information terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the identification information has some action on a specific menu item by the operation input means. At this time, it is added to the menu item and output.

  The invention according to claim 7 of the present application is the information terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the information terminal device is changed according to the selection of the menu item. A search condition setting image for setting a search condition for acquiring the search condition, and when outputting the search condition setting image, the search information setting image identifies a storage location from which information is acquired in the search processing The identification information is added and output.

  The invention according to claim 8 of the present application is the information terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the information terminal device sets an identification information output mode in which the identification information is added and output. And an identification information output mode setting means for adding the identification information to the identification information output mode setting means and outputting the identification information when the mode for outputting the identification information is set. .

  The invention according to claim 9 of the present application is characterized in that, in the information terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, at least one of the identification information is represented by a blank output.

  The invention according to claim 10 of the present application is the information terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the identification information is added to a part of the menu items included in the menu screen. Output.

  The invention according to claim 11 of the present application is the information terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the identification information is added to all the menu items included in the menu screen. It is characterized by outputting.

The invention according to claim 12 of the present application is
In an information terminal device having output means for acquiring desired information from various information storage locations and outputting the acquired information,
When the information terminal device outputs the acquired information to the output unit, the information terminal device adds and outputs identification information for identifying from which of the various storage locations the information is acquired. It is characterized by.

  The invention according to claim 13 of the present application is the information terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the information terminal device can obtain desired information from the route search server. It is a device.

In the invention according to claim 1, a menu including a plurality of menu items for acquiring desired information from a storage location of various information and having output means for outputting the acquired information. In an information terminal device having a function of outputting an image to the output means,
The information terminal device performs an operation input means for selecting one of the menu items included in the menu image, a process designated according to the selected menu item, and stores desired information in the storage location. And a menu image storage unit that stores the menu image. When the menu image is output to the output unit, the menu item included in the menu image includes In the process specified by the menu item, identification information for identifying a storage location from which information is acquired is added and output.

  According to such a configuration, when the user selects a menu item, from what storage location the information acquired in the processing related to the menu item is acquired (for example, whether it is a local storage location, extensive information) It is possible to know the storage location of the server that provides the service, and to recognize in advance the characteristics of the information depending on the storage location to be acquired.

  Moreover, in the invention concerning Claim 2, in the information terminal device concerning Claim 1, an information terminal device acquires information from either of the memory locations comprised by the some local memory means with which this information terminal device is equipped. The identification information is information for identifying which of the plurality of local storage means.

  According to such a configuration, when the menu item is selected, the user knows from which of the plurality of local storage locations provided in the information terminal device the information acquired in the processing related to the menu item is acquired. It is possible to recognize in advance the characteristics of information depending on the storage location to be acquired.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the information terminal device according to the first aspect, the information terminal device acquires and outputs information from any of storage locations such as databases provided in a plurality of servers via the network. The identification information is information for identifying which storage location such as a database provided in the plurality of servers.

  According to such a configuration, when a menu item is selected, the user knows from which storage location such as a database provided in a plurality of servers the information acquired in the processing related to the menu item is acquired. It is possible to recognize in advance the characteristics of the information depending on the storage location to be acquired.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the information terminal device according to the first aspect, the information terminal device acquires and outputs information from a storage location configured by a local storage means provided in the information terminal device; A function of acquiring and outputting information from a storage location such as a database provided in various servers via a network, and the identification information is stored in a storage location such as a database provided in the local storage means or the server. This is information for identifying which one.

  According to such a configuration, when the user selects a menu item, the information acquired in the processing related to the menu item is obtained from a local storage location, or the server storing a wide range of information is stored. It is possible to know whether the information is obtained from the place, and to recognize in advance the characteristics of the information depending on the storage location to be acquired.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the information terminal device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the information terminal device is designated by the menu item according to the menu item of the menu image. Identification information adding means for adding identification information for identifying a storage location from which information is acquired in the processing, and when outputting the menu image to the output means, the identification information adding means is included in the menu image Identification information for identifying a storage location from which information is acquired in the process designated by the menu item is added to the menu item to be displayed.

  According to this configuration, when the menu image is output, the menu item identification information is added by the identification information adding unit, so that the identification information can be appropriately added according to various configurations of the information terminal device. become. For example, it is possible to flexibly cope with an increase / decrease or change in the local storage means or an increase / decrease or change in the connection destination server.

  In the invention according to claim 6, in the information terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the identification information is stored when an action is performed on a specific menu item by the operation input means. , Add to the menu item and output.

  According to such a configuration, when the user performs some action on a specific menu item by the operation input means, from what storage location the information acquired in the process related to the menu item is acquired ( For example, a local storage location or a storage location of a server that services a wide range of information) can be known at the time of menu item selection, and the characteristics of the information depending on the acquired storage location can be recognized in advance. . In addition, since the identification information is added to a specific menu item when an action such as a cursor operation is performed on the specific menu item, the screen is not complicated and is easily visible.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the information terminal device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the information terminal device acquires desired information that is transitioned according to the selection of the menu item. A search condition setting image for setting a search condition for performing the search, and when outputting the search condition setting image, the identification for identifying a storage location from which information is acquired in the search process in the search information setting image Output with information added.

  According to such a configuration, when a user sets a search condition, from what storage location the information acquired in the search is acquired (for example, a local storage location or a server that services a wide range of information) And the nature of the information depending on the storage location to be acquired can be recognized in advance.

In the invention according to claim 8, in the information terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the information terminal device sets an identification information output mode in which the identification information is added and output. An information output mode setting unit is provided, and when the mode for adding the identification information to the identification information output mode setting unit is set, the identification information is added and output.
According to such a configuration, the user can arbitrarily select whether or not to output the identification information added to the menu item of the menu image.

In the invention according to claim 9, in the information terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, at least one of the identification information is represented by a blank output.
According to this configuration, it becomes possible to easily identify the information acquisition source depending on whether identification information is added or not (blank), and in particular, whether the information acquisition source is a local storage location or an external server. It is suitable for identifying the storage location.

Further, in the invention according to claims 10 and 11, in the information terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the identification information is a partial item of the menu item included in the menu screen, or Added for all items.
According to this configuration, identification information can be appropriately added according to various configurations of the information terminal device.

In the invention according to claim 12,
In an information terminal device having output means for acquiring desired information from various information storage locations and outputting the acquired information, when the information terminal device outputs the acquired information to the output means, the information Identification information for identifying from which of the various storage locations the identification information is added and output.

  According to such a configuration, when the information terminal device outputs the acquired information, identification information for identifying from which of the various storage means the acquired information is added, The user can know where the output information is obtained, for example, a local storage location or a storage location of a server that services a wide range of information, and can recognize the characteristics of the information according to the acquired storage location. It becomes like this.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the information terminal device according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, the information terminal device is a navigation device capable of acquiring desired information from the route search server. is there.
According to such a configuration, in an information terminal device used as a navigation device, when a user selects a menu item, from what storage location the information acquired in the process related to the menu item is acquired (for example, The local storage location or the storage location of the server serving a wide range of information), and the characteristics of the information depending on the storage location to be acquired can be recognized in advance.

  Hereinafter, specific examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples and drawings. However, the embodiment shown below exemplifies an information terminal device for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and is not intended to identify the present invention as this information terminal device. The present invention can be equally applied to information terminal devices of other embodiments included in the scope of claims.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing a configuration of a navigation system including an information terminal device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, in a navigation system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, an information terminal device 20 using a mobile device such as a mobile phone, a PDA, or a music player and a route search server 30 are connected to a network 12 such as the Internet. It is configured to be connected via.

  The route search server 30 includes a database (DB1) that stores road network data for route search, a database (DB2) that stores traffic network data based on timetable data as traffic network data, and various places of interest ( A POI database (DB3) storing information of Point of Interest and a database (DB4) storing map data for display are provided. Various POI information can be acquired from various information distribution servers 50 through the network 12, and timetable data and operation information of transportation facilities are also distributed through the network 12 to each railway company and the like. It can be acquired from the server 50.

  The system including the information terminal device 20 according to the present invention is not limited to the navigation system 10, and is an information distribution service system capable of requesting information distribution services from various servers 50 using the information terminal device 10. Also good. Further, the navigation system 10 is not limited to the above configuration, and the route search server 30 may have a function of a map distribution server that distributes a map of the POI location together with the navigation service function. It may be a server having a simple route search function, route guidance function, and POI search function.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of the navigation system 10 including the information terminal device 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The information terminal device 20 includes a control unit 201, a communication unit 21, a position detection unit 22, a processing request unit 23, an acquisition information storage unit 24, a display unit 25, an operation input unit 26, a menu image storage unit 27, a local storage unit 28, An identification information adding unit 291 and an identification information output mode setting unit 292 are provided.

  Although not shown, the control unit 201 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 21 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving communication data with the route search server 30 and the like via the network 12. The position detection unit 22 includes a GPS reception unit and the like, receives a GPS satellite signal, and calculates a current position and a current time. Information on the current position is used for route guidance by the navigation function, or when displaying a current position mark when a map is displayed.

  In addition, the position detection means 22 specifies the current position by communication with a mobile phone base station at a stop station or detection of a departure or stop by an acceleration sensor or the like while on a transportation such as a subway that cannot receive GPS satellite signals. You may comprise.

  The local storage means 28 is a storage location composed of a hard disk unit, a CD-ROM, or the like, and the information terminal device 20 can obtain necessary information from these local storage means 28. Various information required by the information terminal device 20 can be collected and stored in the hard disk unit. In addition, the information terminal device 20 requests various processes from the route search server 30 and the information distribution server 50 (see FIG. 1) via the network 12, and stores desired information in a storage location such as a database provided in the server device. Can be obtained from.

  When the user performs some processing using the information terminal device 20, the information terminal device 20 displays a menu image including a plurality of menu items on the display unit 25, and a specific menu item is displayed by the operation input unit 26 having a cursor key. Is configured to select. When the display means 25 includes a touch panel, menu items can be selected using a finger or a pen, and the touch panel in that case is one of the elements constituting the operation input means 26.

  When a specific menu item is selected in a certain menu image, the menu image for selecting the next process or the image on the search condition setting screen for searching for desired information is sequentially shifted to several menu images and searches. The process in the information terminal device 20 proceeds through the condition input screen. The menu image storage means 27 stores these menu images and images of search condition setting screens for inputting search conditions in advance. Necessary menu images and search conditions are sequentially selected and displayed according to the selection of menu items. It is displayed on the means 25.

  The user of the information terminal device 20 selects a specific menu item from the menu screen displayed on the display means 25 and selects a desired menu item from a storage location configured by the local storage means 28 or a storage location such as a database of the route search server 30. Information can be acquired. The information acquisition process is performed by the control unit 201 controlling the processing request unit 23 and the communication unit 21.

  The processing request input by operating the menu screen is edited by the processing request unit 23, and the processing is executed by the control unit 201. Further, the processing request edited by the processing request unit 23 is transmitted to a server such as the route search server 30 via the communication unit 21 as necessary. Information received from a server such as the route search server 30 is temporarily stored in the acquired information storage unit 24, read out as necessary, stored in the local storage unit 28, or displayed on the display unit 25.

  In the information terminal device 20 according to the present invention, when the menu image is displayed on the display means 25, the menu item included in the menu image identifies the storage location from which information is acquired in the process specified by the menu item. It is configured to add and display identification information for doing so. That is, identification information is added to identify whether the storage location from which the information is acquired is a storage location such as a local storage 28 such as a CD-ROM or a hard disk unit or a database provided in a server such as the route search server 30. Here, the identification information added to the menu item may be added in advance to the menu image stored in the menu image storage means 27, or stored by the identification information addition means 291 or in the identification information addition means 291. Based on the correspondence information, a menu image may be added when displayed on the display means 25.

  Therefore, the user can know in advance from which storage location the information to be obtained is obtained by looking at the identification information added to the menu item, and the amount of information and the newness of the information can be obtained. It becomes possible to recognize whether or not the communication cost is necessary. A procedure for adding identification information and a specific example of identification information will be described in detail later.

  On the other hand, the route search server 30 includes control means 301, communication means 31, information editing means 32, processing request storage means 33, map data 34, POI data 35, search network data 36, route search means 39, and the like. Has been. Although not shown, the control unit 301 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 unit 31 is a communication interface for transmitting / receiving communication data to / from the information terminal device 20 or the like via the network 12.

  The route search server 30 includes map data 34 and search network data 36 for route search. When there is a route search request from the information terminal device 20, the route search server 30 searches for a route with reference to the search network data 36. And it has the general navigation function which transmits the information of the guidance route (recommended route) obtained from the result of route search to the information terminal device 20. Further, the route search server 30 includes POI data 35 in which POI information such as the POI location, telephone number, address, and business hours is accumulated.

  The POIs that users are interested in are diverse, such as movie theaters, theaters, various theme parks, event venues, hotels, restaurants, taverns, gas stations, convenience stores, department stores, shopping malls, etc. POIs are classified by genre (category), and POI information such as the location (latitude / longitude) of each POI is accumulated. The genre is also hierarchized from a large concept to a small concept, and a POI search request is made by designating the genre of the POI to be searched from the genre list.

  When a POI search is requested from the information terminal device 20 to the route search server 30, for example, a desired POI genre is specified and a point serving as a reference for POI search is set. The reference point is, for example, the current position of the information terminal device 20 or a transportation station or work place, and these points are specified as reference points. In the POI search, the route search server 30 searches for a POI located around a set specific point.

  When a map including a desired point is to be displayed on the display unit, the point is specified from the operation input unit 26 and a transmission process of map information is requested to the route search server 30 via the communication unit 21. In accordance with the processing request transmitted from the information terminal device 20, the route search server 30 reads map data covering an area of a predetermined size including the designated point from the map data 34, and transmits information via the communication unit 31. It transmits to the terminal device 20. When specifying a point, after performing a POI search and specifying a desired POI, a map including the POI can be requested to the route search server 30. Furthermore, a map can be requested by designating the current position of the information terminal device 20.

  When requesting a route search from the information terminal device 20 to the route search server 30, using the menu screen displayed on the operation input means 26 and the display means 25, the departure place, the destination, the desired departure time and the desired arrival time A route search request including a time condition such as is set and a route search request is transmitted. The route search server 30 refers to the search network data on the basis of the route search request, searches for the optimum route from the departure point to the destination and the designated number of candidate routes, and obtains information on the searched route as the information terminal device. 20 to send. In this case, as in the case of the map request, the starting point of the route search condition can be the current position, and the destination can be the location of the desired POI acquired by the POI search.

  The route information transmitted from the route search server 30 is added with guidance points such as intersections included in the route and information for guiding the traveling direction such as right / left turn and straight ahead. Based on the route information received from the route search server 30, the information terminal device 20 requests transmission of map information including the route, displays the map, the route, and the current position on the display means 25, and receives route guidance. it can.

  The menu screen and search condition setting screen displayed on the display means 25 of the information terminal device 20 according to the present embodiment are configured as shown in FIGS. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image of an initial menu (main menu) of the information terminal device 20 displayed on the display unit 25. As shown in FIG. 3, basic menu items 311 to 313 performed using the information terminal device 20 are displayed in the center of the screen.

  The menu item 311 is a process for searching by inputting a free word, the menu item 312 is a process for selecting and searching for various purposes (search by purpose), and the menu item 313 is a history of various kinds of information stored in the information terminal device 20 ( For example, refer to daily route information such as commuting routes, specific interest search results and search conditions, etc., and specific point information registered by the user (home or work place, specific interest POI). Processing is shown. When any of these menu items 311 to 313 is selected, the screen transitions to the next menu image (including the search condition setting screen) corresponding to each process. The menu items 311 to 313 are selected by operating a cursor key included in the operation input unit 26. When the display means 25 includes a touch panel, any desired menu items 311 to 313 can be touched with a finger or the like.

  In addition, selection buttons 314 to 318 for operating the information terminal device 20 are displayed at the bottom of the screen. The operation button 314 is a process for returning to the map display screen, the operation button 315 is a process for returning home (for example, a process for checking traffic information using a stored route history, etc.), and the operation button 316 is a route search or route. Guidance processing, the operation button 317 indicates processing for performing various settings of the information terminal device 20, and the operation button 318 indicates processing for using the current position (for example, processing for displaying the current position on the map and processing for inputting the current position). ing.

  When the menu items 311 and 313 are selected, processing is performed on the information stored in the local storage unit 28, and desired information acquired by the information terminal device 20 is acquired from the local storage unit 28 ( Read). When the menu item 312 is selected, information stored in the local storage unit 28 or various external servers (for example, the route search server 30) can be selected according to the menu item on the menu screen displayed as the next transition screen. Processing is performed on information stored in the database provided.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a search condition setting screen that transitions when menu item 311 (free word search) is selected on the initial menu screen shown in FIG. On this screen, a character key 411 and a control key 412 for switching the function of the character key 411 are displayed, and operation buttons 418 and 419 for operating the information terminal device 20 are displayed at the bottom of the screen. The operation button 418 indicates processing using the current position, and the operation button 419 indicates processing for returning to the screen displayed immediately before on the display means 25 with respect to the display screen currently displayed on the display means 25. Note that the screen shown in FIG. 4 is processed for the local storage means 28, so that the identification information RM indicating that information is acquired from the storage location of the server such as the route search server 30 is not displayed.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a menu screen that is transitioned to when the menu item 312 (purpose-specific search process) is selected on the initial menu screen illustrated in FIG. 3. Menu items 511 to 515 are displayed on this screen, and operation buttons 518 and 519 for operating the information terminal device 20 are displayed at the bottom of the screen. The operation button 518 indicates processing for using the current position, and the operation button 519 indicates processing for returning to the screen displayed immediately before on the display means 25 with respect to the display screen currently displayed on the display means 25.

  Menu item 511 is a process for searching for a gas station, menu item 512 is a process for searching for a parking lot, menu item 513 is a process for searching for POI related to eating and drinking (gourmet), and menu item 514 is for setting (specifying) an address. The process of searching for facilities such as POIs and 515 indicate the process of searching by specifying the POI genre. In processing these menu items, information stored in the local storage means 28 provided in the information processing apparatus 20 is processed, and stored in a storage location such as a database provided in various external servers (for example, the route search server 30). Processed information can be processed.

  The information stored in the local storage means 28 is new information that is not stored until the user updates it. No new information is added unless the information acquired by the user is added to the local storage means 28. . However, since the information stored in the local storage means 28 is information stored in accordance with the user's own interests and preferences, appropriate information can be acquired from the information, and information from the local storage means 28 can be obtained. Is acquired, the processing speed for acquiring information is fast, and communication costs are not incurred.

  On the other hand, since the information stored in the database of various servers is added and updated at appropriate intervals on the server side, the process for the latest information is possible. In addition, since the amount of information that can be stored in the local storage means 28 is overwhelmingly smaller than the amount of storage that can be stored in the databases of various servers, processing for a large amount of facility information by using the search processing for the former. Therefore, desired information can be appropriately acquired. On the other hand, when acquiring information from an external server, the processing speed until the information is acquired is not fast, and communication costs are incurred.

  Therefore, when information is acquired from a local storage location included in the information terminal device (or when information is acquired by searching) and when information is acquired from a storage location of an external server (or information is acquired by searching). The cost of information acquisition (such as communication costs), time, and the quality (accuracy, novelty, etc.) and amount of information may vary depending on the storage location. Conventionally, the user cannot discriminate it (information acquisition source, that is, storage location) in advance. That is, the user cannot identify from which storage location the menu item selected by the user is to obtain information, whether the latest information can be obtained, whether communication costs are incurred, Whether or not the accumulation range is wide cannot be determined in advance.

  In the information terminal device 20 according to the present embodiment, all the processes related to the menu items 511 to 513 are performed for the storage location of an external server such as the route search server 30, and the processes related to the menu items 514 and 515 are performed. All processing is performed on the local storage unit 28. The menu items 511 to 513 display identification information for identifying a storage location to be described later, and the menu items 511 and 514 do not display identification information.

  When the menu items 511 to 513 shown in FIG. 5 are selected, the information terminal device 20 sets a search condition to various external servers, here the route search server 30 and transmits a search request, and the database of the route search server 30 A search process for information stored in a storage location such as a request is requested, and desired information is obtained from a storage location such as a database of the route search server 30. According to the present invention, identification information RM indicating that information is acquired from the route search server 30 is added to each of the menu items 511 to 513 and displayed. Since the identification information RM is not displayed in the menu items 514 and 515 (in other words, a blank serves as the identification information), it is possible to identify that processing for the storage location of the local storage unit 28 is performed. .

  Therefore, the user can know in advance that the information acquisition destination (storage location) when these menu items 511 to 513 are selected is an external server, the communication cost is generated, and the information to be acquired is It becomes possible to be aware in advance that the latest information that has been updated and a wide range of information can be obtained. In addition, when the menu items 514 and 515 are selected, the information acquisition destination is the local storage unit 28 provided in the information terminal device 20, and the information to be acquired is obtained from the user-specific accumulated information, and the information acquisition process is performed. It becomes possible to know in advance that the speed is high and there is no communication cost.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a search condition setting screen that is transitioned when a menu item 512 (parking lot search process) is selected on the menu screen illustrated in FIG. 5. On this screen, a menu item 512 (see FIG. 5) is displayed at the top, and an item 611 for setting a search condition is displayed at the center of the screen. When it is necessary to search for a parking lot, it is common to want to park a vehicle around the current position. Therefore, in this screen, only the item 611 for selecting a condition setting for searching for a parking lot around the current location is displayed. Although displayed, other items such as an item for setting a desired point as a search condition may be displayed.

  Further, in the menu item 512 at the top of the screen in FIG. 6, identification information RM indicating that the information acquisition destination is a server is displayed as in FIG. Therefore, even in the state of transition to this screen, the user can recognize that the information acquisition destination is an external server such as the route search server 30. Note that the position where the identification information is added (display position) may be any position on the screen, and is not limited to the position shown in this figure. In addition, an operation button 600 for executing a search is displayed on the screen. When the operation button 600 is operated, a search condition based on the current position (for example, a condition within a range of 200 m around the current position) is included. A search request for a parking lot is transmitted to the route search server 30.

  The route search server 30 refers to the POI data 35 according to the requested search condition, searches for a parking lot that matches the condition, and transmits a list of parking lots and detailed information to the information terminal device 20. The information terminal device 20 displays the received parking lot information (database of the route search server 30: information acquired from the storage location) on the display means 25 using a search result display screen described later. Note that operation buttons 618 and 619 for operating the information terminal device 20 are displayed at the bottom of the screen of FIG. The operation button 618 indicates processing for using the current position, and the operation button 619 indicates processing for returning to the screen displayed immediately before on the display means 25 with respect to the display screen currently displayed on the display means 25.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a search condition setting screen (address input screen) that transitions when menu item 514 (search from address) is selected on the menu screen shown in FIG. This screen shows a transition to a screen for inputting numbers such as addresses, and a display field 711 for displaying input information is provided at the top of the screen, and a number to be input is selected at the center of the screen. A numeric key 713 for inputting a number is displayed on the right side of the selection field 712.

  A desired number can be input by operating the number key 713 or by selecting a predetermined number in the selection field 712. A page feed button 715 for displaying the previous and next pages is displayed on the left side of the screen. By operating the page feed button 715, the selection field 712 can be paged. Operation buttons 718 and 719 for operating the information terminal device 20 are displayed at the bottom of the screen. The operation button 718 indicates processing for using the current position, and the operation button 719 indicates processing for returning to the screen displayed immediately before on the display means 25 with respect to the display screen currently displayed on the display means 25.

  The processing of the menu item 514 is performed by searching for address information, telephone book information, etc. stored in the local storage means 28, and the information is acquired. Therefore, the identification information RM of FIGS. (Get information from server storage location) is not displayed. In other words, acquisition of information from the local storage means 28 is displayed with blank identification information.

  Next, a description will be given of an answer screen for a process of outputting information acquired from each storage location as a result of selecting a menu item and performing a process. 8-10 is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the process reply screen which displays the result processed in the information terminal device 20. FIG.

  FIG. 8 shows the information on the parking lot searched in the route search server 30 as a result of selecting the parking lot search menu item 512 and searching for parking lots around the current position (see FIG. 6) and displaying them on the display means. It is a figure which shows an example of the answered screen. In the upper part of the screen, it is displayed that the result is a parking lot search (parking lot search of menu item 512 in FIG. 5), and the information is obtained from the storage location of the external route search server 30 as in FIG. Identification information RM indicating is displayed. Note that the position where the identification information is added (display position) may be any position on the screen, and is not limited to the position shown in this figure.

  The processing answer screen shown in FIG. 8 displays a list of searched parking lot names 811, parking space availability 812, and a switch button 813 to a detailed screen, and displays the previous and next pages on the left side of the screen. A page feed button 815 is displayed, and by operating the page feed button 815, the page of the display screen can be paged. Operation buttons 818 and 819 for operating the information terminal device 20 are displayed at the bottom of the screen. The operation button 818 indicates processing using the current position, and the operation button 819 indicates processing for returning to the screen displayed immediately before on the display unit 25 with respect to the display screen currently displayed on the display unit 25.

  When the switching button 813 for displaying details of a specific parking lot is operated on the answer screen for displaying the parking lot list in FIG. 8, the screen transits to the detailed information answer screen shown in FIG. 9. In the screen of FIG. 9, the name of the parking lot for which the detailed information display has been selected is displayed in the display field at the top of the screen, indicating that it is the result of the parking lot search (parking lot search of menu item 512 in FIG. 5). Identification information RM is displayed, indicating that the information is obtained from the storage location of the external route search server 30 as shown in FIG. Note that the position where the identification information is added (display position) may be any position on the screen, and is not limited to the position shown in this figure. Detailed information 911 on the selected parking lot is displayed in the center of the screen, and a page feed button 915 having an arrow image for switching to the next or previous screen of the detailed display is displayed on the left side of the screen. By operating the page feed button 915, the next page of detailed information can be displayed.

  Operation buttons 917, 918, 919 for operating the information terminal device 20 are displayed at the bottom of the screen. The operation button 917 is a process of selecting and displaying map information including the vicinity of the parking lot, the operation button 918 is a process of using the current position, and the operation button 919 is a display screen currently displayed on the display means 25. On the other hand, processing for returning to the screen displayed immediately before on the display means 25 is shown.

  When the operation button 917 is operated on the detailed information answer screen of FIG. 9, the map shown in FIG. 10 is displayed on the display means 25, and the mark P indicating the selected parking spot is displayed on the map. In the upper right part of the screen selected also in this map display screen, identification information RM indicating that information (a designated parking lot location and map information including the location) is acquired from the storage location of the route search server 30 is displayed. Is done. Note that the position where the identification information is added (display position) may be any position on the screen, and is not limited to the position shown in this figure.

  In addition, on this screen, operation buttons 102 and 103 for changing the map scale from the detailed map to the wide area map are displayed at the bottom, and by operating the operation button 103, the map scale can be sequentially changed to the detailed map side. By operating the operation button 102, the map scale can be sequentially changed to the wide area map side. Selection buttons 101 for selecting various processes are displayed on the left and right of the screen. For example, when the selection button “go here” is operated, a route search processing request from the current position to the parking lot P is transmitted to the route search server 30, and the information terminal device 20 acquires route information from the route search server 30. And receive route guidance.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a map display screen (processing response screen) including a point corresponding to the address obtained as a result of the address search illustrated in FIG. 7. In the screen shown in FIG. 11, the searched address is displayed at the bottom, and a mark P indicating a point corresponding to the searched address is displayed on the map. Since the address search is a process of acquiring information from the local storage means 28, the identification mark RM is not displayed on the map screen as in FIG.

  In addition, selection buttons 101 for selecting various processes are displayed on the left and right of the screen. For example, when the selection button “go here” is operated, a route search processing request from the current position to the parking lot P is transmitted to the route search server 30, and the information terminal device 20 acquires route information from the route search server 30. And receive route guidance.

  The route search in the route search server 30 is performed as follows. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a concept of road network data of the search network data 36. The road network data is structured as follows. For example, when the road is composed of roads A, B, and C as shown in FIG. 12, the end points, intersections, and inflection points of the roads A, B, and C are used as nodes, and the roads connecting the nodes are directed. Link cost data expressed as links, with node data (node latitude / longitude), link data (link number) and link cost of each link (link distance or time required to travel the link) as data Consists of.

  That is, in FIG. 12, Nn (◯ mark) and Nm (◎ mark) indicate nodes, and Nm (◎ mark) indicates a road intersection. Directional links connecting the nodes are indicated by arrow lines (solid line, dotted line, two-dot chain line). As for the links, there are links facing in the upward and downward directions of the road, but in FIG. 12, only the links in the direction of the arrows are illustrated for the sake of simplicity.

  When route search is performed using such road network data as a route search database, links linked from the starting node to the destination node are traced to accumulate the link cost, thereby minimizing the accumulated link cost. Search and guide the route. That is, in FIG. 12, when a route search is performed with the departure point as the node AX and the destination as the node CY, the road travels from the node AX along the road A, turns right at the second intersection, enters the road C, and reaches the node CY. The link cost is accumulated sequentially, and a route that minimizes the accumulated link cost is searched for and guided.

  Although other routes from the node AX to the node CY are not shown in FIG. 12, there are actually other such routes, and therefore, a plurality of routes that can be reached from the node AX to the node CY are displayed. A search is performed in the same manner, and a route with the lowest link cost is determined as the optimum route. This method is performed by, for example, a known method called the Dijkstra method.

  When searching for a route section using public transport, the search network data 36 further stores transport network data including node data that nodes each transport station and link data based on timetable data. A route search is performed using road network data and traffic network data.

  The above description is for the case where the parking lot search process of the menu item 512 is selected on the menu screen of FIG. 5, but the menu item 511 (gas station search) and the menu item 513 (gourmet search). Even when is selected, the contents of the screen configuration are different as in the case of the parking lot search, but the process proceeds while the screen transitions sequentially to a menu screen including a predetermined search condition setting screen. The same applies when menu items 514 and 515 for which processing is performed on the local storage unit 28 are selected.

In the information terminal device 20 according to the present embodiment, all the processes related to the menu items 514 and 515 are performed on the local storage unit 28, and all the information is acquired from the local storage unit 28. Even when the menu item 514 or 515 is selected, it is possible to shift to the process for targeting the storage location of the information distribution server such as the route search server 30 at the stage of the screen transition according to the selected process. You can also.
For example, when a menu item to be processed by specifying the POI genre of the menu item 515 in FIG. 5 is selected, and the genre of the parking lot is specified on the menu screen to which the screen transitions next, a search request is made to the route search server 30. It is also possible to configure such that the identification information RM is added to the corresponding search condition setting screen as shown in FIG.

  Furthermore, in an input process or a search information setting process using a series of transition screens following selection of menu items, a processing request may be sent to different information acquisition destinations. For example, when a gourmet search (see FIG. 5) of the menu item 513 is selected, a search specifying a food and drink genre (for example, French cuisine or Indian cuisine) on the next transitioned search condition setting screen has accumulated a wide range of information. A search request is sent to the information distribution server, and a search that designates a specific narrow area, for example, a local shopping street as a search condition, sends the search request to an information distribution server that provides a service for the narrow area. It can also be configured as follows. In this case, different identification information is added depending on whether a processing request is made to an information distribution server that stores a wide range of information or a processing request is made to an information distribution server that provides a service for a narrow area.

  Similarly, in the case of acquiring information from the local storage means 28, if the configuration includes a CD-ROM and a hard disk unit, the information acquisition location by the process selected on the menu item or search condition setting screen is the CD-ROM. Different identification information is added depending on whether it is a hard disk unit or not.

  In the above description, the case where the identification information (reference numeral RM in FIG. 5) added to the menu item is added in advance to the menu image stored in the menu image storage means 27 is described. Various modifications are possible. For example, the information terminal device 20 is configured to add the identification information according to the menu item by the identification information adding unit 291 when displaying the menu image on the display unit 25 or according to the information stored in the identification information adding unit 291. can do.

  As another modification, the identification information is not displayed when the menu screen is displayed, and an identification code is added to the menu item when the specific menu item is designated by the operation input means 26 such as a cursor key. It can also be configured to display.

  Moreover, although the above description demonstrated the example which adds and displays identification information on a menu item irrespective of a user's intention, it is not restricted to this, A various deformation | transformation is possible. For example, as the menu display mode in the information terminal device 20, a normal display mode and a mode for adding and displaying the identification information according to the present invention are provided, and the identification information is added to the identification information output mode setting means 292. When the display mode to output is set, it can also comprise so that identification information may be added.

  In the above embodiment, the acquired information is displayed on the display unit. However, the output of the information is not limited to this, and may be output by sound or output by printout.

  As described above in detail, according to the present invention, when a user selects a menu item, from what storage location the information acquired in the process related to the menu item is acquired (for example, local Or the storage location of a server that services a wide range of information), and the characteristics of the information depending on the storage location to be acquired can be recognized in advance.

  The present invention can be widely applied to any device as long as it is an information terminal device that includes a local storage unit and can be connected to various servers via a network.

It is a figure which shows the system configuration | structure of the route search system containing the information terminal device concerning the Example of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the detailed structure of the route search system containing the information terminal device concerning the Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the main menu image displayed on the display means of an information terminal device. It is a figure which shows an example of the search condition setting screen in free word search. It is a figure which shows an example of the search condition setting screen displayed when the menu item which selects a purpose and performs processes, such as a search, is selected in the menu screen shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the search condition setting screen displayed when parking lot search is selected among menu items. It is a figure which shows an example of the search condition setting screen displayed when an address search is selected. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the process reply screen displayed on the display means of an information terminal device, when the result of the parking lot search requested | required of the route search server is received. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the process reply screen which selects the specific parking lot in the process reply screen of FIG. 8, and displays the detailed information. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of a surface by the process reply which displays the map image containing the selected specific parking lot. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the process reply screen which displays the map image containing the point applicable to the designated address. It is a schematic diagram which shows the concept of the road network data contained in the data of the network for search.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Navigation system 12 ... Network 20 ... Information terminal device 201 ... Control means 21 ... Communication means 22 ... Position detection means 23 ... Processing request means 24... Acquired information storage means 25... Display means 26... Operation input means 27... Menu image storage means 28 ... Local storage means 291 ... Identification information addition means 292 ... identification information output mode setting means 30 ... route search server 301 ... control means 31 ... communication means 32 ... information editing means 33 ... processing request storage means 34 ... ..Map data 35... POI data 36... Search network data 39... Route search means 50.

Claims (13)

A function of outputting desired information from various information storage locations and outputting the obtained information, and outputting a menu image including a plurality of menu items for obtaining the desired information to the output means In an information terminal device comprising:
The information terminal device performs an operation input means for selecting one of the menu items included in the menu image, a process designated according to the selected menu item, and stores desired information in the storage location. Control means for acquiring from any of the above, and a menu image storage means for storing the menu image,
When outputting the menu image to the output means, the menu item included in the menu image is added with identification information for identifying a storage location from which information is acquired in the process specified by the menu item. An information terminal device that outputs the information terminal device.   The information terminal device has a function of acquiring and outputting information from any one of storage locations constituted by a plurality of local storage means included in the information terminal device, and the identification information is stored in the plurality of local storage means. The information terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the information terminal device is information for identifying the information.   The information terminal device has a function of acquiring and outputting information from any storage location such as a database provided in a plurality of servers via a network, and the identification information is stored in a database provided in the plurality of servers. The information terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the information terminal device is information for identifying a location.   The information terminal device acquires information from a storage location such as a database provided in various servers via a network, and a function of acquiring and outputting information from a storage location configured by local storage means provided in the information terminal device. 2. The function according to claim 1, wherein the identification information is information identifying a storage location such as a database provided in the local storage unit or the server. Information terminal equipment. The information terminal device includes identification information adding means for adding identification information for identifying a storage location from which information is acquired in the process specified by the menu item according to the menu item of the menu image,
When outputting the menu image to the output means, the identification information adding means is used to identify a storage location from which information is acquired in the process specified by the menu item in the menu item included in the menu image. The information terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein identification information is added.   5. The identification information according to claim 1, wherein the identification information is added to the menu item and output when an action is performed on the specific menu item by the operation input unit. The information terminal device described in 1.   The information terminal device has a search condition setting image for setting a search condition for acquiring desired information that is transitioned according to the selection of the menu item, and also when the search condition setting image is output. 5. The output according to claim 1, wherein the identification information for identifying a storage location from which information is acquired in the search process is added to the search information setting image and output. Information terminal device.   The information terminal device includes an identification information output mode setting means for setting an identification information output mode for adding and outputting the identification information, and a mode for outputting the identification information by adding the identification information to the identification information output mode setting means. 5. The information terminal device according to claim 1, wherein when the setting is made, the identification information is added and output.   9. The information terminal device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the identification information is represented by a blank output.   The information terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the identification information is added to a part of menu items included in the menu screen and output.   9. The information terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the identification information is added and output for all items of menu items included in the menu screen. In an information terminal device having output means for acquiring desired information from various information storage locations and outputting the acquired information,
When the information terminal device outputs the acquired information to the output unit, the information terminal device adds and outputs identification information for identifying from which of the various storage locations the information is acquired. An information terminal device.   The information terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the information terminal device is a navigation device capable of acquiring desired information from a route search server.

Images