WO2015016443A1

WO2015016443A1 - Landmark based point-of-interest information offering system, and method thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2015016443A1
Application number: PCT/KR2013/012372
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wooyung LEE; Daesu Chung
Original assignee: Xii Lab
Priority date: 2013-08-01
Filing date: 2013-12-30
Publication date: 2015-02-05
Also published as: KR20130094764A; KR101475230B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method providing the information on the POI (POI: point of intersest) with the map for the query of a mobile subscriber. The system of the present invention provides a mobile terminal with POI information according to the landmark in the vicinity of the location of the mobile subscriber or to the landmark name input by the mobile subscriber. According to the present invention, the system and method provides one of the prepared maps corresponding to the landmark name sent from a mobile terminal as a query by a POI service subscriber. Thus the feature of the present invention can reduce computaional load of the POI information providing system.

Description

LANDMARK BASED POINT-OF-INTEREST INFORMATION OFFERING SYSTEM, AND METHOD THEREOF

The present invention relates to a system and method providing the information on the POI (POI: point of intersest) with the map for the query of a mobile subscriber. The system of the present invention provides a mobile terminal with POI information according to the landmark in the vicinity of the location of the mobile subscriber or to the landmark name input by the mobile subscriber.

POI information providing technology to access longitude and latitude coordinates on digital maps had been introduced in various configurations.

As a background art of the present invention, Korean patent 10-1162373 B1 discloses a system and a method for a personalized POI service and a mobile communication terminal therefor, especially for providing POI information matched with an interest item selected by a user within the range of a specific area, as shown in figure 1. The invention provides a system to enable a data processing unit to display POI information, extracted by a POI information extracting unit, on a map indicating a specific area and process the POI information so as to be transmitted to the mobile communication terminal, thereby providing corresponding information, which a user designates as an interest item on the basis of the mobile terminals location or an arbitrarily set location. The system is defined to serve POI information according to the user designated interest item however, the operational load of the system increases to decide and extract POI information and the map followed by each of the user designated interest item.

Another prior art as shown in the figure 2, Korean patent 10-0862152 B1 discloses a POI information registration system and a method thereof. The POI information registration system comprises a mobile terminal, an MMS gateway, a map information registration server and a wire telephone number search server. The mobile terminal creates an MMS message containing POI information for a specific place and an associated wire telephone number, inputs a specific feature code, which indicates the MMS message is a POI registration message, in the destination address column, and transmits it. The MMS gateway recognizes the MMS message as a POI registration message through the feature code of the MMS message, and transmits the MMS message to the map information registration server. The map information registration server extracts the wire telephone number from the MMS message, confirms a location equivalent to the extracted wire phone number on a map, and registers the POI information, contained in the MMS message, at the confirmed location. The wire telephone number search server stores addresses and coordinate values for wire telephone numbers. The wire telephone number search server extracts location information corresponding to the extracted wire telephone number and provides the extracted information to the map information registration server. But this technology comprises the mobile terminal to create an MMS message containing POI information for a specific place and an associated wire telephone number, to make POI registration process complicated; the server to extract location information corresponding to the extracted wire telephone number, to provide inaccurate map information.

As an another background art of the present invention shown in the figure 3, Korean patent publication 10-2012-0036216 A discloses a map coupled character service device using a location sharing function and a method thereof, and a driving method thereof are provided to transmit location sharing time information with short character information related to a promise or an event, map information, or a picture about a specific sign. In this invention, a map coupled character managing server receives a map coupled character from a first terminal, and the map coupled character managing server transmits the map coupled character in a different route according to whether an application for receiving the map coupled character is installed in a second terminal. An SMS(Short Message Service) transmitting server transmits an application installation check message. A multimedia message transmitting server transmits the map coupled character to the second terminal in which the application is not installed. But this map coupled character service device increases processing load of the first terminal to generate and transmit the user information of the first terminal and terminal information and location information. Furthermore, a map coupled character managing server and an SMS transmitting server are needed to construct the service device, which results the device to get massive.

Digital maps are generally provided together with graphic map data, latitude and longitude data to indicate specific locations over the graphic maps.

Conventional POI information providing technologies require more of computational load for the server, to retrieve reference coordinates and POI coordinates over the entire graphic maps, and to cut out and to offer the according area from the maps.

In case of using basic information like the name of POI to retrieve, the server searches the entire graphic maps for the same name of multiple POIs and the mobile terminal have to filter out unneeded POIs, which limits the efficiency of POI search service.

In the present invention, the digital maps for offering the POI information are partitioned according to the landmarks they include. The landmark based POI information providing system provides one of the prepared maps corresponding to the landmark name sent from a mobile terminal as a query by a POI service subscriber. Thus the feature of the present invention can reduce computaional load of the POI information providing system. The landmark based maps enables POI information service to get faster, because the system load is reduced down just to extract landmark name from the query of a mobile terminal and to offer the matched map prepared for the landmark, not to retrieve whole of the map data and redrawing the concerned map.

The system of the present invention provides a mobile terminal with POI information according to the landmark in the vicinity of the location of the mobile subscriber or to the landmark name input by the mobile subscriber.

Thus the feature of the present invention can reduce computaional load of the POI information providing system.

Figure 1 is a background art; a system and a method for a personalized POI service and a mobile communication terminal therefor.

Figure 2 is another background art; a POI information registration system and a method thereof.

Figure 3 is the other background art; a map coupled character service device using a location sharing function and a method thereof.

Figure 4 is basic configuration of landmark based POI information offering system of the present invention.

Figure 5 is an example of a digital map.

Figure 6 is examplar landmark based digital maps for the POI information providing system of the present invention.

Figure 7 is the internal configuration of POI information providing system server of the present invention.

Figure 8 is distribution of data, which is comprised in the landmark database of the POI information providing system server.

Figure 9 is a registration sequence flow, as an embodiment of the methods to operate system of the present invention.

Figure 10 are distribution of data for a landmark, and subscriber data.

Figure 11 is the principle of collecting retrieved partitioned map file names.

Figure 12 is an example screen set of a mobile terminal

Figure 13 is a flow chart of the landmark based POI information offering method.

Figure 14 is an another example screen set of a mobile terminal.

Figure 15 a flow chart of the landmark based POI information offering method, as another embodiment of the present invention.

The best mode of present invention is offered as a landmark based POI information offering system and method wherein, POI information providing system server which communicates via internet server to establish a network with the POI subscriber terminals and the mobile terminals to offer POI(point of interest) information with map data for the query from the mobile terminals.

The POI information providing system server comprises;

a controller; a transmit/receive buffer to store information temporally to communicate with the POI subscriber terminal and the mobile terminal; an address converter to convert address information from the mobile terminal into logitude and lattitude data to match over the digital maps, or to convert logitude and lattitude data from the POI subscriber terminal into an address; a distance calculator to caculate distance from a POI subscriber terminal or a mobile terminal to a landmark, using position information from the POI subscriber terminal or the mobile terminal and the logitude/lattitude of the landmark; a landmark database to store information of landmarks; a subscriber database to store subscriber(ie. of the POI subscriber terminals and the mobile terminals) information; a map database to store digital maps partitioned according to each of landmarks; a retrieve unit to retrieve the said landmark database, the subscriber database, and the map database.

The principles of the present invention will be shown hereinafter. Hence, although not shown or not clearly described, it should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the principles of the present invention can be embodied and various devices included within the concept and scope of the present invention can be invented. Also, it should be understood that all terms and embodiments enumerated in the specification are only intended to explain the concept of the present invention and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and states. Also, it should be understood that all detailed description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to include not only the principles, the aspects, and the exemplary embodiments of the present invention but also structural and functional equivalents thereof. Also, it should be understood that the equivalents include not only currently publicized equivalents but also equivalents to be developed in the future, that is, all devices to be developed to perform the same function irrespective of their structures. Functions of various devices that are illustrated in drawings including a function block denoted as a controller or as a similar concept to the controller, can be provided not only with specific hardware but also general hardware in which related software can be executed. When these functions are provided by the controller, the functions may be provided by a singular specific processor, a singular sharable processor, or plural processors in which sharing between the plural processors is possible. Also, usage of terms such as a controller, a control, or the like should not be construed as being limited to hardware capable of executing software but should be construed as indirectly including digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), and non- volatile memory used for storing software. Other well-known conventional hardware devices may be included.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by explaining exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the attached drawings. Detailed explanation will not be given when it is determined that detailed explanation about well-known function and configuration of the present invention may dilute the point of the present invention. The present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown.

Figure 4 shows the basic configuration of landmark based POI information offering system of the present invention. The POI information providing system of the present invention comprises POI subscriber terminal(100), mobile terminal(200), and POI information providing system server(300), which are connected to 3G / 4G network. The POI information providing system server(300) communicates via internet server(s) to establish a network with the POI subscriber terminal(100) and the mobile terminal(200) through 3G / 4G network. In the present invention, the mobile terminal(200) is registered to the POI information providing system server(300), and is provided with POI information including the map on the queries sent to the POI information providing system server(300). The POI subscriber terminal(100) is also registered to the POI information providing system server(300) with it's information as a point of interest, and it's information is provided to the mobile terminal(200) on the queries. The said POI subscriber terminal(100) and the mobile terminal(200) can be of a plurality of numbers.

Figure 5 illustrates an example of a digital map. Digital maps are generally provided together with graphic map data, latitude and longitude data to indicate specific locations over the graphic maps. Conventional POI information providing technologies require more of computational load for the server, to retrieve reference coordinates and POI coordinates over the entire graphic maps, and to cut out and to offer the according area from the maps. In case of using basic information like the name of POI to retrieve, the server searches the entire graphic maps for the same name of multiple POIs and the mobile terminal have to filter out unneeded POIs, which limits the efficiency of POI search service. For example, when a mobile terminal is to search a restaurant with a shop name through conventional map services, plurality of restaurants with same name are informed to be filtered out for the one in the specified area, which puts inconvenience.

Figure 6 shows the configuration example of landmark based digital maps for the POI information providing system of the present invention. In the present invention, the digital maps for offering the POI information are partitioned according to the landmarks they include. The landmark based POI information providing system provides one of the prepared maps corresponding to the landmark name sent from a mobile terminal as a query by a POI service subscriber. Thus the feature of the present invention can reduce computaional load of the POI information providing system. There is no limitaion or restriction for the landmarks used to partition the maps. For those landmarks, well known or commonly used names of places like subway staions, street names(ex. XX cross, etc.), names of towns, localities, villages, names of famouse buildings can be used. The maps shown in the figure 6 are the ones partitioned from the map shown in the figure 5 according to the subway staions as landmarks. The landmark based maps enables POI information service to get faster, because the system load is reduced down just to extract landmark name from the query of a mobile terminal and to offer the matched map prepared for the landmark, not to retrieve whole of the map data and redrawing the concerned map.

Figure 7 shows the internal configuration of POI information providing system server(300) of the present invention. As explained above in figure 4, the POI information providing system server(300) of the present invention is connected to the POI subscriber terminal(100) and the mobile terminal(200) through 3G / 4G network via the internet server. The connection of the internet server and 3G / 4G network is omitted in figure 7, not to dilute the point of the present invention. The POI information providing system server (300) of the present invention is comprised of; a controller(310); a transmit/receive buffer to store information temporally to communicate with the POI subscriber terminal(100) and the mobile terminal(200); an address converter(330) to convert address information from the mobile terminal(200) into logitude and lattitude data to match over the digital maps, or to convert logitude and lattitude data from the POI subscriber terminal(100) into an address; a distance calculator(340) to caculate distance from a POI subscriber terminal(100) or a mobile terminal(200) to a landmark, using position information from the POI subscriber terminal(100) or the mobile terminal(200) and the logitude/lattitude of the landmark; a landmark database(360) to store information of landmarks; a subscriber database(370) to store subscriber(ie. of the POI subscriber terminals and the mobile terminals) information; a map database(380) to store digital maps partitioned according to each of landmarks; a retrieve unit(350) to retrieve the said landmark database(360), the subscriber database(370), and the map database(380).

Figure 8 is distribution of data, which is comprised in the landmark database(360) of the POI information providing system server (300), to access stored digital maps of map database(380) partitioned according to each of landmarks. The landmark database(360) of the present invention is to provide digital maps partitioned according to each of landmarks for POI information.

Each of landmark data in the landmark database(360) includes fields for; name of landmark(L_name), head address(Parent0), upper address(Parent1). For example, the head address(Parent0) can be City or State name of landmark, the upper address(Parent1) can be detailed address of the head address. The head address(Parent0) and the upper address(Parent1) can be denoted by part of real addresses, or by codes assigned to each of head addresses and upper addresses. The landmark data also incudes fields for; latitude and longitude of the landmark, and landmark code(L_code) assigned to each of landmarks in separate to the said landmark name(L_name), and a combined code of landmark assigned combining coded head address(Parent0), upper address(Parent1), latitude and longitude of the landmark. The landmark data in the landmark database(360) also includes server data field to record temporal data generated by the POI information providing system server(300) for each of landmarks.

As described above, the map database(380) stores digital maps partitioned according to each of landmarks, and each of those partitioned digital map files are prepared to be accessed by the one or more than one of name of landmark(L_name), landmark code(L_code), and combined code of concerned landmark. For the examplar partitioned maps shown in the figure 8, file names of each of those maps can be assigned by the included landmark names(ie. 'Kyodae station', 'Kangnam station', 'Yoksam station'...), or by the given landmark code(L_code), or combined code of landmark.

Figure 9 shows a registration sequence flow of the POI subscriber terminal(100) to the POI information providing system server(300), as the first embodiment of the methods to operate system of the present invention. Followings are the details of the registration sequence of the POI subscriber terminal(100) to the POI information providing system server(300).

(a) As first step, the POI information providing system server(300) starts(S100).

(b) Next, the POI subscriber terminal(100) is connected to the POI information providing system server(300) through 3G / 4G network via the internet server. Then the POI subscriber terminal(100) transmits POI subscriber data, and the POI information providing system server(300) receives the POI subscriber data(S102).

The POI subscriber data include;

POI service subscriber(ie, store) ID(Store_ID), store name(S_name), address(Addr_0 ~ Addr_n), and mobile number of the POI subscriber(Cell#). The POI service subscriber ID(Store_ID) is assigned to denote category of business or service of the subscriber(for example, 'theater', 'bar', 'cafe', 'bank', etc.).

(c) Subsequently, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) stores received POI subscriber data into the allocation area of the subscriber database(370). Also, the controller(310) screens out the address(Addr_0 ~ Addr_n) from the POI subscriber data, and converts the address into latitude and longitude coordinates through the address converter(330), then stores into the allocation area of the subscriber database(370) together with the received POI subscriber data(S104).

(d) Next, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) compares latitude and longitude coordinates of the address(Addr_0 ~ Addr_n) with latitude and longitude of landmarks stored in the landmark database(360), and extracts adjacent landmarks in contiguous order. Then the controller(310) retrieves partitioned map file names containing each of the landmarks from the landmark database(360) and the map database(380) using the retrieve unit(350)(S106).

(e) Followed by the said step, the controller(310) collects retrieved partitioned map file names(ie. combined codes of the maps) in contiguous order(S108).

For this case, the map file names in the map database(380) are preferably prepared as combined codes in the landmark database(360).

(f) The controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) stores the collected map file names into server data field of the subscriber database(370) with the received POI subscriber data(S110).

(g) Finally, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) notices the POI subscriber terminal(100) that registration process is completed(S112), and terminates registration process(S114).

Figure 10 (a) shows distribution of data for a landmark, stored in the landmark database(360), and the figure (b) shows subscriber data stored in the subscriber database(370).

As explained in the figure 9, the POI subscriber data stored in the subscriber database(370) include; POI service subscriber(ie, store) ID(Store_ID), store name(S_name), address(Addr_0 ~ Addr_n), and mobile number of the POI subscriber(Cell#). And more included are, latitude and longitude coordinates of the POI subscriber address(Addr_0 ~ Addr_n) converted through the address converter(330), server data part to store map file names(ie. combined codes) of landmark maps adjacent to the POI subscriber address.

Figure 11 shows the principle of collecting retrieved partitioned map file names(ie. combined codes of the maps) in contiguous order. As described in the figure 9, the POI information providing system server(300) compares latitude and longitude coordinates of the address(Addr_0 ~ Addr_n) of the POI subscriber data with latitude and longitude of landmarks stored in the landmark database(360), and extracts adjacent landmarks in contiguous order. Then the controller(310) retrieves partitioned map file names containing each of the landmarks from the landmark database(360) and the map database(380) using the retrieve unit(350). The said combined codes of the maps can be assigned combining coded address and specified numbers of landmarks.

As mentioned above in the figures 7-11, the POI information providing system server(300) of present invention comprises the landmark database(360), the subscriber database(370), the map database(380), respectively. Hereinafter, the methods offering landmark based POI information to a mobile terminal(200) by the POI information providing system server(300).

Figure 12 is an example screen set of a mobile terminal(200) adopted to present invention. Left figure shows a mobile terminal(200) screen displaying data received from the POI information providing system server(300) after the mobile terminal(200) transmits POI information query data. The center figure is a mobile terminal(200) screen with the map offered by the POI information providing system server(300), according to the query from mobile terminal(200). The right side figure shows a menu screen for POI selection on the map of the mobile terminal(200) screen. After the mobile terminal(200) is connected to the POI information providing system server(300) through 3G / 4G network, the POI retrieve reference - ie. current position of the mobile terminal(200), or landmark name input- and retrieve range are selected at the mobile terminal(200), then tramsmitted to the POI information providing system server(300). When the POI retrieve reference is current position of the mobile terminal(200), the geographic coordination from the GPS system comprised in the mobile terminal(200) is transmitted as query data. After receiving the POI retrieve reference data fron the mobile terminal(200), the POI information providing system server(300) retrives out corresponding map data from the map database(380), and transmits back with menu screen data to select category of business or service of the subscriber to be displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal(200). The mobile terminal(200) selectively displays received map data and menu screen, and sends back selected manu data to the POI information providing system server(300). Then the POI information providing system server(300) offers POI service subscriber ID(Store_ID) retrieved within the transmitted map data area.

Figure 13 is a flow chart of the landmark based POI information offering method, as an embodiment of the present invention. The landmark based POI information offering method of present invention comprises following process steps.

(a) As first step of the method, the POI information providing system server(300) starts;(S200).

(b) Next, the mobile terminal(200) is connected to the POI information providing system server(300) through 3G / 4G network, the POI retrieve reference - ie. current position of the mobile terminal(200), or landmark name input- and retrieve range are selected at the mobile terminal(200), then transmitted as query data to the POI information providing system server(300);(S202).

When the POI retrieve reference is current position of the mobile terminal(200), the geographic coordination from the GPS system comprised in the mobile terminal(200) is transmitted as query data.

(c) When the received query data contains current position data of the mobile terminal(200), the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) retrieves the landmark database(360) through the retrieve unit(350). In this case, the controller(310) extracts landmark names(L_names) within the retrieve range, calculating distances from the position of the mobile terminal(200) to each of landmarks using the distance calculator(340);(S204).

When the received query data contains landmark name, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) retrieves the landmark database(360) through the retrieve unit(350), and extracts landmark name(L_name);(S204).

(d) Followed by the previous step(S204), the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) transmits extracted landmark names(L_names) to the mobile terminal(200);(S206).

(e) At the mobile terminal(200), one of the received landmark names(L_names) is selected and sent back to the POI information providing system server(300) as a query;(S208).

(f) Next, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) retrieves the landmark database(360) using the retrieve unit(350), based upon the received landmark name(L_name) to extract corresponding combined code of the landmark. Then again the controller(310) retrieves the map database(380) using the retrieve unit(350), and extracts out the corresponding map of the landmark.

(g) Subsequently, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) transmits the map of the landmark to the mobile terminal(200), with menu information to select category of business or service of the subscribers within the map area;(S212).

(h) After receiving the category of business or service of the subscriber selected by the mobile terminal(200), the controller(310) retrieves the subscriber database(370) using the retrieve unit(350);(S214).

(h) At this time, the controller(310) firstly refers server data field of the each retrieved subscriber data, which contains combined code for the landmark of the subscriber. Then the controller(310) filters out the category of business or service of the subscribers selected by the mobile terminal(200), referring to the POI service subscriber(ie, store) ID(Store_ID);(S216).

(i) Finally, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) transmits the retrieved and filtered subscriber information to the mobile terminal(200);(S218),

and the landmark based POI information offering service of the present invention is terminated(S220).

Figure 14 is an another example screen set of a mobile terminal(200) adopted to present invention. Left figure shows a mobile terminal(200) screen displaying data received from the POI information providing system server(300) after the mobile terminal(200) transmits POI information query data. The center figure is a menu screen for POI selection. The right side figure shows a screen with the map offered by the POI information providing system server(300), according to the query from mobile terminal(200).

After the mobile terminal(200) is connected to the POI information providing system server(300) through 3G / 4G network, the POI retrieve reference - ie. current position of the mobile terminal(200), or landmark name input- and retrieve range are selected at the mobile terminal(200), then tramsmitted to the POI information providing system server(300). When the POI retrieve reference is current position of the mobile terminal(200), the geographic coordination from the GPS system comprised in the mobile terminal(200) is transmitted as query data. After receiving the POI retrieve reference data from the mobile terminal(200), the POI information providing system server(300) transmits back a menu screen data to select category of business or service of the subscriber to be displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal(200). And the POI information providing system server(300) retrieves out corresponding map data from the map database(380), together with POI service subscriber information within the transmitted map data area, and transmits to the mobile terminal(200).

Figure 15 is a flow chart of the landmark based POI information offering method, as another embodiment of the present invention. The landmark based POI information offering method of present invention comprises following process steps.

(a) As first step of the method, the POI information providing system server(300) starts;(S250).

(b) Next, the mobile terminal(200) is connected to the POI information providing system server(300) through 3G / 4G network, the POI retrieve reference - ie. current position of the mobile terminal(200), or landmark name input- and retrieve range are selected at the mobile terminal(200), then transmitted as query data to the POI information providing system server(300);(S252).

(c) When the received query data contains current position data of the mobile terminal(200), the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) retrieves the landmark database(360) through the retrieve unit(350). In this case, the controller(310) extracts landmark names(L_names) within the retrieve range, calculating distances from the position of the mobile terminal(200) to each of landmarks using the distance calculator(340);(S254).

When the received query data contains landmark name, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) retrieves the landmark database(360) through the retrieve unit(350), and extracts landmark name(L_name);(S254).

(d) Followed by the previous step(S254), the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) transmits extracted landmark names(L_names) to the mobile terminal(200) with menu information to select category of business or service of the subscribers within the map area;(S256),

and receives information selected by the mobile terminal(200);(S258).

(e) After receiving the category of business or service of the subscriber selected by the mobile terminal(200), the controller(310) retrieves the subscriber database(370) using the retrieve unit(350). At this time, the controller(310) firstly refers server data field of the each retrieved subscriber data, which contains combined code for the landmark of the subscriber. Then the controller(310) filters out the category of business or service of the subscribers selected by the mobile terminal(200), referring to the POI service subscriber(ie, store) ID(Store_ID);(S260).

(f) Next, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) transmits the retrieved and filtered subscriber information to the mobile terminal(200), and receives subscriber information selected by the mobile terminal(200);(S262).

(g) Subsequently, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) retrieves the landmark database(360) using the retrieve unit(350), based upon the received subscriber information to extract corresponding combined code of the landmark.

Then again the controller(310) retrieves the map database(380) using the retrieve unit(350), and extracts out the corresponding map of the landmark. Then the controller(310) marks the location of the subscriber selected by the mobile terminal(200) over the map;(S264).

(h) Next, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) transmits the map of the landmark and subscriber location to the mobile terminal(200);(S266).

(i) Finally, the landmark based POI information offering service of the present invention is terminated(S268).

According to the present invention said above, the system and method of the present invention provides a mobile terminal with POI information according to the landmark in the vicinity of the location of the mobile subscriber or to the landmark name input by the mobile subscriber.

The foregoing exemplary embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present teaching can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. Also, the description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims, and many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Since the present invention offers advantageous effects to offer a mobile terminal with POI information according to the landmark in the vicinity of the location of the mobile subscriber or to the landmark name input by the mobile subscriber, can be applicable in the field of data and information service, including mobile application industries.

Claims

A landmark based POI information offering system, POI information providing system server communicates via internet server to establish a network with the POI subscriber terminals and the mobile terminals to offer POI(point of interest) information with map data for the query from the mobile terminals, wherein the POI information providing system server comprising;

a controller(310);

a transmit/receive buffer to store information temporally to communicate with the POI subscriber terminal(100) and the mobile terminal(200);

an address converter(330) to convert address information from the mobile terminal(200) into logitude and lattitude data to match over the digital maps, or to convert logitude and lattitude data from the POI subscriber terminal(100) into an address;

a distance calculator(340) to caculate distance from a POI subscriber terminal(100) or a mobile terminal(200) to a landmark, using position information from the POI subscriber terminal(100) or the mobile terminal(200) and the logitude/lattitude of the landmark;

a landmark database(360) to store information of landmarks;

a subscriber database(370) to store subscriber(ie. of the POI subscriber terminals and the mobile terminals) information;

a map database(380) to store digital maps partitioned according to each of landmarks;

a retrieve unit(350) to retrieve the said landmark database(360), the subscriber database(370), and the map database(380).
The landmark database(360) in claim 1, includes data fields to store for each of landmarks as;

name of landmark(L_name),

head address(Parent0),

upper address(Parent1),

latitude and longitude of the landmark,

landmark code(L_code) assigned to each of landmarks in separate to the said landmark name(L_name),

a combined code of landmark assigned combining coded head address(Parent0), upper address(Parent1), latitude and longitude of the landmark,

server data field to record temporal data generated by the POI information providing system server(300) for each of landmarks.
The subscriber database(370) in claim 1, includes data fields to store for each of POI subscribers as;

POI service subscriber(ie, store) ID(Store_ID),

store name(S_name),

address(Addr_0 ~ Addr_n),

mobile number of the POI subscriber(Cell#).

latitude and longitude coordinates of the POI subscriber address(Addr_0 ~ Addr_n) converted through the address converter(330),

server data part to store map file names(ie. combined codes) of landmark maps adjacent to the POI subscriber address.
The map database(380) in claim 1,

stores digital maps partitioned according to each of landmarks,

and each of those partitioned digital map files are prepared to be accessed by one or more than one of;

name of landmark(L_name), landmark code(L_code), and combined code of concerned landmark.
A landmark based POI information offering method, using POI information providing system server communicating via internet server to establish a network with the POI subscriber terminals and the mobile terminals to offer POI(point of interest) information with map data for the query from the mobile terminals, as the registration sequence of the POI subscriber terminal to the POI information providing system server comprising;

(a) the first step, the POI information providing system server(300) starts(S100),

(b) next, the POI subscriber terminal(100) is connected to the POI information providing system server(300) through 3G / 4G network via the internet server. Then the POI subscriber terminal(100) transmits POI subscriber data, and the POI information providing system server(300) receives the POI subscriber data(S102),

wherein the POI subscriber data include;

POI service subscriber(ie, store) ID(Store_ID), store name(S_name), address(Addr_0 ~ Addr_n), and mobile number of the POI subscriber(Cell#). The POI service subscriber ID(Store_ID) is assigned to denote category of business or service of the subscriber(for example, 'theater', 'bar', 'cafe', 'bank', etc.),

(c) subsequently, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) stores received POI subscriber data into the allocation area of the subscriber database(370). Also, the controller(310) screens out the address(Addr_0 ~ Addr_n) from the POI subscriber data, and converts the address into latitude and longitude coordinates through the address converter(330), then stores into the allocation area of the subscriber database(370) together with the received POI subscriber data(S104),

(d) next, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) compares latitude and longitude coordinates of the address(Addr_0 ~ Addr_n) with latitude and longitude of landmarks stored in the landmark database(360), and extracts adjacent landmarks in contiguous order. Then the controller(310) retrieves partitioned map file names containing each of the landmarks from the landmark database(360) and the map database(380) using the retrieve unit(350)(S106),

(e) followed by the said step, the controller(310) collects retrieved partitioned map file names(ie. combined codes of the maps) in contiguous order(S108),

(f) the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) stores the collected map file names into server data field of the subscriber database(370) with the received POI subscriber data(S110),

(g) finally, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) notices the POI subscriber terminal(100) that registration process is completed(S112), and terminates registration process(S114).
The step (S108) in claim 5 more comprises the step,

the controller(310) collects the map file names prepared as combined codes in the map database(380), as in the landmark database(360).
A landmark based POI information offering method, using POI information providing system server communicating via internet server to establish a network with the POI subscriber terminals and the mobile terminals to offer POI(point of interest) information with map data for the query from the mobile terminals, comprising;

(a) the first step, the POI information providing system server(300) starts;(S200),

(b) next, the mobile terminal(200) is connected to the POI information providing system server(300) through 3G / 4G network, the POI retrieve reference - ie. current position of the mobile terminal(200), or landmark name input-, then transmitted as query data to the POI information providing system server(300);(S202),

(c) when the received query data contains current position data of the mobile terminal(200), the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) retrieves the landmark database(360) through the retrieve unit(350);(S204),

(d) followed by the previous step(S204), the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) transmits extracted landmark names(L_names) to the mobile terminal(200);(S206),

(e) at the mobile terminal(200), one of the received landmark names(L_names) is selected and sent back to the POI information providing system server(300) as a query;(S208),

(f) next, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) retrieves the landmark database(360) using the retrieve unit(350), based upon the received landmark name(L_name) to extract corresponding combined code of the landmark. Then again the controller(310) retrieves the map database(380) using the retrieve unit(350), and extracts out the corresponding map of the landmark,

(g) subsequently, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) transmits the map of the landmark to the mobile terminal(200), with menu information to select category of business or service of the subscribers within the map area;(S212),

(h) after receiving the category of business or service of the subscriber selected by the mobile terminal(200), the controller(310) retrieves;(S214) and filters;(S216) the subscriber database(370) using the retrieve unit,

(h) finally, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) transmits the retrieved and filtered subscriber information to the mobile terminal(200);(S218),

and the landmark based POI information offering service of the present invention is terminated(S220).
The step (S202) in the claim 8 more comprises the step;

the geographic coordination from the GPS system comprised in the mobile terminal(200) is transmitted as query data, when the POI retrieve reference is current position of the mobile terminal(200).
In the step (S202) in the claim 8;

the query data includes retrieve range information selected by the mobile terminal(200).
The step (S204) in the claim 8 more comprises the step;

the controller(310) extracts landmark names(L_names) within the retrieve range, calculating distances from the position of the mobile terminal(200) to each of landmarks using the distance calculator(340).
The step (S204) in the claim 8 more comprises the step;

the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) retrieves the landmark database(360) through the retrieve unit(350) and extracts landmark name(L_name), when the received query data contains landmark name.
The step the controller(310) retrieves;(S214) and filters;(S216) in the claim 8 comprises the step;

the controller(310) firstly refers server data field of the each retrieved subscriber data, which contains combined code for the landmark of the subscriber,

and the controller(310) filters out the category of business or service of the subscribers selected by the mobile terminal(200), referring to the POI service subscriber(ie, store) ID(Store_ID).
A landmark based POI information offering method, using POI information providing system server communicating via internet server to establish a network with the POI subscriber terminals and the mobile terminals to offer POI(point of interest) information with map data for the query from the mobile terminals, comprising;

(a) the first step, the POI information providing system server(300) starts;(S250),

(b) next, the mobile terminal(200) is connected to the POI information providing system server(300) through 3G / 4G network, the POI retrieve reference - ie. current position of the mobile terminal(200), or landmark name input- is selected at the mobile terminal(200), then transmitted as query data to the POI information providing system server(300);(S252),

(c) the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) retrieves the landmark database(360) referring to the received query data through the retrieve unit(350);(S254),

(d) followed by the previous step(S254), the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) transmits extracted landmark names(L_names) to the mobile terminal(200) with menu information to select category of business or service of the subscribers within the map area;(S256),

and receives information selected by the mobile terminal(200);(S258),

(e) after receiving the category of business or service of the subscriber selected by the mobile terminal(200), the controller(310) retrieves and filters the subscriber database(370) using the retrieve unit(350);(S260),

(f) next, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) transmits the retrieved and filtered subscriber information to the mobile terminal(200), and receives subscriber information selected by the mobile terminal(200);(S262),

(g) subsequently, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) retrieves the landmark database(360) using the retrieve unit(350), based upon the received subscriber information to extract corresponding combined code of the landmark,

then again the controller(310) retrieves the map database(380) using the retrieve unit(350),

and extracts out the corresponding map of the landmark,

and the controller(310) marks the location of the subscriber selected by the mobile terminal(200) over the map;(S264),

(h) next, the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) transmits the map of the landmark and subscriber location to the mobile terminal(200);(S266),

(i) finally, the landmark based POI information offering service of the present invention is terminated(S268).
The step (S252) in the claim 13,

the geographic coordination from the GPS system comprised in the mobile terminal(200) is transmitted as query data, when the POI retrieve reference is current position of the mobile terminal(200).
In the step (S252) in the claim 13,

the query data from the mobile terminal(200) includes retrieve range from the POI retrieve reference position.
In the step (S254) in the claim 13,

the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) retrieves the landmark database(360) through the retrieve unit(350),

and the controller(310) extracts landmark names(L_names) within the retrieve range, calculating distances from the position of the mobile terminal(200) to each of landmarks using the distance calculator(340),

when the received query data contains current position data of the mobile terminal(200).
In the step (S254) in the claim 13,

the controller(310) of the POI information providing system server(300) retrieves the landmark database(360) through the retrieve unit(350), and extracts landmark name(L_name), when the received query data contains landmark name.
The step (260) more includes the step.

the controller(310) firstly refers server data field of the each retrieved subscriber data, which contains combined code for the landmark of the subscriber,

then the controller(310) filters out the category of business or service of the subscribers selected by the mobile terminal(200), referring to the POI service subscriber(ie, store) ID(Store_ID).