Information providing method, information providing system, information providing apparatus, information receiving apparatus, and computer program product

Abstract

A central apparatus capable of communicating with a plurality of terminal apparatuses through a relay apparatus transmits to the terminal apparatus a browsing program for browsing provision information. The terminal apparatus receiving the browsing program accepts a start instruction of the browsing program and transmits a start notice for notifying that the browsing program is started according to the accepted start instruction. The central apparatus reads the provision information from a database in response to the received start notice, and transmits the read provision information to the terminal apparatus. Thus, it is possible to provide information having high value added only in a transmitted place at the position, and there is no fear to force those who find no value added in the information to receive unnecessary information.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an entire configuration and an inner configuration of each component of an information providing system according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is one explanatory view showing an example of registered contents of a program management table stored in a database serving as one component of the information providing system according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing one example of registered contents of a member information table stored in the database serving as one component of the information providing system according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing one example of registered contents of an information management table stored in the database serving as one component of the information providing system according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing one example of registered contents of a communication table stored in the database serving as one component of the information providing system according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing one example of registered contents of a relay table stored in the database serving as one component of the information providing system according to the present invention;

FIG. 7A to FIG. 7H are flowcharts showing procedure executed by the information providing system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing an example of a display screen of provision information in a browsing program executed by a terminal apparatus serving as one component of the information providing system according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure in a terminal apparatus of the information providing system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

FIG. 10A to FIG. 10D are flowcharts showing procedures of the information providing system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing a display example of a screen for receiving terminal identifying information by the browsing program executed by the terminal apparatus serving as one component of the information providing system according to the present invention; and

FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing a display example of a screen for displaying position information by the browsing program executed by the terminal apparatus serving as one component of the information providing system according to the present invention.

Claims

1. An information providing method for providing provision information from a central apparatus to a terminal apparatus through a relay apparatus, said central apparatus being connected to a database in which provision information is registered and having a storage unit in which a browsing program for browsing the provision information is stored, and said terminal apparatus having a storage unit, comprising the steps of: by said central apparatus, reading said browsing program from said storage unit;by said central apparatus; transmitting said read browsing program to said relay apparatus;by said relay apparatus, transmitting said browsing program received from said central apparatus to said terminal apparatus;by said terminal apparatus, storing said browsing program received from said relay apparatus in said storage unit;by said terminal apparatus, accepting a start instruction of said browsing program stored in said storage unit;by said terminal apparatus, starting said browsing program stored in said storage unit according to said accepted start instruction;by said terminal apparatus, transmitting a start notice for notifying that said browsing program is started to said relay apparatus;by said relay apparatus, transmitting said start notice received from said terminal apparatus to said central apparatus; andby said central apparatus, when said start notice is received from said relay apparatus, extracting said provision information from said database in response to said start notice received from said relay apparatus and transmitting to said terminal apparatus through said relay apparatus.

2. An information providing system including: a database in which provision information is registered;a central apparatus, having a storage unit in which a browsing program for browsing the provision information is stored, for transmitting the provision information extracted from said database;a relay apparatus, capable of communicating with said central apparatus and said terminal apparatus, for relaying the provision information received from said central apparatus to said terminal apparatus; anda terminal apparatus, capable of communicating with said relay apparatus, for receiving the provision information relayed by said relay apparatus;whereinsaid central apparatus comprises means for transmitting said browsing program read from said storage unit to said relay apparatus;said relay apparatus comprises means for transmitting said browsing program received from said central apparatus to said terminal apparatus,said terminal apparatus comprises: receiving means for receiving said browsing program from said relay apparatus; storing means for storing said received browsing program; means for accepting a start instruction of said browsing program stored in said storing means; means for staring the browsing program stored in said storing means according to the accepted start instruction; and notice transmitting means for transmitting a start notice for notifying that said browsing program is started to said relay apparatus;said relay apparatus transmits the start notice received from said terminal apparatus to said central apparatus, andsaid central apparatus, when said start notice is received from said relay apparatus, extracts said provision information from said database in response to said start notice received from said relay apparatus and transmits to said terminal apparatus through said relay apparatus.

3. The information providing system as set forth in claim 2, wherein a plurality of said relay apparatuses are provided, and relay apparatus identifying information for identifying each relay apparatus is assigned to each relay apparatus,a plurality of said terminal apparatuses are provided, and terminal identifying information for identifying each terminal apparatus is assigned to each terminal apparatus,a plurality of pieces of provision information are registered in said database so as to correspond to the relay apparatus identifying information for identifying each of said plurality of relay apparatuses,said each terminal apparatus transmits said start notice to said relay apparatus together with the terminal identifying information for identifying said each terminal apparatus,said each relay apparatus transmits the received start notice to said central apparatus together with the relay apparatus identifying information for identifying said each relay apparatus, andsaid central apparatus, when the start notice and the relay apparatus identifying information are received from said relay apparatus, extracts from said database provision information registered so as to correspond to the received relay apparatus identifying information in response to the received start notice, and transmits the extracted provision information to the relay apparatus identified by the received relay apparatus identifying information.

4. The information providing system as set forth in claim 3, wherein communication between said each relay apparatus and said each terminal apparatus is performed by wireless communication,said each relay apparatus further comprises means for transmitting a signal for detecting a signal intensity in said wireless communication to said terminal apparatus so as to correspond to said relay apparatus identifying information,said each terminal apparatus further comprises means for detecting an intensity of the received signal, and means for selecting a relay apparatus identified by the relay apparatus identifying information corresponding to a signal having a highest intensity among the detected intensities, and makes said notice transmitting means transmit the start notice to said selected relay apparatus.

5. The information providing system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said terminal apparatus comprises means for, by control of said browsing program, generating provision information specifying information for specifying the provision information to which specifying is accepted, when said terminal apparatus accepts specifying of one of said plurality of pieces of provision information,said notice transmitting means transmits said start notice to said relay apparatus together with said generated provision information specifying information, andsaid central apparatus extracts from said database provision information corresponding to the received relay apparatus identifying information and provision information specifying information in response to the received start notice, when said central apparatus receives said start notice, the provision information specifying information and the relay apparatus identifying information from said relay apparatus.

6. The information providing system as set forth in claim 5, further including a database in which said terminal identifying information for identifying the terminal apparatus having transmitted the start notice, said relay apparatus identifying information, and said position information regarding a position of the relay apparatus installed identified by the relay apparatus identifying information are correspondingly registered, whereinsaid terminal apparatus further comprises: means for, by control of said browsing program, generating a transmission request based on the accepted transmission instruction when a transmission instruction of said position information is accepted; means for receiving the terminal identifying information for identifying the terminal apparatus of which position information is to be searched and the transmission instruction of the position information; means for transmitting the generated transmission request and the accepted terminal identifying information to said central apparatus through said relay apparatus; and output means for, by control of said browsing program, outputting the received information;said central apparatus further comprises: means for extracting from said database the position information corresponding to the received terminal identifying information in response to the received transmission request; and means for transmitting the extracted position information to said terminal apparatus through said relay apparatus,wherein said terminal apparatus makes, by control of said browsing program, said output means output the received position information.

7. An information providing apparatus which is connected to a database in which provision information and identifying information for identifying an external apparatus to which the provision information is to be transmitted are correspondingly registered, and transmits the provision information registered in said database to an external apparatus, comprising: a storage unit in which a browsing program for browsing the provision information is stored;means for reading said browsing program from said storage unit when the identifying information is received from an external apparatus;means for transmitting said read browsing program to the external apparatus identified by said received identifying information;means for, when from an external apparatus a start notice for notifying that said browsing program is started and identifying information for identifying the external apparatus are received, in response to the received start notice, extracting the provision information corresponding to the received identifying information from said database; andmeans for transmitting the extracted provision information to the external apparatus identified by said received identifying information.

8. An information providing apparatus which is connected to a database in which provision information and identifying information for identifying an external apparatus to which the provision information is to be transmitted are correspondingly registered, comprises a communication unit capable of communication with an external apparatus, and transmits the provision information registered in said database to an external apparatus by said communication unit, comprising: a storage unit in which a browsing program for browsing the provision information is stored;a controller, connected with said database, said storage unit and said communication unit, capable of performing the following operations of:reading said browsing program from said storage unit when the identifying information is received from an external apparatus;transmitting said read browsing program to the external apparatus identified by said received identifying information by said communication unit;when by said communication unit receives from an external apparatus a start notice for notifying that said browsing program is started and identifying information for identifying said external apparatus, in response to the received start notice, extracting the provision information corresponding to the received identifying information from said database; andtransmitting the extracted provision information to the external apparatus identified by said received identifying information by said communication unit.

9. An information receiving apparatus for receiving the provision information from an information providing apparatus, said information providing apparatus being connected to a database in which provision information is registered, and transmitting the provision information registered in said database and a browsing program for browsing the provision information to outside, comprising: storing means for storing said browsing program transmitted from said information providing apparatus;means for accepting a start instruction of the browsing program stored in said storing means;means for starting the browsing program stored in said storing means according to the accepted start instruction;notice transmitting means for transmitting to said information providing apparatus a start notice for notifying that said browsing program is started;means for receiving the provision information which is, by said information provision apparatus, extracted from said database and transmitted in response to a received start notice when said information providing apparatus receives the start notice; andoutputting means for, by control of said browsing program, outputting the received provision information.

10. The information receiving apparatus as set forth in claim 9, further comprising: communicating means for communicating with said information providing apparatus by wireless communication through one of the plurality of relay apparatuses to which relay apparatus identifying information for identifying each relay apparatus is assigned;means for detecting an intensity of a signal received from each relay apparatus by wireless communication; andmeans for selecting the relay apparatus identified by the relay apparatus identifying information corresponding to a signal having a highest intensity among the detected intensities;wherein said communicating means communicates with said information providing apparatus through said selected relay apparatus.

11. The information receiving apparatus as set forth in claim 10, further comprising: means for accepting specifying of one of said plurality of pieces of provision information; andmeans for, by control of said browsing program, generating provision information specifying information for specifying the specified provision information to which specifying is accepted;whereinsaid notice transmitting means transmits said start notice to said information providing apparatus through said relay apparatus together with said generated provision information specifying information,said communicating means receives through said relay apparatus the provision information extracted from said database by said information providing apparatus, when said information providing apparatus receives said start notice, said provision information specifying information and said relay apparatus identifying information, in response to the received start notice, correspondingly to the received relay apparatus identifying information and the provision information specifying information, andsaid outputting means outputs said received provision information by control of said browsing program.

12. The information receiving apparatus as set forth in claim 11, further comprising: means for, by control of said browsing program, generating a transmission request, when a transmission instruction of said position information is accepted, based on the accepted transmission instruction;means for accepting the identifying information for identifying the external apparatus of which position information is to be searched and the transmission instruction of the position information; andmeans for transmitting the generated transmission request and the accepted identifying information to said information providing apparatus through said relay apparatus,whereinsaid communicating means receives the position information extracted by said information providing apparatus in response to the received transmission request, corresponding to the identifying information received by said information providing apparatus, from a data base correspondingly; registering the identifying information for identifying the external apparatus having transmitted said start notice, said relay apparatus identifying information and said position information on a position of the relay apparatus installed identified by said relay apparatus identifying information, andsaid outputting means outputs said received position information by control of said browsing program.

13. An information receiving apparatus for receiving the provision information from an information providing apparatus, said information providing apparatus being connected to a database in which provision information is registered, and transmitting the provision information registered in said database and a browsing program for browsing the provision information to outside, comprising: a storage unit for storing said browsing program transmitted from said information providing apparatus;a input unit for accepting a start instruction of the browsing program stored in said storage unit;a communication unit capable of communicating with said information providing apparatus; anda controller, connected with said storage unit, said input unit, said output unit, and said input unit, capable of performing the following operations of:starting the browsing program stored in said storage unit according to the accepted start instruction accepted by said input unit;transmitting by said communication unit to said information providing apparatus a start notice for notifying that said browsing program is started;receiving by said communication unit the provision information which is, by said information provision apparatus, extracted from said database and transmitted in response to a received start notice when said information providing apparatus receives the start notice; andoutputting the received provision information to said output unit by control of said browsing program.

14. The information receiving apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein said controller further capable of performing the following operations of:communicating by said information providing apparatus by wireless communication through one of the plurality of relay apparatuses to which relay apparatus identifying information for identifying each relay apparatus is assigned;detecting an intensity of a signal received from each relay apparatus by wireless communication;selecting the relay apparatus identified by the relay apparatus identifying information corresponding to a signal having a highest intensity among the detected intensities; andcommunicating by said communication unit with said information providing apparatus through said selected relay apparatus.

15. The information receiving apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein said controller further capable of performing the following operations of:accepting by said input unit specifying of one of said plurality of pieces of provision information;by control of said browsing program, generating provision information specifying information for specifying the specified provision information to which specifying is accepted;transmitting by said communication unit said start notice to said information providing apparatus through said relay apparatus together with said generated provision information specifying information;receiving by said communication unit through said relay apparatus the provision information extracted from said database by said information providing apparatus, when said information providing apparatus receives said start notice, said provision information specifying information and said relay apparatus identifying information, in response to the received start notice, correspondingly to the received relay apparatus identifying information and the provision information specifying information; andoutputting said received provision information by control of said browsing program.

16. The information receiving apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein said processor further capable of the following operations of:by control of said browsing program, generating a transmission request, when a transmission instruction of said position information is accepted, based on the accepted transmission instruction;accepting by said input unit the identifying information for identifying the external apparatus of which position information is to be searched and the transmission instruction of the position information;transmitting by said communication unit the generated transmission request and the accepted identifying information to said information providing apparatus through said relay apparatus;receiving by said communication unit the position information extracted by said information providing apparatus in response to the received transmission request, corresponding to the identifying information received by said information providing apparatus, from a data base correspondingly registering the identifying information for identifying the external apparatus having transmitted said start notice, said relay apparatus identifying information and said position information on a position of the relay apparatus installed identified by said relay apparatus identifying information; andoutputting said received position information to said output unit by control of said browsing program.

17. A computer program product for controlling a computer connected to a database in which provision information and identifying information indicating an external apparatus to which the provision information is to be provided are correspondingly registered and having a storage unit in which a browsing program for browsing the provision information is stored, for transmitting the provision information registered in said database to outside, wherein the computer program product comprises: a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer readable program code means comprising computer instruction means for:reading said browsing program from said storage unit;transmitting said read browsing program to outside;receiving from an external apparatus a start notice for notifying that said browsing program is started and identifying information for identifying said external apparatus;extracting from said database the provision information corresponding to the received identifying information in response to said received start notice; andtransmitting the extracted provision information to said external apparatus identified by the received identifying information.