Map application system

Claim 2

A map application system having a display device, a storage device and a processing unit for displaying a map of a neighborhood of a present position and information related with the present position on the display device, comprising: first means for calculating a destination that is a next position displayed after displaying the present position on the basis of the map stored in said storage device and present position information that has been input and calculating a spatial route from the present position to the destination; second means for arranging in order contents of distribution information associated with a spatial position along said spatial route; third means for displaying sequentially on said display device said distribution information in order along said spatial route; fourth means for updating said present position information after having displayed all of said distribution information; and means for calculating said destination corresponding to the present position on the basis of said distribution information by doing weighting for distribution information of the neighborhood at the present position by reference to a distance from the present position and interest information of a user in which a degree of an interest for a plurality of kinds of distribution information is included and stored in said storage device.

Claim 3

A map application system according to claim 1 , wherein said present position is specified by external means.

Claim 4

A map application system according to claim 1 , further comprising: means for collecting coupon tickets corresponding to the neighborhood of present position from said distribution information including an advertisement with a coupon ticket.

Claim 5

A map application system according to claim 1 , further comprising a automatic position measurement apparatus that specifies said present position.

Claim 6

A map application system according to claim 4 , wherein weighting of said distribution information is changed according to time of day.

Claim 7

A map application system according to claim 1 , further comprising: means for calculating, for at least one route between the present position and said destination, nodes dividing said route, selecting distribution information corresponding to the position neighborhood at said node on the basis of interest information of a user including a degree of interest for a plurality of kinds of distribution information, and displaying on said display device said selected distribution information serially with said nodes along the route in order.

Claim 8

A map application system according to claim 6 , further comprising: means for storing the position information corresponding to said displayed distribution information into said storage device when said distribution information is displayed on said display device; means for decreasing a value of weighting of said distribution information already displayed when weighting said distribution information; and means for decreasing a value of weighting of said route that has already been passed by referring to position information stored in said storage device.

Claim 9

A map display control method, using a processing unit with a display device and a storage device, for strolling along a virtual space composed of information of things that exist on a screen of said display device, the method comprising the steps of: (a) registering user interest information including degree of interest for a plurality of kinds of distribution information into said storage device; (b) inputting a present position; (c) receiving contents of distribution information associated with a spatial position, and doing weighting for distribution information of a neighborhood of said inputted present position on the basis of a distance from the present position and interest information of a user; (d) calculating a destination included in said-.distribution information on the basis of said weighting; (e) calculating, for at least one route between the present position and said destination, nodes suitably dividing said route; (f) selecting distribution information corresponding to a neighborhood at said calculated node on the basis of interest information of a user including a degree of interest for a plurality of kinds of distribution information; (g) displaying on said display device said selected distribution information serially with said nodes along the route in order; and (h) updating information of said present position after having displayed all of said distribution information, and repeating said steps (a) to (g).

Claim 10

A map display control method, using a processing unit with a display device and a storage device, for strolling along a virtual space composed of information of things that exist on a screen of said display device, the method comprising the steps of: (a) registering user interest information including degree of interest for a plurality of kinds of distribution information into said storage device; (b) inputting a present position; (c) receiving contents of distribution information associated with a spatial position, and doing weighting for distribution information of a neighborhood of said inputted present position on the basis of a distance from the present position and interest information of a user; (d) calculating a destination included in said-.distribution information on the basis of said weighting; (e) calculating, for at least one route between the present position and said destination, nodes suitably dividing said route; (f) selecting distribution information corresponding to a neighborhood at said calculated node on the basis of interest information of a user including a degree of interest for a plurality of kinds of distribution information; (g) displaying on said display device said selected distribution information serially with said nodes along the route in order; and (h) updating information of said present position after having displayed all of said distribution information, and repeating said steps (a) to (g).

Claim 11

A map display control method according to claim 8 , wherein said step (g) further comprises the substeps of: (g1) displaying on said display device a map including a present position; (g2) displaying on said display device object indicating said present position; (g3) displaying said distribution information of said present position adjacent to said map according to the user's interests; (g4) scrolling smoothly said map so that said present position moves toward a destination direction; and (g5) repeating said steps (g3) and (g4).

Claim 12

A map display control method according to claim 8 , wherein said step (g) further comprises the substeps of: (g6) changing a reduced scale of said map and displaying a wide area map in case a quantity of distribution information included in the neighborhood of the present position is smaller than a predetermined first value; (g7) changing a reduced scale of said map and displaying an expansion map in case in case a quantity of distribution information included in the neighborhood of the present position is larger than a predetermined second value; and (g8) changing a neighborhood distance calculation method adjusting to said map reduced scale changed in said step (g6) or (g7).

Claim 13

A map display control method according to claim 8 , further comprising the step of: reading a program describing an automatic stroll procedure into said storage device through a communication means.

Claim 14

A map application system having a display device, a storage device and a processing unit for displaying a map of a neighborhood of a present position and information related with the present position on the display device, comprising: first means for calculating a destination that is a next position displayed after displaying the present position on the basis of the map stored in said storage device and present position information that has been input and calculating a spatial route from the present position to the destination; second means for arranging in order contents of distribution information associated with a spatial position along said spatial route; third means for displaying sequentially on said display device said distribution information in order along said spatial route; fourth means for updating said present position information after having displayed all of said distribution information; means for calculating said destination corresponding to the present position on the basis of said distribution information by doing weighting for distribution information of the neighborhood at the present position by reference to a distance from the present position and interest information of a user in which a degree of an interest for a plurality of kinds of distribution information is included and stored in said storage device; further comprising a automatic position measurement apparatus that specifies said present position; and wherein weighting of said distribution information is changed according to time of day.

Claim 15

A map application system having a display device, a storage device and a processing unit for displaying a map of a neighborhood of a present position and information related with the present position on the display device, comprising: first means for calculating a destination that is a next position displayed after displaying the present position on the basis of the map stored in said storage device and present position information that has been input and calculating a spatial route from the present position to the destination; second means for arranging in order contents of distribution information associated with a spatial position along said spatial route; third means for displaying sequentially on said display device said distribution information in order along said spatial route; fourth means for updating said present position information after having displayed all of said distribution information; means for calculating said destination corresponding to the present position on the basis of said distribution information by doing weighting for distribution information of the neighborhood at the present position by reference to a distance from the present position and interest information of a user in which a degree of an interest for a plurality of kinds of distribution information is included and stored in said storage device; further comprising a automatic position measurement apparatus that specifies said present position; and wherein weighting of said distribution information is changed according to time of day.

Claim 16

A map application system having a display device, a storage device and a processing unit for displaying a map of a neighborhood of a present position and information related with the present position on the display device, comprising: first means for calculating a destination that is a next position displayed after displaying the present position on the basis of the map stored in said storage device and present position information that has been input and calculating a spatial route from the present position to the destination; second means for arranging in order contents of distribution information associated with a spatial position along said spatial route; third means for displaying sequentially on said display device said distribution information in order along said spatial route; fourth means for updating said present position information after having displayed all of said distribution information; means for calculating said destination corresponding to the present position on the basis of said distribution information by doing weighting for distribution information of the neighborhood at the present position by reference to a distance from the present position and interest information of a user in which a degree of an interest for a plurality of kinds of distribution information is included and stored in said storage device; means for calculating, for at least one route between the present position and said destination, nodes dividing said route, selecting distribution information corresponding to the position neighborhood at said node on the basis of interest information of a user including a degree of interest for a plurality of kinds of distribution information, and displaying on said display device said selected distribution information serially with said nodes along the route in order; means for storing the position information corresponding to said displayed distribution information into said storage device when said distribution information is displayed on said display device; means for decreasing a value of weighting of said distribution information already displayed when weighting said distribution information; and means for decreasing a value of weighting of said route that has already been passed by referring to position information stored in said storage device.

Claim 17

A map application system having a display device, a storage device and a processing unit for displaying a map of a neighborhood of a present position and information related with the present position on the display device, comprising: first means for calculating a destination that is a next position displayed after displaying the present position on the basis of the map stored in said storage device and present position information that has been input and calculating a spatial route from the present position to the destination; second means for arranging in order contents of distribution information associated with a spatial position along said spatial route; third means for displaying sequentially on said display device said distribution information in order along said spatial route; fourth means for updating said present position information after having displayed all of said distribution information; means for calculating said destination corresponding to the present position on the basis of said distribution information by doing weighting for distribution information of the neighborhood at the present position by reference to a distance from the present position and interest information of a user in which a degree of an interest for a plurality of kinds of distribution information is included and stored in said storage device; means for calculating, for at least one route between the present position and said destination, nodes dividing said route, selecting distribution information corresponding to the position neighborhood at said node on the basis of interest information of a user including a degree of interest for a plurality of kinds of distribution information, and displaying on said display device said selected distribution information serially with said nodes along the route in order; means for storing the position information corresponding to said displayed distribution information into said storage device when said distribution information is displayed on said display device; means for decreasing a value of weighting of said distribution information already displayed when weighting said distribution information; and means for decreasing a value of weighting of said route that has already been passed by referring to position information stored in said storage device.

Claim 18

A map application system having a display device, a storage device and a processing unit for displaying a map of a neighborhood of a present position and information related with the present position on the display device, comprising: first means for calculating a destination that is a next position displayed after displaying the present position on the basis of the map stored in said storage device and present position information that has been input and calculating a spatial route from the present position to the destination; second means for arranging in order contents of distribution information associated with a spatial position along said spatial route; third means for displaying sequentially on said display device said distribution information in order along said spatial route; fourth means for updating said present position information after having displayed all of said distribution information; means for calculating said destination corresponding to the present position on the basis of said distribution information by doing weighting for distribution information of the neighborhood at the present position by reference to a distance from the present position and interest information of a user in which a degree of an interest for a plurality of kinds of distribution information is included and stored in said storage device; and means for collecting coupon tickets corresponding to the neighborhood of present position from said distribution information including an advertisement with a coupon ticket.

Claim 19

A map application system having a display device, a storage device and a processing unit for displaying a map of a neighborhood of a present position and information related with the present position on the display device, comprising: first means for calculating a destination that is a next position displayed after displaying the present position on the basis of the map stored in said storage device and present position information that has been input and calculating a spatial route from the present position to the destination; second means for arranging in order contents of distribution information associated with a spatial position along said spatial route; third means for displaying sequentially on said display device said distribution information in order along said spatial route; fourth means for updating said present position information after having displayed all of said distribution information; means for calculating said destination corresponding to the present position on the basis of said distribution information by doing weighting for distribution information of the neighborhood at the present position by reference to a distance from the present position and interest information of a user in which a degree of an interest for a plurality of kinds of distribution information is included and stored in said storage device; and means for collecting coupon tickets corresponding to the neighborhood of present position from said distribution information including an advertisement with a coupon ticket.