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US6993718B2 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Information processing method and apparatus

Assignee: Sony Corp
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Filing: 2002-08-22
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Granted: 2006-01-31
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Expires: 2022-08-22
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Abstract

Abstract Such a system is provided in which a map can be supplied to a user to permit the user to grasp the geography easily, if the address or the telephone number of an installation of destination, such as a restaurant, is stated, even though the scheme of displaying a map picture is not stated by an information provider in a text document of a preset format. An HTML analyzer 211 initiates an analysis loop of an HTML document being browsed to extract a location information letter/character string, which is seemingly an address or a telephone number, from the HTML document. A location searcher 212 calculates the latitude/longitude of a site from the location information letter/character string received through controller 217, using a site information database 213, and sends the so calculated latitude/longitude through controller 217 to a map picture generating unit 214. The map picture generating unit 214 references the map information database 215 connected to it to generate a map picture of an area around the site of destination, e.g., a restaurant.

Inventors

  • 👤 Masahiro Fujihara

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 11:32
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/10; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/95; G06F16/957; G06F16/9577

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 188 words
An information processing method in which a text document of a preset form, arranged in a descriptive language, capable of burying at least picture information in the document, is displayed on a screen to permit a user to take out desired information therefrom, said method comprising: a location information letter/character string extracting step of automatically extracting a location information letter/character string in the text document of the preset form as displayed on said screen; a site search step of searching a site indicated by said location information letter/character string extracted at said location information letter/character string extracting step for generating latitude/longitude information of said site; a map picture generating step of generating a map picture around the latitude/longitude information generated at said site search step; a text document correcting step of correcting the text document of the preset form for synthetically displaying the map picture generated at said map picture generating step in said text document of the preset form displayed on said screen; and a step of newly displaying the text document of the preset form as corrected at said text document correcting step on said screen.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 188 words
An information processing method in which a text document of a preset form, arranged in a descriptive language, capable of burying at least picture information in the document, is displayed on a screen to permit a user to take out desired information therefrom, said method comprising: a location information letter/character string extracting step of automatically extracting a location information letter/character string in the text document of the preset form as displayed on said screen; a site search step of searching a site indicated by said location information letter/character string extracted at said location information letter/character string extracting step for generating latitude/longitude information of said site; a map picture generating step of generating a map picture around the latitude/longitude information generated at said site search step; a text document correcting step of correcting the text document of the preset form for synthetically displaying the map picture generated at said map picture generating step in said text document of the preset form displayed on said screen; and a step of newly displaying the text document of the preset form as corrected at said text document correcting step on said screen.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 199 words
A program tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium in which a text document of a preset form, arranged in a descriptive language, capable of burying at least the picture information in the document, is displayed on a screen of an information processing apparatus to permit a user to take out desired information therefrom, said program comprising: a location information letter/character string extracting step of automatically extracting a location information letter/character string in the text document of the preset form as displayed on said screen; a site search step of searching a site indicated by said location information letter/character string extracted at said location information letter/character string extracting step for generating the latitude/longitude information of said site; a map picture generating step of generating a map picture around the latitude/longitude information generated at said site search step; a text document correcting step of correcting the text document of the preset form for synthetically displaying the map picture generated at said map picture generating step in said text document of the preset form displayed on said screen; and a step of newly displaying the text document of the preset form as corrected at said text document correcting step on said screen.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 199 words
A program tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium in which a text document of a preset form, arranged in a descriptive language, capable of burying at least the picture information in the document, is displayed on a screen of an information processing apparatus to permit a user to take out desired information therefrom, said program comprising: a location information letter/character string extracting step of automatically extracting a location information letter/character string in the text document of the preset form as displayed on said screen; a site search step of searching a site indicated by said location information letter/character string extracted at said location information letter/character string extracting step for generating the latitude/longitude information of said site; a map picture generating step of generating a map picture around the latitude/longitude information generated at said site search step; a text document correcting step of correcting the text document of the preset form for synthetically displaying the map picture generated at said map picture generating step in said text document of the preset form displayed on said screen; and a step of newly displaying the text document of the preset form as corrected at said text document correcting step on said screen.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 186 words
An information processing method in which a text document of a preset form, arranged in a descriptive language, capable of burying at least picture information in the document, is demonstrated on screen to permit a user to take out desired information therefrom, said apparatus comprising: a location information letter/character string extracting means for automatically extracting a location information letter/character string in the text document of the preset form as displayed on said screen; a site search step of searching a site indicated by said location information letter/character string extracted by said location information letter/character string extracting means for generating latitude/longitude information of said site; a map picture generating step of generating a map picture around the latitude/longitude information generated by said site search means; and a text document correcting step of correcting the text document of the preset form for synthetically displaying the map picture generated at said map picture generating step in said text document of the preset form displayed on said screen; wherein the text document of the preset form as corrected by said text document correcting means is newly displayed on said screen.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 186 words
An information processing method in which a text document of a preset form, arranged in a descriptive language, capable of burying at least picture information in the document, is demonstrated on screen to permit a user to take out desired information therefrom, said apparatus comprising: a location information letter/character string extracting means for automatically extracting a location information letter/character string in the text document of the preset form as displayed on said screen; a site search step of searching a site indicated by said location information letter/character string extracted by said location information letter/character string extracting means for generating latitude/longitude information of said site; a map picture generating step of generating a map picture around the latitude/longitude information generated by said site search means; and a text document correcting step of correcting the text document of the preset form for synthetically displaying the map picture generated at said map picture generating step in said text document of the preset form displayed on said screen; wherein the text document of the preset form as corrected by said text document correcting means is newly displayed on said screen.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 31 words
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the text document of the preset form, written in said descriptive language, is sent from an information supplying apparatus over a network.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 35 words
The information processing apparatus according lo claim 4 wherein a browser for downloading said text document of the preset form from said information supplying apparatus over said network to meet the operator's intention is booted.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 31 words
The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said descriptive language is the HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and wherein said text document of the preset form is an HTML document.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 214 words
An information processing method in which a text document of a preset form, arranged in a descriptive language, capable of burying at least picture information in the document, is demonstrated on a screen to permit a user to take out desired information, said method comprising: a location information letter/character string extracting step of automatically extracting a location information letter/character string in the text document of the preset form as displayed on said screen; a site searching step of searching a site indicated by said location information letter/character string extracted by said location information letter/character string extracting step for generating latitude/longitude information for said site; a route searching step of searching a route reaching the latitude/longitude information of the site generated by said site searching step from a current site; a map picture generating step of generating a map picture including a totality of routes output by said route searching step; a text document correcting step of correcting the text document of the preset form for synthetically displaying the map picture generated at said map picture generating step in said text document of the preset form displayed on said screen; and a display step of newly displaying the text document of the preset form as corrected by said text document correcting step on said screen.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 214 words
An information processing method in which a text document of a preset form, arranged in a descriptive language, capable of burying at least picture information in the document, is demonstrated on a screen to permit a user to take out desired information, said method comprising: a location information letter/character string extracting step of automatically extracting a location information letter/character string in the text document of the preset form as displayed on said screen; a site searching step of searching a site indicated by said location information letter/character string extracted by said location information letter/character string extracting step for generating latitude/longitude information for said site; a route searching step of searching a route reaching the latitude/longitude information of the site generated by said site searching step from a current site; a map picture generating step of generating a map picture including a totality of routes output by said route searching step; a text document correcting step of correcting the text document of the preset form for synthetically displaying the map picture generated at said map picture generating step in said text document of the preset form displayed on said screen; and a display step of newly displaying the text document of the preset form as corrected by said text document correcting step on said screen.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 218 words
A program tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium in which a text document of a preset form, arranged in a descriptive language, capable of burying at least picture information in the document, is demonstrated on a screen to permit a user to take out desired information, said method comprising: a location information letter/character string extracting step of automatically extracting a location information letter/character string in the text document of the preset form as displayed on said screen; a site searching step of searching a site indicated by said location information letter/character string extracted by said location information letter/character string extracting step for generating latitude/longitude information for said site; a route searching step of searching a route reaching the latitude/longitude information of the site generated by said site searching step from a current site; a map picture generating step of generating a map picture including a totality of routes output by said route searching step; a text document correcting step of correcting the text document of the preset form for synthetically displaying the map picture generated at said map picture generating step in said text document of the preset form displayed on said screen; and a display step of newly displaying the text document of the preset form as corrected by said text document correcting step on said screen.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 218 words
A program tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium in which a text document of a preset form, arranged in a descriptive language, capable of burying at least picture information in the document, is demonstrated on a screen to permit a user to take out desired information, said method comprising: a location information letter/character string extracting step of automatically extracting a location information letter/character string in the text document of the preset form as displayed on said screen; a site searching step of searching a site indicated by said location information letter/character string extracted by said location information letter/character string extracting step for generating latitude/longitude information for said site; a route searching step of searching a route reaching the latitude/longitude information of the site generated by said site searching step from a current site; a map picture generating step of generating a map picture including a totality of routes output by said route searching step; a text document correcting step of correcting the text document of the preset form for synthetically displaying the map picture generated at said map picture generating step in said text document of the preset form displayed on said screen; and a display step of newly displaying the text document of the preset form as corrected by said text document correcting step on said screen.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 208 words
An information processing apparatus in which a text document of a preset form, arranged in a descriptive language, capable of burying at least picture information in the document, is demonstrated on a screen to permit a user to take out desired information therefrom, said apparatus comprising: location information letter/character string extracting means for automatically extracting a location information letter/character string in the text document of the preset form as displayed on said screen; site searching means for searching a site indicated by said location information letter/character string extracted by said location information letter/character string extracting means for generating latitude/longitude information for said site; route searching means for searching a route reaching the latitude/longitude information of the site generated by said site searching means from a current site; map picture generating means for generating a map picture including a totality of routes output by said route searching means; and text document correcting means for correcting the text document of the preset form for synthetically displaying the map picture generated by said map picture generating means in said text document of the preset form displayed on said screen; wherein the text document of the preset form as corrected by said text document correcting means is newly displayed on said screen.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 208 words
An information processing apparatus in which a text document of a preset form, arranged in a descriptive language, capable of burying at least picture information in the document, is demonstrated on a screen to permit a user to take out desired information therefrom, said apparatus comprising: location information letter/character string extracting means for automatically extracting a location information letter/character string in the text document of the preset form as displayed on said screen; site searching means for searching a site indicated by said location information letter/character string extracted by said location information letter/character string extracting means for generating latitude/longitude information for said site; route searching means for searching a route reaching the latitude/longitude information of the site generated by said site searching means from a current site; map picture generating means for generating a map picture including a totality of routes output by said route searching means; and text document correcting means for correcting the text document of the preset form for synthetically displaying the map picture generated by said map picture generating means in said text document of the preset form displayed on said screen; wherein the text document of the preset form as corrected by said text document correcting means is newly displayed on said screen.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 31 words
The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the text document of the preset form, written in said descriptive language, is sent from an information supplying apparatus over a network.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 35 words
The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 wherein a browser for downloading said text document of the preset form from said information supplying apparatus over said network to meet the operator's intension is booted.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 31 words
The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said descriptive language is the HTML (Hypertext markup language) and wherein said text document of the preset form is an HTML document.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2009-01-30 2009-08-01 2010-01-31 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2013-01-30 2013-08-01 2014-01-31 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2017-01-30 2017-08-01 2018-01-31 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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