JPH09167166A - Information retrieval device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] (Correction) [Problem] Realization of a device that easily retrieves appropriate information according to the situation. SOLUTION: A position detecting means 101 outputs a current position, a clocking means 102 outputs a current time, a condition generating means 103 dynamically changes the search condition using these outputs, and an information extracting means 105 is suitable. Output information.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for selecting information desired by a user from a plurality of pieces of information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a method has been used in which a user inputs a search condition when a user wants to retrieve necessary information from a large amount of information stored in a database or the like.

For example, when retrieving patent information or the like, a classification code, a keyword, or the like is specified, or a logical operation expression of these is input.

However, when dealing with more familiar information such as a restaurant where lunch can be eaten, it is important to be able to search easily. In the past, the input method was different, but essentially the user had to specify the search conditions. For example, when selecting a store to go for lunch today, it was necessary to input the current position of the user. For example, by selecting “Osaka Prefecture”, “Moriguchi City”, and “Nishisanso” in order from the menu, the search range is specified.

[0005]

In the prior art, it was necessary to input information such as the current position of the user in order to narrow down the necessary information candidates. This work is extremely complicated, and when the amount of information to be output is very large, it has been difficult to select an appropriate one from among them. In addition, if the search target is a time-dependent object such as a bus schedule, it is desirable that the search can be performed quickly.

[0006]

An information retrieval apparatus of the present invention comprises a situation detecting means for detecting and outputting a situation, a condition generating means connected to the situation detecting means and the information extracting means for outputting a retrieval condition, and a candidate. Information accumulating means for accumulating information, a condition generating means, an information extracting means connected to the condition accumulating means and extracting and outputting appropriate information from the candidate accumulating means as a candidate according to a search condition outputted by the condition generating means, and an information extracting means. And information presenting means for presenting the output of the information extracting means to the user.

In the present invention, the status detecting means detects the status information, the condition generating means creates the search condition from the status information and the candidate output from the information search device, and the information extracting means accumulates the candidates satisfying the search condition. The information stored in the means is selected and output as a candidate, and the information presenting means presents the candidate to the user.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. First, a first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the embodiment.

In the figure, reference numeral 101 is a position detecting means.
The situation detecting means 101 outputs the current position P = (x, y) of the device. The position detecting means 101 is used in, for example, a car navigation system or the like, and outputs the latitude and longitude G
It is PS (Global Positioning System). Alternatively, the present station or service area may be recognized and its ID may be output.

Reference numeral 102 is a time measuring means. Clock means 102
Outputs the current time T and the day of the week. The timekeeping means 102 uses the current time, date, year of the week, information such as the day of the week, calendar such as the day of Daian or the ox for the earth, or a combination thereof to obtain the current time T.
May be output as. The time measuring means is, for example, a clock.

Reference numeral 103 is a condition generating means. The condition generating means 103 inputs the current position output by the position detecting means 101 and the current time T output by the clocking means 102. The condition generating means 103 outputs a condition to be satisfied by the information requested by the user as a search condition. The search condition is, for example, “there is within 2 km from the position P and from time T to one hour”.

Reference numeral 104 is a candidate storage means. The candidate storage means 104 stores an operation table of public transportation and the like. For example, "which train goes to which station at what time" is stored as one element. Each element also includes the location of each candidate as an attribute. The candidate accumulating means 103 is a secondary storage such as a hard disk of a computer or a CD-ROM.

Reference numeral 105 is an information extracting means. The information extraction unit 105 extracts information satisfying the search conditions output by the condition generation unit 103 from the candidate storage unit 104, and outputs the extracted result as a candidate. "A train within 2 km from position P and departing from time T by 1 hour"
Is output as a candidate.

Reference numeral 106 is an information presenting means. The information presenting means 106 presents to the user by displaying the candidates output by the information extracting means 105. Information presenting means 106
Is, for example, a liquid crystal display or a CRT display.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the flow chart. FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation of the first embodiment.

(Step 201) The position detecting means 101 detects the current position P. (Step 202) The clock means 102 outputs the current time T. For example, if 13:20 at present, T = 13: 20.

(Step 203) Based on the current position P and the current time T obtained in Steps 201 and 202, the condition generating means 103 generates the search condition Q. The search condition is, for example, “within 2 km from the position P, and 12:
Between 00 and 13:00 ".

(Step 204) Based on the search condition Q obtained in step 203, the information extraction means 105 extracts information, which satisfies the search condition, from the candidate storage means 104 as a candidate. "It is within 2 km from the position P, and 12:
A list of trains departing from "00 to 13:00" is extracted.

(Step 205) If the candidate obtained in step 204 is appropriate, the process proceeds to step 207. The determination condition of suitability is, for example, that the number of obtained candidates is a certain number or more, or is less than a certain number. Alternatively, a weighted sum of evaluation values of how appropriate each candidate is may be used.

(Step 206) The search condition Q used in Step 203 is corrected, and Step 204 is proceeded to. For example, if it is determined in step 205 that the candidate is not suitable due to the small number of candidates, the search condition is loosened. For example, if the distance included in the search condition Q is 2k
Increase from m to 3 km.

(Step 207) The information presenting means 106 displays the candidates obtained by the information extracting means 105.

As described above, the condition generating means 103 automatically generates the search condition according to the situation such as the current position, and when the result of the search is not appropriate, the search condition is corrected so that the search condition is not input by the user. It is possible to realize an operation information search device that obtains an appropriate search result according to the situation.

Next, a second embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the embodiment.

Reference numeral 301 is a position detecting means. The position detecting means 301 may be the same as the position detecting means 101 of the first embodiment.

Reference numeral 302 is a time measuring means. Clock means 302
May be the same as the timing means 102 of the first embodiment.

Reference numeral 303 is a destination input means. The destination input means 303 obtains a place (destination) desired by the user and outputs the destination. As a specific input method, a method of pointing to a point on the map displayed on the screen, tracing the hierarchical structure of the menu, or inputting with a keyboard can be considered.

Reference numeral 304 is a route storage means. The route storage means 304 stores information indicating the connection of transportation networks. For example, a route map showing which stations are connected to each other is stored.

Reference numeral 305 is a route search means. The route search means 305 outputs the destination output from the destination input means 303,
The current position P output from the position detection means 301 is input. The route search unit 305 searches for a route starting from one or a plurality of stations near the current position with respect to the destination output from the destination input unit 303, using the information stored in the route storage unit 304, The route of the search result is output.

Reference numeral 306 is a condition generating means. The condition generation unit 306 outputs the current position output from the position detection unit 301,
The current time T output by the time counting means 302 and the route output by the route searching means 305 are input. Condition generating means 30
Reference numeral 6 outputs a condition to be satisfied by the information requested by the user as a search condition. If the starting station on the input route is S =, the search condition is, for example, “a train departing at the station Si within 30 minutes from the current time T”.

Reference numeral 307 is a candidate accumulating means. The candidate accumulating means 307 may be the same as the candidate accumulating means 104 of the first invention.

Reference numeral 308 is an information extracting means. The information extracting means 308 may be the same as the information extracting means 105 in the first embodiment.

Reference numeral 309 is an information presenting means. The information presenting means 309 may be the same as the information presenting means 105 in the first embodiment.

Next, the operation of the second embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the flow chart. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the second embodiment.

(Step 401) The position detecting means 301 detects the current position P. Step 401 may be similar to step 201 of the first invention.

(Step 402) The clock means 302 outputs the current time T. Step 402 may be similar to step 202 of the first invention.

(Step 403) The user inputs the destination using the destination input means 303.

(Step 404) The route search means 305 approaches the current position P output by the position detection means 301 1
One or a plurality of stations S = is selected using the information stored in the route storage means 304.

(Step 405) The route searching means 305 uses the information stored in the route accumulating means 304 to obtain the route to the destination inputted in step 403 from the one or more stations S selected in step 404 as a starting point. Search using.

(Step 406) The station inappropriate as the route is removed from S to obtain S '=. (Step 407) Based on the station S ′ and the current time T obtained in steps 401 and 406, the condition generating means 30
6 generates a search condition Q. The search condition is, for example, "station S '.
i, between 12:00 and 13:00 ”.

(Step 408) Based on the search condition Q obtained in step 407, the information extraction means 308 extracts the information satisfying the search condition from the candidate storage means 307 as a candidate. A list of trains departing from "12:00 to 13:00 at station S'i" is extracted.

(Step 409) If the candidate obtained in step 408 is appropriate, the process proceeds to step 411. The determination condition of suitability is, for example, that the number of obtained candidates is a certain number or more, or is less than a certain number. Alternatively, a weighted sum of evaluation values of how appropriate each candidate is may be used.

(Step 410) The search condition Q used in step 407 is modified, and the process proceeds to step 408. For example, when it is determined in step 409 that the candidates are not suitable due to the small number of candidates, the search condition is loosened.

(Step 411) The information presenting means 309 displays the candidates obtained by the information extracting means 308. Next, a third embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the embodiment.

Reference numeral 501 is a position detecting means. The position detecting means 501 may be the same as the position detecting means 101 of the first embodiment.

Reference numeral 502 is a time measuring means. Timing means 502
May be the same as the timing means 102 of the first embodiment.

Reference numeral 503 is a condition generating means. The condition generating means 503 inputs the current position output by the position detecting means 501 and the current time T output by the clocking means 502. The condition generating means 503 outputs, as a search condition, a condition to be satisfied by the information requested by the user. The search condition is, for example, “within 200 m from the position P and operating before and after the time T”.

Reference numeral 504 is a candidate accumulating means. Town information such as restaurant information is stored in the candidate accumulating unit 504. Each stored element also includes the location of each information as an attribute.

Reference numeral 505 is an information extracting means. The information extracting means 505 may be the same as the information extracting means 502 of the first embodiment. The information extraction means 505 is a condition generation means 503.
Information that satisfies the search condition output by the candidate accumulating unit 504
And output the extracted result as a candidate.
The list of “restaurants within 200 m from position P and operating around time T” is output as a candidate.

Reference numeral 506 is an information presenting means. The information presenting means 505 may be the same as the information extracting means 106 of the first embodiment.

Next, the operation of the third embodiment of the invention will be described based on the flowchart. FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the operation of the third embodiment.

(Step 601) The position detecting means 501 detects the current position P. (Step 602) The time measuring means 502 outputs the current time T. For example, if it is 12:05 at present, T = 12: 05.

(Step 603) The condition generating means 503 generates the search condition Q based on the current position P and the current time T obtained in the steps 601 and 602. The search condition is, for example, “within 200 m from the position P, and 1
It is open around 2:05. "

(Step 604) Based on the search condition Q obtained in step 603, the information extracting means 505 extracts the information satisfying the search condition from the candidate accumulating means 504 as a candidate. "It is within 200m from position P, and 1
A list of restaurants that are open around 2:05 is generated.

(Step 605) If the candidate obtained in step 604 is appropriate, the process proceeds to step 607. The determination condition of suitability is, for example, that the number of obtained candidates is a certain number or more, or is less than a certain number. Alternatively, a weighted sum of evaluation values of how appropriate each candidate is may be used.

(Step 606) The search condition Q used in step 603 is corrected, and the process proceeds to step 604. For example, when it is determined in step 605 that the candidates are not suitable due to the small number of candidates, the search condition is loosened. For example, the distance included in the search condition Q is increased.

(Step 607) The information presenting means 506 displays the candidates obtained by the information extracting means 505.

As described above, the condition generating means 503 automatically generates the search condition according to the situation such as the current position, and when the result of the search is not appropriate, the search condition is corrected so that the search condition is not input by the user. It is possible to realize a town information search device that obtains an appropriate search result according to the situation.

Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the embodiment.

Reference numeral 701 is a position detecting means. The position detecting means 701 may be the same as the position detecting means 101 of the first embodiment.

Reference numeral 702 is a time measuring means. Clock means 702
May be the same as the timing means 102 of the first embodiment.

Reference numeral 703 is a selection input means. The selection input unit 703 obtains selection information indicating which one the user has selected from the one or more candidates output by the information extraction unit 707. The selection input means is a key on the keyboard or a touch panel on the screen.

Reference numeral 704 is a preference acquisition means. The preference acquisition unit 704 inputs the candidate information output by the information extraction unit 707 and the selection information output by the selection input unit 703 indicating which candidate has been selected. The preference acquisition unit 704 grasps the user's preference based on which candidate information the user selects,
The preference information that characterizes the preference is output. For example, when the user often selects information about beer halls and taverns, he recognizes that "bar" is his favorite, and outputs that information as preference information.

Reference numeral 705 is a condition generating means. The condition generating means 705 outputs the current position output from the position detecting means 701,
The current time T output by the clocking means 702 and the preference information output by the preference acquisition means 704 are input. The condition generation means 705 outputs the condition that the information desired by the user should satisfy as the search condition. For example, the search condition is “a bar within a distance of 200 m from the position P and operating around the time T”.

Reference numeral 706 is a candidate storage means. The candidate accumulating unit 706 may be the same as the candidate accumulating unit 104 of the first invention.

Reference numeral 707 is an information extracting means. The information extracting means 707 may be the same as the information extracting means 105 in the first embodiment.

Reference numeral 708 is an information presenting means. The information presenting means 708 may be the same as the information presenting means 105 in the first embodiment.

Next, the operation of the fourth embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the flowchart. FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the operation of the fourth embodiment.

(Step 801) The position detecting means 701 detects the current position P. Step 801 may be similar to step 201 of the first invention.

(Step 802) The clock means 702 outputs the current time T. Step 802 may be similar to step 202 of the first invention.

(Step 803) The condition generating means 705 creates a search condition from the position P calculated in step 801, the current time T calculated in the step 802, and the preference information output from the preference acquisition means 704. The difference from the third embodiment is that
In this step, the user's preference is dynamically reflected in the search condition.

(Step 804) Based on the search condition Q obtained in step 803, the information extraction means 707 extracts the information satisfying the search condition from the candidate storage means 706 as a candidate.

(Step 805) If the candidate obtained in step 804 is appropriate, the process moves to step 807.

(Step 806) The search condition Q used in step 804 is corrected, and the process proceeds to step 804.

(Step 807) The information presenting means 708 displays the candidates obtained by the information extracting means 707.

(Step 808) The user selects from the candidates displayed in Step 807 by the selection input means 703 (Step 809) The user's preference is automatically obtained by observing the candidate selected in Step 808. , Go to step 801.

[0076]

As described above, it is possible to easily obtain more appropriate information by automatically using the information such as the current position and the current time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation flowchart of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an operation flowchart of the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an operation flowchart of the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 Position Detecting Means 102 Clocking Means 103 Condition Generating Means 104 Candidate Accumulating Means 105 Information Extracting Means 106 Information Presenting Means

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A situation detecting means for detecting a present situation and outputting situation information, a condition producing means connected to the situation detecting means and the information extracting means for producing and outputting a retrieval condition, and storing candidate information. Candidate storage means, the information extraction means connected to the condition generation means and the candidate storage means and extracting and outputting appropriate information from the candidate storage means as extraction candidates, and the information extraction means connected to the information extraction means And an information presenting unit for presenting the output to the user, the search condition being generated depending on the situation information input by the condition generating unit and the extraction candidate input, and the search condition input by the information extracting unit. Information retrieval characterized in that the information stored in the candidate accumulating means that satisfies the above is selected and output as an extraction result, and the information indicating means presents the extraction result output by the information extracting means. Location. 2. The information retrieving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the status detecting means is modified so as to output the current position and the current time of the status detecting means. 3. Position detecting means for outputting a current position, time measuring means for outputting a current time, condition generating means connected to the position detecting means and the time measuring means for generating and outputting a search condition, and operation information. A candidate accumulating means for accumulating the information, the condition generating means and the candidate accumulating means, the information extracting means for extracting and outputting appropriate operation information as an extraction candidate from the candidate accumulating means, and the information extracting means for connection. An information presenting means for presenting the output of the information extracting means to the user, generating a search condition depending on the current position and the current time input by the condition generating means, and the search input by the information extracting means. The operation information stored in the candidate accumulating means satisfying the conditions is selected and output as an extraction result, and the information presenting means presents the extraction candidates output by the information extracting means. That operating information retrieval apparatus. 4. A destination input means for acquiring and outputting a destination, a route accumulating means for accumulating route information, a position detecting means, the destination inputting means, and the route accumulating means to a destination. 5. The operation information retrieving apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: a route retrieving unit that obtains and outputs the route, and an output of the reroute searching unit is added to an input of the condition generating unit. 5. A position detecting means for outputting a current position, a time measuring means for outputting a current time, a condition generating means connected to the position detecting means and the time measuring means for generating and outputting a search condition, and town information. A candidate accumulating means for accumulating, an information extracting means connected to the condition generating means and the candidate accumulating means for extracting and outputting appropriate town information as an extraction candidate from the candidate accumulating means, and connected to the information extracting means, An information presenting means for presenting the output of the information extracting means to the user, generating a search condition depending on the current position and the current time input by the condition generating means, and the search input by the information extracting means. The town information stored in the candidate accumulating unit that satisfies the condition is selected and output as an extraction result, and the information presenting unit presents the extraction candidate output by the information extracting unit. Town information retrieval apparatus according to symptoms. 6. A selection input means for obtaining and outputting a selection result of the user for the extraction result presented by the information presenting means, and an output of the selection input means and an output of the information extracting means as inputs to the user's preference. 6. The town information search device according to claim 5, further comprising: a preference acquisition unit that learns to output the preference information, and adds the output of the preference acquisition unit to the input of the condition generation unit.