Beacon-based electronic guide system

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention pertains to providing location-specific information. More particularly, this invention relates to a beacon-based electronic guide system that provides information about landmarks associated with a specific location.

#2. Description of the Related Art

#FIG. 1 illustrates a beacon-based electronic guide system that implements one embodiment of the present invention, wherein the system includes a fixed-location beacon and a moving client device.

#FIG. 2 shows one organization of the descriptive information broadcast by the beacon of FIG. 1.

#FIG. 3 shows another organization of the descriptive information broadcast by the beacon of FIG. 1.

#FIG. 1 shows a beacon-based electronic guide (i.e., e-guide) system 10 that implements one embodiment of the present invention. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the guide system 10 is used to electronically provide descriptive information of a nearby landmark at which the user of the system 10 is looking.

#In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the guide system 10 includes an e-guide beacon 11, an e-guide client device 12, and a viewing direction sensor 33. The beacon 11 is located adjacent to a location which is associated with a number of landmarks 15 that are viewable from the location, and is used to transmit electronic signals containing descriptive information and viewing direction information of each of the landmarks 15. The client device 12 is physically separated from the beacon 11, and is used to receive the electronic signals containing the descriptive and viewing direction information of the landmarks 15 when within a transmission range of the beacon 11. The viewing direction sensor 33 determines the viewing direction of the user to cause the client device 12 to provide the user with only the descriptive information of one of the landmarks 15 at which the user is looking.

#During operation, the beacon 11 transmits or broadcasts electronic signals containing the descriptive and viewing direction information of the landmarks 15. When client device 12 is placed by a user in the transmission range of the beacon 11, the client device 12 receives the electronic signals. The client device 12 also receives the viewing direction information of the user from the viewing direction sensor 33. The client device 12 then only provides the descriptive information of one of the landmarks 15 whose viewing direction substantially matches the viewing direction of the user.