Method and device for providing information related to activity of user

An information providing device used in an information providing system including a mobile terminal and an information providing device, wherein,

• said mobile terminal transmits positional information representing a position of said mobile terminal to said information providing device, and outputs information received from said information providing device,
• said information providing device comprises:
• a communication circuit communicating with said mobile terminal,
• a first storage circuit storing schedule information representing a schedule to be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, and
• a control circuit connected to said communication circuit and said first storage circuit, and controlling said information providing device, and
• said control circuit includes a circuit controlling said communication circuit such that information related to an activity for executing said schedule is transmitted to said mobile terminal, based on said positional information received from said mobile terminal and said schedule infonnation stored in said first storage circuit,
• wherein,
• said schedule information includes location information representing an execution location where said schedule is executed and time information representing execution time at which said schedule is executed, and
• said control circuit includes:
• a circuit searching for a route of traveling from the position of said mobile temiinal to said execution location, based on said positional information and said location information,
• a circuit calculating time required for said traveling, based on said execution time and said route, and
• a circuit controlling said communication circuit such that information representing said route of traveling and information representing said time required for traveling are transmitted to said mobile tenninal;
• and further comprising:
• a second storage circuit storing event information in connection with a location where an event is held and time required for execution of the event,
• said control circuit further including
• a circuit calculating spare time before start of traveling based on time required for said traveling,
• a circuit conducting a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, from the event information stored in said second storage circuit, based on said spare time, said positional information, said location where the event is held, and said time required for execution of the event, and
• a circuit controlling said communication circuit such that event information representing the event retrieved as a result of said search is transmitted to said mobile terminal.

An information providing system, comprising a mobile terminal and an information providing device,

• said mobile terminal including:
• a communication means for communicating with said information providing device,
• a detection means for detecting a position of said mobile terminal,
• an output means for outputting information, and
• a control means connected to said communication means, said detection means and said output means, for controlling said mobile terminal,
• said control means including a means for controlling said detection means and said communication means such that positional infonnation representing a position of said mobile terminal is transmitted to said information providing device,
• said information providing device including
• a communication means for communicating with said mobile terminal,
• a first storage means for storing schedule information representing a schedule to be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, and
• a control means connected to said communication means and said first storage means, for controlling said information providing device,
• said control means of said information providing device including a means for controlling said communication means such that information related to an activity for executing said schedule is transmitted to said mobile terminal, based on said positional information received from said mobile terminal and said schedule information stored in said first storage means, and
• said control means of said mobile terminal further including a nieans for controlling said output means such that the information related to the activity for executing said schedule, received from said information providing device, is output, wherein,
• said schedule information includes location information representing an execution location where said schedule is executed, and time information representing execution time at which said schedule is executed, and
• said control means of said information providing device includes:
• a means for searching for a route of traveling from a position of said mobile terminal to said execution location, based on said positional information and said location information,
• a means for calculating time reciuired for said traveling, based on said execution time and said route, and
• a means for controlling said communication means such that information representing said route of traveling and information representing said time reciuired for traveling are transmitted to said mobile terminal, wherein
• said information providing device further includes a second storage means for storing event information in connection with a location where an event is held and time required for execution of the event, and
• said control means of said information providing device further includes
• a means for calculating spare time before start of traveling, based on said time required for traveling,
• a means for conducting a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, from the event information stored in said second storage means, based on said spare time, said positional information, said location where the event is held, and said time required for execution of the event, and
• a means for controlling said communication nieans such that event information representing the event retrieved as a result of said search to said mobile terminal.

An information providing device used in an information providing system including a mobile terminal and the information providing device, wherein:

• said mobile terminal transmits positional information representing a position of said mobile terminal to said information providing device, and outputs information received from said information providing device,
• said information providing device further includes:
• a communication means for communicating with said mobile terminal,
• a first storage means for storing schedule information representing a schedule to be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, and
• a control means connected to said communication means and said first storage means, for controlling said information providing device, and
• said control means includes a means for controlling said communication means such that information related to an activity for executing said schedule is transmitted to said mobile terminal, based on said positional information received from said mobile terminal and said schedule information stored in said first storage means,
• said schedule information includes location information representing an execution location where said schedule is executed, and time information representing execution time at which said schedule is executed, and
• said control means includes:
• a means for searching for a route of traveling from a position of said mobile terminal to said execution location, based on said positional information and said location information,
• a means for calculating time required for said traveling, based on said execution time and said route, and
• a means for controlling said communication means such that information representing said route of traveling and information representing said time required for traveling are transmitted to said mobile terminal, and
• further comprising a second storage means for storing event information in connection with a location where an event is held and time required for execution of the event,
• said control means further including
• a means for calculating spare time before start of traveling, based on said time required for traveling,
• a means for conducting a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, from the event information stored in said second storage means, based on said spare time, said positional infonnation, said location where the event is held, and said time required for execution of the event, and
• a means for controlling said communication means such that event information representing the event retrieved as a result of said search is transmitted to said mobile terminal.

An information providing method providing a mobile terminal with information, comprising the steps of:

• preparing schedule information representing a schedule to be executed by a user of said mobile terminal,
• receiving positional information representing a position of said mobile terminal from said mobile terminal,
• generating information related to an activity for executing said schedule, based on said positional information received at said step of receiving the positional information and based on said schedule information prepared at said step of preparing the schedule information, and
• transmitting said information related to the activity generated at said step of generating information related to the activity to said mobile terminal,
• said schedule information includes location information representing an execution location where said schedule is executed and time information representing execution time at which said schedule is executed,
• said step of generating information related to the activity includes the steps of:
• searching for a route of traveling from the position of said mobile terminal to said execution location, based on said positional information and said location information, and
• calculating time required for said traveling, based on said execution time and said route, and
• said step of transmitting information related to the activity includes the step of transmitting, to said mobile terminal, information representing said route of traveling and information representing said time required for said traveling,
• further comprising the step of preparing event information in connection with a location where an event is held and time required for execution of the event,
• said step of generating information related to the activity further including the steps of
• calculating spare time before start of traveling based on time required for said traveling, and
• conducting a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, from said prepared event information, based on said spare time, said positional information, said location where the event is held and said time required for execution of the event,
• said step of transmitting information related to the activity further including the step of transmitting event information representing the event retrieved as a result of said search to said mobile terminal.

A computer-readable recording medium in which a program implementing an information providing method providing a mobile terminal with information is recorded, wherein:

• said information providing method includes the steps of:
• preparing schedule information representing a schedule to be executed by a user of said mobile terminal,
• receiving positional information representing a position of said mobile terminal from said mobile terminal,
• generating information related to an activity for executing said schedule, based on said positional information received at said step of receiving the positional information and based on said schedule information prepared at said step of preparing the schedule information, and
• transmitting, to said mobile terminal, said information related to the activity generated at said step of generating information related to the activity, wherein,
• said schedule information includes location information representing an execution location where said schedule is executed and time information representing execution time at which said schedule is executed,
• said step of generating information related to the activity includes the steps of:
• searching for a route of traveling from the position of said mobile terminal to said execution location, based on said positional information and said location information, and
• calculating time required for said traveling based on said execution time and said route, and
• said step of transmitting information related to the activity includes the step of transmitting, to said mobile terminal, information representing said route of traveling and information representing said time required for traveling, wherein
• said information providing method further includes the step of preparing event information in connection with a location where an event is held and time required for execution of the event,
• said step of generating information related to the activity further includes the steps of
• calculating spare time before start of traveling, based on said time required for traveling, and
• conducting a search for an event that can be executed by a user of said mobile terminal, from said prepared event information, based on said spare time, said positional information, said location where the event is held, and said time required for execution of the event, and
• said step of transmitting said information related to the activity further includes the step of transmitting event infonnation representing the event retrieved as a result of said search to said mobile terminal.

A method of providing information to a mobile terminal comprising the steps of:

• storing a schedule comprising at least one entry including a location and a time for the user to be at the location;
• receiving positional information of the mobile terminal;
• determining, from the at least one entry and a current time, a departure time at which travel to the location of the at least one entry must commence;
• determining an amount of free time available before the departure time;
• searching for an event based on the positional infomiation of the mobile terminal and the determined free time;
• and
• if an event is found, transmitting information concerning the event to the mobile terminal.