Patent ID: 8666371
Filing Date: 2014-03-04
Classification: G06Q,H04M,H04W

Abstract:
1. An information providing system, comprising: a plurality of communication devices each provided in a different location in a store; an information providing apparatus including a database to store information items each of which is associated with a certain location in the store; and a mobile terminal device carried by a shopper and configured to communicate by wireless communication with the communication devices and to communicate via a network with the information providing apparatus, wherein each of the communication devices is configured to send a response request to the mobile terminal device that is communicating with a corresponding communication device, to measure a response time between a timing when the response request is sent from the communication device to the mobile terminal device and a timing when a response to the response request is received from the mobile terminal device, and to send the measured response time to the information providing apparatus with the information indentifying the mobile terminal device; wherein the information providing apparatus is configured to determine a location of the mobile terminal device based on response times received from the plurality of communication devices, to retrieve an information item associated with the determined location of the mobile terminal device from the database, and to supply the retrieved information item to the mobile terminal device; wherein when the wireless communication is established between the mobile terminal device and one or more of the communication devices, the mobile terminal device receives the information item associated with the location of the mobile terminal device via the one or more of the communication devices and the wireless communication from the information providing apparatus; and wherein when the wireless communication with the communication devices is not available, the mobile terminal device receives an information item other than the information item associated with the location of the mobile terminal device via the network from the information providing apparatus.