Abstract:
An information output network system includes: a route information storage unit that stores plural departure-and-arrival points in public transportation, and information on traveling routes in public transportation regarding the respective plural departure-and-arrival points; an input reception unit, provided in one of the departure-and-arrival points stored in the route information storage unit, that receives an input to specify at least one of the departure-and-arrival points stored in the route information storage unit; a search unit that searches for information on a traveling route from the departure-and-arrival point where the input reception unit is provided to the departure-and-arrival point received by the input reception unit, from the information stored in the route information storage unit; and a search result output unit that outputs the result of search by a search unit.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-181775 filed Jul. 11, 2007. 
       BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to an information output network system. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an information output network system including: a route information storage unit that stores plural departure-and-arrival points in public transportation, and information on traveling routes by the public transportation regarding the respective plural departure-and-arrival points; an input reception unit, provided in one of the departure-and-arrival points stored in the route information storage unit, that receives an input to specify at least one of the departure-and-arrival points stored in the route information storage unit; a search unit that searches for information on a traveling route from the departure-and-arrival point where the input reception unit is provided to the departure-and-arrival point received by the input reception unit, from the information stored in the route information storage unit; and a search result output unit that outputs a result of search by the search unit. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein: 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  illustrates the outline of an information output network system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a front view showing the outer appearance of an image forming apparatus; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing a configuration of the image forming apparatus; 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing processing (S 10 ) performed by the image forming apparatus for railroad transfer guidance; 
           [0009]      FIGS. 5 and 6  are examples of a transfer search screen displayed by a UI device; 
           [0010]      FIG. 7  is an example of a starting station setting screen displayed by the UI device; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 8  is an example of a modification of the transfer search screen displayed by the UI device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Next, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates the outline of an information output network system  1  according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The information output network system  1  has image forming apparatuses  10 - a  to  10 - i  and terminals  30 - a  to  30 - i  respectively provided at e.g. railroad stations a to i, and servers  40 - 1  to  40 - 3  and a terminal  42  provided at a data center  4 . The image forming apparatuses  10 - a  to  10 - i , the terminals  30 - a  to  30 - i , the servers  40 - 1  to  40 - 3  and the terminal  42  are interconnected via a network  5 . 
         [0014]    Note that the stations a to f are departure-and-arrival stations on an A line (route A), the stations g and h, departure-and-arrival stations on an H line (route H), and the station i, a departure-and-arrival station on an I line (route I). 
         [0015]    The image forming apparatuses  10 - a  to  10 - i  are multifunction apparatuses respectively having a printing function, a copying function, a facsimile transmission/reception function and a scanning function. The image forming apparatuses  10 - a  to  10 - i  are provided on e.g. platforms (or places) in the stations a to i, and output information on railroad traveling routes and the like (the details will be described using  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). Further, the image forming apparatuses  10 - a  to  10 - i , provided in different locations, have substantially the same configuration except settings. 
         [0016]    The terminals  30 - a  to  30 - i  are computers respectively having a display  32  and a speaker (not shown). The terminals  30 - a  to  30 - i  are provided in e.g. station staff rooms provided in the stations a to i. Further, the terminals  30 - a  to  30 - i , provided in different locations, have substantially the same configuration except settings. 
         [0017]    Hereinbelow, one of the plural constituent elements such as the image forming apparatuses  10 - a  to  10 - i  may be simply referred to as e.g. an “image forming apparatus  10 ”. 
         [0018]    The server  40 - 1  stores station names and position information of the stations a to i, information on railroad traveling routes regarding the stations a to i (necessary time between stations, fares, and numbers of transfer times etc.), and delivers the information in correspondence with access. The server  40 - 2  stores station local information (station map information, moving directions, ticket-vending machine operation guidance, shop information, goods information etc.) of the respective stations a to i, and delivers the information in correspondence with access. The server  40 - 3  stores information inputted from the image forming apparatuses  10 - a  to  10 - i  and the like, history information on processing results in the information output network system  1  and route condition information (on train delay, accident etc.), and delivers the information in correspondence with access. 
         [0019]    The terminal  42  is a computer including a display  44  and a speaker (not shown) and the like. The terminal  42  performs setting and control and the like with respect to the servers  40 - 1  to  40 - 3 . 
         [0020]    Next, the image forming apparatus  10  will be described in detail. 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is a front view showing the outer appearance of the image forming apparatus  10 .  FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing a configuration of the image forming apparatus  10 . 
         [0022]    The image forming apparatus  10  has e.g. a CPU  16 , a memory  17 , a storage device  18  such as a hard disk drive (HDD), an electrophotographic printer  19 , a communication interface (IF)  20  for data transmission/reception to/from the servers  40 - 1  to  40 - 3  and the terminals  30 - a  to  30 - i  and the like via the network  5 , a user interface (UI) device  21  having a touch panel, an image capturing device  22  such as a scanner, a speaker  23 , an accounting device  24  to charge a user (route user) a fare, and an authentication device  25  to authenticate the user. These constituent elements are interconnected via a control bus  26 . In this manner, the image forming apparatus  10  has a computer function. 
         [0023]    Note that the speaker  23  is capable of outputting an audio in accordance with control of the CPU  16 . The authentication device  25  reads information stored in e.g. an authentication card such as a non-contact IC card thereby performs authentication of a user who stores the card. 
         [0024]    Next, processing by the image forming apparatus  10  for railroad transfer guidance will be described. 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing processing (S 10 ) performed by the image forming apparatus  10  for railroad transfer guidance. 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , at step S 100 , when an input has not been received for continuous time via the UI device  21 , the CPU  16  displays a transfer search screen  60  as shown in  FIG. 5  via the UI device  21 . The transfer search screen  60  has an input reception key  62 , an input display  64 , a priority setting reception key  66 , a search start reception key  68  and the like. In the transfer search screen  60 , a station in which the image forming apparatus  10  is installed is displayed as a default starting station. 
         [0027]    The input reception key  62  receives an input of the name of an exit station. The input display  64  displays the received name of the exit station. The priority setting reception key  66  receives setting of a priority condition upon display of plural traveling routes by the UI device  21 . Note that as a default priority upon display of traveling routes, necessary time is set, and fare or the number of transfer times is set as a priority condition in correspondence with the result of reception via the priority setting reception key  66 . The search start reception key  68  receives the designation of start or cancellation of search under the condition inputted with respect to the transfer search screen  60 . 
         [0028]    At step S 102 , the CPU  16  receives an input of the exit station via the input reception key  62  of the UI device  21 , then the process proceeds to step S 104 . 
         [0029]    At step S 104 , the CPU  16  receives an instruction input for search start via the search start reception key  68  of the UI device  21 , then the process proceeds to step S 106 . 
         [0030]    At step S 106 , the CPU  16  accesses the servers  40 - 1  and  40 - 2  and searches for information on a traveling route from the starting station to the destination station (necessary time between the stations, the fare and the number of transfer times etc.) and searches for station local information (station map information, moving directions, shop information and goods information etc.) on the found traveling route. 
         [0031]    At step S 108 , as a search result, the CPU  16  displays a transfer guide screen  70  as shown in  FIG. 6  via the UI device  21 . The transfer guide screen  70  has a search result display  72 , a search result display change key  74 , a print instruction input key  76 , a ticket-vending machine operation guide key  78  and a staff call instruction input key  80  and the like. The transfer guide screen  70  sequentially displays plural traveling routes as the search result. 
         [0032]    The search result display  72  sequentially displays the obtained traveling route, the necessary time, the fare, the number of transfer times and moving direction guidance in transfer station and the like, by traveling route. The search result display change key  74  receives an instruction input to sequentially change the plural traveling routes. The print instruction input key  76  receives an instruction input to print a currently-displayed traveling route on the search result display  72  by the printer  19 . The ticket-vending machine operation guide key  78  receives information indicating that the user selects the currently-displayed traveling route on the search result display  72  as a search result, and receives an instruction input to display guidance of operation of the ticket-vending machine corresponding to the traveling route selected by the user by the UI device  21 . The staff call instruction input key  80  receives an instruction input to call station staff (station worker) to the position where the image forming apparatus  10  is installed. When the staff call instruction input key  80  is depressed, an E-mail or other information is transmitted to the terminal  42  (related information output unit), and station staff is called to the position where the image forming apparatus  10  is installed. 
         [0033]    At step S 110 , the CPU  16  receives an instruction input to print the currently-displayed traveling route on the search result display  72  via the print instruction key  76  of the UI device  21 , then the process proceeds to step S 112 . 
         [0034]    At step S 112 , the printer  19  prints the currently-displayed traveling route on the search result display  72  in accordance with the control of the CPU  16 . 
         [0035]    Note that in the above exemplary embodiment, the station in which the image forming apparatus  10  receiving the user&#39;s inputs is installed is a starting station. The search for traveling routes is performed without user&#39;s specifying a starting station. However, the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, it may be arranged such that a starting station setting screen  82  as shown in  FIG. 7  is displayed by the UI device  21 , and the user selects a traveling route from an arbitrary starting station. The starting station setting screen  82  has an input reception key  84  to receive an input of the name of starting station, a starting station display  86  to display the received name of starting station, and the like. 
         [0036]    Further, it may be arranged such that the starting station setting screen  82  is displayed on any one of the display  44  of the terminal  42  provided at the data center  4  and the display  32  of the terminals  30 - a  to  30 - i , and the default starting station (apparatus-installed station) in the image forming apparatus  10  is changed by station staff. 
         [0037]    Next, a modification of the transfer search screen  60  will be described. 
         [0038]      FIG. 8  is an example of the modification (transfer search screen  88 ) of the transfer search screen  60  displayed by the UI device  21 . 
         [0039]    Note that in the transfer search screen  88 , constituent elements substantially the same as those of the transfer search screen  60  shown in  FIG. 5  have the same reference numerals. 
         [0040]    As shown in  FIG. 8 , it may be arranged such that the UI device  21  displays the transfer search screen  88  having a route map display  90 , and when a user has selected one of the stations a to i in the route map display  90 , the UI device  21  displays the name of the selected station in the input display  64  and receives an input specifying a destination station. 
         [0041]    Further, it may be arranged such that the image forming apparatus  10  audio-outputs a search result and the like from the speaker  23  in place of display of search result obtained by accessing the servers  40 - 1  to  40 - 3  by the UI device  21 . Further, the image forming apparatus  10  may print-output the search result and the like by the printer  19 . 
         [0042]    Further, it may be arranged such that in the image forming apparatus  10 , when a user has selected a traveling route, the accounting device  24  performs accounting of the fare of the traveling route by cache or credit card, the printer  19  prints a ticket for the traveling route. 
         [0043]    Further, it may be arranged such that in the information output network system  1 , when the user searches for a traveling route, the authentication device  25  performs authentication of the user (acquisition of corresponding information), and information linking the user&#39;s search history with the result of user authentication is stored in the server  40 - 3  (corresponding information storage unit). When the user authentication (acquisition of corresponding information) is performed again on the same user at any one of the stations a to i on the traveling route, the UI device  21  may display the user&#39;s search history and route condition information (train delay, accident etc.). Note that the server  40 - 3  deletes the information indicating the linkage between the user&#39;s search history and the user authentication result at time of the user&#39;s arrival at the exit station on the traveling route selected from the search result, or after the elapse of one day. 
         [0044]    The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.