Patent ID: 7933234

Claim:
A guide apparatus for transmitting guide information to a portable terminal for guiding a user of the portable terminal to a store the guide apparatus comprising: means for storing service information about a store providing a service and expected attribute information of an expected user for the service; means for receiving image data containing identification information to identify a first store, the image data being captured by and transmitted from the portable terminal; means for acquiring the identification information of the first store by analyzing the image data included in the data received by the means for receiving from the portable terminal to acquire the identification information of the first store included in the image data; means for retrieving first service information from the means for storing, based on the identification information acquired by the means for acquiring identification information; means for retrieving a plurality of second service information of a plurality of services provided at a second store located within a distance of a predetermined threshold from the first store, based on location information about the first store included in the first service information and location information about the second store included in the second service information; means for comparing attribute information of the user of the portable terminal with expected attribute information of an expected user of each of the plurality of the services provided at the second store, and for determining which services of the plurality of the services to offer to the user based on whether the attribute information of the user of the portable terminal matches the expected attribute information; means for selecting, from the plurality of second service information selected service information corresponding to the services determined to be offered to the user of the portable terminal by the means for comparing and determining; means for retrieving a route between the portable terminal and the first store, based on the first service information about the store included in the service information retrieved by the means for retrieving first service information; and means for transmitting to the portable terminal, information about the route retrieved by the means for retrieving the route and the selected service information retrieved by the means for selecting, as guide information about the services determined to be offered to the user of the portable terminal.