Patent ID: RE41174

Claim:
An information retrieval apparatus for retrieving information from a remote data base which contains registration data including position data, image data and designation information for retrieval of additional information , said remote data base comprising image information for a plurality of images, and at least corresponding location data, comprising: imaging means for obtaining an image; location detection means for detecting a current position location of said information retrieval apparatus; and imaging means for obtaining an image at the current position location of the information retrieval apparatus; and selection means for selecting image data from said data base which corresponds to the image obtained by said imaging means, said image data having position data representing positions in the vicinity of the current position location detected by said location detection means, and said designation information corresponding to said image data for retrieving said additional information for determining a limited portion of the remote data base based on the current position location of the information retrieval apparatus and for searching the limited portion of the remote data base to acquire image information corresponding to a number of images based on the obtained image from the imaging means .