Patent ID: 7650287

Claim:
A regional attribute determination system for determining a regional attribute representing an attribute of people gathering in a particular region, the system comprising: an input device; a display device; a processor; a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device and the input device to: (a) acquire first user information including a first location and a first attribute of a first user from a first portable information terminal device used by the first user; (b) acquire second user information including a second location and a second attribute of a second user from a second portable information terminal device used by the second user; (c) store: the first user information of the first user; and (ii) the second user information of the second user, wherein: (i) the stored first user information is updated in real time every time the first user performs information retrieval; and (ii) the stored second user information is updated in real time every time the second user performs information retrieval; (d) calculate a first effect on a region by multiplying a first power of influence, the first power of influence being based on said first attribute, wherein said first effect is: (i) produced by said first user; (ii) calculated using a regional attribute defining function; (iii) reduced as said first user moves away from said region; and (e) calculate a second effect on the region by multiplying a second power of influence, the second power of influence being based on said second attribute, wherein said second effect is: (i) produced by said second user; (ii) calculated using a regional attribute defining function; (iii) reduced as said second user moves away from said region; and (f) determine the regional attribute by combining: (i) the first calculated effect on each region produced by the first user; and (ii) the second calculated effect on each region produced by the second user.