WO2002041173A2

WO2002041173A2 - Meta position information service

Info

Publication number: WO2002041173A2
Application number: PCT/EP2001/013197
Authority: WO
Inventors: Reinhard M. Nikschick; Ralf Lentering; Jochen Wander
Original assignee: Interway Informationssysteme Gmbh
Priority date: 2000-11-15
Filing date: 2001-11-14
Publication date: 2002-05-23
Also published as: AU2002219102A1; DE10056519A1; WO2002041173A3

Abstract

The invention relates, in general, to systems and services for providing position-related information, especially by means of data communication, on inquiries transmitted by data communication. The invention thus relates to a meta position information service (28) which is associated with a plurality of position information services (26) and/or object information services and which names, following a position-related inquiry, at least one possible position information service or object information service (as long as it is available) which is likely to provide relevant position-related or object-related information in answer to an inquiry about said position.

Description

Meta Location Information Service

^~ Description

The invention relates generally to systems and methods for giving location-related information to requests transmitted to a service or a system, in particular for giving location-related information by means of data communication to requests transmitted by data communication.

At the latest since the introduction of WAP-capable mobile phones and WAP-enabled mobile phone radio networks, the topic of "giving location-based information" has become very important. Usually, location-based information is marketed via WAP via a so-called location information service (SID), which is also known in the field under the name LBS (Location Based Service) and comprises, for example, the following components or is implemented, for example, on the basis of these components:

A system for capturing data and location coordinates for information objects, which has a database for content with the possibility of geocoding. Geocoding includes, for example, the geocoding of addresses in such a way that a postal (or verbal)

Location information (name of the object, city, postcode, street, house number) is assigned a geographical location information consisting of exact coordinates (such as longitude and latitude). Such geocoding can be done automatically or manually.

A web server connected to the content database. From a WAP-capable terminal, for example a cell phone (cell phone), data can be called up from the web server via a WAP gateway, for example. To process the WAP request, the web server can, for example, call up CGI scripts and access the content database. A location information service is particularly advantageously identified via its URL (Universal Resource Location). The geographic position of the requester (of the end device) can be done by integrated GPS technology, evaluation of internal information of the cellular network infrastructure or in the simplest case by manual entry of the location by the user. The CGI scripts can, for example, control user guidance that generates WML pages. Furthermore, the software for content research can be controlled by CGI scripts.

When requesting data, the requestor (WAP client) specifies the desired geographical area (query region) by providing query coordinates (if not determined automatically) and the radius of action. Furthermore, the WAP client can limit the type of information desired by specifying the content (for example, selecting data categories, setting query filters).

Such systems are operated heterogeneously and independently of one another (autonomously) by different providers. For a large city, a large number of SIDs will often be used to query location-related information, although several SIDs can provide essentially similar information (regarding the same data category, e.g. locations of petrol stations, telephone booths, hotels, etc.), but on the other hand There may also be specialized SIDs for different subject areas, which for example specialize in restaurants and hotels on the one hand and traffic information (petrol stations, workshops, traffic information etc.) on the other. The independent operation of the individual SIDs results in various disadvantages for both the provider and the user. The users have to know the data communication addresses, possibly URLs, of different SIDs and systematize them according to geographical regions and data categories in order to be able to use their offers. This is made difficult and practically impossible to implement in practice because many SIDs are limited to certain regions and cannot provide information for other regions. For example, a SID known to the Hamburg region regarding a data category of interest to the user when visiting Munich or Berlin will not be able to provide appropriate information for this other city. Certainly there will be another SID in Munich or Berlin that could give the user the desired information. The data communication address, possibly URL, of this SID will often not be known to the user.

Classic Internet search engines or WAP search engines are of no help here, because they do not support the search for regionally related information due to their word-oriented way of working. The inclusion of location membership descriptors, which may come to mind, could possibly result in a certain improvement of the search options using classic search engines, but will not be able to provide real location-related information due to the lack of verbal description options for regions, local borders and overlaps between regions. In addition, the content providers would have to register their offered information in various search engines. There is also the problem that the knowledge of the users and the content of search engines quickly become obsolete due to the dynamics in this area. The search result, which is at most moderate in principle anyway, also depends on the frequency of inquiries and the type of trial strategy. The invention relates to a plurality of location information systems or location information services of the type explained above. The invention relates more generally to a plurality of location information systems, each of which comprises:

a 1) an electronically addressable data storage device for storing data relating to information objects, which identify the information objects and their geographical location or / and a geographic relevance area assigned to the information objects;

a2) a data maintenance device implemented on the basis of a computer system for at least one maintenance of the data stored by the data storage device, which includes storing data, changing data and deleting data;

a3) a query response device implemented on the basis of a / the computer system, which is designed to read out data from the data storage device at least as a function of at least one geographical query location or geographical query area assigned to the respective query for automated answering of a query transmitted to the location information system by data communication and provide response data based on the read data;

a4) a data communication interface assigned to the query answering device, which is designed to automatically receive incoming requests to the location information system via data communication and to forward them automatically to the query answering device for further processing and to generate responses generated thereon by the query answering device. Automatically transmit words via data communication to a data communication address assigned to the respective request.

In order to at least partially solve the problems resulting from the heterogeneous and independent operation of several location information systems, the invention proposes to provide at least one meta-location information system associated with the location information systems, which comprises:

b1) an electronically addressable data storage device for storing data relating to the assigned location information systems, which each indicate at least one assigned data communication address for the location information systems and for the location information systems for identification, for which geographical locations and / or for which geographical area or for which geographical areas the respective location information system can give relevant location-related information based on the data stored in its data storage device, in each case indicate at least one assigned geographic relevance area and / or assigned geographic locations, the geographic location or / and the geographic relevance areas of information objects reflect for which data is stored in the data storage device of the respective location information system;

b2) a data maintenance device implemented on the basis of a computer system for at least one maintenance of the data stored by the data storage device, which includes storing data, changing data and deleting data, the

Data maintenance device is designed on the basis of those provided by the assigned location information systems Update data to automatically update the data stored in the data storage device;

b3) a query response device implemented on the basis of a / the computer system, which is designed to automatically answer a query transmitted by data communication to the meta-location information system, data from the data storage device at least as a function of at least one geographic query location assigned to the respective query or geographic query area and to provide response data based on the read-out data, which specify at least one, if any, several of those location information systems at least by specifying at least one data communication address assigned to the respective location information system, which can be shown in the

Data storage device of the meta-location information system can give data for the geographic request location or geographical request area based on the data stored in the data storage device of the respective location information system according to the request relevant location-related information (in the following these location information systems are addressed as relevant location information systems);

b4) a data communication interface assigned to the query answering device, which is designed to automatically receive incoming requests to the meta-location information system via data communication and to forward them to the query answering device for further processing in an automated manner and generated thereon by the query answering device

Answers via data communication automatically to one of the respective to transmit the data communication address assigned to the request.

For the location information systems that are assigned to the meta-location information system, it is proposed that they each have:

a5) an update data provision device which is designed to provide update data for the update of the data stored in the data storage device of the meta-location information system, the update data by means of the data maintenance device of the meta-location information system being used to automatically update the data stored in the meta-location information system Enable location information system stored data according to the data stored in the data storage device of the respective location information system.

The plurality of location information systems and the at least one meta-location information system assigned to them together form, as it were, a "system for giving location-related information by means of data communication on requests transmitted on the data communication". It should be pointed out that the groups of features a2), b2) and a5) mentioned or proposed above make it possible to maintain a high utility value of the system due to the possibilities for data maintenance and updating, but ultimately in the context of the invention in its most general form not necessarily have to be realized.

By requesting the Meta-Location Information System (here also called Meta-SID or SID-Guide and possibly also referred to as DLP (Dynamic Location Portal)), a user at any location can receive the location information systems (SID) that are relevant for this location Can give location information. The user therefore only needs that Data communication address (possibly URL) of the Meta-SID. The user can inquire at the same Meta-SID at any place or in any city (for example in Hamburg, Berlin and Munich) in order to get relevant location information systems including their communication address or a corresponding data communication link to get offered. This enables the user to receive and use location-related information specifically when he needs it specifically, namely when he is in a city or in a region in which he is not very familiar.

The advantage for SID providers is that their offer reaches a larger target group, especially those potential users who are particularly dependent on location-related information due to a lack of local knowledge. Such users in particular are more willing to pay an appropriate fee for the information received. Due to the preferably provided data update by means of the data maintenance device of the Meta-SID and the update data provision device of the respective SID, it is ensured that on the one hand the user is only given those SIDs that actually provide the required location information in accordance with the current data inventory of the SID can and that, on the other hand, in the event of a change in the geographical scope for the individual SIDs, these SIDs are correctly taken into account when processing the request by the Meta-SID.

For the functioning of the meta location information service, it is irrelevant whether a SID is operated by several different providers or whether one provider operates several SIDs. In order for a SID to be taken into account by the Meta-SID, a corresponding content provider can, for example, "register" its SID offers with the Meta-SID, in any case with regard to the supported location areas and, if applicable, with information on the supported data categories. This information are stored in at least one database of the Meta-SID. There can be a constant automatic update of the validity areas (supported location areas) for the individual SIDs or the individual content providers in the Meta-SID. In principle, the geographical areas of validity (geographical relevance areas) can be defined in any way. In the simplest form, the areas of validity can be defined, for example, in the form of geographical rectangles, circles or polygons, or can be based on a cell structure. The registration, the ongoing comparison or the deregistration of a SID can take place on the basis of a coordinated message exchange, for example over the Internet (eg IT connection, identification via service URLs, IT addresses) between the Meta SID and the individual SIDs ,

The Meta-SID (SID Guide) can also be designed to transmit SID requests to one or more SIDs. The SID Guide can perform preprocessing based on the data obtained by logging in and comparing it with the individual SID. As a result, only those SIDs for further processing, for example as a WAP link, that are able to provide current content for the query region with a high degree of security are offered on a request for regional offers. The SID user has the advantage that he does not have to query the individual URL of each SID one after the other, but that he can make the request centrally to the SID Guide.

It was recognized that the inventive idea on which the above-described and proposed inventive proposals are based can also be applied to individual information objects or object information systems associated with individual information objects. Here, for example, Internet pages (homepages), WAP pages and the like relating to individual information objects with a certain location reference (for example individual restaurants, leisure facilities and the like) are thought of. These information objects or the assigned inter- Network pages, WAP pages, etc. could in themselves possibly be included in a location information service and would thus be able to be found indirectly via the meta location information service through the location information service, but may actually not be included in any location information service. An "object information service" associated with such information objects, for example operated by an "operator" of the information object itself in the form of a simple homepage, WAP page, etc., could possibly be understood to a certain extent as a "location information service" relating to one or a few information objects. It is proposed that the overall system according to the invention comprises, alternatively or in addition to the location information systems: c) a plurality of object information systems, each comprising: d) at least one electronically addressable data storage device for storing data relating to at least one information object; c3) at least one server computer assigned to the data storage device; c4) at least one data communication interface assigned to the server computer, via which object information data can be called up via data communication with reference to a data communication address assigned to the object information system on the basis of the data stored in the data storage device.

For this purpose, it is additionally proposed in relation to the meta-location information system that it comprises: at) an electronically addressable data storage device for storing data relating to the assigned object information systems, including the data communication data assigned to the respective object information system. address and data that indicate a geographic relevance area assigned to the information object and / or an assigned geographic location; bc3) a query response device implemented on the basis of a computer system, which is designed to read out data from the data storage device at least as a function of at least one geographical query location or geographical query area assigned to the respective query for automated answering of a query transmitted to the meta-location information system by data communication and to provide response data based on the read-out data, which specify at least one, if any, more of those object information systems, at least by specifying the data communication address assigned to the respective object information system, which shows the data stored in the data storage device of the meta-location information system for the geographic request location or geographical request area according to the request Relevant information object-related and thus possibly location-related information can (in the following these object information systems are addressed as relevant object information systems); b4) a data communication interface assigned to the query answering device, which is designed for

Data communication to automatically receive incoming queries to the meta-location information system and to forward them automatically to the query response device for further processing and to automatically transmit responses generated thereon by the query response device to a data communication address assigned to the respective query. If the overall system also includes the plurality of location information systems, it is further proposed, in relation to the above-mentioned meta-location information system, that the electronically addressable data storage device of the meta-location information system is additionally designed for adding the data communication address assigned to the respective object information system and data store that indicate a geographic relevance area and / or an associated geographic location assigned to the information object. It is further proposed that the query response device of the meta-location information system is designed to provide answer data in the automated response to a query transmitted to the meta-location information system by data communication, which i) at least one, if any, of those location information systems, at least by specifying at least one Specify the data communication address assigned to the respective location information system, which can provide relevant location-related information according to the data stored in the data storage device of the meta-location information system for the geographic query location or geographical query area on the basis of the data stored in the data storage device of the respective location information system (In the following, these location information systems are addressed as relevant location information systems) or / and d ie ii) specify at least one, if any, several of those object information systems, at least by specifying the data communication address assigned to the respective object information system, which, according to the data stored in the data storage device of the meta-location information system, is relevant for the geographical request location or geographical request area in accordance with the request and therefore possibly relevant . can provide location-related information (in the following these object information systems are addressed as relevant object information systems). The meta-location information system is further proposed to further include: b2) one implemented on the basis of a / the computer system

Data maintenance device for at least one maintenance of the data stored by the data storage device, which includes storing data, changing data and deleting data, the data maintenance device being designed on the basis of update data provided by the assigned location information systems or object information systems, the data in the data storage device to automatically update stored data.

For the object information systems, it is further proposed that at least one, preferably all, of the object information systems each have: c5) an update data provision device which is designed to provide update data for updating the data stored in the data storage device of the meta-location information system, wherein the update data by means of the data maintenance device of the meta-location information system enable the data in the data storage device of the meta-location information system to be updated automatically in relation to the object information system or the respective information object.

In relation to the object information systems, for which the object information data that can be called up can also be referred to as "Location Based Content" (LBC), the Meta-SID practically functions as a "geographic search engine". Conventional search engines on the Internet are not suitable for searching websites based on geographic search data. Only a "conceptual search" is possible About which a preliminary search in relation to a geographical location is sometimes possible to the extent that the name of a city or a postcode, for example, can be used as a search term. In fact, this search is a simple conceptual search in which the search term used implies a "geographical meaning", but the search must lead to incorrect results if the term is used in a different context. For example, a search based on the search term "Munich" could find a restaurant called "Munich" in the city of Berlin.

So that the user always receives current information from the Meta-SID, it is very important to update the data of the Meta location information system. For this purpose, it is preferred that the update data provision devices of the individual SIDs or of the object information systems provide the update data automatically, preferably by means of an assigned data communication interface via data communication. For this purpose, the meta-location information system can have a data communication interface assigned to the data maintenance device, which automatically receives the update data and forwards it automatically to the data maintenance device for updating the data of the data storage device.

The update data provision device can advantageously be designed to provide the update data i) in accordance with a predefined or predefinable update scheme or / and ii) in response to successful maintenance of the data stored by the data storage device, possibly based on monitoring of the data maintenance by the data maintenance device or initiated by the data maintenance device or on the basis of a review of the data stored in the data storage device, or / and iii) in response to data communication from the meta-location information system to the person concerned. fende location information system or object information system transmitted data request message.

Since individual location information systems can fail or go out of operation, for example for technical reasons or because a provider withdraws from the market, it is expedient if the meta-location information system has a functionality that LIVES a system status to the location information systems and / or the object information systems or LEBT NOT assigned, whereby only those location information systems are considered as relevant location information system or object information system that have the system status LEBT. For this purpose, it is proposed as preferred that the functionality be based on system status requirements transmitted by data communication from the meta-location information system to the location information systems or / and to the object information systems and the response or non-reaction of the location information system to this or / and according to a predefined or predefinable feedback scheme from the System status LEBT-based location information systems and / or object information systems to the meta-location information systems by means of data communication transmitted AM-LEBEN messages.

With regard to the design of the query answering device of the location information systems assigned to the meta-location information system, it is primarily thought that the query answering device is designed to provide at least one of the location information systems to provide response data based on the data read out from the data storage device, the at least one of the information objects at least by being specified Specify at least one geographical location or / and postal address or / and data communication address or / and telecommunications address assigned to the respective information object, the geographical location or geographical relevance area corresponds to the geographical query location or geographical query area according to a predefined or predefinable hit criterion (in the following these information objects are addressed as relevant information objects).

Regarding the design of the query answering device of the meta-location information system, it is proposed that it be designed to provide response data based on the data read out from the data storage device, which provide at least one, if any, more of those location information systems, at least by specifying at least one data communication address assigned to the respective location information system. whose assigned geographical relevance area corresponds to the geographical request location or geographical request area according to a predefined or predefinable hit criterion (in the following these location information systems are addressed as relevant location information systems).

Insofar as the meta-location information system relates to object information systems, it is proposed that the query answering device of the meta-location information system is designed to provide response data based on the data read from the data storage device, the at least one, if any, several of those object information systems, at least by specifying the Specify the data communication address assigned to the respective object information system, for which the geographical relevance area assigned to the respective information object and / or the geographical location assigned to the information object corresponds to the geographical request location or geographical request area according to a predefined or predefinable hit criterion (in the following these object information systems are addressed as relevant object information systems). Various hit criteria are conceivable. The hit criterion is preferably based at least on the determination of a match or non-match between the query location or query area on the one hand and the geographical relevance area or the geographical location on the other hand, preferably in the sense of a geographical overlap or a geographical and / or traffic distance that is less than significant between these.

In order to enable a more direct and therefore faster access of a user to information of interest to him, the data stored in the data storage device of at least one of the location information systems can indicate an assignment to predetermined or predefinable categories for the information objects. The query response device is then preferably designed to read data from the data storage device as a function of at least one category specified in the query or assigned to the query and to provide response data based on the read data. Access to the required information is particularly easy when a common data communication address is assigned to the information objects of a common category, via which a request processing taking into account the category can be initiated. In other words, each category can be assigned its own data communication address, via which an inquiry response relating to the category can be initiated.

If such an assignment of the information objects to a common category is provided in one or more location information systems, it makes perfect sense for the data stored in the data storage device of the meta-location information system to be assigned to at least one of the location information systems and / or for at least one of the object information systems or specify predefinable categories, which may be those of the information objects correspond to assigned categories or which can possibly be mapped to the categories assigned to the information objects. In this context, the query answering device is preferably designed to

in the response data to identify the relevant location information systems and / or object information systems in accordance with the data read from the data storage device with regard to the assigned categories or / and

ii) Depending on at least one category specified in the request, reading out data from the data storage device and providing response data based on the read out data, which only indicate such location information systems and / or object information systems as relevant location information systems or object information systems that are assigned to the specified category are.

According to feature group i), a user of the meta-location information system can see from the answer transmitted to him which location information systems or object information systems can give him information about information objects of interest to him. According to feature group ii), the user is able to specify the type of information objects that interest him from the outset, and only those location information systems or object information systems that can give corresponding information are then mentioned in the answer.

It can be very expedient if the response data provided by the query answering device of the meta-location information system specify one or more data communication addresses for the relevant location information systems, each of which is assigned to a specific category and via which one takes the category into account. appropriate request processing can be initiated by the respective location information system. The relevant data communication addresses can be offered as links for forwarding to the relevant location information system.

For a high level of user-friendliness, it can be provided that the query answering device of the meta location information system and / or the query answering device of at least one of the location information systems is designed to conduct a data communication dialog with a requester or requesting system via the assigned data communication interface. The data required to process the request can be queried in several steps.

According to an advantageous further development, it is provided that the meta-location information system or / and at least one of the location information systems can be addressed under different data communication addresses for the purpose of queries via data communication, the respective data communication addresses being assigned a predetermined or predeterminable separate user profile and / or query response profile and that Response answering device provides the response data depending on the profile identified by the data communication address used. For example, a meta-location information system can provide several "virtual" meta-location information systems under different data communication addresses, which appear to the user as an independent meta-location information system and address specific target groups or cover specific needs. For example, a meta location information system operator can make his resources available to other companies or providers for a fee, who operate under their own name on the market for location information but actually do not maintain their own technical infrastructure and databases. The operator of the Meta location information system then acts as a service provider for other providers. A corresponding design can also be provided for the location information systems in order to provide a number of “virtual” location information systems under different data communication addresses using the resources of a location information system.

The invention further relates to an information system for providing location-related information to a plurality of geographically distributed and possibly changing or changing locations, comprising a system formed by at least one meta-location information system and a plurality of location information systems or / and a number of object information systems as described above and comprising a plurality of inquiry systems, which may serve as user end devices. The request systems are suitable for placing requests to at least one of the location information systems and / or to the meta-location information system via data communication and are designed so that requests can be initiated by a user and / or according to a predetermined or predefinable request scheme and / or depending be automatically submitted by specified or predefinable request conditions. With regard to the requesting systems, for example, mobile phones, in particular WAP-capable or I-mode-capable mobile phones, and wirelessly connected computers (laptops, handhelds, PDAs, etc.) are thought of. However, request systems can also be provided which are connected to a line, for example via dedicated lines, telephone lines or the like.

The data communication between the respective request system on the one hand and the location information system or the meta-location information system or the object information system on the other hand can include wireless data communication and / or data communication via a computer network, in particular the Internet. The wireless data Communication can expediently take place via a mobile radio network. As a rule, at least some of the request systems will be mobile request systems which are designed to submit requests and receive response data via a wireless data communication network or cellular network.

The wireless data communication can be based on a common transmission standard, for example the GSM transmission standard, the GPRS transmission standard, the EDGE transmission standard or the UMTS transmission standard. On the request systems side, a user interface based on a platform-independent standard can be provided. The XML standard, the HTML standard and the WML standard are primarily considered here.

The data communication between the request system on the one hand and the location information system or the meta-location information system or the object information system on the other hand is preferably based on a conventional transmission protocol. For example, this data communication can include data communication according to the TCP / IP transmission protocol and / or data communication according to the WAP transmission protocol and / and according to the I-mode transition protocol.

Obtaining relevant location-related information is particularly easy for the user if his query system has a position-locating functionality for determining the geographical query location and / or the geographical query area. Another possibility is that the request system is assigned a position location device which interacts with it and is designed to determine the geographic request location and / or the geographic request area. A request system with position-finding functionality can be designed for this, in the event of a request from a location information system and / or from the meta-location information system to automatically notify the system in question of the specific query location or query area. For high accuracy, the location tracking functionality can be based on GPS technology. For example, a GPS terminal can be integrated in a mobile phone.

Another approach is that the position locating device is designed to determine the request location or request area on the basis of data present in a network infrastructure of the wireless data communication network or the mobile radio network or on the basis of system states of the network infrastructure. For example, it can be determined in which radio cell the requestor is currently located. In order to relieve the user, the position locating device or the network infrastructure can be designed to automatically inform the system in question of the particular request location or request area in the event of an inquiry to a location information system and / or the meta-location information system. Regarding the location information systems, it can also be provided that when a query is forwarded from the meta location information system to a specific location information system, for example in accordance with the selection of a link by the user, the query location or query area is transmitted from the meta location information system to the relevant location information system , possibly together with a subject category determined by the user.

In addition to an automated determination of the request location or request area by means of a position-finding functionality or a position-finding device, it is also possible that at least one of the location information systems and / or the meta-location information system provide user guidance with manual entry of the request location and / or the request area on an inquiry assigned user terminal (possibly request system). The location is entered manually, for example, by entering address parts (zip code and / or location, optionally street, optionally house number, with correspondingly different accuracy) and is preferably converted into a geographic coordinate pair (length, width) by a geocoding service that can be addressed, for example, in the network via a communication interface. In principle, length / width can also be entered directly.

The invention further provides a location information system which comprises: a1) an electronically addressable data storage device for storing data relating to information objects which identify the information objects and their geographical location or / and a geographic relevance area assigned to the information objects;

a4) a data communication interface assigned to the request answering device, which is designed to receive incoming requests to the location information system via data communication automatically received and automatically forwarded to the query answering device for further processing and automatically transmitted responses generated by the query answering device to a data communication address assigned to the respective query by data communication;

a5) an update data provision device which is designed to provide update data for the update of data stored in a data storage device of an associated meta-location information system, the update data enabling an update such that the updated data for the location information system indicate at least one assigned data communication address and To identify for which geographic locations or / and for which geographic area or for which geographic areas the location information system can give relevant location-related information on request based on the data stored in its data storage device, in each case at least one assigned geographic relevance area or / and indicate the assigned geographic locations, the geographic locations and / or the geographic relevance areas of info Reflect rmation objects for which data is stored in the data storage device of the location information system.

The location information system according to the invention can be part of a system as described above or can be provided for the construction of such a system. The location information system according to the invention can be designed or designed in accordance with the location information system of the overall system described above. The invention further provides a meta-location information system comprising:

b1) an electronically addressable data storage device for storing data relating to assigned location information systems, which in each case indicate at least one assigned data communication address for the location information systems and for the location information systems for identification, for which geographical locations or / and for which geographical area or For which geographic areas the respective location information system can provide relevant location-related information based on the data stored in its data storage device, specify at least one assigned geographic relevance area and / or assigned geographic locations, the geographic locations and / or the reflect geographical relevance areas of information objects for which data is stored in the data storage device of the respective location information system;

b2) a data maintenance device implemented on the basis of a computer system for at least one maintenance of the data stored by the data storage device, which includes storing data, changing data and deleting data, the data maintenance device being designed to use the update data provided by the assigned location information systems to automatically update data stored in the data storage device;

b3) a query response device implemented on the basis of a / the computer system, which is designed for the automated response of a data communication to the meta Location information system transmitted request to read out data from the data storage device at least as a function of at least one geographic query location or geographic query area assigned to the respective query and to provide response data based on the read data which contain at least one, if any, several of those location information systems at least by specifying at least one of the respective location information system Specify the data communication address which, based on the data stored in the data storage device of the respective location information system according to the request, can provide relevant location-related information based on the data stored in the data storage device of the meta-location information system based on the data stored in the data storage device of the respective location information system (hereinafter, these location information systems are as relevant location information system addressed);

b4) a data communication interface assigned to the query answering device, which is designed to automatically receive incoming requests to the meta-location information system via data communication and to automatically forward them to the query answering device for further processing and to automatically generate responses generated by the query answering device to one to transmit the data communication address assigned to the respective request.

The meta-location information system according to the invention can be part of an overall system as described above or can be provided for the construction of such a system. The meta-

Location information system can be according to the meta location information Mation system of the overall system described above can be designed or designed. The most general form of the feature group b2) need not necessarily be realized within the scope of the invention.

Furthermore, a meta-location information system is provided, which comprises: at) an electronically addressable data storage device (1 10b) for storing data relating to assigned object information systems, comprising a data communication address assigned to the respective object information system and data relating to a geographical relevance area or assigned to the information object / and indicate an assigned geographical location; bc3) a query response device implemented on the basis of a computer system, which is designed for automated

Answering a request transmitted to the meta-location information system by data communication, to read out data from the data storage device at least as a function of at least one geographical request location or geographic request area assigned to the respective request and to provide response data based on the read data, at least one, if available specify a plurality of those object information systems at least by specifying the data communication address assigned to the respective object information system, which can be identified in the data storage device of the

Meta location information system stored data for the geographic query location or geographic query area according to the query can give relevant information object-related and thus possibly location-related information (in the following these object information systems are relevant object information).

, mation systems addressed); b4) a data communication interface assigned to the query answering device, which is designed to automatically receive incoming requests to the meta-location information system via data communication and to automatically forward them to the query answering device for further processing and to automatically generate responses generated by the query answering device to one of the respective data communication devices To transmit the assigned data communication address.

The meta-location information system according to the invention can be part of an overall system as described above or can be provided for the construction of such a system. The meta-location information system according to the invention can be designed or designed in accordance with the meta-location information system of the overall system described above. The meta-location information system can advantageously comprise: b2) a data maintenance device implemented on the basis of a / the computer system for at least one maintenance of the data stored by the data storage device, which includes storing data, changing data and deleting data, the data maintenance device being designed for this purpose, to automatically update the data stored in the data storage device on the basis of update data provided by the assigned object information systems.

The invention further provides an inquirer system in an information system as described above for obtaining location-related information from the meta-location information system and at least one of the location information systems and / or at least one of the object information systems. The request system according to the invention is designed, according to the invention, to send a request to the meta location information system or in the location information system via data communication (in particular via wireless data communication) and then receive response data via data communication (in particular via wireless data communication). The request system preferably has a user interface based on data received by the meta-location information system or the location information system by data communication. The requesting system can be designed in accordance with one of the requesting systems of the overall system described above.

The invention further provides a method for assisting users in obtaining location-related information from at least one of a plurality of location information services. The method according to the invention comprises the steps:

S1) formation of geographic relevance areas for the location information services on the basis of the geocoded data provided by the location information services and providing factual and location information;

S2) collecting data indicating the areas of relevance of the location information services and identifying the respective location information service;

S3) accepting a request;

S4) comparing a geographical query location assigned to the query and / or a geographical query area assigned to the query with the data indicating the relevance regions and collected in step S2); S5) Answering the request by transmitting information (possibly in the form of data), the transmitted information being provided (possibly generated) and taking into account the comparison carried out in step S4) on the basis of the data collected in step S2) identifies at least one, if available, several of the location information services whose geographic relevance area corresponds to the request location or request area according to a predefined or predefinable hit criterion.

The method according to the invention makes it very easy for a user to obtain required location-related information, although the information is not kept in a central data pool, but is distributed over various location information services.

At least one of method steps S1) to S5) is preferably carried out automatically by a device designed for this, in particular at least method step S4). Most preferably, all process steps are carried out automatically by the facility. In this way, the method can be carried out inexpensively.

According to the above, the method according to the invention can include the formation of content-related and geographical areas of validity (location areas) for individual SIDs on the basis of the factual and location information that can be called up at the respective SID, generally the geocoded data available there. These data can be generated by evaluating and systematizing the data (contents) collected by the individual location information services according to geographic and content-related criteria, for example on the basis of a defined message exchange between a meta-location information system according to the invention and individual, possibly regionally distributed according to the invention location information systems. The method may further include the Central acceptance and preprocessing of a request (SID request), for example a WAP request, for regional information, for example using the meta-location information system according to the invention with the aim of determining those individual SIDs that can successfully process this request in detail due to its scope. The preprocessing can be carried out on the basis of a comparison of the validity areas with the geographic location coordinates provided by the request. The request can then ultimately be passed on to one or more SIDs determined in this way for further processing.

In a further development it is proposed that in step S2) additional data are collected which identify individual information objects and / or object information services assigned to them and indicate areas of relevance assigned to them, and that the information transmitted in step S5) for answering the request at least one, if available identified several of the information objects or object information services whose geographic relevance area corresponds to the request location or request area according to a / the predetermined or predefinable hit criterion. In this way, individual information objects or object information services assigned to them can be included in the method. As explained above, the inclusion of individual Internet or WAP pages is thought of, for example, which can provide relevant information for a certain geographical location or for a certain geographical area. The relevance of this information for the location or the geographical area may result from the fact that an indication of the presence of an information object and possibly of a location or geographical catchment area assigned to this information object is given.

Above all (but not exclusively), it is thought that the respective location information service and / or the respective information object or the respective object information service is identified in the transmitted data at least by a respective data communication address.

Regarding the hit criterion mentioned in procedural specification S5), it is proposed that this be at least based on the finding of a match or non-match between the request location or request area on the one hand and the geographical relevance area (validity area) on the other hand, for example in the sense of a geographical overlap or a geographical or / and traffic distance between them. In step S3), the request can be received via data communication, and in step S5) data representing the information can be transmitted to a data communication address assigned to the request via data communication. However, it is also conceivable to receive an inquiry by telephone and answer it by telephone. Telephone inquiries and answers can also be provided for the location information services.

It is particularly preferred that the method according to the invention comprises an additional step of forwarding a request to at least one of the location information services identified in the information transmitted in step S5), preferably via data communication (step S6).

In step S1), different subject categories can be formed for the location information services on the basis of the geocoded data provided by the location information services and providing factual and location information, and a separate geographical relevance area can be formed for each of these subject categories. In step S2), data can be collected which indicate the relevant subject category for the relevant area. In a further development it is proposed that the information transmitted in step S5) specifies at least one subject category for the respective location information system, the geographical relevance area of which corresponds to the request location or request area according to the predefined or predefinable hit criterion. Furthermore, it can be provided that in step S3) an inquiry is received that specifies at least one subject category of interest. In step S4) the subject category of interest is then compared with the data indicating the subject category collected in step S2). As a result of this comparison, information is then transmitted in step S5) which identifies at least one of the location information services for which a subject category corresponding to the subject category of interest has been formed, the relevant relevance area of which corresponds to the request location or request area according to the predefined or predefinable hit criterion.

In order to always be able to support the user on the basis of current data, the data collection step S2) can be carried out repeatedly at certain time intervals. Another possibility is that the data collected in step S2) is updated at certain time intervals, preferably updated automatically. The location information service can also update the data upon initiation.

The method according to the invention is preferably carried out using at least one system of the systems described above.

The invention is explained below on the basis of exemplary embodiments illustrated or illustrated in the figures, which exemplarily show possible applications and possible embodiments of the invention, but which are in no way intended to restrict the scope of the invention. 1 shows a schematic representation of an example of the implementation of an overall system according to the invention for giving location-based information by means of data communication to requests transmitted by data communication.

2 shows an example of the partially overlapping validity areas (geographic relevance areas) of two location information systems for two different categories of information objects;

FIGS. 3-5 each represent a section of a road map based on digital data and serve to illustrate the geocoding of the addresses or the geographic location of information objects;

6 shows four tables which relate to geocoding (Tables 1 and 2), the preparation for updating the data of a meta-location information system on the part of a location information system (Table 3) and the data held by the meta-location information system (Table 4) ;

7 shows three tables relating to the data of a meta-location information system before and after an update (Tables 5 and 7) and the data held in a location information system after a data maintenance session (Table 6);

8 is a schematic block diagram that exemplifies a

Realization possibility of a location information system based on a multi-purpose computer illustrated; FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram that exemplifies a

Realization possibility of a meta location information system based on a multi-purpose computer illustrated;

10 shows, in the partial figures 10a and 10b, in the form of a flowchart, an example of the user guidance and, if appropriate, the program sequence when processing a request using an exemplary location information system;

Fig. 1 1 shows in the figures 1 1 a and 1 1 b in the form of a flowchart an example of the user guidance and, if appropriate, the program flow when processing a request using an exemplary meta-location information system;

1 2 shows exemplary pseudo code which illustrates a possibility of the manner in which update data is provided by a location information system to a meta-location information system, an example in particular for a program-based implementation on the part of the location information system;

1 3 shows exemplary pseudo code which illustrates a further possibility of the manner in which update data are provided by a location information system to a meta-location information system, an example in particular for a program-related implementation on the part of the location information system;

14 shows in sub-figures 14a and 14b in the form of exemplary pseudo code how the provision of update data could be implemented more specifically on the part of a location information system, with an example specifically being given for a program implementation;

Fig. 1 5 shows in the form of exemplary pseudo-code one way in which a meta-location information system can be kept up to date on the system status of a location information system, with an example of a program implementation on the part of the location information system being given;

Fig. 1 6 illustrates based on exemplary pseudo

Code of how only certain location information systems could be taken into account on the part of a meta location information system when answering the query and how in the

In response to the request, the location information systems in question could be presented in a certain way, with an example of a program implementation being specifically given;

Fig. 1 7 shows two tables, which generally relate to the data communication between a location information system and an associated meta-location information system and specifically a set of predefined inquiries, messages and feedback (Table 8) and the ones that occur

Specify message types (Table 9);

Fig. 1 8 shows an example of obtaining location-based

Information based on a request from a meta-location information system and one on a received one

Response to a query started by a user chose location information system for a sample location.

Fig. 1 shows an example of a system 10 according to the invention for giving location-related information by means of data communication to requests transmitted by data communication, in which the data communication via a computer network, in the example the Internet 1 2, and / or via at least one radio network, in For example, a cell phone radio network 14 takes place. Various types of request systems are shown symbolically, in the example user terminals 1 6, 1 8 and 20, the user terminal 16 representing, for example, a WAP-capable mobile phone (cell phone), the user terminal 1 8, for example, one via the Organizer or handheld computer wirelessly connected to the Internet with an HTML browser is represented and the user terminal 20 represents, for example, a laptop computer connected to the Internet and equipped with an HTML browser.

There are basically several ways in which a WAP-capable mobile phone or other WAP clients can access WAP content. For example, WML files can be stored on a WWW server (web server) in the same way as HTML files. The WAP client (for example a WAP browser) then accesses this content via standard URLs by means of a proxy server 22 interposed between the radio network and the Internet and calls up the corresponding WML pages. The proxy server converts the WML source text into a more compact binary format.

The WAP client can also access HTML pages via an HTML gateway. This gateway converts WAP-based requests according to the HTTP protocol so that the web server in question can do something with the data request. The gateway also translates the requested web pages into WML. The web server addressed processes the request originating from the WAP client in the usual way, possibly accesses CGI interfaces and databases, generates content in accordance with the request and transmits it to the intermediary gateway or the intermediary proxy server. Further processing may then be carried out on the part of the WAP client on the basis of the data received in the WAP binary format. If WML scripts are sent from the web server to the client, they are compiled by the proxy server (WAP proxy) using a WML script compiler. The function of converting the WML source text into WAP's own binary format can also be taken over by the HTML gateway, so that the proxy server can be omitted.

Another possibility is that a radio network operator itself offers WAP services via a so-called WTA server (Wireless Telephone Application Server), which then speaks binary WML directly with the WAP client, in particular WAP microbrowser of a mobile phone. Such a WTA server is represented by block 27 in FIG. 1. Blocks 26 and 28 represent web servers.

An HTTP client connected wirelessly via a radio network 14 and, for example, a proxy server 32 (HTTP proxy), for example the organizer 18, can result in the same way as an HTTP client connected to the Internet, such as such as the laptop computer 20, access HTML content and HTML services located on web servers.

The transmission of data between different computer systems connected to the Internet, for example different web servers, can advantageously take place via the Internet on the basis of the TCP / IP protocol, in particular TCP or / and FTP. However, it cannot be ruled out that data communication between such computer systems also takes place in another way, for example via ISDN connections. Bindings, Datex-P connections, dedicated lines, etc. In FIG. 1, various data communication connections over the radio network 14, over the Internet 12 and in other ways are symbolized by arrows.

The invention now does not specifically relate to the Internet, web servers, gateways, proxy servers, mobile radio networks and WAP technology, but - in one aspect - generally so-called location information services (SID) and systems, on the basis of which location information services can be implemented. Such systems, which can be referred to as location information systems (in the following, there is not always a distinction between the location information service and the underlying system and also referred to as the system for short), can advantageously be implemented on the basis of Internet technology and WAP technology, or this technology and use the data communication thereby enabled for the acceptance of inquiries from users and for the transmission of information answering the inquiry. For example, a location information service can be implemented on the basis of a web server, for example the web server 26 in FIG. 1, which works with various HTTP clients (for example the clients 18 and 20) or WAP clients (for example the client 16). can communicate in the manner described above. A location information service can also be implemented on the basis of a WTA server (such as server 27), which can communicate with WAP clients (such as WAP client 16) in the manner mentioned above.

According to the aspect addressed, the invention further relates to a meta-location information service (Meta-SID) which is assigned to a plurality of location information services or is a superordinate one and which can be understood as a location information service for location information services, as will be explained in more detail below. A meta-location information service according to the invention can also advantageously be based on Internet technology and WAP technology. logic or the data communication options provided by these technologies. In the following, there is not always a conceptual distinction regarding the meta-location information service and the system on the basis of which such a service is realized (for example comprising a web server), and the meta-location information system on which the service is based is also briefly referred to as Meta-SID (or alternatively referred to as a SID Guide). 1 it is assumed that a meta-location information system or meta-location information service is implemented on the basis of the web server 28, which can communicate with the clients 16, 18 and 20 in the manner described, for example. However, a meta-SID according to the invention can also be implemented, for example, on the basis of a WTA server (cf. server 27).

Before the meta-location information service is discussed further, the concept on which a typical location information service is based with regard to the geocoding of geographic location information in a database (in particular database) of the location information service is to be explained in more detail. Location information services are usually distributed (decentralized and self-sufficient) services that provide information depending on a location or geographical area assigned to an inquiry, for example about the traffic situation, about objects of interest (such as petrol stations, hotels, restaurants) , Churches, hospitals, interesting viewpoints, etc.). The content recorded in the database of the location information service is usually systematized according to content criteria and assigned to different categories. Only a few non-exhaustive examples of such categories can be mentioned: traffic (for example, the contents of petrol stations, traffic information, taxi ranks, taxi stations, bus stops are assigned to this category), hotels and restaurants (according to the name - this category includes, for example, the Contents of hotels, restaurants, fast food, etc.), tourism (for example, the content of viewpoints, travel agencies, ticket sales, etc. are assigned to this category) and entertainment (for example, night clubs, cinemas, etc. are assigned to this category). The division of content into different categories is basically arbitrary. Thus, FIG. 18 shows 8 other categories, some of which overlap in terms of content with the categories mentioned here by way of example.

If a user is primarily in a city, he may know a location information service that can usually give him the information he needs and contact him if necessary. However, since location information services are generally operated in a decentralized and self-sufficient manner and may only be able to provide relevant information for a specific region or city, the user in another region or another city may not know where to obtain the required location information , The data communication addresses of possible location information services will not be familiar to him, at least in the other city or region. In addition to a regional specialization of location information systems, which leads to the fact that the user has difficulty accessing the location-related information precisely when he needs location-related information, namely when he is in a foreign city or region, there is also content Specialization of location information services to take into account. So it may be that the user does not know where he can get this information even if he needs special location information in his home town. The user may not even know whether there is a location information service that can provide him with the information he needs, and even if he is aware of the existence of such a location information service, his data communication address will generally not be known to him. 2 illustrates the regional and content specialization of location information services. The location information service 1 offers location-related information for two categories, categories 1 and 2, each of which is assigned its own geographical scope or relevance area. The area of validity is the area for which the relevant content, i.e. the locations symbolized by the numbers 1 and 2 of category 1 and category 2, are relevant or of interest. The area of validity a for category 1 on the one hand and the area of validity /? for Category 2, on the other hand, of the location information service (SID 1) only overlap partially.

In contrast, the location information service 2 only provides location information relating to category 1, the area of validity y of the location information service 2 only overlapping slightly with the area of validity of the location information service 1 for category 1. There is or will be a large number of location information services covering a geographical area, such as the Federal Republic of Germany, which have different, partially completely or non-overlapping areas of validity for various categories, the categories of one location information service being different from the categories of another location information service can deviate. For example, in one location information system the subject matter "hotel" may be listed under the category "tourism", while in another location information service this subject matter may be listed under the category "hotels and restaurants". In the case of a third location information service, the factual content “hotels” could be listed under the category “overnight stays”. The possibility, or in practice expected division of the same content into different categories, will make it even more difficult for the user to obtain the information he needs. 2, a user at location A will only be able to access the location information service 1, but can only receive information on category 2 if he knows the data communication address of the location information service 1 at all. At location B, the user can only access the information from location information service 1 and receive factual information of category 1 and category 2 with knowledge of the data communication address of SID. At location C, the user is within the scope of the location information service 1 for category 1 and within the scope of the location information service 2, which can only provide factual information about category 1. If the user is foreign, he would be glad if he knew at least the data communication address of one of the two location information services.

It may be that location information services, in the example of FIG. 2 location information service 1, each provide separate data communication addresses for their different categories in order to enable a direct query of factual information relating to the respective category, without first providing user guidance (possibly menu structure) To have to go through the determination of the relevant subject category. For such access, the user at location B would have to know two data communication addresses, one for category 1 and the other for category 2, if he wanted to receive factual information on both categories.

The invention is based on the idea of providing a superordinate location information service which can be designated as a meta-location information service and which, according to the aspect mentioned above, relates to location information services or (if present) their categories. Alternatively or additionally, the meta-location information service can also (according to another aspect) relate to information objects with a geographical reference or object information services assigned to them or (if available) refer to assigned categories. If a user needs location-related information, he can contact the meta-location information service to - if available - get one or more location information services and / or one or more information objects or object information services that are relevant to the location of interest to the user ( geographical coordinate or traffic situation) and, if applicable, the relevant subject category can provide location-related information, for example, be able to name nearby objects for the user.

A location information service can provide one or more geographic relevance areas, as explained above by way of example. As a rule, a relevance area will be linked to exactly one category. In this case, each existing data category creates a relevance area with an extent that is given by the existing objects (information objects). An object can be linked to several categories. As explained, a summary of information objects of a category is possible, for example, under a URL. However, this is not mandatory.

An object information service can, for example, describe exactly one information object under a URL. If this is assigned to a data category, exactly one relevance point or a "small" relevance area can be generated for this category in association with the information object. If several data categories are assigned to the information object, then several relevance points or "small" relevance areas can be generated in association with the information object. The geographical position of the information object is given by the object position and is therefore the same for all assigned relevance points / small relevance areas (also identifiable as pseudo areas). The data held by the individual location information services is not a static database. Rather, the data inventory (the content) is continuously maintained by a single location information service, for example by means of content management software. In addition to the usual database options (record, change and delete), such "data maintenance software" will also enable geocoding (ie an assignment of position coordinates to data objects).

In the course of data maintenance, new geographical areas of validity can arise by entering new data categories. Objects entered in addition can extend the scope of a corresponding category. If objects are deleted, this can result in the geographical scope becoming smaller or even - when the last object is deleted - disappearing, meaning that the relevant category no longer applies. The validity areas may be changed by data maintenance based on the geocoding of the data objects, whereby these changes primarily affect the edges of the respective validity area. For the sake of simplicity, it is assumed in the exemplary embodiments described here that the areas of validity are formed by rectangles which describe the entirety of all the position points of the data objects in a category. In practice, however, it is advisable to use more flexible geometric structures to describe the areas of validity. In particular, it is conceivable for a category to be assigned several validity areas that are spatially separated from one another.

Against the background outlined above, the invention extends beyond the provision of a meta-location information service. The invention also takes into account, at least in a further development of the most general idea of the invention, the dynamics of the content provided by location information services. The following is an example of geocoding, especially the assignment of position coordinates to data objects.

The geocoding can be done manually, for example, by placing objects on digital maps. Another possibility is the automatic geocoding by automated evaluation of address information about objects with the help of digital maps. Intermediate forms (semi-automatic geocoding) are also conceivable.

The manual geocoding of addresses can advantageously be done on the basis of geographically accurate digital maps in raster or vector form. Ideally, software or a system for searching for and creating any map sections and for manually placing object symbols in these maps, especially in the selected map sections, is used. The "intelligence" of the assignment is mainly applied by the operator. Possibly. automated assistance can be provided such that - insofar as there is a postal address for the object in question - the system makes a proposal for the assignment of the address to a geographical location.

Table 1 of FIG. 6 shows an example of an address database without geographical location information. The geocoding system accordingly generates displaceable object symbols, in the example the objects 1, 2 and 3 in FIG. 3, which show a map section and the object symbols to be placed in a selection box superimposed thereon. The manual placement of the object symbols in the map section, which can be done, for example, using a graphic drawing device, such as a mouse or a graphic tablet, is shown by way of example in FIG. 4. The arrows symbolize that the symbols are dragged onto the relevant map section and positioned visually. 5, objects 1 and 2 are placed, thereby defining the geographic location assigned to the respective object. Object 3 is still to be positioned on the map. According to the placement of the object symbols, the geocoding system generates geographic coordinates for each geocoded object based on the geographic reference system of the digital map (mapping mathematics), which are stored. Table 2 of FIG. 6 shows the corresponding result in the form of a database table, which can also contain other information, for example a description of the object and / or an assignment to a category. Separate database tables or the like can also be provided for different categories.

For automatic geocoding of addresses, geographically accurate digital maps in vector form with high quality should be used, ideally the elements of the map should contain postal attributes and / or relations to them. A geocoding system, which can be implemented, for example, essentially on the basis of software and a universal computer, then analyzes, for example, the address information for the object in blocks and searches in the vector map for postal assignment options, for example hierarchically, for example, according to postcode, city, street and house number. The found map elements with the best match are then used to obtain the position coordinates of the object in question. As a result, an address database with location coordinates can also be created, for example, as illustrated in Table 2.

The content database of a location information system (SID) will usually link geocoded address data, for example of the type shown in Table 2, with the relevant property data. The factual data contain descriptors that enable the address points to be divided into categories. It is advantageous if different types of relations are possible when coupling: 1 to 1: Exactly one physical data record is assigned to each address / location point

1 to n: several factual data sets are assigned to each address / location point

m to n: any assignments are possible.

In the case of a SID query, for example a request from a user to a location information service regarding a specific query region or a specific query position for relevant objects, the SID determines, for example, those data records for which the associated address / location points are in the query region or according to a predefined one or predefinable hit criteria (such as traffic or geographic distance) of the query position. It may be possible to further specify or narrow down the query, for example in such a way that the relevant factual data must correspond to further criteria (query categories). Certain filters can also be selectable or definable.

With reference to FIG. 2, for example, in the case of a request to the location information system 1 with regard to the location A and the category 2, the object 2 identified by an arrow from the SID will be named as the relevant object if the query area defined in the query or, for example, a maximum geographical distance defining hit criterion was chosen so that the SID recognizes the object 2 identified by the arrow as relevant, that is to say to a certain extent detects a "hit". The other objects 2 are very far from the query position A, so that these are probably not of interest to the user at point A, although in principle it could be possible that the user can define query regions of any size and hit distances of any size. In contrast, when querying a meta-location information service (Meta-SID), those location information services (or object information services) are determined which - possibly related to a specific query category and / or according to selected or defined filter conditions - can provide relevant location-related information for the query area belonging to the query or the query position belonging to the query. Such information can in particular be provided by those location information systems whose validity range or whose category-related validity range overlaps with the query region or corresponds to the query region or query position according to a predetermined hit criterion. For this purpose, the validity areas, possibly category-related, must be determined by the location information services assigned to the meta location information service and corresponding data made available to the meta SID. On the side of the Meta-SID, a standardization of the subject categories can be provided, in which non-identical but related categories are mapped to a more general category of the Meta-SID.

Table 3 of FIG. 6 shows corresponding data to be made available to the Meta-SID. The table contains the data communication addresses (URLs) assigned to a respective category and the data defining the scope of the respective category. In the example, rectangular areas of validity are assumed, so that each area of validity is defined by two corner points (left / top and right / bottom; see FIG. 2). Such data can also be used by the location information service itself when processing inquiries, since in the case of a query position outside of a valid scope, it may not be necessary to search the database.

The categories are derived from the descriptors of the SID factual data sets. The URL entries represent the addresses of the specific request Processing for a respective category in the individual SID. The validity areas, here validity rectangles, are obtained from the totality of all coordinate pairs of a respective category and are constantly updated when changes are made. Added entries of geocoded objects can create new scopes or enlarge scopes. Removal of entries can lead to the fact that areas of validity are reduced or deleted. Update data for the Meta-SID (SID Guide) are derived from these states or data maintenance processes, for example, the commands "create validity range", "update validity range" (in the event of an increase or decrease in the validity range) or "delete validity range" correspond. Table 3 represents an update data record, in each of which a command to the Meta-SID (guide command) is included, in the example case for the category 1 and the category 2, the command "update scope".

It should also be mentioned that it is expedient to also take into account the overall geographical area covered by a location information service or system with areas of validity that may have different categories in the form of an overall area of validity. Category 1 can, for example, be assigned to this overall scope, which covers all the scope of the individual categories. In this case, the URL entry URL1 would correspond, for example, to an entry homepage of the location information service. In the event that a location information service knows only one category or does not break down by category, there would only be category 1 (cf. SID 2 in FIG. 2).

It is advisable that every time a change is made to a validity area (validity rectangle in the example) it is noted in a suitable data structure that a change has been made and that it has been made accordingly

Data must be transferred to the SID Guide in order to update it to the current one To stand. Table 3 shows the scope of validity prepared in the SID together with guide commands for comparing the SID guide.

Table 4 of FIG. 6 shows an example of the data stored in the meta location information system for each individual SID, which specify the supported categories for each SID and the data communication addresses and scope of validity associated therewith. For this purpose, the validity areas are numbered uniquely and - with the validity rectangles in the example - saved with their corner coordinates and associated data communication addresses (in the example WAP URLs). Table 4 shows only the data for a single SID, for example SID 1 of FIG. 2. In addition, a service data communication address (service URL) is specified in the data, via which, for example, the data comparison between the meta SID and the relevant individual -SID can be done. The data communication addresses assigned to the categories are those data communication addresses (URLs) via which a specific query processing of information objects of the respective category can be initiated for the individual SID concerned.

2 illustrates the meaning of the data held in the SID guide, that is to say the metasid. The validity rectangles indicate the geographical area for which the location information service in question for the relevant category (category 1 or 2) can provide location-related information. For this, the SID Guide does not need any information about the information objects on which the validity areas (validity rectangles) are based (represented in FIG. 2 by the individual digits whose position on the map represents the geographical location and whose numerical value indicates the category). For additional location information services, such as location information service 2 of FIG. 2, separate data structures (possibly table structures) can be provided in the SID Guide, or an overall data structure can also be provided in which the data for all individual SIDs are included , Based on a situation according to FIG. 2, in the case of a request to the SID Guide, for example by means of a WAP-capable mobile phone (WAP request), no questionable location information service can be determined for the request position A for category 1, whereas for the category 2, only the location information service 1 can be determined and, for example, by transmitting the associated URL and possibly a descriptor or an explanatory statement to the requester. In the case of query position C, two location information services (SID 1 and SID 2) can be determined regarding category 1 and the requester can be named.

For example, the SID guide can receive a request from a WAP client, for example, which is specified with regard to the query position, which is expediently indicated by the longitude and latitude. Furthermore, the query can define a geographical radius, for example in km (the query area then geographically describes an approximately circular region) and possibly a data category that, for example, interests a user.

The SID Guide now determines those areas of validity that match the current query. These are, for example, those areas of validity that are assigned to the queried data category and overlap with the query region. The data communication addresses (possibly WAP URLs) assigned to the validity areas found are then transmitted to the requester, for example the WAP client, as a response from the SID guide and presented, for example, as a selectable link. These data communication addresses are those SID addresses that are highly likely to be able to successfully process the request. It seems advisable that the further processing is then controlled by the requestor, i.e. the WAP client, for example, by selecting one of the offered data communication addresses for the further processing of the request (the SID Guide can be designed to forward the request data to the selected SID) or to immediately submit a request to the SID concerned.

It is particularly useful if the data in the SID Guide can be updated on the initiative of the individual SIDs, for example when the individual SID is registered for the first time with the SID Guide (in this case, strictly speaking, there is no update, but it is activated for the first time the SID-related data record is generated by the SID-Guide), after a data maintenance session in which the data of the SID was updated, and when the SID is finally unsubscribed from the SID-Guide (in this case it is an update insofar as that the data relating to the SID are deleted from the SID Guide or at least marked as invalid). Furthermore, the data in the SID Guide can be updated at certain time intervals, for example cyclically, or according to a specific update scheme, through the initiative of the individual SID. Furthermore, the SID Guide can update the data on the initiative of the SID Guide, for example again at certain time intervals, possibly cyclically or according to an update scheme. In addition to updating the data at the SID Guide on the initiative of the SID Guide, it can also be provided that the SID Guide checks at regular intervals or according to a certain query scheme whether the individual SIDs still exist. In the course of such a query, the areas of validity of the various categories of the individual SID and, if applicable, the overall area of validity of the individual SID can also be checked.

To prepare the update of the data in the SID Guide, modules of the SID Guide located at the individual SIDs can be provided, which monitor the data maintenance of the data of the SID in question and the data on the validity ranges for the individual data categories or on the overall validity range maintain and in case of changes the Send the SID-Guide corresponding update data via data communication.

7 shows an example for the updating of the data in the SID Guide in Tables 5-7. Table 5 shows an example of guide data held with the SID guide regarding a single SID before a data update. With regard to this SID, two categories 1 and 2 are recorded with their areas of validity and data communication addresses.

As a result of a data maintenance session, deleting all information objects in a category can remove a category. This is shown as an example in Table 6 for Category 1. Regarding category 2, the scope has changed due to the deletion and / or addition of data objects. In the example, the coordinates of the lower right corner of the validity rectangle have changed. In addition, an additional category (category 3) was created in the course of data maintenance. The corresponding guide commands for the update are given in the right column of Table 6.

Table 7 of Fig. 7 shows the result of updating the data in the SID guide. Category 1 has been deleted, Category 2 has been updated in terms of its scope, and Category 3 has been added.

In the following, an example for a technical implementation of a location information system and for the technical implementation of a meta location information system will be given, on the basis of which a SID service or meta SID service can be offered. Such a system can be constructed on the basis of a multi-purpose computer, for example in the form of a personal computer or a server computer. 8 illustrates a possible software and hardware configuration of a location information system, and 9 illustrates a possible software and hardware construction of a meta-location information system. The software basis can in principle be any operating system, for example a standard operating system such as Windows NT, Unix, Linux, SunOS etc. The operating system is represented in FIGS. 8 and 9 by blocks 100a and 100b.

The hardware 102a or 102b can, for example, correspond to the so-called "industry standard" with Intel processors, to name just one example. A different hardware basis, for example in the form of a server computer or a workstation, will be provided for higher requirements. The hardware comprises at least one processor 104a or 104b, random access memory (RAM) 106a or 106b, at least one data input device (such as a keyboard, mouse, graphics tablet, etc.) 108a or 108b, at least one mass storage device 1 10a or 1 10b, approximately in Form of a hard disk and / or an optical storage drive, and hardware 1 12a and 1 12b for data communication, for example comprising a connection for connecting the computer system to a computer network, with reference to FIG. 1 in particular for connection to the Internet. For this purpose, the hardware 1 12a or 1 12b can include modems, ISDN cards, ISDN ETHERNET cards and the like. This hardware can be assigned to the so-called "bit transmission and data link layer" in a layered model of data communication in computer networks. For this purpose, reference is made to the OSl layer model and the TCP / IP layer model.

Software data functionalities 1 14a or 1 14b are built on the data communication hardware 1 12a or 1 12b for data communication, for example via the Internet, including, for example, the hardware-closer IP protocol (Internet - Protocol 1 16a or 1 16b) and other protocols based thereon, assigned to a so-called "transport layer", such as the TCP protocol koll (Transmission Control Protocol) 1 18a or 1 18b and the FTP protocol (File Transfer Protocol) 120a or 120b used to exchange files between computers.

Computer network functionalities, in the example Internet functionalities, are then based on the TCP / IP software functionalities at the application level, which can be assigned to a so-called application layer and represented by blocks 122a and 122b in FIGS. 8 and 9 are. With reference to the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, this will primarily involve web server software functionalities that access and call up CGI scripts 124a and 124b, for example, during user guidance and query processing, and call them up and use a database management Functionality 126a or 126b access the data stored in the mass storage 1 10a or 1 10b.

It is particularly expedient if, in addition to the actual web server functionality, specialized software functionalities that actually implement the location information service or meta-location information service are provided, in the case of the location information system, for example, a data maintenance functionality 128a, a query response functionality 130a, and update data Functionality 132a and a feedback functionality 134a for the feedback of the SID to the Meta-SID and, in the case of the meta-location information system, for example a data maintenance or data update functionality 128b, a query response functionality 130b and a monitoring functionality 136b for monitoring the individual SIDs. If necessary, these functionalities can access the data stored in the mass storage via the database management software, read them out for answering the query or update them during data maintenance. The response data generated in response to the query are transmitted via the web server 122a or 122b and the data communication software and hardware Functionalities 1 14b, 1 12b or in the manner explained in connection with FIG. 1 transmitted to an inquirer.

FIG. 10 shows an example of user guidance and query response in flowchart form in sub-figures 10a and 10b, with some flowchart components being shown in the form of WAP screens, more precisely so-called WAP cards. Several such cards can form a WAP deck.

Card 200a shows an entry screen of an exemplary location information service (INTERWAY SID server). To a certain extent, it is the homepage of the location information service, which offers a login for users who have already registered and a new registration for new users. If the user selects the "Login" alternative, then according to Card 202a the user's phone number or - alternatively - a user name (optionally chosen by the user), an identification PPN (such as PIN number, password or the like) and one that Determination of the selection number (location x) relating to the request location. In the example described, it is assumed that the user queries the SID from a terminal device connected wirelessly via a mobile radio network, such as a cell phone.

To determine the request location, it should be noted that an automated location of the request location can easily be implemented. It is thus possible for the user terminal (for example the mobile phone 16 or the organizer 18 according to FIG. 1) to have a location functionality, for example based on the GPS system, which determines the current location. In Fig. 1 the GPS system is represented by a satellite 140. Another possibility is that a position is determined on the basis of the data available in the network infrastructure or on the basis of system states of the network infrastructure of the mobile radio network. A corresponding functionality of the network infrastructure is shown in FIG. 1 by block 142 represents. It can then be provided that the location of the user is carried out automatically and in the course of the inquiry to the SID the determined location is automatically transmitted to the location information system. However, it can also be provided that the current location is offered to the user for confirmation, it being possible for the user to specify a different location that he currently does not or has not yet taken up if he is interested in information for this other location ,

Using the selection number, the user can determine whether his current position is to be determined, that is, he should be "located" (location = 1) or whether given position data or data from a previous query should be used when processing the query (location = 0). Furthermore, it is possible for the user to manually enter his current location or another location that interests him. For this purpose, at least one additional card could be called up by specifying, for example, location = 3, which queries the relevant location.

By pressing an "abort" button, the user can return to the start card 200a. By pressing an "OK" key, the entered data are transferred to a functionality of the SID, for example software-implemented, represented by block 204a, which checks on the basis of the information on the number and PPN whether the number is valid, whether the identifier PPN is valid and whether an associated user account is covered. If location = 1 is selected, an automated location is triggered, for example on the basis of the GPS system or on the basis of the network infrastructure. In the end, the result is "OK" (OK) or error (FAIL), whereby a reason for the error may be specified. If an invalid identifier has been entered, the start card 200a is called up again via an information card 207a. It is determined that there is no account for the user or that the account is insufficiently covered or the account If a sufficient overdraft line has not been granted, the user is forwarded via an information card 206a to a new registration card 208a, which the user can access even if he chooses the menu option "new registration" for the card 200a.

If at the end of the processing according to block 204a the result is "OK", the user arrives at an information card 210a in which the determined position or the valid position is communicated to him. By pressing the OK button, a functionality of the SID system is then instructed (block 212a) to generate different categories and to output a list of the categories generated. In the example, the output takes the form of a WAP deck 214a which has a plurality of cards. In a Card 1, for example, different query categories are offered, for example the categories hotels and restaurants, traffic and entertainment, etc. In a Card n, the user can define by selecting a radius how large the query area to be based on the query processing should be. Upon confirmation of the corresponding information from the user, the corresponding input data are transferred to a request processing functionality 216a represented by block 216a (which corresponds, for example, to software functionality 130a). Based on the location x, the selected category and the selected radius, the database of the location information service is searched and the five best hits are output in the form of a WAP deck 218a. In a first card 220a, the five hit objects determined are given by name or address. By selecting one of these hit objects of interest, the user selects a card 222a, 224a, 226a, 228a or 300a assigned to the object in question. The user can also call up the next card in the deck by pressing a "NEXT" button. A return to Card 220a is also possible via a "TOP" button. In the example shown here, the cards 222a - 300a dedicated to the individual information objects show the address (street), the telephone number and the fax number of the respective object. Depending on the category, completely different information can be given.

If the user selects a "NEXT5" button starting from the card 300a, the query response functionality represented again by block 312a is called again in order to find the next five best hit objects on the basis of the same category, the radius indicating the size of the query area and the query location x search and output in the database. These next five hit objects, if any, are brought to the attention of the user in the same way as for the first five hit objects by means of the deck 218a.

In addition to the selection alternatives shown, a "cancel" selection option will usually also be provided, which, for example, calls up a card in which a return to deck 214a or the termination of the SID request session is offered as a selection alternative.

If the request processing according to block 216a is not successful in such a way that, for certain reasons, request processing is not possible, or no objects or information in question can be specified for location x and the selected request area and the selected category, then a card is issued 314a generated and transmitted to the user, which gives a corresponding error message. On the basis of this card, in addition to the "Abort" option, it is also possible to return to deck 214a or to have the position determined again.

If the user selects the "new registration" option based on the card 200a, the user arrives at the card 208a, via which the user number is queried and an identification PPN is defined. Confirms the If users make their entries, a card 320a is called up, in which the details are given once again for confirmation and an activation code is requested, which is assigned, for example, by the mobile radio operator. By pressing the "OK" confirmation key, the data entered is transferred to a functionality 322a, which creates a customer account on the basis of the information about the telephone number, PPN and activation code if the activation code is valid. In the case of a settlement of the SID services with the user based on a prepayment, the customer account can also be filled (extended) by entering an activation code, similar to the case with so-called prepaid mobile phone contracts. The customer account can also be expanded to the extent that certain additional functionalities are activated. At the end of processing according to block 322, the result is, for example, "OK" (OK) or "Error" (FAIL). Depending on the situation, a "welcome" card 324a or an error message card 326a is generated and transmitted to the user terminal for display on its screen. By pressing the "OK" key, the user returns to the input card 200a.

The various functionalities 204a, 212a, 216a, 312a and 322a, which are preferably implemented by software, are advantageously implemented by one or more specialized service programs, which can be referred to collectively as SID service. For this purpose, reference is made to the legend in FIG. 10b.

A meta location information system can be designed and implemented in many ways in a very similar way to a location information system. The diagram according to FIGS. 1 a and 11 b shows a corresponding implementation and user guidance, which largely corresponds to the implementation and user guidance according to the diagram of FIGS. 10a and 10b for the location information system. The same reference numerals are used in each case, followed by the letter b instead of the letter a. applies, as far as it concerns corresponding or analog cards, decks and functionalities, and express reference is made to the description of the corresponding cards, decks and functionalities of the location information system according to FIGS. 10a and 10b.

Referring to the SID guide functionality 216b, the meta location information system searches the database of the SID guide for relevant location information services on the basis of the data queried with the deck 214b and the location x to be used as the basis for the query processing according to a predetermined hit criterion based on the data stored in the SID Guide database for these SIDs, it is likely to provide relevant information. A hit criterion could be, for example, that the scope of the respective SID for the selected category overlaps with the query area defined by the location x and the radius. If successful, the location information services in question are displayed to the user by means of a card 320b generated accordingly and transmitted to the interrogation system, and the user can select one of the SIDs offered, whereupon an automated forwarding to the selected location information service (SID server) takes place and this is preferably automated the input data required for processing the request position x, category (possibly also several categories) and radius for the definition of the request area are transmitted. The category selected by the user can also be transferred in such a way that the request is transmitted to a URL assigned to the category of the SID server concerned. This forwarding is represented in FIG. 11b by block 330b.

The user can be received on the part of the selected location information system by a special entrance card, which the user

Possibility to log in or to register again. The transmitted

Input data (category, position and radius) can be found on pages of the location information system are temporarily stored, so that upon successful login, the query response functionality of the location information system, for example the functionality 216a of the SID according to FIGS. 10a and 10b, is called up. It is also conceivable that the services of the location information service are billed via the meta-location information service, so that the request response functionality is immediately called upon forwarding to the location information system, possibly after confirmation by the user that billing takes place via the meta-location information service should. It is then not absolutely necessary for the user to set up his own customer account with the relevant location information system.

In the following, the update of the data held in the meta-location information system to a single-location information system, which is quite important in practice, will be addressed again. FIG. 12 shows pseudo code which illustrates a first possibility of the way of updating by means of software functionalities. A reset value counter or timer is initialized to a predetermined value in an initialization routine. Based on the system clock, the timer value is counted down to 0 (zero). If the timer value zero is reached, this means that update data must be made available and transmitted to the meta-location information system (SID guide). According to FIG. 12, a query of the timer is provided in a main program. If the timer is counted down to zero, this means that a predetermined time interval has expired and update data must now be made available. The update data provided are then transmitted to the SID Guide. The timer is then reset to the specified value in order to provide update data again after the specified time interval. The main program also provides a query as to whether the SID has received a data request message from the SID guide. If this is the case, update data are provided and transmitted to the SID Guide.

The timer-triggered or request-triggered provision and transmission of update data can also be carried out by means of corresponding interrupt routines which respond to the timer state or the receipt of a data request message.

Another possibility of updating the data in the SID Guide is illustrated in FIG. 13 by pseudo code. In an initialization routine, a flag is set to the Boolean value FALSE. In a data maintenance routine that changes the data of the SID, the flag is then set to the Boolean value TRUE to indicate that there is a need for updating.

A corresponding query in a main program or another program then determines that data of the SID has been changed, and update data are accordingly provided and transmitted to the SID guide. The flag is then set to the Boolean value FALSE again, since the data in the SID Guide now correspond to the data in the SID and therefore no further update is required for the time being.

Update data can be provided, for example, in the manner illustrated by pseudo-code in sub-figures 14a and 14b. For each category and for each object in the category or deleted in a previous data maintenance session, it is checked whether it is an originally existing object that was on the edge of the area and was then deleted, or whether it is a newly introduced object that was outside the last valid range of validity. in the In the first case (object was deleted), in the event that the category has at least one further object, the area edge is changed and data defining the changed area are stored in a buffer memory area. If the only object in the category has been deleted, the category itself is deleted and a corresponding delete command is stored in the buffer memory area. In the second case (new object outside the previous area), if the relevant object category already existed, the area border of the validity area belonging to the category is changed in accordance with the new object and data defining the changed area is stored in the buffer memory area. If the new object is an object that belongs to a new category that has not yet existed, a new category is defined, a (new) area is defined for this category and the new category and its area defining data in the Buffer memory area saved. It is also conceivable that other changes to an object are also taken into account and corresponding change data are stored in the buffer memory area.

The transmission of the update data to the SID Guide will usually include the establishment of a data communication connection with the SID Guide. If this connection can be successfully established, the change data from the buffer memory area of the individual SID are then transmitted to the SID guide. If a data communication connection cannot be established, an ERROR flag is set to the Boolean value TRUE.

If it is determined on the basis of a corresponding error message on the part of the SID guide or based on the lack of an acknowledgment on the part of the SID guide that the data transmission was unsuccessful, the flag ERROR is also set to the value TRUE. It is useful if the meta location information service only considers those individual SIDs that are active and work properly. For this purpose it can be provided that the individual SIDs have to report back to Meta-SID regularly. 15 illustrates a corresponding possibility of program implementation. A regular feedback can take place on the basis of a back counting timer, which is set to a predetermined value in an initialization routine and, when the value reaches zero, triggers the transmission of an AM LIFE message to the SID Guide. The timer is then reset to the previous value. Furthermore, it can be provided that the individual SIDs transmit a respective AM-LEBEN message to the SID guide on request by the Meta-SID. Instead of a cyclically repeated query of the feedback timer or the situation regarding the feedback request according to the main program shown by way of example in FIG. 15, an interrupt routine which transmits the AM-LEBEN message can also be provided.

On the part of the meta-location information service, only those SIDs that have properly registered with the meta-location information service are preferably taken into account when searching for individual SIDs in question. Corresponding data can be included in the data structures associated with the individual SIDs. 16 shows in the form of pseudo code how a corresponding search routine of the SID guide could be carried out. The data inventory (database) of the SID guide is searched for a category K transferred to the routine, whereby each SID belonging to the category is taken into account. For each SID, the associated data record is read from the database and then it is determined whether the BID value AM-LEBEN is assigned to the SID in question. If this is the case and the SID in question also fulfills the hit criteria defined or specified in the request, the SID is included in an output list. It can be provided that after at the end of the search of the database, the output list drawn up is sorted according to one or more predetermined classification criteria; this can be controlled via a Boolean flag. For example, the list can be based on the priorities assigned to the individual SIDs and / or on the basis of a preset user profile and / or on the basis of a preset query response profile.

In the following, the data communication between a meta location information system and assigned single location information systems will be discussed again. In order to constantly inform the meta location information system about the status and the range of the subordinate single location information systems, the data on the side of the respective individual SID on the one hand and the data on the side of the assigned meta SID (SID Guide) on the other hand be compared. This is expediently carried out via the infrastructure which is present anyway. For example, the following information can be exchanged:

Currently available data categories in the offer of the individual SID,

Description of the geographical area covered by the objects in a category, quantitative information about the database (e.g. number of entries per category), - statistical data for billing (e.g. access figures),

System status information (e.g. overload, maintenance, temporary or permanent malfunction),

Registration and deregistration from the SID Guide,

Information about the range of functions with regard to the user interface. For a high level of acceptance of the service or services by the user, only valid information or references should be provided to the user at any time. For user acceptance, it is particularly important that specified regional restrictions are observed. The communication between the SID Guide and the subordinate SIDs, in particular for the data comparison, can advantageously take place via a separate data channel, which is independent of the channel for the actual (user-side) queries (for example WAP queries). 17 shows an example of a protocol sketch in Table 8. A secure OSI transport layer (layer 4) is required, for example TCP. Table 9 shows the types of messages used. Unsolicited inquiries and messages with and without the expectation of an answer or confirmation are used. An answer will be given to a request awaiting confirmation. There are also cyclical requests to which an answer is expected.

FIG. 18 shows an example of obtaining location-related information with the involvement of a meta-location information service (SID guide), a location in the city of Frankfurt being assumed. A number of WAP cards are shown which are connected to one another by arrows in order to represent a sequence of cards seen by the user on his terminal in accordance with the options selected by the user. If the user contacts the SID Guide, then according to the example shown, he sees on his end device (for example a WAP-capable mobile phone) a receive card 350 in which his user identification and a password are queried. If the identification and the password are correct, the user sees the Card 352, which confirms that the login process was successful. At the push of a button, the user arrives at a selection card 354 on which he can either determine that the area to be used as the query area to be used for answering the query by the SID Guide is to take the surroundings of the current user location, or determine that another location by querying location and Street the request is based on. In the latter case, a card 356 then appears on the display of the terminal, which is used to query the request location. If the user selects the “current environment” option, the query processing based on the current user's location, which is automated (for example by means of a GPS functionality of the terminal or a positioning functionality of the mobile radio network), is used as a basis.

From card 254 or card 356, the user arrives at card 358, on which various subject categories are offered to the user. The user can select one of the subject categories, for example the subject category "car / traffic", and then arrives at Card 360, on which the user is given a series of location information services which can provide location-related information relevant to the query location regarding the selected category. If the user cannot assign his area of interest to any of the categories presented in the Card 358, the user can alternatively choose to enter a search term. He then arrives at Card 362, in which a search term is queried. After confirmation of his input, the user is then given a series of location information services, if available, which can provide location-related information relevant to the request location, which relates to the search term or is linked in some way to the search term. For example, the SID Guide can hold a kind of dictionary in its database, the words and terms of which are each mapped (assigned) to at least one category supported by the SID Guide. In the example shown in FIG. 18, the card 360 is also presented to the user when the search term “traffic” is entered. The user can now select a location information service (possibly also several location information services) and his request is transmitted to the selected location information service. Cards 362, 364 and 366 show the result of the corresponding query response to the respective location information service. In the case of the Card 362, the user is given three parking garages that still have capacity and the distance to them. In the case of Card 366, the user is given traffic information. In the case of Card 364, auto repair shops nearby are mentioned to the user. The user can select one of the workshops offered and then receive more information (see Card 368).

A location information service, which is operated, for example, by an automobile manufacturer or is operated in the name of the customer and refers to contract workshops located in relation to an inquiry location, can hide behind the objects presented according to Card 364. In this case, the location information service "workshops" according to Card 364 is to be identified as a meta location information service that could be provided by the SID Guide itself. This situation (for example) on which the card 364 is based is illustrated by the card 364 'additionally shown. In general, it can be the case that in a response card, for example according to Card 360, both location information services and meta-location information services are presented side by side. Furthermore, it is not excluded that, in addition to location information services, information content, for example of the type shown in card 366 or 362, is also presented in a response card. For this purpose, the meta location information service can have a functionality that provides a “normal” location information service. The meta location information service can thus simultaneously function as a "normal" location information service.

With regard to the query of categories of interest to users, it should also be mentioned that a hierarchy of categories can also be provided here. After selecting a first, higher-level category, the service then branches to a hierarchically lower level election card on which sub-categories falling under the higher category are offered for selection.

It has already been mentioned above with reference to "another aspect" that the meta-location information service (also) can refer to information objects with a geographic reference or object information services assigned to them. This proposal is based on the idea of linking, for example, any site-related (and location-accessible (and mobile callable with a corresponding mobile system)) Internet site or WAP content or I-mode content (to name just a few examples) to the Meta-SID according to the invention. For this purpose, meta-data associated with the relevant pages or contents, which contain a location reference and preferably information categories, can be generated and made available, for example, as a file. It is thought, for example, that already existing websites and the like (which are also referred to here under the term "object information services") are only supplemented by additional meta data by adding relevance points (discriptors and URLs linked to the URLs to the websites or WAP pages) geographical location information) and, for example, saved as XML pages. The URL of the meta data can be made known to the meta SID, for example, in a registration procedure carried out over the Internet. The Meta-SID is preferably designed to read in this data after logging in or cyclically and to store it together with the relevance data relating to the location information services. When queried, for example, by mobile radio customers, this data can then also be evaluated and corresponding information provided via data communication. According to this very simple approach, publishers of static WML pages with location-related content (LBC) can make the meta-data indicating the location reference available to the Meta-SID as simple static Internet pages, for example XML pages (accessibility "on demand"). The relevant meta data can be accessed through the meta-location information service is processed essentially in the same way as meta-data relating to the location information services, at least simultaneously with the request processing during the request processing. When answering the query, the relevant location information services and the relevant object information services can be presented next to one another or also separately from one another.

In the meta-data (meta-database) stored at the Meta-SID and relating to location information services there are, for example, links ("geographic relevance areas") of the form

Information category - geographic location coordinates of a circumscribing rectangle of all addresses geocoded by the SID for this category - URL of the SID.

In the case of an inquiry, for example by a mobile radio customer, the location of the mobile radio customer is used to determine one or more "relevant" SIDs and to make them known to the customer or to carry out a query forwarding. A suitable hit criterion for a SID is an overlap of the geographic relevance area to the queried information category (or at least one geographic relevance area in the absence of specification) with the query area of the mobile radio customer (for example, circle given by a location and a query radius). When a hit is selected, the mobile customer is connected to the SID to which the hit refers. At SID, the further, detailed provision of information for the mobile customer is now carried out.

The aforementioned meta data of the Meta SID can be maintained, for example, by geocoding addresses and introducing additional data using a special content management system designed for this purpose. Each SID acquires the "relevance areas", ie geographical coverage regions to existing information categories. These SID meta data, which indicate the areas of relevance, are preferably transmitted from the individual SID to the meta SID by data communication, for example in connection with a registration taking place via the Internet. In addition, event-related can be triggered by the individual SID ("content in the SID has changed") or by the Meta-SID data synchronization procedures with transmission of update data from the SID to the Meta-SID.

In order to be able to homogeneously integrate existing static internet pages or WML pages etc. into the Meta-SID, they have to be "geocoded" in a corresponding manner. In this context, it is assumed here, for example, that exactly one information object (a geocoded address) is described with an Internet or WML page that is ultimately located on any WEB server that can be reached via the Internet or via WAP data communication , The location reference of this page (given by location coordinates) and the abstracted information content (given by information categories) can also be brought here in meta-data form and communicated to the Meta-SID, for example as a file (e.g. in XML data format), which is also preferably on a WEB Server is hosted. This server, which can be addressed via a URL assigned to the meta data in order to call up the meta data from the side of the meta SID, can be the same as the one on which the WML or website is located. However, this is not absolutely necessary.

In the meta data (meta database) stored at the Meta SID, links ("geographical relevance points") of the form can also be found in relation to the Internet or WML pages mentioned as examples

Information category - geographic location coordinates of the object described in the Internet or WML page - URL of the Internet or WML page

are located. In the Meta-SID, the geographic relevance points of the static pages are preferably treated similarly to the relevance areas of the location information services: the hit criterion for a static site-related page is preferably an overlap of the geographic relevance point, which is somewhat blurred and can also be referred to as a "relevance area", to the queried information category (or at least one geographic relevance point if there is no specification) with the query area, for example of the mobile radio customer (approximately a circle given by a location and a query radius). For reasons of homogenization with the data relating to the location information services with the aim of using a uniform database query, it is entirely conceivable to transfer the relevance points internally into small geographical areas (such as small rectangles with a minimal edge length). After the mobile radio customer has selected a hit, the mobile radio customer can connect to the server hosting the Internet or WML page to which the hit refers, and the static page is called up and transmitted to the mobile radio customer.

The Meta-SID is also a meta-service or meta-system with regard to the static pages mentioned, because instead of the detailed information data, only abstract meta-data are kept and used, which only refer to the actual information sources. The Meta-SID will usually be able to distinguish internally between the two types of information sources (location information services on the one hand and object information services or the aforementioned static pages on the other), especially if the query forwarding and the type of meta data transmission are different distinguish the two types of information sources.

The meta data relating to the static pages can be transmitted to the meta SID as follows, for example. After generating the meta data, for example, with the help of appropriate Geocoding tools and the transport of the files containing this meta data to a target server are made known to the meta SID by means of a registration process (for example, registration via a conventional WEB registration form) the URL of the meta data. The Meta-SID can now read this meta data once and / or cyclically from the URL transmitted to it. The generation of the files mentioned, their transport to the target server and the logon to the Meta-SID can advantageously be carried out using a special PC program (for example in the manner of a WML editor with additional functions).

The invention relates generally to systems and services for giving location-related information, in particular by means of data communication to inquiries determined by data communication. A meta location information service is proposed which is assigned to a plurality of location information services and / or object information services and which, based on an inquiry relating to a location, names one or more location information services or object information services (if any) that are likely to be can make a request for location-related or object-related information relevant to this location.

Claims

Expectations

System for giving location-related information by means of data communication to requests transmitted by data communication, comprising a) a plurality of location information systems (26; 27), each comprising: a 1) an electronically addressable data storage device (1 10a) for storing itself data relating to information objects, which identify the information objects and their geographical location or / and a geographic relevance area assigned to the information objects; a3) one realized on the basis of a computer system

Query response device (1 30a), which is designed to automatically answer a query transmitted by data communication to the location information system (26; 27), data from the data storage device (1 10a) at least as a function of at least one geographical query location (A; B; C) or geographic query area and provide response data based on the read data; a4) a data communication interface (122a, 1 14a, 1 1 2a) assigned to the request answering device (130a), which is designed to automatically receive incoming requests to the location information system (26; 27) via data communication and to the request answering device (130a) forwarded automatically for further processing and to automatically transmit responses generated by the query response device (1 30a) to a data communication address assigned to the respective query; and comprising: b) at least one meta-location information system (28; 27) assigned to the location information systems (26; 27), comprising: b1) an electronically addressable data storage device (1 10b) for storing itself on the assigned location information systems (26; 27) related data, each specifying at least one assigned data communication address for the location information systems and that for the location information systems for identification, for which geographic locations and / and for which geographic area or for which geographic areas the respective location information system based on a corresponding request can provide relevant location-related information to the data stored in its data storage device (1 10a), in each case indicate at least one assigned geographic relevance area and / or assigned geographic locations, which the geographic locations and / or the geographic locations hen relevance areas of

Reflect information objects for which data is stored in the data storage device (1 10a) of the respective location information system (26; 27); b3) one realized on the basis of a computer system

Query answering device (130b), which is designed to automatically answer a Request transmitted by data communication to the meta-location information system (28; 27) to read out data from the data storage device (1 10b) at least as a function of at least one geographical request location or geographical request area assigned to the respective request and to provide response data based on the read data Specify at least one, if available, several of those location information systems (26; 27) at least by specifying at least one data communication address assigned to the respective location information system, which shows the data for the geographical request location or stored in the data storage device (1 10b) of the meta location information system (28; 27) geographical query area based on the data stored in the data storage device (1 10a) of the respective location information system (26; 27) according to the query can provide relevant location-related information (in the following these are

Location information systems addressed as relevant location information systems); b4) a data communication interface (1 22b, 1 14b, 1 1 2b) assigned to the request answering device (130b), which is designed to automatically receive incoming requests to the meta-location information system (28; 27) via data communication and to the request answering device (1 30b) for further processing and forwarded automatically by the query answering device

(130b) answers to this generated automatically via data communication to one of the respective queries to transmit assigned data communication address.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising c) a plurality of object information systems associated with the meta-location information system, each comprising: d) at least one electronically addressable data storage device for storing data relating to at least one information object; c3) at least one server computer assigned to the data storage device; c4) at least one data communication interface assigned to the server computer, via which object information data can be called up via data communication with reference to a data communication address assigned to the object information system, based on the data stored in the data storage device, the electronically addressable data storage device

(1 10b) of the meta-location information system is designed to store the data communication address assigned to the respective object information system and data which indicate a geographical relevance area and / or an assigned geographical location assigned to the information object; and wherein the query answering device (130b) of the meta-location information system is designed to provide answer data when automatically answering a query transmitted by data communication to the meta-location information system (28; 27), which i) at least one, if any, of those location information systems (26; 27) at least by specifying at least one of the respective location information systems Specify the data communication address assigned to the system, which, according to the data stored in the data storage device (1 10b) of the meta-location information system (28; 27), for the geographic request location or geographical request area on the basis of the data storage device (1 10a) of the respective location information system (26 ; 27) can provide stored location-relevant information according to the request (hereinafter these location information systems are referred to as relevant location information systems) or / and ii) specify at least one, if available, several of those object information systems, at least by specifying the data communication address assigned to the respective object information system, which according to the data stored in the data storage device (1 10b) of the meta-location information system (28; 27) for the geographic request location or geographical request area according to the request e can provide relevant information object-related and thus possibly location-related information (in the following these object information systems are addressed as relevant object information systems).

3. A system for providing location-based information by means of data communication to requests transmitted by data communication, comprising c) a plurality of object information systems, each comprising: d) at least one electronically addressable data storage device for storing data relating to at least one information object; c3) at least one server computer assigned to the data storage device; c4) at least one data communication interface assigned to the server computer, via which data communication in relation to a data communication address assigned to the object information system, object information data can be called up on the basis of the data stored in the data storage device, and comprising: bc) at least one meta-location information system (28; 27) assigned to the object information systems, which comprises: at) an electronically addressable data storage device device (1 10b) for storing data relating to the assigned object information systems, comprising the data communication address assigned to the respective object information system and data indicating a geographical relevance area and / or an assigned geographical location assigned to the information object; bc3) a query response device (1 30b) implemented on the basis of a computer system, which is designed for the automated answering of a query transmitted by data communication to the meta-location information system (28; 27), data from the data storage device (1 10b) at least as a function from at least one geographic query location or geographic query area assigned to the respective query and to provide response data based on the read data which specify at least one, if any, several of those object information systems, at least by specifying the data communication address assigned to the respective object information system, which is evident from that in the data storage device (1 10b) of the meta location information mation system (28; 27) stored data for the geographic request location or geographic request area according to the request can give relevant information object-related and thus possibly location-related information (in the following these are

Object information systems addressed as relevant object information systems); b4) a data communication interface (122b, 1 14b, 1 12b) assigned to the request answering device (130b), which is designed to automatically receive incoming requests to the meta-location information system (28; 27) via data communication and to the request answering device (130b ) forwarded automatically for further processing and from the query answering device

(130b) to automatically transmit responses generated thereupon to a data communication address assigned to the respective request.

4. System according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one, preferably all of the location information systems each have: a2) a data maintenance device (1 28a) implemented on the basis of / of the computer system for at least one of storing data, changing data Data and deletion of data comprising maintenance of the data stored by the data storage device (1 10a).

System according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the meta-location information system (28; 27) further comprises: b2) a data maintenance device (1 28b) implemented on the basis of a / the computer system for at least one maintenance of the data stored by the data storage device, which includes storing data, changing data and deleting data, the data maintenance device (128b) being designed for this purpose On the basis of update data provided by the assigned location information systems (26; 27) or object information systems, the data stored in the data storage device (1 10b) is updated automatically.

6. System according to one of claims 1, 2, 4 or 5, characterized in that at least one, preferably all of the location information systems (26; 27) each have: a5) an update data provision device (132a) which is designed for update data for the updating of the data stored in the data storage device (1 10b) of the meta-location information system (28; 27), the update data using the data maintenance device (128b) of the meta-location information system to automatically update the data in the data storage device (1 10b) of the meta -Location information system (28; 27) stored data according to the in the

Enable data storage device (1 10a) of the respective location information system (26; 27) stored data.

7. System according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that at least one, preferably all of the object information systems each have: c5) an update data provision device which is designed to provide update data for the update of the data stored in the data storage device of the meta-location information system, the update data by means of the data maintenance device of the meta-location information system being used to automatically update the data stored in the data storage device of the meta-location information system. data stored in the information system in relation to the object information system or the respective information object.

8. System according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the update data supply device (132a) provides the update data automatically.

9. System according to claim 6 or 7 or 8, characterized in that the update data provision device (132) provides the update data by means of an assigned data communication interface (1 1 8a, 1 1 2a) via data communication and that the meta-location information system (28; 27 ) has a data communication interface (1 1 8b, 1 1 2b) assigned to the data maintenance device (1 28b), which receives the update data automatically and forwards it automatically to the data maintenance device (1 28b) for updating the data of the data storage device (1 10b).

10. System according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the update data providing device (132a) is designed to provide the update data i) according to a predetermined or predeterminable update scheme or / and ii) in response to maintenance of the data storage device (1 10a) stored data, possibly based on monitoring the data maintenance by the data maintenance device (128a) or initiated by the data maintenance device (128a) or based on a review of the data stored in the data storage device (1 10a), or / and iii) in Response to a per

Data communication from the meta location information system (28; 27) to the relevant location information system or object information system transmitted data request message.

1 1. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the meta-location information system (28; 27) has a functionality (136b) which in each case assigns a system status LEBT or LEBT NOT to the location information systems (26; 27) and / or the object information systems, wherein only those location information systems or object information systems are considered as relevant location information system (26; 27) or object information system that have the system status LEBT.

12. System according to claim 1 1, characterized in that the functionality (136b) on data communication from the meta-location information system (28; 27) to the location information systems (26; 27) and / or to the object information systems transmitted system status requests and the response or non-reaction of the location information system (26; 27) or. Object information systems thereon and / or on a specified or predefinable feedback scheme from the location information systems (26; 27) having the system status LEBT or / and object information systems to the meta-location information system (28; 27) transmitted by data communication AM-LEBEN-

Messages based.

1 3. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the query answering device (130a) at least one of the location information systems (26; 27) therefor

- is designed to provide response data based on the data read out from the data storage device (1 10a), the at least one of those information objects at least by specifying at least one geographical location and / or postal address and / and postal address and / or data communication address and / or telecommunication address assigned to the respective information object specify the geographical location or geographic relevance area of the geographic request location (A; B; C) or geographic request area according to a predefined or predefinable hit criterion (in the following these information objects are addressed as relevant information objects).

14. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the query answering device (130b) of the meta-location information system (28; 27) is designed to provide response data based on the data read out from the data storage device (1 10b), which contains at least one, If available, specify several of those location information systems (26; 27) at least by specifying at least one data communication address assigned to the respective location information system, the assigned geographic relevance area of which corresponds to the geographic query location (A; B; C) or geographical query area according to a predefined or predefinable hit criterion (hereinafter) addressed this location information system as relevant location information systems).

1 5. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the query answering device (1 30b) of the meta-location information system (28; 27) is designed to provide response data based on the data read out from the data storage device (1 10b), which at least specify one, if available, several of those object information systems at least by specifying the data communication address assigned to the respective object information system, for which the geographical relevance area assigned to the respective information object and / or the geographical location assigned to the information object, the geographical request location (A; B; C) or geographical The request area corresponds to a predefined or predefinable hit criterion (in the following these object information systems are addressed as relevant object information systems).

1 6. System according to claim 1 3 or 14 or 1 5, characterized in that the hit criterion at least on the determination of a match or disagreement between the request location (A; B; C) or request area on the one hand and the geographic relevance area or the geographical location, on the other hand, is based on a geographical overlap or a geographical and / or traffic distance between them that is below a threshold value.

17. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data stored in the data storage device (1 10a) at least one of the location information systems (26; 27) for the information objects indicate an assignment to predetermined or predefinable categories and the query response device (1 30a) is preferably designed as a function of at least one specified in the request or to read data from the data storage device (1 10a) assigned to the request and to provide response data based on the read data.

18. System according to claim 17, characterized in that the information objects of a common category are each assigned a common data communication address via which an inquiry processing taking into account the category can be initiated.

19. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data stored in the data storage device (1 10b) of the meta-location information system (28; 27) for at least one of the location information systems (26; 27) and / or for at least one of the object information systems specify an assignment to predetermined or predeterminable categories, and that the query answering device (130b) is designed to i) in the response data the relevant location information systems (26; 27) and / or object information systems according to the data read out from the data storage device (1 10b) with regard to the assigned data To mark categories and / or ii) depending on at least one category specified in the request, to read data from the data storage device (1 10b) and to provide response data based on the read data, which are only such location information systems (26; 27) and / or object information systems Specify the relevant location information system or object information system that are assigned to the specified category.

20. System according to claim 19 and according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the categories correspond to the categories assigned to the information objects or that the categories assigned to the information objects can be mapped to the categories.

21. System according to claim 18 and 20, characterized in that the response data provided by the query response device (130b) of the meta-location information system (28; 27) for the relevant location information systems (26; 27) indicate one or more data communication addresses, each of which is assigned to a specific category and via which an inquiry processing taking into account the category can be initiated by the respective location information system (26; 27).

22. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the query answering device (130b) of the meta-location information system (28; 27) or / and the query answering device (130a) of at least one of the location information systems (26; 27) is designed for this, to conduct a data communication dialog with a requestor or requesting system (1 6; 18; 20) via the assigned data communication interface (1 22a, 1 14a, 1 1 2a; 1 22b, 1 14b, 1 1 2b).

23. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the meta location information system (28; 27) and / or at least one of the location information systems (26; 27) can be addressed under different data communication addresses for the purpose of queries via data communication, the respective data communication addresses in each case a predefined or predefinable separate user profile and / or inquiry request is assigned to the word profile and the answering device (130a; 130b) provides the answering data as a function of the profile identified by the data communication address used.

24. Information system for providing location-related information at a plurality of geographically distributed and possibly changing or changing locations, comprising a system (10) according to one of the preceding claims and comprising a plurality of requesting systems (14, 1, 6, 18), which - if necessary as user terminals - are suitable for placing inquiries to at least one of the location information systems (26; 27) and / or to the meta-location information system (28; 27) via data communication, the requesting systems (14, 1 6, 1 8) being used for this are designed so that queries can be initiated by a user and / or are automatically submitted according to a predetermined or predeterminable query scheme and / or depending on predetermined or predeterminable query conditions.

25. System according to claim 24, characterized in that the data communication between the respective requesting system (14, 1 6, 18) on the one hand and the location information system (26; 27) or the meta-location information system (28; 27) or the object information system on the other hand comprises wireless data communication and / or data communication via a computer network, in particular the Internet (1 2).

26. System according to claim 25, characterized in that the wireless data communication takes place via a mobile radio network (14).

27. System according to one of claims 24 to 26, characterized in that at least some (1 6, 18) of the requestor systems mobile Inquiry systems are designed to submit requests and receive response data via a wireless data communication network or cellular network (14).

28. System according to one of claims 25 to 27, characterized in that the wireless data communication is based on the GSM transmission standard, the GPRS transmission standard, the EDGE transmission standard or the UMTS transmission standard.

29. System according to one of claims 24 to 28, characterized in that a user interface based on a platform-independent standard, such as the XML standard or HTML standard or WML standard, is provided on the requesting system side.

30. System according to one of claims 24 to 29, characterized in that the data communication between the requesting system (16; 18; 20) on the one hand and the location information system (26; 27) or the meta-location information system (28; 27) or the Object information system, on the other hand, comprises data communication according to the TCP / IP transmission protocol and / or data communication according to the WAP transmission protocol and / and according to the I-mode transmission protocol.

31 System according to one of Claims 24 to 30, characterized in that at least some (1 6, 1 8) of the requesting systems have a position-locating functionality for determining the geographical request location and / or the geographical request area or the requesting systems (1 6, 1 8) have one this cooperating position location device (142) is assigned, which is designed to determine the geographic query location and / or the geographic query area.

32. System according to claim 31, characterized in that the requesting systems (16, 18) with position-locating functionality are designed in the event of an inquiry to a location information system (26; 27) and / or to the meta-location information system (28; 27) to automatically notify the system in question of the specific query location or query area.

33. System according to claim 31 or 32, characterized in that the position-locating functionality is based on the GPS technology (140).

34. System according to one of claims 24 to 33, in any case according to claims 29 and 33, characterized in that the position-locating device (142) is designed to determine the request location or request area on the basis of in a network infrastructure of the wireless data communication network or Mobile data network (14) to determine existing data or on the basis of system states of the network infrastructure.

35. System according to claim 34, characterized in that the position-locating device (142) or the network infrastructure is designed in the event of an inquiry to a location information system (26; 27) and / or to the meta-location information system (28; 27 ) automatically inform the system in question of the specific request location or request area.

36. System according to one of claims 24 to 35, characterized in that at least one of the location information systems (26; 27) and / or the meta-location information system (28; 27) provides user guidance with manual input of the query location and / or the query area at one associated with a request

Provides user terminal (1 6, 1 8, 20).

7. Location information system, in particular in a system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 36 or for building a system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 36, comprising: a1) an electronically addressable data storage device (1 1 Oa) for storage data relating to information objects which identify the information objects and their geographical location and / or a geographic relevance area assigned to the information objects; a2) a data maintenance device (128a) implemented on the basis of a computer system for at least one maintenance of the data stored by the data storage device (1 10a), which includes storing data, changing data and deleting data; a3) a query response device (130a) implemented on the basis of a / the computer system, which is designed to automatically answer a query transmitted by data communication to the location information system (26; 27) data from the data storage device (110a) at least as a function of at least one read out the geographic request location (A; B; C) or geographic request area assigned to the respective request and provide response data based on the read data; a4) a data communication interface (1 22a, 1 14a, 1 12a) assigned to the request answering device (1 30a), which is designed to automatically receive incoming requests to the location information system (26; 27) via data communication and to the request answering device (130a ) automatically forwarded for further processing and answers generated by the query answering device (1 30a) thereupon via data communication transmit to a data communication address assigned to the respective request; a5) an update data provision device (132a) which is designed to provide update data for the update of data stored in a data storage device (1 10b) of an associated meta-location information system (28; 27), the update data enabling an update in such a way that the updated data for the location information system (26; 27) indicate at least one assigned data communication address and for identifying for which geographic locations and / and for which geographic area or for which geographic areas the location information system (26; 27) based on a corresponding request can provide relevant location-related information to the data stored in its data storage device (1 10a), in each case indicate at least one assigned geographical relevance area and / or assigned geographical locations that indicate the geographical locations or / and the geographic relevance areas of

Reflect information objects for which data is stored in the data storage device (1 10a) of the location information system.

38. Location information system according to claim 37, characterized by the features relating to a location information system (26; 27) according to at least one of claims 1 to 28.

39. Meta location information system, in particular in a system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 36 or for the construction of a

A system (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 36, comprising: b1) an electronically addressable data storage device (1 10b) for storing data relating to assigned location information systems (26; 27), which each indicate at least one assigned data communication address for the location information systems and that for

Location information systems for identification, for which geographic locations and / and for which geographic area or for which geographic areas the respective location information system upon a corresponding request based on the data storage device

(1 10a) stored data can provide relevant location-related information, in each case specify at least one assigned geographic relevance area and / or assigned geographic locations, which the geographic locations and / or the geographic relevance areas of

Reflect information objects for which data is stored in the data storage device (1 10a) of the respective location information system (26; 27); b3) a query response device (130b) implemented on the basis of a computer system, which is designed to automatically answer a query transmitted by data communication to the meta-location information system (28; 27), data from the data storage device (110b) at least as a function of to read out at least one geographical query location or geographical query area assigned to the respective query and to provide response data based on the read data which specify at least one, if any, of those location information systems (26; 27) at least by specifying at least one data communication address which is assigned to the respective location information system and which is evident from the in the data storage device (1 1 0b) of the meta-location information system (28; 27) stored data for the geographic query location or geographic query area on the basis of the data stored in the data storage device (1 10a) of the respective location information system (26; 27) according to the

Be able to provide relevant location-related information (in the following these location information systems are addressed as relevant location information systems); b4) a data communication interface (122b; 1 14b; 1 12b) assigned to the request answering device (130b), which is designed to receive incoming requests to the meta-location information system (28; 27) automatically via data communication and to the request answering device (130b ) to be forwarded automatically for further processing and to be automatically transmitted to the data answering address assigned to the respective request by the query answering device (1 30b).

40. Meta location information system, in particular in a system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 36 or for the construction of a system (1 0) according to one of claims 1 to 36, comprising: at) an electronically addressable data storage device (1 10b) for storing data relating to assigned object information systems comprising a data communication address assigned to the respective object information system and data which indicate a geographical relevance area assigned to the information object and / or an assigned geographical location; bc3) a query answering device (1 30b) realized on the basis of a computer system, the is designed to automatically answer a request transmitted by data communication to the meta-location information system (28; 27) data from the data storage device (1 10b) at least as a function of at least one of the respective ones

To read out the geographic request location or geographic request area assigned to the request and to provide response data based on the read data which specify at least one, if any, several of those object information systems, at least by specifying the data communication address assigned to the respective object information system, which can be shown in the data storage device (1 10b) of the meta Location information system (28; 27) stored data for the geographical query location or geographical query area according to the query can give relevant information object-related and thus possibly location-related information (in the following these object information systems are addressed as relevant object information systems); b4) a data communication interface (122b, 1 14b, 1 1 2b) assigned to the request answering device (130b), which is designed to automatically receive incoming requests to the meta-location information system (28; 27) via data communication and to them Automatically forward request answering device (1 30b) for further processing and, automatically, responses generated by the request answering device (1 30b) via data communication to one of the respective requests to transmit assigned data communication address.

41. 40. Meta-location information system according to claim 31 or 40, characterized by b2) a data maintenance device (128b) implemented on the basis of a / the computer system for at least one maintenance of the data storage device which includes storing data, changing data and deleting data stored data, the data maintenance facility

(128b) is designed to automatically update the data stored in the data storage device (1 10b) on the basis of update data provided by the assigned location information systems (26; 27) or object information systems.

42. Meta-location information system according to claim 39 or 40 or 41, characterized by the features relating to the meta-location information system (28; 27) according to at least one of claims 1 to 36.

43. Inquiry system in an information system (10) according to one of claims 24 to 36 for obtaining location-related information from the meta-location information system (28; 27) and at least one of the location information systems (26; 27) or / and at least one of the object information systems, wherein the inquiry system (1 6; 1 8; 20) is designed to submit an inquiry to the meta-location information system (28; 27) or to the location information system (26; 27) by data communication, in particular by wireless data communication and then by data communication, in particular by wireless data communication To receive response data, the requesting system (1 6; 1 8; 20) has a user interface based on data received by the meta location information system (28; 27) or the location information system (26; 27) via data communication.

44. Inquiry system according to claim 34, characterized by the features relating to the inquiry system (16; 18; 20) according to at least one of claims 1 to 36.

45. Method for user support in obtaining location-related information from at least one of a plurality of

Location information services (SID1, SID2) include the steps:

51) Formation of geographic relevance areas (a, ß, y) for the location information services on the basis of the geocoded data provided by the location information services (SID1, SID2) and providing factual and location information;

52) collecting data indicating the areas of relevance (, β, y) of the location information services and identifying the respective location information service;

53) accepting a request; S4) Comparison of a geographical assigned to the request

Request location (A; B; C) and / or a geographic request area assigned to the request with the data indicating the relevance areas (a, β, y) collected in step S2); S5) Answering the request by transmitting information, the transmitted information being provided taking into account the comparison carried out in step S4) on the basis of the data collected in step S2) and identifying at least one, if any, of the location information services, the one or the other geographical

Relevance range (a; ß; y) the request location (A; B; C) or Request area according to a predetermined or predefinable

Hit criterion corresponds, with at least one of the process steps S1) to S5), in particular at least process step S4), preferably all process steps, automated by a trained for this

Establishment to be carried out.

46. The method according to claim 45, characterized in that in step S2) additional data are collected which identify individual information objects and / or object information services assigned to them and indicate areas of relevance assigned to them, and that which was transmitted in step S5) for answering the request Information identifies at least one, if available, several of the information objects or object information services whose geographic relevance area corresponds to the request location or request area according to a / the predetermined or predefinable hit criterion.

47. The method according to claim 45 or 46, characterized in that the respective location information service and / or the respective

Information object or the respective object information service is identified in the transmitted data at least by a respective data communication address.

48. The method according to claim 45 or 46 or 47, characterized in that the hit criterion at least on the determination of a match or non-match between the request location (A; B; C) or request area on the one hand and the geographical relevance area (a; ß; y) on the other hand in the sense of a geographical overlap or a geographical and / or traffic distance between them lying below a threshold value.

49. The method according to any one of claims 45 to 48, characterized in that in step S3) the request is received via data communication and in step S5) data representing the information are transmitted to a data communication address assigned to the request via data communication.

50. The method according to any one of claims 45 to 49, characterized by the additional step:

S6) forwarding a request to at least one of the location information services (SID1, SID2) identified in the information transmitted in step S5), preferably by data communication.

51. Method according to one of claims 45 to 50, characterized in that in step S1) for the location information services

(SID1, SID2), various subject categories (1, 2) are formed on the basis of the geocoded data provided by the location information services and provide factual and location information, and a separate geographical relevance area [a, ß or y) is formed for each subject category, and that in step S2)

Data are collected that indicate the relevant subject category (1 or 2) for the relevance areas (a, ß, y).

52. The method according to claim 51, characterized in that the information transmitted in step S5) for the respective location information service indicates at least one subject category (1 or 2), the geographical relevance area of the request location (A; B; C) or request area according to corresponds to the predefined or predefinable hit criterion.

53. The method according to claim 51 or 52, characterized in that in step S3) an inquiry is received which has little at least one subject category of interest specifies that in step S4) the subject category of interest (1; 2) is compared with the data indicating the subject category collected in step S2), and that information is transmitted in step S5) that at least one of the location information services ( SID1, SID2) for which a subject category corresponding to the subject category of interest was formed, whose relevant relevance area (a; ß; y) corresponds to the request location (A; B; C) or request area according to the predefined or predefinable hit criterion.

54. The method according to any one of claims 45 to 53, characterized in that the data collection step S2) is carried out repeatedly at certain time intervals and / and the data collected in step S2) is updated at certain time intervals, preferably updated automatically.

55. The method according to any one of claims 45 to 54, characterized in that the method is carried out using at least one system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 44.