IP Library Granted Patent US 12696049
Granted Patent B2
US 12696049 · App. 18/022,923 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Information providing apparatus, information providing system, information providing method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium

Inventors: Yuki Hashimoto (Tokyo, JP); Goh Shibata (Tokyo, JP); Takayuki Sasaki (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
H04W4/023H04W4/025H04W4/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12696049
App. No.
18/022,923
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A registration unit registers pieces of identification information of user terminals possessed by users, respectively, as a group. A position information acquisition unit acquires pieces of position information of the plurality of user terminals registered as the group. A reaching detection unit detects, from position information of a first user terminal possessed by one user, that the one user among the plurality of users registered as the group has reached a position where content information is provided. When the reaching is detected, a distance calculation unit calculates a distance between the first user terminal and another user terminal. In a case where the reaching is detected, a provision control unit provides the content information to the first user terminal, and controls provision of the content information to another user terminal possessed by another user of the group based on the calculated distance.

Claims (40)

1 . An information providing apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store content information and provision position information indicating a position where the content information is provided in association with each other;

at least one memory storing instructions, and

at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to;

register pieces of identification information of a plurality of users, respectively, as a group;

acquire pieces of position information of the plurality of users registered as the group;

detect, from based on position information of a first user, that the first user among the plurality of users registered as the group has reached the position where the content information is provided;

calculate a distance between the first user and another user at a time at which the reaching is detected; and

provide the content information to the first user and controls provision of the content information to another user of the group based on the calculated at the time at which the reaching is detected.

2 . The information providing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to; detect, based on the position information of the first user, that the first user among the plurality of users registered as the group has reached the position where the content information is provided.

3 . The information providing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to detect, based on the position information of the first user, that a representative user among the plurality of users registered as the group has reached the position where the content information is provided.

4 . The information providing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to; provide the content information to the another user in a case in which the calculated distance is equal to or less than a set value.

5 . The information providing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to; forgo providing the content information to the another user in a case where the calculated distance exceeds a set value.

6 . The information providing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to; forgo providing the content information to the another user in a case in which the calculated distance exceeds a set value and another content is provided to the another user.

7 . The information providing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to; provide another content for guiding to the position where the content information is provided to the another user in a case in which the calculated distance exceeds a set value and the another content is not provided to the another user.

8 . An information providing method comprising:

storing content information and provision position information indicating a position where the content information is provided in association with each other;

registering pieces of identification information of a plurality of users, respectively, as a group;

acquiring pieces of position information of the plurality of users registered as the group;

detecting, based on the position information of a first user, among the plurality of users registered as the group has reached the position where the content information is provided;

calculating a distance between the first user and another user at a time at which the reaching is detected; and

providing the content information to the first user and controls provision of the content information to another user of the group based on the calculated distance at a time at which the reaching is detected.

9 . The information providing method according to claim 8 , wherein it is detected based on the position information of the first user, that the first user among the plurality of users registered as the group has reached the position where the content information is provided.

10 . The information providing method according to claim 8 , wherein it is detected, based on the position information of the first user, that a representative user among the plurality of users registered as the group has reached the position where the content information is provided.

11 . The information providing method according to claim 8 , wherein the content information is provided to the another user in a case in which the calculated distance is equal to or less than a set value.

12 . The information providing method according to claim 8 , further comprising forgoing providing the content information to the another user in a case where the calculated distance exceeds a set value.

13 . The information providing method according to claim 8 , wherein further comprising forgoing providing the content information to the another user in a case in which the calculated distance exceeds a set value and another content is provided to the another user.

14 . The information providing method according to claim 8 , wherein another content for guiding to the position where the content information is provided is provided to the another user in a case in which the calculated distance exceeds a set value and the another content is not provided to the another user.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program that causes a computer to perform:

storing content information and provision position information indicating a position where the content information is provided in association with each other;

registering pieces of identification information of a plurality of users, respectively, as a group;

acquiring pieces of position information of the plurality of users registered as the group;

detecting, based on the position information of a first use, that the first user among the plurality of users registered as the group has reached the position where the content information is provided;

calculating a distance between the first user and another user at a time at which the reaching is detected; and

providing the content information to the first user and controls provision of the content information to another user of the group based on the calculated distance at the time at which the reaching is detected.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium stores the program that causes the computer to perform detecting, based on the position information of the first user, that the first user among the plurality of users registered as the group has reached the position where the content information is provided.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein it is detected, based on the position information of the first user, that a representative user among the plurality of users registered as the group has reached the position where the content information is provided.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein the content information is provided to the another user in a case in which the calculated distance is equal to or less than a set value.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15 , further comprising forgoing providing the content information to the another user in a case in which the calculated distance exceeds a set value.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15 , further comprising forgoing providing the content information to the another user in a case in which the calculated distance exceeds a set value and another content is provided to the another user.