Information processing system, hand held cellular phone, and information processing method

Abstract

An information processing system comprises an information providing medium that stores information in an electromagnetic or optical manner, the information providing medium being attached to an entity in order to provide information associated with the entity; a hand held terminal device having an information read function that reads information from the information providing medium in an electromagnetic or optical manner and record the information; and an information processing unit for retrieving the information recorded in the hand held terminal device; wherein the information providing medium is inconspicuously attached to the entity. In this manner, the information can be recorded into the hand held terminal for later use by a user.

1. An information processing system comprising:
 an information providing medium attached to an object, said information providing medium having an IC chip for storing information corresponding to the object and a first antenna connected to the IC chip; and 
 a cellular phone having a second antenna configured for electro-magnetically interacting with the first antenna to obtain the information when the cellular phone is made close to the information providing medium, means for storing the obtained information in the cellular phone, an information reading unit for processing the information into an audible or visible form, a first means for representing the processed information, and means for transmitting the stored information to additional devices. 
 
     
     
       2. An information processing system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said representing means is a display for displaying the processed information. 
     
     
       3. An information processing system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said object is an advertising poster. 
     
     
       4. The information processing system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an information processing unit, remote from the cellular phone, having means for receiving the stored information from the cellular phone, means for processing the received information into an audible or visible form, and a second means for representing the processed information. 
 
     
     
       5. The information processing system of  claim 4 , wherein the means for transmitting and receiving the stored information comprises an electrically conductive cable connecting the cellular phone and the information processing unit. 
     
     
       6. The information processing system of  claim 4 , wherein the means for transmitting and receiving the stored information comprises an RS23C interface. 
     
     
       7. The information processing system of  claim 4 , wherein the means for transmitting and receiving the stored information comprises a USB interface. 
     
     
       8. The information processing system of  claim 4 , wherein the second means for representing the processed information has a higher resolution than the first means. 
     
     
       9. The information processing system of  claim 4 , wherein the information processing unit further comprises means for connecting to the Internet. 
     
     
       10. The information processing system of  claim 1 , wherein said object is a product. 
     
     
       11. The information processing system of  claim 1 , wherein the cellular phone further comprises means to wirelessly supply power to the information providing medium. 
     
     
       12. A cellular phone comprising:
 a telephone function; 
 means for reading information stored in an information providing medium attached to an object, said information providing medium having an IC chip storing the information corresponding to the object, and a first antenna connected to the IC chip, said reading means having a second antenna configured for electro-magnetically coupling the first antenna to obtain the first information when the cellular phone is made close to the information providing medium; 
 means for processing the information into an audible or visible form; and 
 means for representing the processed information. 
 
     
     
       13. The cellular phone of  claim 12 , further comprising means for transmitting the stored information to additional devices. 
     
     
       14. An information processing method comprising:
 reading first information stored in an information providing medium attached to an article or material when a cellular phone is made close to the information providing medium, the reading being performed by electro-magnetically coupling between a first antenna: connected with an IC chip included in the information providing medium and a second antenna implemented in the cellular phone; 
 processing the information into audible or visible form on the cellular phone; 
 representing the processed information on the cellular phone; 
 transmitting the information to an additional device; 
 processing the information into audible or visible form on the additional device; and 
 representing the processed information on the additional device. 
 
     
     
       15. An information processing system comprising:
 an information providing medium attached to an object, said information providing medium having an IC chip for storing information corresponding to the object and a first antenna connected to the IC chip; and   a cellular phone having a second antenna configured for electro-magnetically interacting with the first antenna to obtain the information when the cellular phone is placed close to the information providing medium, means for storing the obtained information in the cellular phone, an information reading unit for processing the information, a first means for representing the processed information, and means for transmitting the stored information to additional devices.   
     
     
       16. An information processing system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said representing means is a display for displaying the processed information. 
     
     
       17. An information processing system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said object is an advertising poster. 
     
     
       18. The information processing system of claim 15, further comprising:
 an information processing unit, remote from the cellular phone, having means for receiving the stored information from the cellular phone, means for processing the received information and a means for representing the processed information.   
     
     
       19. The information processing system of claim 18, wherein the means for transmitting and receiving the stored information comprises an electrically conductive cable connecting the cellular phone and the information processing unit. 
     
     
       20. The information processing system of claim 18, wherein the means for transmitting and receiving the stored information comprises an RS23C interface. 
     
     
       21. The information processing system of claim 18, wherein the means for transmitting and receiving the stored information comprises a USB interface. 
     
     
       22. The information processing system of claim 18, further comprising a second means for representing the processed information having a lower resolution than the first means. 
     
     
       23. The information processing system of claim 18, wherein the information processing unit further comprises means for connecting to the Internet. 
     
     
       24. The information processing system of claim 15, wherein said object is a product. 
     
     
       25. The information processing system of claim 15, wherein the cellular phone further comprises means to wirelessly supply power to the information providing medium. 
     
     
       26. A cellular phone comprising:
 a telephone function;   means for reading information stored in an information providing medium attached to an object, said information providing medium having an IC chip storing the information corresponding to the object, and a first antenna connected to the IC chip, said reading means having a second antenna configured for electro-magnetically coupling the first antenna to obtain the information stored in the information providing medium when the cellular phone is placed close to the information providing medium;   means for processing the information read from the information providing medium; and   means for representing the processed information.   
     
     
       27. The cellular phone of claim 26, further comprising means for transmitting the stored information to additional devices. 
     
     
       28. An information processing method comprising:
 reading first information stored in an information providing medium attached to an article or material when a cellular phone is made close to the information providing medium, the reading being performed by electro-magnetically coupling between a first antenna connected with an IC chip included in the information providing medium and a second antenna implemented in the cellular phone;   processing the information from the information providing medium on the cellular phone;   representing the processed information on the cellular phone;   transmitting the information to an additional device;   processing the information from the information providing medium on the additional device; and   representing the processed information on the additional device.   
     
     
       29. An information reading device comprising:
 a first antenna configured to electro-magnetically interact with a second antenna on an information providing medium by communicating information from the information providing medium when the first antenna is placed close to the second antenna;   a means for storing the obtained information;   an information reading unit for processing the information from the information providing medium; and   a means for representing the processed information,   wherein the information reading device is a cellular phone.   
     
     
       30. The information reading device as claimed in claim 29, further comprising:
 an input unit,   wherein the information reading device is enabled to communicate with the information providing medium according to an operation of the input unit.   
     
     
       31. The information reading device according to claim 29, wherein the information reading device has a first mode and a second mode, and
 wherein the information reading device is configured to communicate with the information providing medium in the first mode.   
     
     
       32. The information reading device according to claim 31, further comprising:
 an input unit, and   wherein the information reading device is set to the first mode according to an operation of the input unit.   
     
     
       33. The information reading device according to claim 31, further comprising:
 an input unit, and   wherein the information reading device switches from the second mode to the first mode according to an operation of the input unit.   
     
     
       34. The information reading device according to claim 31, wherein the first antenna electro-magnetically interacts with the second antenna by using a carrier signal having a frequency of 13.56 MHz. 
     
     
       35. The information reading device according to claim 31, further comprising:
 a touch panel interface.   
     
     
       36. An information processing system comprising:
 an information providing medium attached to an object, said information providing medium having an IC chip for storing information corresponding to the object and a first antenna connected to the IC chip; and   a cellular phone having a second antenna configured for electro-magnetically interacting with the first antenna to obtain the information when the cellular phone is placed close to the information providing medium, means for storing the obtained information in the cellular phone, an information reading unit for processing the information, a first means for representing the processed information, and means for transmitting the stored information to additional devices.   
     
     
       37. A cellular phone comprising:
 a telephone function;   means for reading information stored in an information providing medium attached to an object, said information providing medium having an IC chip storing the information corresponding to the object, and a first antenna connected to the IC chip, said reading means having a second antenna configured for electro-magnetically coupling the first antenna to obtain the information stored in the information providing medium when the cellular phone is placed close to the information providing medium;   means for processing the information read from the information providing medium; and   means for representing the processed information.   
     
     
       38. An information processing method comprising:
 reading first information stored in an information providing medium attached to an article or material when a cellular phone is made close to the information providing medium, the reading being performed by electro-magnetically coupling between a first antenna connected with an IC chip included in the information providing medium and a second antenna implemented in the cellular phone;   processing the information from the information providing medium on the cellular phone; representing the processed information on the cellular phone;   transmitting the information to an additional device;   processing the information from the information providing medium on the additional device; and   representing the processed information on the additional device.   
     
     
       39. An information processing system comprising:
 an information reading device configured to radiate electromagnetic field energy; and   an information providing medium configured to convert said electromagnetic field energy into an inductive electromotive force, said inductive electromotive force powering said information providing medium,   wherein said information reading device is a hand held terminal device, and   wherein said hand held terminal device is a cellular phone.   
     
     
       40. An information processing system as claimed in claim 39, wherein said information providing medium is connectable to the internet.