■Overview

Ubiquitous Location Information Infrastructure associates information with places by assigning unique codes (ucodes) to "places" with various degrees of details from global level to an object level such as a shelf and desk based on ubiquitous ID technology. The infrastructure also provides various information for all sorts of people such as people having no disabilities, the physically-challenged, and people from overseas.
The Ubiquitous Location Information Infrastructure was developed for the purpose of building an environment where "anyone" can access information such as "travel routes," "means of transportation," and "destination" "anytime and anywhere" as part of activities towards the realization of a universal society to which everyone in the society will contribute by exerting their potentials to the full extent and supporting each other.
The use of the Ubiquitous Location Information Infrastructure will provide many people, regardless of whether they are physically-challenged or not, with the freedom of action or opportunities to actively participate in society. Furthermore, many applications of the Ubiquitous Location Information Infrastructure such as revitalization of tourist areas and shopping streets as well as disaster management and the management of facilities such as water and gas have been studied. For example, the Ubiquitous Location Information Infrastructure can be used for building a service in which information on bargains that is valid only at a certain date in a certain place is provided in real time. It has been studied to use such a service to attract many tourists and shoppers and to revitalize the community.

 

 

■System Concept

IC tags and wireless markers are setup in various places such as streets, buildings, parks, shops, and shop windows and provide information associated with the places to people walking around with a terminal. Services provided by the Ubiquitous Location Information Infrastructure are characterized by screening information so that the service offers only piece of information that is appropriate for the attributes of a recipient, such as physical information, preferences, the purpose of traveling, and nationality, etc.

 

 

■Ubiquitous Common Platform

Ubiquitous Common Platform provides the contents based on the Ubiquitous Location Information Infrastructure. By providing standard attribute information on places and contents which can be commonly used and providing API for searching and registering, etc., various kinds of people and groups can register their contents to the ucodes installed at places and use them. Since the contents can be shared reciprocally, information services can be provided in a cross-section manner, not solely by a particular information provider.

 

 

■From Feasibility Study Experiments to Practical Applications

The Ubiquitous Location Information Infrastructure is used in the feasibility study experiments conducted by the private sector and local governments including the "Free Mobility Assistance Project" of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the "Information Grand Voyage Project" of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Building practical systems based on the Ubiquitous Location Information Infrastructure has been also promoted. We furthermore plan to mature the system and improve the quality in the future.