We have been developing a mobile passenger guide system for public transports. Passengers can make their travel plans and purchase necessary electronic tickets using mobile terminals via Internet. During the travel, the mobile terminal, which also works as an electronic ticket, compares the stored travel plan with the passenger's actual activities and offers appropriate guide messages. To execute this task, the mobile terminal collects various kinds of information about the travel fields (routes, fares, area maps, station maps, operation schedule, timetables, facilities of stations and vehicles etc.) using multi-channel data communications. The mobile terminal contains a personal database for the passenger by selecting and integrating necessary data according to the user's situation and characteristics.

This paper presents a new mobile guide system for visually disabled persons. The system utilizes the latest technologies such as data-carriers, mobile communication and portable computers. Data-carriers are embedded at many places in the station such as floors, platforms and walls. Coded data recorded in data-carriers are transferred to users via a reader installed in the name of the user. The data are interpreted by a portable computer, which generates appropriate guide messages utilizing geographical information and user's personal data stored in it beforehand. Guide messages are finally conveyed orally to the user via a portable speaker.