System and method for associating text and graphical views of map information

• US 20040001114A1
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tele Atlas North America (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: Tele Atlas North America (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Fuchs, Gil, Mathis, Darrell
• Granted Patent: US 7,103,854 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/855
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

A system and method for manipulating digital map information, that allows the operator to view or modify map object or item attributes from either a graphical window or a text window. In one embodiment, when the user selects a map item within the graphical window (202), the text window (210) displays a text record that includes attributes (242) associated with the currently selected item. Attributes may include, for example, a street name, or a relationship of the current item to another item. The system can display these relationships within the text window. In one embodiment, the attributes that include links to related map items or to related items of information are highlighted or are visibly identified (249) in some manner. The operator can then select a highlighted attribute to traverse to, and display the new map item. The graphical window display can be updated in parallel with the text window.

Claims

1. A system for map visualization and manipulation, comprising:

a display device;

a graphical window, displayed on said display device, that displays a graphical illustration of a map including a plurality of map items within said map; and

,

a text window, displayed on said display device, that displays a text record which includes attributes associated with a first map item, and further includes semantic links that relate a first map item with a second map item.

2. The system of claim 1 further including:

a selection device for allowing an operator to select a map item from said map, or any of the attributes within the text record; and

,

wherein in response to said selection of said map item or of said attribute, the semantic link is traversed to retrieve record information about the second map item and/or to redraw the map to focus on the second map item.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the map has a map format which defines the hierarchy of items and their links, and which hierarchy is used by the system to define the semantic links between the map items.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the map items are stored as objects in, memory including fields and pointers associated with each object.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said traversal of a semantic link in response to selection of a map item or attribute includes fetching information about the second item or redrawing the map to focus on the second item.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said step of fetching includes translating the fetch command into a format suitable for use with the map format used.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the placement of the pointers are determined by analyzing the fields in the map format.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein the text window includes a next button and a previous button to allow the operator follow successive links between items of the same type, and a back button to allow the operator to retrace links to map items of different type.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the successive links are the pointers used to link to next map elements.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the map or map items therein may be edited or updated by editing or updating the attributes in the text record.

11. A method of displaying map information, comprising the steps of displaying a graphical illustration of a map, said graphical illustration including a plurality of map items within said map;

determining relationships or links between the selected item and other map items; and

,

displaying, in a text window, a text record of the attributes associated with the selected map item, and identifying links to the other map items.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the map has a map format which defines the hierarchy of items and their links, and which hierarchy is used to define the links between the map items.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the map items are stored as objects in memory including fields and pointers associated with each object.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the placement of the pointers are determined by analyzing the fields in the map format.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the text window includes a next button and a previous button to allow the operator follow successive links between items of the same type, and a back button to allow the operator to retrace links to map items of different type.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the successive links are the pointers used to link to next map elements.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the map or map items therein may be edited or updated by editing or updating the attributes in the text record.

18. A method of retrieving map information, comprising the steps of

receiving information about a search criteria;

searching for map items within said map; and

,

displaying a graphical illustration of a map, said graphical illustration including a plurality of map items within said map;

determining relationships or links between the selected item and other map items; and

,

displaying, in a text window, a text record of the attributes associated with the selected map item, and identifying links to the other map items.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the map has a map format which defines the hierarchy of items and their links, and which hierarchy is used to define the links between the map items.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the map items are stored as objects in memory including fields and pointers associated with each object.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the placement of the pointers are determined by analyzing the fields in the map format.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the text window includes a next button and a previous button to allow the operator follow successive links between items of the same type, and a back button to allow the operator to retrace links to map items of different type.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the successive links are the pointers used to link to next map elements.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein the map or map items therein may be edited or updated by editing or updating the attributes in the text record.

25. A method for allowing an operator to visualize or manipulate graphical maps, comprising the steps of:

displaying a graphical illustration of a map, said graphical illustration including a plurality of map items within said map;

allowing the operator to select a map item;

parsing the selected item to determine a record associated with the selected item, and relationships or links between the selected item and other map items

traversing the relationship in response to said selection of a map item; and

,

displaying, in a text window, a text record of the attributes associated with the selected map item, and identifying links to the other map items.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the map has a map format which defines the hierarchy of items and their links, and which hierarchy is used to define the links between the map items.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the map items are stored as objects in memory including fields and pointers associated with each object.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein said traversing in response to selection of a map item or attribute includes a step of fetching information about the second item or redrawing the map to focus on the second item.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said step of fetching includes translating the fetch command into a format suitable for use with the map format used.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein the placement of the pointers are determined by analyzing the fields in the map format.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein the text window includes a next button and a previous button to allow the operator follow successive links between items of the same type, and a back button to allow the operator to retrace links to map items of different type.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the successive links are the pointers used to link to next map elements.

33. The method of claim 25 wherein the map or map items therein may be edited or updated by editing or updating the attributes in the text record.

34. A computer readable medium including instructions stored thereon, said instructions when executed cause the computer to perform the steps of:

displaying a graphical illustration of a map, said graphical illustration including a plurality of map items within said map;

determining relationships or links between the selected item and other map items; and

,

displaying, in a text window, a text record of the attributes associated with the selected map item, and identifying links to the other map items.