Apparatus, system, method, and program for using GIS data

• US 20040075697A1
• Filed: 10/16/2002
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric SE
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric SE
• Inventors: Maudlin, Matthew Eric
• Application Number:
  US10/271,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20040075697A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/848
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object

Abstract

An apparatus, system, method, and program for using GIS data include a three-dimensional model of an architectural structure for presenting the GIS data to a user. When the user selects a portion of the three-dimensional model, GIS data associated with the selected portion is retrieved from a GIS database and displayed to the user. In a specific implementation, a three-dimensional model is displayed on a client machine of the user, and the GIS database is maintained on a server machine. As such, the GIS data desired by the user is retrieved across a network such as a global network (e.g., the internet).

Claims

1. A method of using GIS data, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a three-dimensional model of an architectural structure,

determining a user-selected portion of the architectural structure, and

retrieving GIS data associated with the user-selected portion of the architectural structure from a GIS database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the displaying step comprises displaying the three-dimensional model of the architectural structure on a client machine, and

the retrieving step comprises retrieving the GIS data from the GIS database maintained on a server machine.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the retrieving step further comprises retrieving the GIS data via a network.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the retrieving step further comprises retrieving the GIS data via a publicly-accessible global network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying an updated three-dimensional model of the architectural structure that includes a substructure generated with the retrieved GIS data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step comprises displaying a photorealistic three-dimensional model of the architectural structure.

7. A method of using GIS data, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a three-dimensional model of an architectural structure on a client machine,

generating a user-request when a user operates an input device associated with the client machine so as to select a portion of the architectural structure, and

downloading GIS data from a server machine to the client machine in response to generation of the user-request.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the downloading step comprises downloading GIS data from the server machine to the client machine via a publicly-accessible global network.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the generating step comprises transmitting the user-request from the client machine to the server machine via a publicly-accessible global network.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of displaying an updated three-dimensional model of the architectural structure that comprises the downloaded GIS data.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the displaying step comprises displaying a photorealistic three-dimensional model of the architectural structure on the client machine.

12. A method of using GIS data, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving GIS data associated with an architectural structure from a GIS server machine via a network, and

generating a three-dimensional model of the architectural structure which comprises the GIS data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the generating step comprises generating the three-dimensional model on a network server machine.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of displaying the three-dimensional model on a client machine.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the retrieving step comprises retrieving the GIS data via a publicly-accessible global network.

16. A method of operating a network server, the method comprising the steps of:

transferring image data associated with a three-dimensional model of an architectural structure to a client machine,

retrieving GIS data associated with the architectural structure from a GIS database, and

transferring the GIS data to the client machine.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of receiving from the client machine a user-request indicative of a user-selected portion of the architectural structure.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the retrieving step is performed in response to receipt of the user-request from the client machine.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the image data transferring step comprises transferring the image data to the client machine via a publicly-accessible global network, and

the GIS data transferring step comprises transferring the GIS data to the client machine via the publicly-accessible global network.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the retrieving step comprises retrieving the GIS data from the GIS database maintained on a GIS server.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

generating updated image data indicative of an updated three-dimensional model of the architectural structure based on the retrieved GIS data, and

transferring the updated image data to the client machine.

22. A method of providing GIS data associated with an architectural structure to a user, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying on a client machine a three-dimensional model of the architectural structure to the user,

determining a user-selected portion of the architectural structure when the user operates an input device associated with the client machine,

retrieving via a global network GIS data from a GIS database in response to the determining step, and

displaying to the user on the client machine the GIS data.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the GIS data displaying step comprises displaying on the client machine an updated three-dimensional model of the architectural structure which includes the retrieved GIS data.

24. A network server, comprising:

a processor, and

a memory device electrically coupled to the processor, the memory device having stored therein a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

transfer image data associated with a three-dimensional model of an architectural structure to a client machine,

retrieve GIS data associated with the architectural structure from a GIS database, and

transfer the GIS data to the client machine.

25. The network server of claim 24, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to communicate with the client machine so as to receive therefrom a user-request indicative of a user-selected portion of the architectural structure.

26. The network server of claim 24, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

communicate with the client machine via a publicly-accessible global network so as to transfer the image data thereto, and

communicate with the client machine via the publicly-accessible global network so as to transfer the GIS data thereto.

27. The network server of claim 24, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to communicate with a GIS server so as to retrieve the GIS data from the GIS database maintained thereon.

28. The network server of claim 24, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

generate updated image data indicative of an updated three-dimensional model of the architectural structure based on the retrieved GIS data, and

transfer the updated image data to the client machine.

29. An article comprising a computer-readable signal-bearing medium having therein a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

communicate with a client machine so as to transfer image data associated with a three-dimensional model of an architectural structure thereto,

retrieve GIS data associated with the architectural structure from a GIS database, and

communicate with the client machine so as to transfer the GIS data thereto.

30. The article of claim 29, wherein the medium is a recordable data storage medium.

31. The article of claim 30, wherein the medium is selected from the group consisting of magnetic, optical, biological, and atomic data storage medium.

32. The article of claim 29, wherein the medium is a modulated carrier signal.

33. The article of claim 29, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to communicate with the client machine so as to receive therefrom a user-request indicative of a user-selected portion of the architectural structure.

34. The article of claim 29, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

communicate with the client machine via a publicly-accessible global network so as to transfer the image data thereto, and

communicate with the client machine via the publicly-accessible global network so as to transfer the GIS data thereto.

35. The article of claim 29, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to communicate with a GIS server so as to retrieve the GIS data from the GIS database maintained thereon.

36. The article of claim 29, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

generate updated image data indicative of an updated three-dimensional model of the architectural structure based on the retrieved GIS data, and

transfer the updated image data to the client machine.

37. A network server, comprising:

a processor, and

a memory device electrically coupled to the processor, the memory device having stored therein a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

generate a three-dimensional model of an architectural structure,

determine a user-selected portion of the architectural structure, and

retrieve GIS data associated with the user-selected portion of the architectural structure from a GIS database.

38. The network server of claim 37, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

communicate with a client machine so as to display the three-dimensional model of the architectural structure thereon, and

communicate with a GIS server so as to retrieve the GIS data from the GIS database maintained thereon.

39. The network server of claim 37, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to retrieve the GIS data via a publicly-accessible global network.

40. The network server of claim 37, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to generate an updated three-dimensional model of the architectural structure that comprises the retrieved GIS data.

41. The network server of claim 37, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to generate a photorealistic three-dimensional model of the architectural structure.

42. An article comprising a computer-readable signal-bearing medium having therein a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

generate a three-dimensional model of an architectural structure,

determine a user-selected portion of the architectural structure, and

retrieve GIS data associated with the user-selected portion of the architectural structure from a GIS database.

43. The article of claim 42, wherein the medium is a recordable data storage medium.

44. The article of claim 43, wherein the medium is selected from the group consisting of magnetic, optical, biological, and atomic data storage medium.

45. The article of claim 42, wherein the medium is a modulated carrier signal.

46. The article of claim 42, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to retrieve the GIS data via a publicly-accessible global network.

47. The article of claim 42, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to generate an updated three-dimensional model of the architectural structure that comprises the retrieved GIS data.

48. The article of claim 42, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to generate a photorealistic three-dimensional model of the architectural structure.