Method and Server Computer For Generating Map Images For Creating Virtual Spaces Representing The Real World

• US 20090109216A1
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interman Corporation
• Original Assignee: Interman Corporation
• Inventors: Uetabira, Shigeki
• Granted Patent: US 8,947,421 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models

Abstract

A method and server computer for generating map images and providing the map images to users through the Internet are described. Web sites are automatically and recursively visited and downloaded through hyperlinks. Content items containing address and establishment information are retrieved from the information as downloaded from the visited web sites. The content retrieved items are indexed to associate the address information items contained therein with the establishment information items contained therein about establishments which are located in the addresses associated therewith respectively. A visual indication indicative of the establishment corresponding to an establishment information item is superimposed on a map image in a position corresponding to the address of this establishment with reference to the indexed content items. The map image is transmitted to a user through the Internet in response to a request message from the user.

Claims

1. A method of generating map images and providing the map images to users through the Internet comprising the steps of:

automatically and recursively visiting web sites through hyperlinks and downloading information from the visited web sites;

retrieving content items, each of which contains an establishment information item associated with an address information item, from the information as downloaded from the visited web sites;

indexing the content items to associate the address information items contained in the retrieved content items with the establishment information items contained in the retrieved content items about establishments which are located in the addresses associated therewith respectively;

superimposing a visual indication indicative of the establishment corresponding to an establishment information item in a position on a map image corresponding to the address of this establishment with reference to the indexed content items; and

transmitting the map image with the visual indication superimposed thereon to a user through the Internet in response to a request message from the user.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a step of superimposing a visual indication indicative of a building, in which an establishment is located, on the map image in correspondence with the address of this establishment on the basis of the address information item containing the address of this establishment, wherein the visual indication indicative of this establishment is superimposed on the visual indication indicative of the building.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the step of superimposing the visual indication indicative of the building, comprises:

extracting storey information indicative of stories from the address information items;

generating stereoscopic images as the visual indications indicative of buildings on the basis of the extracted storey information; and

superimposing the stereoscopic images on the map image.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the step of generating stereoscopic images, comprises:

generating a columnar image as the stereoscopic image having a height determined with reference to the extracted storey information; and

partitioning the columnar image into blocks in order that each storey indicated by the extracted storey information is associated with one of the blocks.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein, in the step of superimposing the visual indication indicative of the establishment information item,

the visual indication indicative of each establishment is superimposed on the block in the map image associated with the establishment.

6. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the step of generating stereoscopic images, comprises:

acquiring street-level views from a web map service in correspondence with the address of the establishment;

analyzing the street-level views to extract therefrom an image of a building; and

generating a stereoscopic image corresponding to the extracted image of the building.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein, in the step of retrieving content items, information items relating to establishments operating solely via the Internet are excluded from the establishment information items to be retrieved.

8. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein, in the step of generating a stereoscopic image, the stereoscopic image is generated by determining the highest storey among the stories of the extracted storey information as the highest storey of the building.

9. The method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

determining whether or not the extracted storey information indicates an underground storey;

generating, when the extracted storey information indicates at least one underground storey, a stereoscopic image which represents the underground part of the building having the underground height in accordance with the storey which is lowest among the stories of the extracted storey information and considered as the lowest storey of the building; and

superimposing the generated stereoscopic image on the map image in correspondence with the address of the building.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein, in the step of retrieving content items, a plurality of address information items corresponding to the same building are extracted from the address information as acquired through the Internet.

11. The method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

classifying the extracted storey information items into groups according to each storey;

counting the number of the groups of the classified storey information items;

partitioning the generated stereoscopic image into a number of blocks no fewer than the counted number; and

assigning the stories indicated by the extracted storey information items to the partitioned blocks respectively.

12. The method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

determining the attribute of each establishment by referring to the establishment information associated with the address of the establishment; and

associating the determined attribute of the establishment with the establishment image for representing the establishment in the map image,

wherein, in the step of generating a stereoscopic image, the establishment image associated with the identification information of the establishment is attached to the block assigned to the storey corresponding to the establishment information.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein different establishment images are associated with different establishments in accordance with the attributes of the establishments.

14. The method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

determining whether or not there is a plurality of establishments in the same storey by referring to the extracted storey information items; and

partitioning, into small spaces, the block associated with the storey which is determined as including a plurality of establishments,

wherein, in the step of generating a stereoscopic image, the establishment images of the plurality of establishments located in the determined storey are arranged to the partitioned small spaces respectively.

15. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein, in the step of extracting storey information indicative of stories from the address information items, when storey information cannot be extracted in association with the particular address, a stereoscopic image representing a one-floor building is generated, and the generated stereoscopic image is superimposed on the map image in the location specified by the particular address.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein, in the step of generating a stereoscopic image, one stereoscopic image having the height corresponding to one storey is generated, and the generated stereoscopic image is partitioned into a plurality of blocks.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein, in the step of transmitting the map image, a two-dimensional map image is provided near the location indicated by the geographical data transmitted from the user terminal, and a three-dimensional map image representing a portion of the two-dimensional map image is provided in response to an operation performed by the user with reference to the two-dimensional map image, wherein the visual indication is superimposed at least on the three-dimensional map image.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein, when the request message from the user includes orientation information, the map image which is viewed in this orientation is provided.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the orientation information is obtained by a GPS receiver provided in the user terminal on the basis of the results of the GPS measurement along the user'"'"'s path.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the orientation information is obtained by comparing an image taken by a camera provided in the user terminal with street-level views which are acquired from a web map service.

21. The method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the orientation information is obtained by an electronic compass chip equipped in the user terminal.

22. A server computer capable of executing computer-implemented code and data stored in a computer readable medium and connectable to the Internet for providing map images to users through the Internet, said computer-implemented code and data comprising:

a computer-implemented web crawler configured to gather information from the other servers through the Internet;

a computer-implemented search engine configured to search the information gathered by the web crawler for geographical data, and retrieves establishment information items including names of establishments and business information relating to the establishments respectively in association with the addresses of the establishments on the basis of the geographical data;

a database of the establishment information items and the addresses of the establishments in association with each other;

a computer-implemented establishment image generation unit configured to generate a visual indication indicative of an establishment on the basis of the establishment information relating to this establishment retrieved from the database, and

a computer-implemented map image provision unit configured to provide to a user, in response to a request message received from a user terminal through the Internet together with geographical data, a map image representing an area near the location indicated by the geographical data transmitted from the user terminal with the visual indication superimposed on the map image in the location indicated by the geographical data transmitted from the user terminal.

23. The server computer as claimed in claim 22 wherein the computer-implemented map image provision unit provides a two-dimensional map image near the location indicated by the geographical data transmitted from the user terminal, and provides a three-dimensional map image representing a portion of the two-dimensional map image in response to an operation performed by the user with reference to the two-dimensional map image, wherein the visual indication is superimposed at least on the three-dimensional map image.

24. The server computer as claimed in claim 22 wherein, when the geographical data is received together with orientation information, the computer-implemented map image provision unit provides the map image which is viewed in this orientation.

25. The server computer as claimed in claim 24 wherein the orientation information is obtained by a GPS receiver provided in the user terminal on the basis of the results of the GPS measurement along the user'"'"'s path.

26. The server computer as claimed in claim 24 wherein the orientation information is obtained by comparing an image taken by a camera provided in the user terminal with street-level views which are acquired from a web map service.

27. The server computer as claimed in claim 24 wherein the orientation information is obtained by an electronic compass chip equipped in the user terminal.

28. The server computer as claimed in claim 22 wherein a visual indication indicative of a building, in which an establishment is located, is superimposed on the map image in correspondence with the address of this establishment on the basis of the address information item containing the address of this establishment, and wherein the visual indication indicative of this establishment is superimposed on the visual indication indicative of the building.

29. The server computer as claimed in claim 28 wherein, when the visual indication indicative of the building is superimposed on the map image,

storey information indicative of stories is extracted from the address information items;

stereoscopic images are generated as the visual indications indicative of buildings on the basis of the extracted storey information; and

the stereoscopic images are superimposed on the map image.

30. The server computer as claimed in claim 29 wherein, when the stereoscopic images are generated,

a columnar image is generated as the stereoscopic image having a height determined with reference to the extracted storey information;

and

the columnar image is partitioned into blocks in order that each storey indicated by the extracted storey information is associated with one of the blocks.

31. The server computer as claimed in claim 30 wherein the visual indication indicative of each establishment is superimposed on the block in the map image associated with the establishment.

32. The server computer as claimed in claim 29 wherein, when the stereoscopic images are generated,

street-level views are acquired from a web map service in correspondence with the address of the establishment;

the street-level views is analyzed to extract therefrom an image of a building; and

a stereoscopic image is generated corresponding to the extracted image of the building.

33. The server computer as claimed in claim 22 wherein, when the establishment information is retrieved, information items relating to establishments operating solely via the Internet are excluded from the establishment information items to be retrieved.

34. The server computer as claimed in claim 29 wherein, when the stereoscopic images are generated, the stereoscopic image is generated by determining the highest storey among the stories of the extracted storey information as the highest storey of the building.

35. The server computer as claimed in claim 29 wherein:

it is determined whether or not the extracted storey information indicates an underground storey;

when the extracted storey information indicates at least one underground storey, a stereoscopic image which represents the underground part of the building having the underground height is generated in accordance with the storey which is lowest among the stories of the extracted storey information and considered as the lowest storey of the building; and

the generated stereoscopic image are superimposed on the map image in correspondence with the address of the building.

36. The server computer as claimed in claim 22 wherein, when the establishment information is retrieved, a plurality of address information items corresponding to the same building are extracted.

37. The server computer as claimed in claim 29 wherein:

the extracted storey information items are classified into groups according to the stories as indicated;

the number of the groups of the classified storey information items are counted;

the generated stereoscopic image is partitioned into a number of blocks no fewer than the counted number; and

the stories indicated by the extracted storey information items are assigned to the partitioned blocks respectively.

38. The server computer as claimed in claim 29 wherein

the attribute of each establishment is determined by referring to the establishment information associated with the address of the establishment;

and

the determined attribute of the establishment is associated with the establishment image for representing the establishment in the map image,

when a stereoscopic image is generated, the establishment image associated with the identification information of the establishment is attached to the block assigned to the storey corresponding to the establishment information.

39. The server computer as claimed in claim 38 wherein different establishment images are associated with different establishments in accordance with the attributes of the establishments.

40. The server computer as claimed in claim 29 wherein:

it is determined whether or not there is a plurality of establishments in the same storey by referring to the extracted storey information items;

the block associated with the storey which is determined as including a plurality of establishments is partitioned into small spaces; and

when a stereoscopic image is generated, the establishment images of the plurality of establishments located in the determined storey are arranged to the partitioned small spaces respectively.

41. The server computer as claimed in claim 29 wherein, in the step of extracting storey information indicative of stories from the address information items, when storey information cannot be extracted in association with the particular address, a stereoscopic image representing a one-floor building is generated, and the generated stereoscopic image is superimposed on the map image in the location specified by the particular address.

42. The server computer as claimed in claim 41 wherein, when a stereoscopic image is generated, one stereoscopic image having the height corresponding to one storey is generated, and the generated stereoscopic image is partitioned into a plurality of blocks.

43. A method of generating map images and providing the map images to users through the Internet comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for a map image from a user together with geographical data;

retrieving a map image of the area indicated by the geographical data from a web map server available through the Internet;

searching for establishment information items in association with addresses which are located in the map image, by the use of an Internet search engine;

superimposing a visual indication indicative of the establishment corresponding to an establishment information item in a position on the map image corresponding to the address of this establishment; and

displaying the map image to the user together with the visual indication superimposed on the map image.

44. A three-dimensional map image generation apparatus comprising:

a map image storing unit configured to store map images;

a location information storing unit configured to store address information items indicative of the addresses of buildings and location information items indicative of the locations corresponding to the addresses of buildings in the map images in association with each other;

an address information acquisition unit configured to acquire the address information items of the same building;

a storey information extracting unit configured to extract storey information items from the acquired address information items;

a storey determination unit configured to determine the highest storey of the same building on the basis of the storey information items extracted by the storey information extracting unit;

a stereoscopic image generation unit configured to generate a stereoscopic image having the height corresponding to the determined highest storey, and arrange the generated stereoscopic image in the location which is specified by the location information item associated with the address information items of the same building.