Map Information Processing Apparatus, Navigation System, and Program

• US 20090132160A1
• Filed: 02/26/2007
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micware Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Micware Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Sumiya, Kazutoshi, Hiramoto, Ryoko
• Granted Patent: US 8,280,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/00 Maps; Plans; Charts; Diagrams, e.g. route diagram star maps G09B27/04; devices for holding or supporting maps A47B97/02; for computing purposes G06G1/14, G09B1/16; display boards G09F

Abstract

Conventional map information processing apparatuses have the problem of not being able to automatically provide appropriate information according to map browse operations. The present invention provides a map information processing apparatus, comprising: a map information storage portion in which map information, which is information of a map, can be stored; an accepting portion that accepts a map browse operation, which is an operation to browse the map; an operation information sequence acquiring portion that acquires operation information, which is information of an operation corresponding to the map browse operation; a keyword acquiring portion that acquires at least one keyword from the map information using the operation information; a retrieving portion that retrieves information using the at least one keyword; and an information output portion that outputs the information retrieved by the retrieving portion. With this map information processing apparatus, it is possible to automatically provide appropriate information according to map browse operations.

Claims

1. A map information processing apparatus, comprising:

a map information storage portion in which map information, which is information of a map, can be stored;

an accepting portion that accepts a map browse operation sequence, which is multiple operations to browse the map;

an operation information sequence acquiring portion that acquires an operation information sequence, which is information of multiple operations corresponding to the map browse operation sequence;

a keyword acquiring portion that acquires at least one keyword from the map information using the operation information sequence;

a retrieving portion that retrieves information using the at least one keyword; and

an information output portion that outputs the information retrieved by the retrieving portion.

2. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the accepting portion also accepts an instruction to output the map, and

the map information processing apparatus further comprises:

a map output portion that reads the map information and outputs the map in a case where the accepting portion accepts an instruction to output the map; and

a map output changing portion that changes output of the map according to a map browse operation in a case where the accepting portion accepts the map browse operation.

3. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the keyword acquiring portion comprises:

a search range management information storage unit in which at least two pieces of search range management information are stored, each of which is a pair of an operation information sequence and search range information, which is information of a map range of a keyword that is to be acquired;

a search range information acquiring unit that acquires search range information corresponding to the operation information sequence that is at least one piece of operation information acquired by the operation information sequence acquiring portion, from the search range management information storage unit; and

a keyword acquiring unit that acquires at least one keyword from the map information, according to the search range information acquired by the search range information acquiring unit.

4. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the map browse operation includes a zoom-in operation (symbol [i]), a zoom-out operation (symbol [o]), a move operation (symbol [m]), and a centering operation (symbol [c]), and

the operation information sequence is any one of

a single-point specifying operation information sequence, which is information indicating an operation sequence of m*c+i+([*] refers to repeating an operation at least zero times, and [+] refers to repeating an operation at least once), and is an operation information sequence specifying one arbitrary point;

a multiple-point specifying operation information sequence, which is information indicating an operation sequence of m+o+, and is an operation information sequence specifying at least two arbitrary points;

a selection specifying operation information sequence, which is information indicating an operation sequence of i+c[c*m*]*, and is an operation information sequence sequentially selecting multiple points;

a surrounding-area specifying operation information sequence, which is information indicating an operation sequence of c+m*o+, and is an operation information sequence checking positional relationship between multiple points;

a wide-area specifying operation information sequence, which is information indicating an operation sequence of o+m+, and is an operation information sequence causing movement along multiple points; and

a combination of the five types of operation information sequences.

5. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the combination of the five types of operation information sequences is any one of:

a refinement search operation information sequence, which is an operation information sequence in which a single-point specifying operation information sequence is followed by a single-point specifying operation information sequence, and then the latter single-point specifying operation information sequence is followed by and partially overlapped with a selection specifying operation information sequence;

a comparison search operation information sequence, which is an operation information sequence in which a selection specifying operation information sequence is followed by a multiple-point specifying operation information sequence, and then the multiple-point specifying operation information sequence is followed by and partially overlapped with a wide-area specifying operation information sequence; and

a route search operation information sequence, which is an operation information sequence in which a surrounding-area specifying operation information sequence is followed by a selection specifying operation information sequence.

6. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein in the search range management information storage unit, at least search range management information is stored that has a refinement search operation information sequence and refinement search target information as a pair, the refinement search target information being information to the effect that a keyword of a destination point is acquired that is a point near the center point of the map output in a centering operation accepted after a zoom-in operation or in a move operation accepted after a zoom-in operation, and

in a case where it is judged that the operation information sequence that is at least two pieces of operation information acquired by the operation information sequence acquiring portion corresponds to the refinement search operation information sequence, the search range information acquiring unit acquires the refinement search target information, and

the keyword acquiring unit acquires at least a keyword of a destination point corresponding to the refinement search target information acquired by the search range information acquiring unit.

7. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the refinement search target information also includes information to the effect that a keyword of a mark point is acquired that is a point near the center point of the map output in a centering operation accepted before the zoom-in operation, and

the keyword acquiring unit also acquires a keyword of a mark point corresponding to the refinement search target information acquired by the search range information acquiring unit.

8. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein in the search range management information storage unit, at least search range management information is stored that has a comparison search operation information sequence and comparison search target information as a pair, the comparison search target information being information indicating a region representing a difference between the region of the map output after a zoom-out operation and the region of the map output before the zoom-out operation, and

in a case where it is judged that the operation information sequence that is at least two pieces of operation information acquired by the operation information sequence acquiring portion corresponds to the comparison search operation information sequence, the search range information acquiring unit acquires the comparison search target information, and

the keyword acquiring unit acquires at least a keyword corresponding to the comparison search target information acquired by the search range information acquiring unit.

9. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein in the search range management information storage unit, at least search range management information is stored that has a comparison search operation information sequence and comparison search target information as a pair, the comparison search target information being information indicating a region obtained by excluding the region of the map output before a move operation from the region of the map output after the move operation, and

in a case where it is judged that the operation information sequence that is at least two pieces of operation information acquired by the operation information sequence acquiring portion corresponds to the comparison search operation information sequence, the search range information acquiring unit acquires the comparison search target information, and

the keyword acquiring unit acquires at least a keyword corresponding to the comparison search target information acquired by the search range information acquiring unit.

10. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the information retrieved by the retrieving portion is multiple web pages on the Internet, and

in a case where a keyword corresponding to the comparison search target information acquired by the search range information acquiring unit is acquired, and the number of keywords acquired is only one, the keyword acquiring unit searches the multiple web pages for a keyword having the highest level of collocation with the one keyword, and acquires the keyword.

11. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein in the search range management information storage unit, at least search range management information is stored that has a route search operation information sequence and route search target information as a pair, the route search target information being information to the effect that a keyword of a destination point is acquired that is a point near the center point of the map output in an accepted zoom-in operation or zoom-out operation, and

in a case where it is judged that the operation information sequence that is at least one piece of operation information acquired by the operation information sequence acquiring portion corresponds to the route search operation information sequence, the search range information acquiring unit acquires the route search target information, and

the keyword acquiring unit acquires at least a keyword of a destination point corresponding to the route search target information acquired by the search range information acquiring unit.

12. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the route search target information also includes information to the effect that a keyword of a mark point is acquired that is a point near the center point of the map output in a centering operation accepted before the zoom-in operation, and

the keyword acquiring unit also acquires a keyword of a mark point corresponding to the route search target information acquired by the search range information acquiring unit.

13. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the operation information sequence acquiring portion acquires an operation information sequence, which is a series of at least two pieces of operation information, and ends one automatically acquired operation information sequence in a case where a given condition is matched, and

the keyword acquiring portion acquires at least one keyword from the map information using the one operation information sequence.

14. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the given condition is a situation in which a movement distance in a move operation is larger than a predetermined threshold value.

15. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information to be retrieved by the retrieving portion is at least one web page on the Internet.

16. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the information to be retrieved by the retrieving portion is at least one web page on the Internet, and

in a case where the accepting portion accepts a refinement search operation information sequence, the retrieving portion retrieves a web page that has the keyword of the destination point in a title thereof and the keyword of the mark point in a page thereof.

17. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the map information has map image information indicating an image of the map, and term information having a term on the map and positional information indicating the position of the term,

the information to be retrieved by the retrieving portion is at least one web page on the Internet, and

the retrieving portion acquires at least one web page that contains both the keyword of the mark point and the keyword of the destination point, detects at least two terms from each of the at least one web page that has been acquired, acquires at least two pieces of positional information indicating the positions of the at least two terms, from the map information, acquires geographical range information, which is information indicating a geographical range of a description of a web page, for each web page, using the at least two pieces of positional information, and acquires at least a web page in which the geographical range information indicates the smallest geographical range.

18. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein in a case where at least one web page that contains both the keyword of the mark point and the keyword of the destination point is acquired, the retrieving portion acquires at least one web page that has at least one of the keywords in a title thereof.

19. A navigation system, comprising the map information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

20. A program for causing a computer to execute:

an accepting step of accepting a map browse operation sequence, which is multiple operations to browse a map;

an operation information sequence acquiring step of acquiring an operation information sequence, which is information of multiple operations corresponding to the map browse operation sequence;

a keyword acquiring step of acquiring at least one keyword from stored map information, using the operation information sequence;

a retrieving step of retrieving information using the at least one keyword; and

an information output step of outputting the information retrieved in the retrieving step.

21. The program according to claim 20,

wherein an instruction to output the map is also accepted in the accepting step, and

the program causes the computer to further execute:

a map output step of reading the map information and outputting the map in a case where an instruction to output the map is accepted in the accepting step; and

a map output changing step of changing output of the map according to a map browse operation in a case where the map browse operation is accepted in the accepting step.