Computer system for indentifying local resources

• US 6,240,360 B1
• Filed: 02/13/1998
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sean Phelan
• Inventors: Phelan, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US09/011,691
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 345/133, 345/113, 701/208, 701/212, 701/200, 701/201, 701/207, 701/27, 340/990, 340/995, 395/200.09, 395/200
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A map of the area of a client computer (10) is requested from a map server (11). Information relating to a place of interest is requested from an information server (12) by the client computer (10). The information is superimposed or overlaid on a map image at a position on the map image corresponding to the location of the place of interest on the map. The information (or “overlay”) server (12) may contain details of, for example, hotels, restaurants, shops or the like, associated with the geographical coordinates of each location. The map server (11) contains map data, including coordinate data representing the spatial coordinates of at least one point on the area represented by the map.

Claims

1. A method of operating a computer system, the method comprising:

storing on a map server computer map data representative of a map of a geographical area;

storing on the map server computer coordinate data indicative of spatial coordinates of at least one point associated with the geographical area represented by the map, so as to enable correlation of points on the map with their corresponding geographical location;

storing on an information server computer information data relating to at least one place of interest within the geographical area, said information data including data representative of the spatial coordinates of the place of interest within the area;

transmitting a map request to the map server computer from a client computer, and transmitting from the map server computer to the client computer in response to the map request the map data;

utilizing the map data to display an image of the map on a visual display unit associated with the client computer;

transmitting an information request to the information server computer from the client computer, and transmitting from the information server computer to the client computer in response to the information request the information data relating to at least one place of interest within the geographical area; and

displaying the information data relating to at least one place of interest on the visual display unit.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the map request is transmitted before the information request, the information request being formulated by including coordinate data provided by the map server computer.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the information request is transmitted before the map request, the map request being formulated by including coordinate data provided by the information server computer.

4. A method according to claim 1, including superimposing information relating to the place of interest on the image on the visual display unit, at a position on the image corresponding to the location of the place of interest on the map.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the client computer includes means for zooming the map image in or out to display an image of, respectively, a smaller or larger geographical area, and means for varying the displayed data relating to the at least one place of interest on the visual display unit so as to take account of the smaller or larger geographical area.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the client computer includes means for formulating a further request to the information server computer, to identify places of interest lying within the smaller or larger geographical area.

7. A method according to claim 1, including:

storing on the map server computer a list of categories of places of interest;

retrieving the list with the map data; and

displaying on the visual display unit a respective icon for each said category.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the request is effected by activation of a respective icon on the visual display unit.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the client computer includes locating means for establishing the current geographical location of the client computer, and the method includes passing the current geographical location of the client computer to at least one of the map server computer and the information server computer.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the locating means uses the Global Positioning System.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the locating means includes a cellular telephone.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein the client computer includes means for superimposing on the image an icon indicative of the current geographical location.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the client computer communicates with the map server computer and the information server computer via a World Wide Web.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the displaying of the information data on the video display unit is performed by using an internet browser.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the map data transmitted from the map server computer is an image file.

16. A method of operating a computer system, the method comprising:

storing on a map server computer map data representative of a map of a geographical area;

storing on the map server computer coordinate data indicative of the spatial coordinates of at least one point associated with the geographical area represented by the map, so as to enable correlation of points on the map with their corresponding geographical location;

storing on an information server computer information data relating to at least one place of interest within the geographical area, said information data including data representative of the spatial coordinates of the place of interest within the area;

transmitting a map request to the map server computer from a client computer, and transmitting from the map server computer to the client computer in response to the map request the map data;

utilizing the map data to display an image of the map on a visual display unit associated with the client computer;

transmitting an information request to the information server computer from the client computer, and transmitting from the information server computer to the client computer in response to the information request the information data relating to at least one place of interest within the geographical area;

displaying the information data relating to at least one place of interest on the visual display unit; and

superimposing information relating to the place of interest on the image on the visual display unit, at a position on the image corresponding to the location of the place of interest on the map, wherein

the information superimposed on the image is a hypertext link.

17. A method of operating a computer system, the method comprising:

storing on a map server computer map data representative of a map of a geographical area;

storing on the map server computer coordinate data indicative of the spatial coordinates of at least one point associated with the geographical area represented by the map, so as to enable correlation of points on the map with their corresponding geographical location;

storing on an information server computer information data relating to at least one place of interest within the geographical area, said information data including data representative of the spatial coordinates of the place of interest within the area;

transmitting a map request to the map server computer from a client computer, and transmitting from the map server computer to the client computer in response to the map request the map data;

utilizing the map data to display an image of the map on a visual display unit associated with the client computer;

transmitting an information request to the information server computer from the client computer, and transmitting from the information server computer to the client computer in response to the information request the information data relating to at least one place of interest within the geographical area;

displaying the information data relating to at least one place of interest on the visual display unit; and

superimposing information relating to the place of interest on the image on the visual display unit, at a position on the image corresponding to the location of the place of interest on the map, wherein

the client computer includes means for scrolling the map image to display an image of a different geographical area, and means for varying the displayed data relating to the at least one place of interest on the visual display unit so as to take account of the change in the displayed geographical area.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the varying of the displayed data includes shifting the position of the superimposed information in response to scrolling of the map image.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the client computer includes means for formulating a further request to the information server to identify places of interest lying within the different geographical area.

20. A computer system, the computer system comprising:

a map server computer for storing map data representative of a map of a geographical area and coordinate data representative of the spatial coordinates of at least one point lying within the area represented by the map;

an information server computer for storing information data representative of at least one place of interest within the geographical area, said data including data representative of the spatial coordinates of the place of interest within the area; and

a client computer, the client computer having a visual display unit;

wherein the client computer includes

means for transmitting a map request to the map server computer to request transfer to the client computer of the map data,

means for displaying an image of the map on the visual display unit, and

means for transmitting an information request to the information server computer to identify places of interest known to it and lying within the geographical area,

wherein the information server computer includes means for transmitting to the client computer in response to the information request the data representative of at least one place of interest within the geographical area, and

wherein the client computer includes means for displaying said data associated with the place of interest on the visual display unit.

21. A computer system according to claim 20, wherein the client computer includes means for formulating the information request by including coordinate data provided by the map server computer.

22. A computer system according to claim 20, wherein the client computer includes means for formulating the map request by including coordinate data provided by the information server computer.

23. A computer system according to claim 20, wherein the client computer includes means for superimposing information relating to the place of interest on the image on the visual display unit, at a position on the image corresponding to the location of the place of interest on the map.

25. A computer system according to claim 20, wherein the client computer includes means for zooming the map image in or out to display an image of, respectively, a smaller or larger geographical area, and means for varying the displayed data relating to the at least one place of interest on the visual display unit so as to take account of the smaller or larger geographical area.

26. A computer system according to claim 25, wherein the client computer includes means for formulating a further request to the information server computer, to identify places of interest lying within the smaller or larger geographical area.

27. A computer system according to claim 20, wherein the client computer includes locating means for establishing the current geographical location of the client computer and means for passing the current geographical location of the client computer to at least one of the map server computer and the information server computer.

28. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the client computer is connected to the map server computer and the information server computer via a World Wide Web.

29. The computer system of claim 28, wherein the means for displaying an image of the map on the video display unit comprises an internet browser.

30. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the map data is in a form of an image file.

24. A computer system comprising:

a map server computer for storing map data representative of a map of a georaphical area and coordinate data representative of the spatial coordinates of at least one point lying within the area represented by the map;

an information server computer for storing information data representative of at least one place of interest within the geographical area, said data including data representative of the spatial coordinates of the place of interest within the area; and

a client computer, the client computer having a visual display unit;

wherein the client computer includes

means for transmitting a map request to the map server computer to request transfer to the client computer of the map data,

means for displaying an image of the map on the visual display unit, and

means for transmitting an information request to the information server computer to identify places of interest known to it and lying within the geographical area,

wherein the information server computer includes means for transmitting to the client computer in response to the information request the data representative of at least one place of interest within the geographical area,

the client computer includes means for displaying said data associated with the place of interest on the visual display unit,

the client computer includes means for superimposing information relating to the place of interest on the image on the visual display unit, at a position on the image corresponding to the location of the place of interest on the map, and

the information superimposed on the image is a hypertext link.

31. A computer system, the computer system comprising:

a map server computer for storing map data representative of a map of a geographical area and coordinate data representative of the spatial coordinates of at least one point lying within the area represented by the map;

an information server computer for storing information data representative of at least one place of interest within the geographical area, said data including data representative of the spatial coordinates of the place of interest within the area; and

a client computer, the client computer having a visual display unit;

wherein the client computer includes

means for transmitting a map request to the map server computer to request transfer to the client computer of the map data,

means for displaying an image of the map on the visual display unit, and

means for transmitting an information request to the information server computer to identify places of interest known to it and lying within the geographical area,

wherein the information server computer includes means for transmitting to the client computer in response to the information request the data representative of at least one place of interest within the geographical area,

the client computer includes means for displaying said data associated with the place of interest on the visual display unit,

the client computer includes means for superimposing information relating to the place of interest on the image on the visual display unit, at a position on the image corresponding to the location of the place of interest on the map, and

the client computer includes means for scrolling the map image to display an image of a different geographical area, and means for varying the displayed data relating to the at least one place of interest on the visual display unit so as to take account of the change in the displayed geographical area.

32. A computer system according to claim 31, wherein the client computer includes means for varying the information from the information server computer which is displayed, in response to scrolling of the map image.

33. A computer system according to claim 32, wherein the client computer includes means for formulating a further request to the information server computer, to identify places of interest lying within the different geographical area.

34. A computer system comprising:

a map server computer for storing map data representative of a map of a geographical area and coordinate data representative of the spatial coordinates of at least one point lying within the area represented by the map;

an information server computer for storing information data representative of at least one place of interest within the geographical area, said data including data representative of the spatial coordinates of the place of interest within the area; and

a client computer, the client computer having a visual display unit;

wherein the client computer includes

a map requesting mechanism for transmitting a map request to the map server computer to request transfer to the client computer of the map data,

a map image displaying mechanism for displaying an image of the map on the visual display unit, and

an information request transmitting mechanism for transmitting an information request to the information server computer to identify places of interest known to it and lying within the geographical area,

wherein the information server computer includes a response transmitting mechanism for transmitting to the client computer in response to the information request the data representative of at least one place of interest within the geographical area, and

wherein the client computer includes a display mechanism for displaying said data associated with the place of interest on the visual display unit.

35. A computer system, the computer system comprising:

a map server computer for storing map data representative of a map of a geographical area and coordinate data representative of the spatial coordinates of at least one point lying within the area represented by the map; and

an information server computer for storing information data representative of at least one place of interest within the geographical area, said data including data representative of the spatial coordinates of the place of interest within the area;

the map server computer being arranged to receive a map request from a client computer to request transfer to a said client computer of the map data and to transmit the map data to said client computer in response thereto, the client computer having a visual display unit for displaying an image of the map, and

the information server computer being arranged to receive an information request from said client computer to identify places of interest known to it and lying within the geographical area, and to transmit to said client computer in response thereto the data representative of at least one place of interest within the geographical area, whereby said data associated with the place of interest is displayed on the visual display unit of said client computer.

36. A client computer comprising:

a visual display unit;

means for transmitting a map request to a map server computer to request transfer to the client computer of map data;

means for transmitting an information request to an information server computer to identify places of interest known to the information server computer and lying within a geographical area; and

means for displaying an image of a map and data relating to at least one of the places of interest on the visual display unit, wherein;

the map server computer is arranged to store the map data representative of the geographical area and coordinate data representative of spatial coordinates of at least one point lying within the area represented by the map, and

the information server computer is arranged to store information data representative of the at least one of the places of interest within the geographical area, said data including data representative of the spatial coordinates of a place of interest within the area.

37. The client computer of claim 36, wherein the client computer is arranged to send location information, including a longitude and a latitude, within the map request.