System for providing and linking regularity updated map data with data related to the map

• US 6,263,343 B1
• Filed: 01/03/1997
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hirono, Chiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): RONES, CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US08/778,571
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 395/188.01, 345/356, 345/440, 345/27, 379/201, 701/200, 701/202, 701/1, 701/211, 701/25, 701/201, 701/210, 701/220, 701/217, 701/207, 705/27, 340/990, 340/995, 340/989, 342/64, 341/83, 707/104
• US Class Current: 707/770
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method and device for displaying map data and related data and thereby permitting easy enlargement of the scope of the application of map-based data services, wherein additional drawing data for superposing on a map displayed on a screen, and setting data for specifying a map display, are sent and received between different application programs using inter-application exchange in a standard data format. Required map data and related data are displayed on the screen using a first application program having a function for converting received additional drawing data and setting data to the aforesaid data format and transmitting it by inter-application exchange, then using a second application program which displays a map on the display screen according to the setting data transmitted by the first application program and displays additional data on the screen map corresponding to the additional drawing data.

Claims

1. A data structure system for providing map data and data related to said map data at a user terminal, comprising:

map data means for regularly updating and storing said map data corresponding to position data, for sending a map data search page to said user terminal, for retrieving said regularly updated map data according to multiple searching parameters simultaneously entered by a user using said map data search page, said multiple searching parameters including information in addition to a location name, and for displaying at said user terminal only said regularly updated map data retrieved according to said searching parameters when said user directly accesses said regularly updated map data;

position data means for storing said position data and first map-related data in accordance with one of said position data and said map data, for sending a position data and first map-related data search page to said user terminal, for retrieving said position data and said first map-related data according to said multiple searching parameters entered by said user using said position data and first map-related data search page, and for displaying at said user terminal only said position data and said first map-related data retrieved according to said multiple searching parameters when said user directly accesses said position data and said first map-related data;

guide data means for storing second map-related data, for sending a guide data search page to said user terminal, for retrieving said second map-related data according to said searching parameters entered by said user using said guide data search page, and for displaying at said user terminal only said second map-related data retrieved according to said multiple searching parameters when said user directly accesses said second map-related data, wherein said guide data means selectively displays map data corresponding to said second map-related data and said second map-related data only when said user presses a map button displayed with said second map-related data at said user terminal; and

network means for transferring to said map data means, to said position data means, and to said guide data means said searching parameters entered using said map data search page, said searching parameters entered on said position data and first map-related data search page and said searching parameters entered on said guide data search page, respectively, and for transferring from said map data means said regularly updated map data, from said position data means said position data and said first map-related data, and from said guide data means said second map-related data and said map data, wherein

said map data means, said position data means, and said guide data means are linked together.

2. The data structure system for providing map data and data related to said map data as set forth in claim 1, wherein said position data includes longitude and latitude data.

3. The data structure system for providing map data and data related to said map data as set forth in claim 1, wherein said map data means, said position data means and said guide data means are registered and/or edited through said network means.

4. The data structure system for providing map data and data related to said map data as set forth in claim 1, wherein said network means supports a world wide web service, and said searching parameters include business hours and business description information.

5. The data structure system for providing map data and data related to said map data as set forth in claim 1, wherein said map data means, said position data means and/or said guide data means includes at least 0-th dimension information pertaining to a predetermined target object.

6. A method for providing map data and data related to said map data at a user terminal, said method comprising the steps of:

regularly updating said map data;

receiving at least one of a map data search page, a position data and first map-related data search page and a guide data search page through a network;

retrieving only said regularly updated map data from a database which includes said regularly updated map data corresponding to position data according to multiple searching parameters simultaneously entered by a user using said map data search page, said searching parameters including information in addition to a location name, retrieving only said position data and first map-related data from a database including said position data and said first map-related data according to said multiple searching parameters entered by said user using said position data and first map-related data search page, and retrieving only second map-related data from a database including said second map-related data according to said multiple searching parameters entered by said user using said guide data search page;

displaying map data corresponding to said second map-related data and said second map-related data only when said user presses a map button displayed with said second map-related data at said user terminal; and

transferring said regularly updated map data, said position data, said first map-related data, and/or said second map-related data through said network.

7. The method for providing map data and data related to said map data as set forth in claim 6, further comprising the step of confirming a correspondence of an identification transferred through said network with a predetermined identification stored in a database before generating said map data, said position data, said first map-related data, and said second map-related data.

8.The method for providing map data and data related to said map data as set forth in claim 6, wherein said network is constructed by accessing a world wide web service, and said searching parameters include business hours and business description information.

8. A map data and map-related data receiving apparatus, comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting a search command entered by a user to a map data system including regularly updated map data corresponding to position data, to a position data system including said position data and first map-related data in accordance with one of said position data and said regularly updated map data, and/or to a guide data system including second map-related data through a network, wherein said search command includes multiple searching parameters including information in addition to a location name for simultaneous entry by a user;

receiving means for receiving said regularly updated map data retrieved by said map data system, for receiving said position data and said first map-related data retrieved by said position data system, and/or for receiving said second map-related data retrieved by said guide data system through said network retrieved according the said multiple search parameters; and

display means for displaying only said regularly updated map data, said position data, said first map-related data, and said second map-related data received by said receiving means retrieved according to said multiple search parameters, wherein map data corresponding to said second map-related data and said second map-related data are displayed only when said user presses a map button displayed with said second map-related data at a user terminal.