Customized wall map printing system

• US 7,274,378 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2005
• Issued: 09/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RM Acquisition LLC (Rand McNally & Company)
• Original Assignee: Rand McNally & Company
• Inventors: McAvoy, John, Wendland, Lloyd, Yefsky, Alan, Breyer, Sean, Benstead, Barbara, Greathouse, Polly, Nguyen, Brian, Lamont, Ashton, Arnold, Tara
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Santiago; Enrique L.
• Application Number:
  US11/057,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20060010100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

An electronic wall map design and printing system enables a user to select or specify the size, coverage area and detail level of a wall map and to customize the wall map based on the user'"'"'s needs via a fully automated electronic interface. For ease of viewing during the creation of the wall map, the design and printing system displays the wall map being designed on the electronic user interface at a first detail level or resolution that is less than the level of detail or resolution used to print the wall map. However, the user may use the electronic interface to view portions of the wall map on the user interface at the same level of detail to be actually printed on the wall map to thereby enable the user to assure that the level of detail to be printed on the wall map is adequate for the user'"'"'s purposes without making the wall map, as printed, hard to read. Once the user has designed the wall map by selecting the size, coverage area, and other customizable features such as titles, specialized icons, etc., the user may have the wall map printed at a printing facility owned by the map provider or may have the wall map sent to and printed by a third party printer such as a copying service located near the user.

Claims

1. A map generation system for creating a printed map, the system comprising:

a computer readable memory;

a map database that stores map data;

a selection routine that, when executed on a processor, enables a user at a user interface to specify a selected map area to be displayed in a printed map which is to be printed using a particular level of geographic detail;

a first routine stored on the computer readable memory that, when executed on a processor, accesses the map database to obtain map data pertaining to the selected map area;

a second routine stored on the computer readable memory that, when executed on a processor, displays on the user interface a map depicting the selected map area using a first level of geographic detail; and

a third routine stored on the computer readable memory that, when executed on a processor, displays on the user interface a portion of the selected map area using a second level of geographic detail without altering the selected map area, the second level of geographic detail including more geographic detail than included in the first level of geographic detail, the second level of geographic detail including the same level of geographic detail as the particular level of geographic detail.

2. The map generation system of claim 1, wherein the second level of geographic detail is a level of geographic detail to be used to print the printed map on a substrate.

3. The map generation system of claim 2, wherein the selection routine enables a user to specify an address and a size of the selected map area to select the selected map area.

4. The map generation system of claim 2, wherein the second routine executes to display a map boundary defining a boundary of the selected map area to be used as the boundary of the printed map.

5. The map generation system of claim 4, wherein the second routine execute to display an indication of a size associated with the selected map area.

6. The map generation system of claim 2, wherein the second routine executes to enable the user to move one or more boundaries associated with the selected map area to redefine the selected map area.

7. The map generation system of claim 6, wherein the second routine executes to enable the user to shift the map boundaries over a different section of map area while keeping the size of the selected map area constant.

8. The map generation system of claim 6, wherein the second routine executee to enable the user to increase or decrease the size of the selected map area in a proportional manner.

9. The map generation system of claim 2, wherein the third routine executes to display a magnification indicator over the selected map area and to enable the user to select the portion of the selected map area to be displayed at the second level of geographic detail.

10. The map generation system of claim 1, wherein the second and third routines execute to simultaneously display on the user interface both the portion of the selected map area at the second level of geographic detail and another portion of the selected map area at the first level of geographic detail.

11. The map generation system of claim 1, further including a fourth routine stored on the computer readable memory that, when executed on a processor, to enables a user to add one or more features to the printed map.

12. The map generation system of claim 11, wherein the one or more features includes one of a title for the printed map, an icon to be placed at a particular location within the printed map, and one or more radius circles to be placed on the printed map.

13. The map generation system of claim 1, further including a fourth routine stored on the computer readable memory that, when executed on a processor, enables a user to select one or more print features to be used to print the printed map.

14. The map generation system of claim 13, wherein the one or more print features includes at least one of the specification of a print facility at which to print the printed map, whether to laminate the printed map when printed, the orientation of the printed map with respect to a substrate on which the printed map is to be printed, and the physical size of the printed map when printed.

15. The map generation system of claim 14, wherein, when executed on a processor, the fourth routine displays a list of possible print facilities and enables a user to select one of the possible print facilities as the print facility to print the printed map.

16. The map generation system of claim 1, wherein the map database includes indications of a plurality of map areas defining a plurality of publicly available printed maps, wherein the selected map area includes a multiplicity of the map areas associated with the publicly available printed maps and further including a fourth routine stored on the computer readable memory that, when executed on a processor, causes the printed map, when printed, to include indications of the multiplicity of map areas associated with the publicly available printed maps.

17. The map generation system of claim 16, wherein, when executed on a processor, the fourth routine causes the printable map, when printed, to include boundaries associated with the publicly available printed maps.

18. The map generation system of claim 1, wherein the first routine includes a routine that enables a user to select a particular level of map detail to be used to print the printed map.

19. A method of generating a printed map, the method comprising:

enabling a user at a user interface to specify a selected map area to be displayed in a printed map which is to be printed using a particular level of geographic detail;

displaying the selected map area on the user interface at a first level of geographic detail; and

displaying a portion of the selected map area on the user interface at a second level of geographic detail without changing the boundaries of the selected map area, the second level of geographic detail including more geographic detail than included in the first level of geographic detail, the second level of geographic detail including the same level of geographic detail as the particular level of geographic detail.

20. The method of generating a printed map of claim 19, including printing the selected map area as a printed map using the second level of geographic detail.

21. The method of generating a printed map of claim 19, wherein enabling the user to specify a selected map area includes enabling the user to select an address or a location to be included in the selected map area and enabling the user to select a size for the selected map area.

22. The method of generating a printed map of claim 19, further including enabling the user to change the selected map area by enabling the user to move a boundary of the selected map area on the display of the selected map area at a first level of geographic detail.

23. The method of generating a printed map of claim 19, further including enabling the user to change the selected map area by enabling the user to proportionally change multiple boundaries of the selected map area on the display of the selected map area at the first level of geographic detail to change the size of the geographical area associated with the selected map area.

24. The method of generating a printed map of claim 19, further including enabling the user to select a location at which the printed map is printed.

25. The method of generating a printed map of claim 19, further including enabling the user to select a manner of delivering the printed map to an intended recipient.

26. The method of generating a printed map of claim 19, wherein displaying the selected map area on a user interface at the first level of geographic detail includes displaying indications of the geographical area covered by the selected map area.

27. The method of generating a printed map of claim 19, wherein displaying a portion of the selected map area on the user interface at a second level of geographic detail includes displaying that portion of the selected map area on the user interface simultaneously with displaying portions of the selected map area on the user interface at the first level of geographic detail.

28. The method of generating a printed map of claim 27, wherein displaying a portion of the selected map area on the user interface includes enabling a user to move the portion of the selected map area displayed at the second level of geographic detail with respect to the portions of the selected map area being displayed on the user interface at the first level of geographic detail.

29. The method of generating a printed map of claim 19, further including enabling the user to add one or more features to the printed map via the user interface.

30. The method of generating a printed map of claim 19, further including enabling the user to print the printed map with indications of boundaries associated with one or more previously printed and commercially available maps.

31. A method of generating a printed wall map, the method comprising:

storing map data in a map database at a first location;

enabling a user at a second location to specify a selected map area to be printed on a wall map which is to be printed at a particular level of geographic map detail, to access map data that pertains to the selected map area via a publicly-accessible communication network, and to obtain and simultaneously view portions of the selected map area at first and second different levels of geographic map detail without altering the selected map area to be printed, wherein the second level of geographic map detail corresponds to the particular level of geographic map detail; and

enabling the user to have the wall map printed at a third location using the second level of geographic map detail with data sent from the first location to the third location, without the data being sent through the second location.

32. The method of generating a wall map of claim 31, wherein enabling the user at the second location to access the map data includes enabling the user at the second location to access the map data via the internet.

33. The method of generating a wall map of claim 31, wherein enabling the user to have the wall map printed at the third location includes enabling the user to have the wall map printed at a commercial printing facility remote from the first location and the second location, with the commercial printing facility being communicatively connected to the first location via a publicly accessible communication network.

34. The method of generating a wall map of claim 33, wherein enabling the user to have the wall map printed at the third location includes enabling the user to select one of a plurality of possible commercial printing facilities at which to have the wall map printed.

35. The method of generating a wall map of claim 33, wherein enabling the user to have the wall map printed at the third location includes enabling the user to use the remote user interface to select a manner of delivery of the wall map from the commercial printing facility to an intended recipient.

36. The method of generating a wall map of claim 31, further including having the wall map printed at the third location with indications of boundaries associated with one or more commercially published printed maps.

37. The method of generating a wall map of claim 31, wherein enabling the user at the second location to access the map data and to obtain and view portions of the selected map area includes displaying portions of the selected map area at a first level of map detail on a user interface at the second location and displaying a portion of the selected map area at a second level of map detail on the user interface at the second location, wherein the second level of map detail has more map detail than the first level of map detail.

38. The method of generating a wall map of claim 37, wherein enabling a user to specify a selected map area to be printed includes providing the user with a display of the selected map area and enabling the user to manipulate the display electronic maps to change the geographical area to be printed on the wall map to be printed.

39. A method of creating a map, comprising:

storing map data associated with a plurality of publicly available maps;

enabling a person to select a geographical area to be covered by a map; and

printing the map of the selected geographical area using stored map data associated with two or more of the plurality of publicly available maps, and printing the map with indications of the two or more of the plurality of publicly available maps and with index markings associated with the two or more of the plurality of publicly available maps.

40. The method of creating a map of claim 39, wherein printing the map includes printing the map to include indications of multiple boundaries of each of the two or more of the plurality of publicly available printed maps.

41. The method of creating a map of claim 40, wherein printing the map further includes printing the map with page numbers associated with each of the two or more of the plurality of publicly available printed maps.

42. The method of creating a map of claim 39, wherein printing the map includes printing the map as a wall map.

43. The method of creating a map of claim 39, wherein the publicly available maps are street maps.

44. A method of creating a map, comprising:

storing map data associated with a plurality of publicly available maps;

enabling a person to select a geographical area to be covered by a map; and

printing the map of the selected geographical area using stored map data associated with two or more of the plurality of publicly available maps, the map being printed at the same level of map detail used to print the plurality of publicly available maps and including indications of the two or more of the plurality of publicly available maps.

45. A method of generating a printed wall map via a remote user terminal, comprising:

enabling a user at a remote user terminal to specify a selected map area to be printed on a wall map which is to be printed at a particular level of geographic map detail;

enabling the user to specify custom information to be printed on the wall map;

obtaining map data pertaining to the selected map area from a map database;

displaying a version of the printed map at the remote user terminal, the displayed version of the map including at least some of the custom information and showing different portions of the selected map area at first and second different levels of geographic map detail without altering the selected map area, wherein the second level of geographic map detail corresponds to the particular level of geographic map detail; and

sending the data needed to print the wall map from the map database to a printing location without the data being sent through the remote user terminal.

46. The method of generating a printed map of claim 45, wherein enabling the user to specify the map area includes enabling the user to specify one of an address, a city or a zip code.

47. The method of generating a printed map of claim 46, wherein enabling the user to specify the map area includes enabling the user to specify one or more boundaries defining the map area.

48. The method of generating a printed map of claim 46, wherein enabling the user to specify custom information includes enabling the user to select a title for the printed map.

49. The method of generating a printed map of claim 46, wherein enabling the user to specify custom information includes enabling the user to select an icon to be placed on the printed map.

50. The method of generating a printed map of claim 46, wherein enabling the user to specify custom information includes enabling the user to select a scale marking for the printed map.

51. The method of generating a printed map of claim 46, wherein enabling the user to specify custom information includes enabling the user to select to place page numbers on the printed map.

53. The method of generating a printed map of claim 46, wherein enabling the user to specify custom information includes enabling the user to select to place grid lines on the printed map.

54. The method of generating a printed map of claim 46, wherein displaying a version of the printed map at the remote user terminal includes displaying a low resolution version of the printed map, the low resolution version of the printed map being lower in resolution than the printed map when printed.

55. The method of generating a printed map of claim 54, further comprising enabling the user to have the printed map printed at a print site remote from the user terminal and remote from the map database.

56. The method of generating a printed map of claim 55, wherein the print site is a third party commercial printing facility.

52. A method of creating a printable map via a remote user terminal, comprising:

enabling a user to use a remote user terminal to specify one of an address, a city, or a zip code to select a map area to be depicted by the printable map;

enabling the user at the remote user terminal to specify custom information to be printed on the printable map, including enabling the user to select to place page numbers on the printable map, the page numbers being indexed to page numbers of one or more publicly available maps;

obtaining map data pertaining to the selected map area from a map database;

displaying a version of the printable map at the remote riser terminal, the displayed version of the printable map including at least some of the map data pertaining to the selected map area from the map database and the custom information; and

enabling the user to have the printable map automatically printed from the remote user terminal.