Geographical information display system and method

• US 8,290,943 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Carbone, John N., Kline, Christopher E., Johnson, Kevin L., Magnes, Kenneth J., Mort, Ashley C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US11/773,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20080077642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,932 Days
• Field of Search: 707/724
• US Class Current: 707/724
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

In one embodiment, a geographical information system has an information database and a client computing system that is coupled to a web server. A web based application is operable to display a map that includes a particular geographical location, retrieve at least one of a plurality of data records from the metadata database, and display the at least one data record at the particular geographical location of the map for a user. The web based application is executable on the client computing system or on the web server using a web browser.

Claims

1. A geographical information system comprising:

a plurality of information databases for storage of a plurality of data records that are each associated with a particular geographical location;

a user store database for storage of a user login record associated with a user and a user preference record associated with the user;

a web server that is coupled to the information database and a client computing system, the web server being configured to retrieve the plurality of data records from the information database;

a web based application that is a script interpreter or an applet that is executable using a web browser, the web based application being operable to;

display a map on a client computing system, the map including the particular geographical location;

receive a selection of at least two information databases of the plurality of information databases;

filter the plurality of data records to identify a plurality of filtered data records, the filtering based upon;

geo-spatial, contextual, or temporal filter criteria; and

the user login record and user preference record;

transmit the plurality of filtered data records from the selected information databases to the client computing system;

concurrently display a summary portion of each of the plurality of filtered data records at the particular geographical location of the map and a database name of each of the plurality of filtered data records, each respective database name comprising the name of the information database that transmitted the respective data record;

display a detailed portion of each of the plurality of filtered data records upon manual request by the user.

2. The geographical information system of claim 1, wherein the web based application is an applet.

3. The geographical information system of claim 1, wherein the web based application is a server page.

4. A geographical information system comprising:

a plurality of information databases for storage of a plurality of data records that are each associated with a particular geographical location;

a web server that is coupled to the information databases and a client computing system;

a web based application that is executable on the web server or on the client computing system using a web browser, the web based application being operable to;

display a map on the client computing system, the map including the particular geographical location;

receive a selection of at least two information databases of the plurality of information databases;

transmit at least one of the plurality of data records from each of the selected information databases to the client computing system;

concurrently display the transmitted data records at the particular geographical location of the map for a user and a database name of each of the transmitted data records, each respective database name comprising the name of the information database that transmitted the respective data record.

5. The geographical information system of claim 4, wherein the web based application is an applet.

6. The geographical information system of claim 4, wherein the web based application is a server page.

7. The geographical information system of claim 4, wherein the web based application is further operable to filter the at least one of data records based upon geo-spatial, contextual, or temporal filter criteria.

8. The geographical information system of claim 4, wherein at least one of the plurality of data records has a summary portion and a detailed portion, the summary portion being an abbreviated form of the detailed portion, the web based application being further operable to:

initially display the summary portion, and

display the detailed portion upon manual request by the user.

9. The geographical information system of claim 4, further comprising a user store database that is coupled to the web server, the web based application being operable to store a user login record of the user in the user store database, and filter the at least one data record based upon the user login record.

10. The geographical information system of claim 4, further comprising a user store database that is coupled to the web server, the web based application being operable to store at least one user preference record of the user in the user store database, and filter the at least one data record based upon the user preference record.

11. The geographical information system of claim 4, wherein the web based application is further operable to set an alarm in the event that a particular type of data record is retrieved.

12. The geographical information system of claim 4, wherein the web based application is operable to display the at least one data record at the geographical location on the map in the form of an icon.

13. The geographical information system of claim 12, wherein the web based browser is further operable to display the at least one data record upon a manual input signal from the user.

14. The geographical information system of claim 13, wherein the manual input signal is provided by a mouse.

15. A computer implemented method comprising:

executing a web based application using a web browser, the web based application performing the actions of;

displaying a geographical map on a display of a client computing system;

receiving a selection of at least two information databases of a plurality of information databases;

transmitting a data record from each of the selected information databases to the client computing system, the transmitted data records being associated with a particular geographical location;

concurrently displaying the transmitted data records at the particular geographical location on the map for a user and a database name of each of the transmitted data records, each respective database name comprising the name of the information database that transmitted the respective data record.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein executing a web based application using a web browser comprises executing an applet using a web browser.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein executing a web based application using a web browser comprises executing a script interpreter on a web server using a web browser.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising prior to transmitting a data record to the client computing system, filtering the data record based upon geo-spatial, contextual, or temporal filter criteria.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising prior to transmitting a data record to the client computing system, filtering the data record based upon a user account privilege of the user.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein displaying the data record at the particular geographical location on the map for a user further comprises initially displaying a summary portion of the data record at the particular geographical location, and displaying a detailed portion of the data record upon manual request by the user.