Map display system and map display method

• US 8,725,399 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OM Digital Solutions Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation, Olympus Imaging Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Nonaka, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tran
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAJ, RAJIV J
• Application Number:
  US12/250,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20090105945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,037 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A map display system according to the present invention includes: a search section searching for a reference point where a map has not changed for approximately the same period as a period during which a map or a landscape of a base point has not changed; and a display section displaying information which represents the searched reference point. Further, a map display method according to the present invention includes: searching for a reference point where a map has not changed for approximately the same period as a period during which a map or a landscape of a base point has not changed; and displaying information which represents the searched reference point.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

an input section of a server system for receiving positional information about an item, wherein the item is one of a building, a landmark, or a historically or culturally significant site;

a database of the server system storing a plurality of chronological maps, wherein each of the plurality of chronological maps is associated with a time such that the plurality of chronological maps is collectively associated with a time period spanning a plurality of years;

a search section of the server system (1) estimating an age of the item by identifying a change, at a position defined by the received positional information, occurring in two chronologically adjacent chronological maps of the plurality of chronological maps, and (2) finding, by using another change in two chronological maps of the plurality of chronological maps, a further item having an estimated age within a predetermined number of years of the estimated age of the item, wherein the further item is one of a building, a landmark, or a historically or culturally significant site;

a section of the server system generating a map including and marking the further item; and

a communication section of the server system transmitting the generated map for display.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the search section estimates the age of the further item by comparing patterns of roads at a base position defined by the positional information in the plurality of chronological maps to determine when a particular change occurred.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a location of the further item must be within a predetermined distance of the base position defined by the positional information.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the generated map further includes and marks a position of the item.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of chronological maps show patterns of roads.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of chronological maps show patterns of roads over a period of at least ten years.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the positional information is associated with a subject image sourced from a user device.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of chronological maps span at least ten years.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, with a server system, positional information about an item, wherein the item is one of a building, a landmark, or a historically or culturally significant site;

estimating, with the server system, an age of the item by identifying a change, at a position defined by the received positional information, occurring in two chronologically adjacent chronological maps of a plurality of chronological maps, wherein each of the plurality of chronological maps is associated with a time such that the plurality of chronological maps is collectively associated with a time period spanning a plurality of years;

searching, with the server system and by using another change in two chronological maps of the plurality of chronological maps, for a further item having an estimated age within a predetermined number of years of the estimated age of the item, wherein the further item is one of a building, a landmark, or a historically or culturally significant site; and

generating, with the server system, a map including and marking the further item.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein the act of searching estimates the age of the further item by comparing patterns of roads at a base position defined by the positional information in the plurality of chronological maps to determine when a particular change occurred.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein a location of the further item must be within a predetermined distance of the base position defined by the positional information.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein the generated map further includes and marks a position of the item.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein the plurality of chronological maps show patterns of roads.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein the plurality of chronological maps show patterns of roads over a period of at least ten years.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein the information about the item includes positional information associated with a subject image sourced from a user device.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein the plurality of chronological maps span at least ten years.

15. A mobile information device comprising:

a communication section of the mobile information device for (1) sending positional information about an item to a server system, wherein the item is one of a building, a landmark, or a historically or culturally significant site and (2) receiving map information of a further item from the server, wherein the further item is one of a building, a landmark, or a historically or culturally significant site; and

a display section of the mobile information device for displaying a map using the map information received,

wherein the further item has an estimated age within a predetermined number of years of an estimated age of the item,

wherein the server system,

estimates an age of the item by identifying a change, at a position defined by the positional information, occurring in two chronologically adjacent chronological maps of a plurality of chronological maps, wherein each of the plurality of chronological maps is associated with a time such that the plurality of chronological maps is collectively associated with a time period spanning a plurality of years, and

finds, using another change in two chronological maps of the plurality of chronological maps, for the further item having an estimated age within a predetermined number of years of the estimated age of the item, and

wherein the map includes and marks the further item.

18. The mobile information device of claim 15 wherein the plurality of chronological maps span at least ten years.