Map generating system and map management system

• US 20040111213A1
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Iwamura, Kazuaki, Muro, Keiro, Tezuka, Shu, Hatsumoto, Shintaro, Funyu, Yukio
• Granted Patent: US 7,107,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

There have been problems in the facility information management system arts because when a distance-based facility database is searched for the facility information by specifying the name and distance of a facility, the location and position of a specific facility must be found on a figure such as a map. Such a location is not easily pointed out especially when the facility is damaged. To overcome the above problems, the present invention relates the distance-based facility data with map data and allows a generation of graphical figure data to be overlaid on a map from the numerical data corresponding to the facility parameters stored in the distance-based facility data.

Claims

1. A map generation system wherein:

said system is connected to a recording means for recording map data having skeletal graphics of facilities, and being connected to facility management data that coordinates an origin coordinate with a distance from the origin coordinate to a starting point and to an end point of a graphical figure of a facility, wherein said system further comprises;

a search means for searching for a position corresponding to said origin coordinate from within said map data;

a means for determining a proper generation range of said facility graphical figure by using data of said skeletal graphics;

a means for generating said facility graphical figure by means of a facility graphical figure generation program by using facility parameters stored in said facility management data; and

a display means for displaying a generated graphical figure of said facilities on a map generated from said map data.

2. A map generation system according to claim 1, wherein:

said means for generating said facility graphical figure generates a planar graphical figure or perspective graphical figure of said facilities.

3. A map generation system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an instruction input means; and

a search means for searching instruction information received from said instruction input means,

wherein said map data is displayed including the facility managed as indicated by searched facility management data.

4. A map generation system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an instruction input means; and

a playback means for playing back the facility managed by said facility management data based on updated facility management information, upon receipt of an update instruction of said facility management data through said instruction input means.

5. A map generation system according to claim 4, wherein

said playback means deletes graphical figure data of a facility managed by said stored facility management data.

7. A map generation system according to claim 4, further comprising:

an instruction means,

wherein said display means displays the facility data of said facility when said displayed facility is pointed out on said display means.

6. A map generation system, comprising:

a recording means for recording map data, and facility management information of facilities in the map data;

a means for displaying on a display means said map data that displays at least one of the facilities;

a means for displaying distance information from an origin to a starting point and to an end point of said facility and an attribute information of the facility;

a means for receiving input for changing at least any one of said displayed distance information or said attribute information; and

a means for redisplaying on said display means the facility based on said input for changing by generating on said map data.

8. A map generation system comprising:

providing a system connected to a recording means for recording map data having a skeletal graphics of facilities, said system being connected to facility management data that coordinates an origin coordinate with a distance from the origin coordinate to a starting point and to an end point of a graphical figure of a facility;

providing a search means for searching for a position corresponding to said origin coordinate from within said map data;

providing a means for determining a proper generation range of said facility graphical figure by using said skeletal graphics;

providing a means for generating said facility graphical figure by means of a facility graphical figure generation program by using facility parameters stored in said facility management data; and

providing a display means for displaying a generated graphical figure of said facilities on a map generated from said map data.

9. A map generation system, as in claim 8 further comprising:

providing from the system, the map data having a skeletal graphics of the facilities, the facility management data, and the generated graphical figure to a segment facility which manages one geographic segment of an overall network, upon receipt of a request from a user in the segment facility to the system; and

updating an all segments facility data storage subsystem located in a central management organization for storing the map data having a skeletal graphics of the facilities, the facility management data, and the generated graphical figure to a segment facility for each segment in the network.

10. The map generation system of claim 9, further comprising:

sending updated information from the user to the system, which in turn sends the updated information to the all segments facility data storage subsystem;

wherein a usage number of the user is sent through the segment facility to the system as billing information.

11. A map generating and graphical display system for use with a geographic information system (GIS) for mapping data from a map database and a distance based facility parameters database comprising:

a map data search unit;

a facility parameters database search unit;

a graphics generation information search unit for retrieving facility parameters including a base coordinate from the facility parameters database search unit and for placing the base coordinate onto skeletal graphics from the map database;

a skeletal graphics search and trace unit for tracing on a map retrieved from the map database via the map data search unit, and for finding skeletal graphics of at least one facility on the map selected from the map database wherein the skeletal graphics are included on the map and are then traced upon from the base coordinate to include a starting point and an ending point which are stored;

a graphical figure generation function library searchable by a graphical figure generation function search unit using a graphical figure generation number from the facility parameters database and which is connected to the graphics generation information search unit;

a graphics generation dimension selector unit for searching for dimension parameters of the facilities listed in the facility parameters database and connected to the skeletal graphics search and trace unit; and

a three dimensional graphics generation unit for generating a 3D graphical representation of the facility on the map to be stored and displayed.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a planar graphics generation unit for generating a 2D graphical representation of the facility on the map to be stored and displayed.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

an updating unit to update the distance based facility parameters database.