DOWNLOADING MAP DATA THROUGH A COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20100223238A1
• Filed: 03/01/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Slingshot Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Slingshot Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Arad, Amit, Twig, Ilan
• Application Number:
  US12/715,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20100223238A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/693
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

Various methods and systems are disclosed for downloading geographical map data representative of at least one map image of a geographic area. In response to a request for map data, a subset of geographical map data is provided. The subset of geographical map data may be arranged into one or more minimal-sorted groups. The minimal-sorted groups may be used to restore the map data represented by the subset.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising a processor and a computer-readable storage device storing a computer program, the computer system configured to perform operations comprising:

storing geographical map data representative of at least one map image of a geographic area;

receiving a request for data pertaining to the geographic area; and

in response to the request, providing a subset of the geographical map data, wherein;

the subset of geographical map data is arranged into one or more minimal-sorted groups and comprises information for restoring said subset of geographical map data using the one or more minimal-sorted groups.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the subset of the geographical map data is sufficient to enable a client computer to render a representation of the requested data pertaining to the geographic area.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the subset of the geographical map data is sufficient to render navigable areas within said representation without requiring additional map data to be provided to the client computer.

4. In a system comprising a processor and memory, a computerized geographic-mapping method comprising:

storing geographical map data representative of at least one map image of a geographic area;

receiving, from a client computer, a request for data pertaining to the geographic area; and

in response to the request, providing said client computer with a subset of the geographical map data, wherein;

the subset of geographical map data is arranged into one or more minimal-sorted groups and comprises information for restoring said subset of geographical map data using the one or more minimal-sorted groups.

5. A tangible computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions, the instructions comprising:

instructions for storing geographical map data representative of at least one map image of a geographic area;

instructions for receiving, from a client computer, a request for data pertaining to the geographic area; and

instructions for providing said client computer with a subset of the geographical map data, wherein;

the subset of geographical map data is arranged into one or more minimal-sorted groups and comprises information for restoring said subset of geographical map data using the one or more minimal-sorted groups.

6. A system for providing information related to commercial enterprises, comprising:

means for storing geographical map data representative of at least one map image of a geographic area;

means for receiving, from a client computer, a request for data pertaining to the geographic area; and

means for providing said client computer with a subset of the geographical map data, wherein the subset of geographical map data is arranged into one or more minimal-sorted groups and information for restoring said subset of geographical map data.

7. A computer system comprising a processor and a computer-readable storage device storing a computer program, the computer system configured to perform operations comprising:

maintaining a database of layers of geographical map data representative of at least one map image of a geographic area, each layer providing progressively more detail when displayed on a display device;

receiving, from a client computer, a request for data pertaining to the geographic area; and

in response to the request, providing a subset of said geographical map data, wherein;

the subset of geographical map data is arranged into one or more minimal-sorted groups and sufficient to enable the client computer to render an image including one or more representations based on said subset and allow a user to navigate within said image without requiring new map data to be downloaded.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said layers of geographical map data comprises minimized vector format data.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said map data comprises descriptive information in text format.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said layers of geographical map data comprise groupings of map objects.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein said subset comprises one of the layers of geographical map data.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising providing additional layers of the geographical map data to allow progressively more detail to be cached and rendered at the client computer.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said one of the layers is a static base component and said additional layers are dynamic auxiliary components that are independent of the static base component.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said layers comprise self-contained mapping data that can be reconstituted independent of additional data.

16. A computer device comprising a processor and a computer-readable storage device storing a computer program, the computer device configured to perform operations comprising:

sending to a map server a request for map data, said map data representative of at least one map image of a geographic area and comprising at least two layers, each layer providing progressively more detail to be displayed at the computer device;

receiving a subset of said geographical map data, wherein the subset of geographical map data is arranged into one or more minimal-sorted groups and information for restoring said subset of geographical map data; and

rendering an image representing the subset of geographical map data on a user interface of the computer device and allowing a user to navigate within said image without requiring new map data to be downloaded from the map server.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein said allowing comprises receiving navigation commands and responding thereto by displaying different parts of the image.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein said subset comprises one of the layers of map data.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising receiving additional layers of the geographical map data to allow progressively more detail to be cached and rendered at the client computer.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the additional layers are cached by the client computer so as to allow subsequent processing independent of the map server.

21. A method for downloading map data from a map server to a computer device, the method comprising:

sending by the computer device to a map server a request for map data, said map data representative of at least one map image of a geographic area and comprising at least two layers, each layer providing progressively more detail to be displayed at the computer device;

receiving at the computer device a subset of said map data, wherein the subset is arranged into one or more minimal-sorted groups;

displaying at least part of an image including one or more representations based on said subset on a user interface of the computer device; and

allowing a user to navigate within said at least part of the image without requiring new map data to be downloaded from the map server.

22. A tangible computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions, the instructions comprising:

instructions for sending by the computer device to a map server a request for map data, said map data representative of at least one map image of a geographic area and comprising at least two layers, each layer providing progressively more detail to be displayed at the computer device;

instructions for receiving at the computer device a subset of said map data, wherein the subset is arranged into one or more minimal-sorted groups;

instructions for rendering at least part of an image including one or more representations based on said subset on a user interface of the computer device; and

instructions for allowing a user to navigate within said at least part of the image without requiring new map data to be downloaded from the map server.

23. A system for providing information related to commercial enterprises, comprising:

means for sending by the computer device to a map server a request for map data, said map data representative of at least one map image of a geographic area and comprising at least two layers, each layer providing progressively more detail to be displayed at the computer device;

means for receiving at the computer device a subset of said map data, wherein the subset is arranged into one or more minimal-sorted groups;

means for displaying at least part of an image including one or more representations based on said subset on a user interface of the computer device; and

means for allowing a user to navigate within said at least part of the image without requiring new map data to be downloaded from the map server.

24. A computer system comprising a processor and a computer-readable storage device storing a computer program, the computer system configured to perform operations comprising:

storing geographical map data representative of at least one map image of a geographic area;

receiving, from a client computer, a request for data pertaining to the geographic area; and

in response to the request, providing said client computer with a subset of the geographical map data, wherein;

the subset of the geographical map data is sufficient to enable said client computer to render a representation of the requested data pertaining to the geographic area and render navigable areas within said representation without requiring additional map data to be provided to the client computer.

25. The computer system of claim 24, wherein the subset of geographical map data is arranged into one or more minimal-sorted groups and comprises information for restoring said subset of geographical map data using the one or more minimal-sorted groups.