Geographic information system

• US 6,389,356 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2000
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Onishi, Hirofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibson, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US09/586,382
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 701/209, 701/208, 701/201, 340/990, 340/995, 707/103
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3874 Structures specially adapted for data searching and retrieval

Abstract

Records related to objects are stored in a map database (10) in ascending order of occurrences of the objects or in descending order of extinction of the objects. When objects available on a specified date are extracted, the date of the occurrences or extinction of the objects in the records are ascertained sequentially from the top. This ascertaining process is cancelled regarding the objects appearing after the specified date, or regarding the objects disappearing before the specified date. Objects seasonally available or available depending on the weather and temporary traffic regulations to be carried out irregularly are stored in the map database (10) by an operator or through a communication from a traffic control center. Those objects and regulations are not indicated on a calendar due to their irregularity. The objects agreeing with a condition can be extracted, or roads available are selected to form a passable route.

Claims

1. A geographic information system comprising:

a map database;

a condition-input-device for inputting a search condition to search said map database;

a search device for searching said map database based on the search condition; and

a display device for displaying a result searched by said search device,

wherein said map database stores object data associated with an object including a type of the object, a date of an occurrence and extinction of the object,

wherein said object data are stored in ascending order of respective occurrence.

2. The geographic information system as defined in claim 1, wherein the search condition includes at least one of specified date and specified time.

3. The geographic information system as defined in claim 1, wherein said search device includes an object-extracting-device and a route-selector.

4. A geographic information system comprising:

a map database;

a condition-input-device for inputting a search condition to search said map database;

a search device for searching said map database based on the search condition; and

a display device for displaying a result searched by said search device,

wherein said map database stores object data associated with an object including a type of the object, a date of an occurrence and extinction of the object,

wherein said object data are stored in descending order of respective occurrence.

5. The geographic information system as defined in claim 4 wherein the search condition includes at least one of specified date and specified time.

6. The geographic information system as defined in claim 4 wherein said search device includes an object-extracting-device and a route-selector.

7. A geographic information system comprising:

a map database;

a condition-input-device for inputting a search condition to search said map database;

a search device for searching said map database following the search condition; and

a display device for displaying a result searched by said search device,

wherein said map database stores object data associated with an object including a type of the object, a date of an occurrence and extinction of the object,

wherein said object data relates to the date of the occurrence and extinction of the object, and are grouped with regard to one of a season and weather.

8. The geographic information system as defined in claim 7 wherein the associated data related to the date of the occurrence and extinction of the object are obtained by one of an operator and a communication.

9. A geographic information system comprising:

a map database;

a condition-input-device for inputting a search condition to search said map database;

a search device for searching said map database following the search condition; and

a display device for displaying a result searched by said search device,

wherein said map database stores object data associated with an object including a type of the object, a date of an occurrence and extinction of the object,

wherein said map database includes data related to a temporary traffic regulation to be carried out within a limited period.

10. The geographic information system as defined in claim 9, wherein the temporary traffic regulation is obtained by one of an operator and a communication.

11. The geographic information system as defined in claim 9, wherein said system searches a route by selecting a road available within the limited period through searching the temporary traffic regulation.

12. A method of searching a map database, said method comprising the steps of:

storing data corresponding to a type, an occurrence and extinction of an object; and

searching the map database, where the data are stored in ascending order of the occurrence, for data scheduled before a specified date.

13. A method of searching a map database, said method comprising the steps of:

storing data corresponding to a type, an occurrence and extinction of an object; and

searching the map database, where the data are stored in descending order of the extinction, for data scheduled before a specified date.