Information display

• US 7,173,632 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2003
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NNG LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Inokuchi, Akihiro, Morimoto, Yasuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung; Kee M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUNNINGHAM, GREGORY F
• Application Number:
  US10/656,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20040080510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 340/286.14, 340/539.2, 340/990, 340/995.1, 34099514-99528, 340/400.FOR, 342/191, 342/357.13, 345/581, 353/5, 353/11, 701200-226, 701300-302, 702/5, 702/16, 707/1, 707/3, 707/4, 707/6, 707/7, 707/102, 715/968, 716/12
• US Class Current: 345/619
• 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

The information display system of the present invention has a database in which objects including position information and attribute information different from the position information are stored, and electronic map storage section, a set forming section which forms at least a certain number of sets of objects positioned in proximity with each other and including a set of objects, a section for selecting the pair of objects contained in each of the sets by locating position coordinates in the electronic map on which display is performed, assigning an indicating figure in variable indicating form, and designating position coordinates for the objects and the indicating figure to be displayed, and a section for placing objects and the indicating figure on the electronic map by using the designated position coordinates.

Claims

1. An information display system for making a computer display objects including position information on an electronic map, said information display system comprising:

a database in which objects including position information and attribute information different from the position information are stored;

an electronic map storage section in which the electronic map is stored;

a set forming section which forms at least a certain number of sets of objects, wherein the objects contained in each set are positioned in proximity with each other and wherein the objects contained in each set are selected according to a certain number of designated classes of attribute information included in the objects within a predetermined distance;

an arrangement for selecting the objects contained in each of the sets by locating position coordinates in the electronic map on which display is performed, displaying the selected objects according to the designated attributes of the selected objects while assigning an indicating figure corresponding to a set of objects, and designating position coordinates for the objects and the indicating figure to be displayed; and

an arrangement for placing the objects and the indicating figure on the electronic map by using the designated position coordinates.

2. The information display system according to claim 1, wherein said designation method includes an arrangement for determining, by using the predetermined distance, the size of the indicating figure as such a size that the objects to be displayed are contained inside the area defined by the indicating figure, and an arrangement for changing display parameters for the indicating figure by using a threshold value with respect to a target attribute class.

3. The information display system according to claim 1, wherein said designation method includes an arrangement for determining the size of the indicating figure according to the scale of the electronic map, and

said placement method locates the boundary of the indicating figure on the electronic map and places a portion of the indicating figure contained in the electronic map on which the display is performed.

4. An information display method for making a computer display objects including position information on an electronic map, said method comprising:

a step of forming, from a database in which objects including position information and attribute information different from the position information are stored, at least a certain number of sets of objects, wherein the objects contained in each set are positioned in proximity with each other and wherein the objects contained in each set are selected according to a certain number of designated classes of attribute information included in the objects within a predetermined distance;

a step of reading out an electronic map which is stored in an electronic map storage section and on which display is performed, selecting the objects contained in each of the sets by locating position coordinates in the electronic map, displaying the selected objects according to the designated attributes of the selected objects while assigning an indicating figure corresponding to a set of objects, and designating position coordinates for the objects and the indicating figure to be displayed; and

a step of placing the objects and the indicating figure on the electronic map by using the designated position coordinates,

wherein said designation step includes a step of determining, by using the predetermined distance, the size of the indicating figure as such a size that the objects to be displayed are contained inside the area defined by the indicating figure, and a step of changing display parameters for the indicating figure by using a threshold value with respect to a target attribute class.

5. The information display method according to claim 4, wherein said designation step includes a step of determining the size of the indicating figure according to the scale of the electronic map, and

wherein said placement step includes locating the boundary of the indicating figure on the electronic map and placing a portion of the indicating figure contained in the electronic map on which the display is performed.

6. A program for making a computer execute an information display method for displaying objects including position information on an electronic map, said program making the computer execute:

a step of forming, from a database in which objects including position information and attribute information different from the position information are stared, at least a certain number of sets of objects, wherein the objects contained in each set are positioned in proximity with each other and wherein the object contained in each set are selected according to a certain number of designated classes of attribute information included in the objects within a predetermined distance;

a step of reading our an electronic map which is stored in an electronic map storage section and on which display is performed, selecting the objects contained in each of the sets by locating position coordinates in the electronic map, displaying the selected objects according to the designated attributes of the selected objects while assigning an indicating figure corresponding to a set of objects, and designating position coordinates for the objects and the indicating figure to be displayed; and

a step of placing the objects and the indicating figure on the electronic map by using the designated position coordinates,

wherein said designation step includes a step of determining, by using the predetermined distance, the size of the indicating figure as such a size that the objects to be displayed are contained inside the area defined by the indicating figure.

7. The program according to claim 6, wherein said designation step includes a step of determining the indicating figure according to the scale of the electronic map, and a step of changing display parameters for the indicating figure by using a threshold value with respect to a target attribute class, and wherein said placement step includes locating the boundary of the indicating figure on the electronic map and placing on the electronic map a portion of the indicating figure contained in the electronic map an which the display is performed.

8. A computer-readable storage medium on which is recorded a program for making a computer execute an information display method for displaying objects including position information on an electronic map, said program making the computer execute:

a step of forming, from a database in which objects including position information and attribute information different from the position information are stored, at least a certain number of sets of objects, wherein the objects contained in each set are positioned in proximity with each other and wherein the objects contained in each set are selected according to a certain number of designated classes of attribute information included in the objects within a predetermined distance;

a step of reading out an electronic map which is stored in an electronic map storage section and on which display is performed, selecting the objects contained in each of the sets by locating position coordinates in the electronic map, displaying the selected objects according to the designated attributes of the selected objects while assigning an indicating figure in an indicating form corresponding to a set of objects, and designating position coordinates for the objects and the indicating figure to be displayed; and

a step of placing the objects and the indicating figure on the electronic map by using the designated position coordinates,

wherein said designation step includes a step of determining, by using the predetermined distance, the size of the indicating figure as such a size that the objects to be displayed are contained inside the area defined by the indicating figure, and a step of changing display parameters for the indicating figure by using a threshold value with respect to a target attribute class.

9. A graphical user interface system for making a computer display position information by displaying objects including the position information on an electronic map, said graphical user interface system comprising:

a database in which objects including position information and attribute information different from the position information are stored;

an electronic map storage section in which the electronic map is stored;

a set forming section which forms at least a certain number of sets of objects, wherein the objects contained in each set are positioned in proximity with each other and wherein the objects contained in each set are selected according to a certain number of designated classes of attribute information included in the objects within a predetermined distance;

an arrangement for reading out the electronic map which is stored in said electronic map storage section and on which display is performed, selecting the objects contained in each of the sets by locating position coordinates in the electronic map, displaying the selected objects according to the designated attributes of the selected objects while assigning an indicating figure corresponding to a set of objects using a threshold value for a target attribute class, and designating position coordinates for the objects and the indicating figure to be displayed; and

an arrangement for displaying search results including a plurality of the objects and the indicating figure on the electronic map by using the designated position coordinates.