JP2002108876A - System for retrieving area information - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a retrieving system by which spot specifying information of a specified spot is related to area specifying information and area information released on the Internet is efficiently retrieved. SOLUTION: The system is provided with a database for recording spot specifying information in relation to area specifying information, a database for recording area specifying information in relation to reading information which is released through a network, a means for receiving spot specifying information designated by a user in a terminal which is connected through the network, a means for extracting area specifying information which is related to received spot specifying information by referring to the database, a means for extracting reading information related to area specifying information and a means for transmitting reading information for reading extracted information to the terminal through the network.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a local information search system for providing local information in a network such as the Internet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Many pieces of local information are disclosed on the Internet, and it is desirable to establish an environment for effectively using them. Conventionally, a so-called search engine has been known as a system for searching for target information from information published on the Internet.

A search by a search engine is a search using a keyword. That is, when the user inputs a keyword related to the required information, the search engine accesses the database, extracts a homepage having contents related to the keyword, and provides the user with the list.

[0004] Geographic search methods using maps and the like have also been disclosed, but these methods perform searches by specifying the location of browsing information.

[0005]

However, when a user wants to search for information relating to a specific area, there is a case where sufficient information cannot always be obtained by searching only with a keyword. There are many places where a point cannot be specified or a plurality of places and areas are targeted. When a user wants to search for information on a specific area, sufficient information may not always be obtained.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and relates to associating spot identification information of a specific spot with area identification information to efficiently search for area information published on the Internet. An object of the present invention is to provide a search system that can perform search.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a regional information search system based on a network using a computer, a database for associating and recording point identification information and regional identification information is associated with browsing information published through the network. Means for receiving location identification information specified by a user at a terminal connected through the network, and means for referring to the database to extract area identification information associated with the received location identification information And a means for extracting browsing information associated with the area specifying information; and a means for transmitting browsing information for browsing the extracted information to the terminal through the network. .

[0008] According to the information retrieval system configured as described above, when a user inputs point identification information to be a search base point of interest at a terminal, the information is transmitted via the network to the point identification information and the area identification information. Is associated with the database. Next, the area specifying information associated with the point specifying information is received by the information search system. Next, browsing information associated with the area specifying information is extracted with reference to the database, and information necessary for browsing the information is transmitted to the terminal via the network. Therefore, the user can obtain information for browsing information related to the area of interest by designating the point identification information.

It is convenient to use the latitude / longitude as the point identification information, but it is also possible to convert the telephone number, postal code, address and the like into latitude / longitude data.

[0010] According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the information search system according to the first aspect, the spot specifying information can be easily and visually acquired from the map.

The invention according to claim 3 provides a map display system for separately creating graphic information and character information and displaying them in a superimposed manner, and a database in which the character information of the map and the regional information are associated with each other. A large amount of information can be registered without impairing the function of.

The invention according to claim 4 is provided with means for extracting a plurality of area specifying information based on the distance from the point specifying information, so that not only the specific area including the specific point but also the neighboring area of the specific point can be determined. Can be extracted.

[0013] The invention according to claim 5 is provided with means for extracting a plurality of area specifying information associated with the received point specifying information including the upper area information, thereby extracting a plurality of areas to which the specific point belongs. Yes, Oaza, Municipalities,
Regional information such as prefectures can be browsed efficiently.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, before describing the embodiments of the present invention, the positioning of the present invention will be described. A point can specify latitude and longitude, and a region is information that includes a range that includes multiple points, or information that is wider than a point. Things. Taking a concrete example, a point is information that geographically specifies a shrine, a temple, an accommodation facility, an amusement park, etc. Geographic information such as a set wide range.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an operation environment of a local information search system using local information according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a local information retrieval system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected to the Internet 5. The user terminal 1 is connected to the Internet 5 and a plurality of homepages 21 for transmitting regional information managed by prefectures, municipalities, and the like are disclosed. Furthermore, it is connected to the Internet 5 using the portable information terminal 2 or the like.

The information retrieval system 10 is connected to the Internet 5 for communicating information and executing a retrieval process, a database 12 for recording data used in the retrieval process, and a map image data. And a recorded map database 13.

The database 12 is configured as a set of a plurality of databases. The database 12 includes a database that records the latitude / longitude data and the area specifying information in association with each other, and a database that records the correspondence between the area specifying information and the URL of each home page and other auxiliary information.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a database of browsing information, and FIG. 3 shows an image diagram for creating a database for recording the spot specifying information and the area specifying information in association with each other. The browsing information database contains the home page title area and U
RL is recorded. In this information retrieval system 10,
The information indicating the geographical position obtained from the user terminal 1 or the portable information terminal 2 is converted into latitude / longitude data, and the received point specifying information and a grid pattern are displayed on a map as shown in the image of FIG. The area identification information is extracted from the database that extracts the area to which the point where the line drawn in the intersection belongs, and the database of FIG. 3 that records the correspondence between the area identification information and the URL of each homepage and other auxiliary information is referred to. To get related homepage information.

The search system 10 accesses the various databases described above to obtain necessary information, and executes a search process based on local information.

A plurality of servers 11, databases 12, and map databases 13 can exist, and the database 12, map database 13 may be distributed on a plurality of servers.

The search system 10 includes a searcher,
That is, a means for acquiring the latitude / longitude data of the search center position of the user such as the user terminal 1 and the portable information terminal 2 is provided. In this case, the user may be required to input a specific latitude and longitude on the terminal 1 by numerical values, or to input point specifying information such as a telephone number and a postal code. Further, when the search system 10 provides map information using the map database 13, a point which is a search center position on the map screen 30 displayed on the user terminal 1 as shown in FIG. The user can be prompted to specify and input the specific information 31.

Next, the operation of the search system 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. At the start of the processing shown in FIG. 5, it is assumed that the user has connected to the Internet 5 via the user terminal 1 and the portable information terminal 2 and has accessed the site of the information search system 10.

First, in step S1, the user inputs point identification information related to the area to be searched. This point specifying information is input in various forms such as a telephone number, a postal code, and an address in addition to the latitude / longitude data as described above.

The search system 10 acquires the area specifying information from the database that records the point specifying information and the area specifying information in association with each other using the point specifying information input in step S2.

Next, in step S3, the search system 10 extracts data of the browsing information by using a database that records the area specifying information and the browsing information published through the network in association with each other.

The display data thus created is transmitted to the transmission source device via the Internet 5 in step S4, and the user who has received the search result can browse and use the search result.

As described above, according to the search system of the present invention, the area specifying information associated with the point specifying information is extracted by using the point specifying information which is the information for specifying the geographical position of a certain area. By performing a search, a search of a region of interest can be performed. In addition, a more effective search can be performed by using a combination of the neighborhood search using only the spot identification information and the search using the information category.

When many information registrants register information at the same facility, it is impossible for all persons to specify the same point. This case will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6C, which show various methods for displaying information on a map. In the case where the information is registered as a figure, the information is displayed as a set of figures like 41. Although there are five figures in FIG. 6, as the number increases, the function as a map is greatly impaired. Next, when registering as a character, character overlap occurs as shown at 42, making it difficult to recognize the character.

If a method of providing a database in which text information and local information are associated is adopted, the local information is registered in the text data originally on the map as shown at 43, and each local information is displayed by clicking the text data. Therefore, the function of the map is not impaired.

In order to display information by clicking on character data, a system called a style sheet, which superimposes and displays various data, is used to superimpose and display graphic data and character data as separate data. Achieved.

In the above embodiment, the information search environment using the Internet has been described as an example. However, the present invention can be applied to a satellite communication or a network environment other than the Internet.

In the above description, the search result is mainly provided to the user as display data. However, depending on the system used by the user for connection, audio data or video data may be used instead of or in addition to the display data. The search result can be notified by data.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the spot specifying information can be easily and visually acquired from the map.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, a large amount of area information can be registered without impairing the function of the map at all.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, neighboring area information can be extracted by extracting a plurality of area specifying information associated with the received point specifying information based on the distance from the point specifying information. . FIG. 7 shows a specific example of extracting neighboring area information. When a neighboring area centering on the area A is extracted and the search center point is not specified, B, C, D, E
・ All of F, G, H and I are neighboring areas of A area. When the neighboring area is extracted based on the point identification information, in the case of 33, B ・
In the case of C · D, 33a, E · F · G is extracted as a neighboring area. As a result, the necessary neighboring area information can be browsed in a greatly limited manner.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of area specifying information associated with the received point specifying information is extracted including the upper area information. According to the diagram showing the area in a hierarchical structure using the administrative area in FIG. 8, when the Tenma area is extracted as the area identification information by the point identification information, the upper areas Kita Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, and Kansai are also identified Extracted from information. As a result, information for Kita-ku residents, information for Osaka citizens, and information for Osaka citizens can be simultaneously extracted as browsing information. In subsidy information, financing information, legal information, and the like, it is desired to simultaneously display browsing information of the upper region, but the purpose is achieved by extracting a plurality of region specifying information including the upper region information. Any area can be set as the area division without being limited to the administrative area.

[0038]

According to the present invention, there is little problem in the case where the browsing information is extracted only by using the spot specifying information, and in the case where the browsing information of the tourist facilities and the accommodation facilities is extracted. Even in the case of browsing information of tourist facilities and accommodation facilities, it is difficult to extract the browsing information in the case of a homepage in which information of a plurality of locations is mixed. In addition, if facilities such as Tokyo Disneyland are extracted using the point identification information, they will not be extracted unless they are located near Tokyo Disneyland in Urayasu. In addition, in the information for residents transmitted by local governments and the like, there are many pieces of browsing information such as legal information that cannot identify a point. These will not reach users who need the information as browsing information only with the point identification information.

The browsing information in which a plurality of points coexist is associated with an area including the browsing information as a browsing information area. In addition, facilities such as Tokyo Disneyland are linked to the Chiba or Kanto area, and information for residents transmitted by local governments is linked to the area of the administrative area, so that it can be extracted as browsing information and all these problems can be solved .

Further, it is also possible to extract browsing information having the spot specifying information included in the range of the area specifying information, so that the degree of freedom of the information display method is greatly increased.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an environment using a search system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an image diagram for creating a database in which point identification information and area identification information are recorded in association with each other.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a browsing information database in a table;

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining designation input of point identification information as a search center position on a map screen.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a processing flow.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating various methods for displaying information on a map.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a specific example of extracting neighboring area information.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an area using an administrative area in a hierarchical structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Terminal 2 ... Portable information terminal 5 ... Internet 10 ... Search system 11 ... Server 12 ... Search database 13 ... Map database 21 ... Homepage 30 ... Map screen displayed on user terminal 31 ... Point which is a search center position Specific information 33: Neighboring area specified in a range 41: Example registered and displayed as a graphic 42 ... Example registered and displayed as a character 43 ... Example registered and displayed in character information on a map

Claims (5)

[Claims] In a local information search system using a network using a computer, a database for recording the spot specifying information and the local specifying information in association with each other, and a database for storing the local specifying information in association with the browsing information published through the network. Means for receiving point specifying information specified by a user at a terminal connected through the network; means for referring to the database to extract area specifying information associated with the received point specifying information; A local information search system comprising: means for extracting browsing information associated with information; and means for transmitting browsing information for browsing the extracted information to the terminal through the network. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location identification information is acquired by a map database that records a map image associated with the latitude / longitude data, and the area identification information associated with the received location identification information is extracted. Local information retrieval system. 3. The area according to claim 1, further comprising: a map display system for separately creating graphic information and character information and displaying them in a superimposed manner, and a database in which character information and area information are associated with each other. Information retrieval system. 4. The local information search system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of local specific information associated with the received local specific information is extracted based on a distance from the local specific information. 5. The local information search system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of local specifying information associated with the received point specifying information is extracted including high-level local information.