JP2002297616A - Method and system for map information provision, and computer-readable program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method which makes it possible to display map information corresponding to position specification text information of a user-side terminal device as the user-side terminal device obtains position correspondence text information such as zip code, telephone number, and location information, etc. SOLUTION: As the user-side terminal device 700 obtains text information (position correspondence text information) consisting principally of characters and/or numbers, such as a telephone number, a location, and a zip code, made to correspond to a position on a map, a converting means converts the obtained position correspondence text information into display position specification information specifying a display position corresponding to the position correspondence text information. Further, map information corresponding to the converted display position specification information is retrieved from a map database, read out, and outputted to the user-side terminal device 703 as the generation source of the position correspondence text information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a map information providing method, a map information providing system, and a computer readable program.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been provided a method of distributing map information using the Internet. In this method, when a user accesses a site that provides map information, for example, the name of a prefecture, a municipal name, etc. Is displayed in a selectable manner, and by designating a desired place name from among these, a method of displaying map information corresponding to the designation on a display screen of an access terminal device is generally known.

[0003]

By the way, in the general method of the map information providing method as described above, a user accesses a site for providing map information using a terminal device, and is prepared in advance at the site. The map display position is specified according to the selected item. In such a method of specifying a position, for example, a place name is often configured in a hierarchical manner, and when specifying a position in a lower hierarchy, selection is performed in multiple stages until the target place name is reached. It often takes time. For example, when selecting a subdivision (a town name such as XX town) in the municipalities, first specify a prefecture name, specify a municipal name from among them, and then select a target subdivision from among them. Such a step is required. In addition, it is difficult to display the map information if the user does not know which prefecture or city belongs to which prefecture.

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is that, based on the fact that a user terminal device obtains location-corresponding text information such as a postal code, a telephone number, and location information, the location specifying information in the user-side terminal device is obtained. It is an object of the present invention to provide a map information providing method, a map information providing system, and a computer readable program which can display map information corresponding to the above.

[0005]

Means for Solving the Problems and Functions / Effects In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a terminal device having a display screen provided on a user side who uses the provision of map information. Hereinafter, a map information providing method for distributing map information to the user side terminal device using a map information providing server connected to the user side terminal device via a communication network such as the Internet, In the user-side terminal device, text information mainly composed of characters and / or numerals associated with a position on a map such as a telephone number, a location, and a postal code (hereinafter, also referred to as “position-related text information”) ) Is obtained, the obtained location-based text information is converted into map display designation information for designating a map display position corresponding to the location-based text information by the conversion unit. In addition, further, the map information corresponding to the converted display position designation information is searched and read out in the map database, and is output to the user terminal device from which the position corresponding text information is generated. And a method for providing map information.

As described above, if the text information is converted into the map display position information based on the acquisition of the text information, the map information can be easily displayed from the text information provided in various places. And the convenience is extremely high. That is, as in the case of general map information acquisition, it is necessary for the user to temporarily access a site that provides map information and to select the desired place name from the selectable place names displayed on the site. Thus, the operation on the user side can be reduced and simplified.

In the user terminal device, at least one of a location, a postal code, and a telephone number in text information such as a web page displayed on a display screen of the user terminal device corresponds to a position. Based on the selection as the text information, the selected position-corresponding text information may be converted into display position designation information by a conversion unit provided in the user-side terminal device or the map information providing server. .

As described above, by selecting a telephone number, a postal code, and a location (address) in text information such as a web page displayed on a display screen,
If the configuration is such that the position-corresponding text information is acquired, for example, the position-corresponding text information can be acquired on widely used homepages such as companies, stores, and individuals. For example, if a user is browsing a home page and wants to know a map around the company, store, etc. associated with the home page, even if the map is not provided on the home page, the user generally prepares it. It is easy to get a map of the neighborhood by using the text information corresponding to the location, such as the telephone number, postal code, and location, which is very useful for location grasping, visiting, etc.

Further, in addition to the above method, the advertisement information previously associated with the display area of the map information displayed corresponding to the display position designation information is the same as the display area of the map information on the display screen. The map information and the advertisement information are output by the output unit toward the user terminal device of the origin so that the map information and the advertisement information are displayed in another area on the screen, and further, by the user terminal device of the origin. When the position change information for changing the display position of the map is transmitted to the map information providing server, map information corresponding to the position change information is displayed on the display screen, and the display area after the change is displayed. The output unit may output map information and advertisement information corresponding to the position change information so that the advertisement information associated with the position change information is displayed in advance.

[0010] In this case, the advertisement information corresponding to the display area of the map information displayed by the above method is displayed in another area of the map information, and the user can display the advertisement information related to the map information. Can be viewed in a display mode that is extremely easy to recognize. Further, based on the input of the position change information, the map information and the advertisement information reflecting the position change information are displayed on the display screen of the request source terminal device such that the map information and the advertisement information are respectively different areas. . Note that the position change information can use various change methods such as a form in which characters are input, a region name is displayed in a selectable manner, or a form in which a screen is scrolled.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram conceptually showing a map information providing method of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of an electrical configuration of a map information providing system 1 (hereinafter, also simply referred to as a system 1) realizing the method. It is. As shown in FIG. 2, the system 1 includes a communication network 702 such as the Internet and a relay device 7 serving as a transmitting / receiving means.
01 (router or the like) connected to the map information providing server 700, and a relay device 752 also serving as a transmitting / receiving means.
It is configured to include a plurality of user-side terminal devices 703 (hereinafter, also simply referred to as terminals 703) connected via a (router or the like (FIG. 3)).

The map information providing server 700 (hereinafter simply referred to as the server 700) is configured as a computer,
An I / O port 711 is provided, and a CPU 712 and an RO
M713, a RAM 714, a fixed storage device 722 composed of a hard disk drive and the like, a CD-ROM,
Peripheral devices 73 such as VD, MO drive, and DAT drive
4 (output devices such as a monitor and a printer, input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, a calendar clock, etc. may be connected). The fixed storage device 722 includes an application program (hereinafter, referred to as an application program) for realizing the functions of the map information providing system 1 on a computer.
A database 725 includes an operating system program (OS) 723 that forms an operating environment on a computer, and a map database used for various processes for providing map information. . Further, the RAM 714
, A work area for each program stored in the fixed storage device 722 and the ROM 713 is formed.

As shown in FIG. 3, each terminal 703 has an I / O port 751 and a C / C connected thereto.
A printer 736 and a monitor control unit 720 which are configured as a computer including a PU 754, a ROM 755, and a RAM 756, and include a keyboard 732 and a mouse 733 (may be another pointing device) as input means, and a printer control unit (not shown) as output means. Is I /
It is connected to the O port 751. The monitor control unit 720 includes a monitor 7 as a display unit having a display screen.
21 are connected. The terminal 703 may be configured as, for example, a desktop computer, but may be a notebook computer, a laptop computer, a palmtop computer (PDA) using a battery or the like as a power supply unit, a mobile phone, or the like.

Then, the information necessary for each process is generated from the terminal 703 connected via the communication network 702. The communication process on the terminal 703 side is performed by the RA shown in FIG.
It is executed by a predetermined communication program using the communication program work area 756a of M756. Then, information input by the keyboard 732 or the mouse 733 on the terminal 703 side is sent to the map information providing server 700 via the communication network 702, where various processes by the application program 724 (see FIG. 2) are executed. . The result of the processing and the like can be transmitted to the accessed terminal 703 via the communication network 702, and this is transmitted to the printer 736 or the monitor 72 of the terminal 703.
1 can be output. Note that audio may be output from a speaker 758 connected to the I / O port 751 via an amplifier 757 together with visual information from a monitor or the like.

Specifically, the monitor 721 of the terminal 703
In addition, a terminal-side operation / display program for forming an operation / display screen using a graphic user interface (GUI) (for example, a program enabling various operations via a browser) is transmitted from the map information providing server 700 to the terminal device. 703 and the work areas 756a, 756a
The program is executed on 56b. The terminal device 703 further includes an operating system 753a for managing the terminal device 703, and a browser 7 for accessing the map information providing server 700 from the terminal side.
A hard disk drive (hereinafter, also referred to as “HDD”) 753 as a fixed storage device including the storage device 53c and the like is provided.

Further, the HDD 753 can be provided with a database 753d for storing various data downloaded from the map information providing server 700, and an application 753b for performing various processes in the terminal device (the application 753b is a work area 756).
b). Further, information of various processes from the map information providing server 700 may be stored in the data memory 756 and used.

In FIG. 2, an application 724 of the server 700 plays a role on the OS 723 to realize each part of the system as the following means described in claims. CPU 712: conversion means, search / readout means, output means Fixed storage device 722: storage means

Further, the conversion means is connected to the user terminal 703.
If the application 753d is installed on the OS
It plays a role of realizing the CPU 754 as a conversion unit on the 753a.

Hereinafter, a specific example of the map information providing method of the present invention will be described. The map information providing method according to the present invention comprises:
As shown in FIG. 1, a communication network 702 such as the Internet is provided for a terminal device 703 (user-side terminal device 703) provided with a display screen and provided on a user using the provision of map information. This is performed by using a map information providing server 700 (hereinafter, also referred to as a map server) connected via the Internet.

Then, in the user side terminal device 700, text information mainly composed of characters and / or numerals associated with the position on the map such as telephone number, location, postal code, etc. ) Is converted by the conversion means into display position specification information for specifying a display position corresponding to the position corresponding text information based on the obtained position corresponding text information. Further, the map information corresponding to the converted display position designation information is retrieved and read from the map database, and is output to the user terminal device 703 from which the position corresponding text information is generated. .

FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of the map information display process. In this flowchart, the processing on the terminal side and the processing on the server side are shown in an integrated state. First, in the user-side terminal device 703, position-related text information is acquired in a state where an application for displaying map information is activated (S110). Regarding the acquisition of the position corresponding text information, the user terminal device 703 selects predetermined position corresponding text information on a homepage (web page) as shown in FIG. 5 and performs a predetermined operation. You may do so. Specifically, for example, by dragging a portion serving as position-corresponding text information in the displayed text information, the text information is inverted, and a predetermined action (for example, mouse button operation,
Keyboard operation, etc.), the dragged position corresponding text information may be obtained.

FIG. 5 shows a state in which text information on a location is selected on a web page displayed via a browser. In such a state, a specific operation is performed by the input means. Obtains this text information. The information may be stored in a storage unit such as a RAM and an HDD. Note that the term “acquisition” here means that the position-corresponding text information displayed as shown in FIG. 5 is made available in the user-side terminal device as electronic data. Then, the acquired position-corresponding text information is converted by the conversion means into display position designation information for designating a display position corresponding to the position-corresponding text information (S120).

Various methods are conceivable for converting the position-corresponding text information. For example, the map information is divided into a plurality of regions, a representative place is determined for each region, and a map is created for each region. If the name is obtained,
Map information related to the representative place may be displayed. For example, a display position including the prefectural office (for example, a display range in which the prefectural office is located at the center) can be set in association with the prefecture.
FIG. 7C shows an example of the data structure. When text information of a prefecture name is input, the prefectural office (or a predetermined area including the prefectural office) is designated as a display position. This is shown conceptually. Similarly, the names of municipalities may be associated with the positions of government offices and government offices in the municipalities.

That is, based on the input of the name of the city, the predetermined area near the government office of the input municipalities (for example, the predetermined area around the government office) may be set as the display position. Further, text information of a subsection (for example, a town name or a district name) smaller than the municipal section may be associated with a display position of the subsection. That is, when the name of the subsection is input, the center of the subsection may be designated as the display position, and the area including the subsection (for example, centering on the center of the subsection) (A certain area) may be set as the display position.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the postal code is associated with the center of the area related to the postal code, and if any postal code is obtained, the associated central location is obtained. May be converted to position data. In this case, map information including the center (for example, map information centered on the center) is displayed. Similarly, a telephone number and an area where the telephone number is used may be associated in advance. For example, FIG.
As shown in (b), the upper six digits of the telephone number are associated with the position data of the representative place (for example, the center) of the area where the upper six digits are used as the telephone number, and When the number is obtained, the representative location corresponding to the upper six digits of the obtained telephone number may be set as the display position.

Returning to FIG. 4, when the conversion process is completed, the converted display position designation information is stored in the map information providing server 70.
0 (S130), and the map information providing server 700 searches the map database for map information corresponding to the display position designation information and reads out the map information (S140). Then, the read map information is output again to the user terminal device of the generation source (S1).
50). As a result, the map information corresponding to the position corresponding text information is displayed on the display screen of the terminal as shown in FIG.

In the above description, the conversion means mainly composed of the CPU 754 is configured based on the application program 753d provided on the side of the user terminal device 703. Note that the application program 753d can be configured as an aggregate of a plurality of program modules, and the conversion processing program used for the conversion processing is provided as a plug-in in the user terminal device 703. This conversion means may be provided on the map information providing server 700 side. That is, the conversion unit may be configured mainly by the CPU 712 based on the application program 724 provided on the map information providing server 700 side. As described above, when the conversion means is provided on the map information providing server 700 side,
After the location-based text information acquired by the user-side terminal device 703 is transmitted to the map information providing server 700, the transmitted location-based text information is converted into display location designation information by the map information providing server 700. Will be done.

If conversion means is provided in the user terminal device 703 as in this embodiment, the acquisition of the position-corresponding text information and the conversion of the position-corresponding text information to the display position designation information can be performed. This can be performed by a single application in a series of flows. For example, a module for acquiring position-corresponding text information, a module for converting the position-corresponding text information to display position designation information, and a module for transmitting the converted display position designation information to a map information providing server are provided. With each application configuration, these processes can be performed in a series of flows, and data management and the like can be easily performed.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the configuration of a map database, and shows an example of the correspondence of data used in the conversion processing. As shown in FIG. 6, the map information is configured to be divided into a plurality of segment data, and display content data relating to map display content such as a vector image and a raster image is provided for each segment data. Further, a zip code, a telephone number (for example, the upper six digits, etc.) and a place name of a region relating to the segment data are provided as data for each segment data, and when the position correspondence text information is acquired, the corresponding data is provided. 1 to do
Alternatively, a plurality of segments can be searched. In this way, for example, when the location-related text information of XX city XX town is obtained, the segment data corresponding to the XX town can be read. Similarly, when the six digits on the telephone number are obtained, the segment data associated with the telephone number can be read. The same applies to postal codes.

Further, in addition to the above method, the advertisement information previously associated with the display area of the map information displayed in correspondence with the display position designation information is displayed on the display screen of the map information (the display screen displayed on the monitor 721). The map information and the advertisement information can be output by the output unit to the user-side terminal device 703 as the generation source so that the display information is displayed in a different area on the same screen as the display area on the same screen.
Here, the generation source means that the position-corresponding text information has been acquired and the position-corresponding text information has been generated as electronic data. Further, when position change information for changing the display position of the map is transmitted to the map information providing server 700 by the user terminal device 703 of the generation source, the display screen (the user terminal device 70
3 (for example, a monitor display screen), the map information corresponding to the position change information is displayed such that the map information corresponding to the position change information is displayed and the advertisement information associated with the display area after the change is displayed in advance. The information and the advertisement information may be output by the output unit.

With this configuration, the advertisement information corresponding to the display area of the map information displayed by the above method is displayed in another area of the map information, and the user can display the advertisement information related to the map information. Can be viewed in a display mode that is extremely easy to recognize. Further, based on the input of the position change information, the map information and the advertisement information reflecting the position change information are displayed on the display screen of the request source terminal device such that the map information and the advertisement information are respectively different areas. . Note that the position change information can use various change methods such as, for example, a form in which a character input or a region name is displayed so as to be selectable, or a form in which a screen is scrolled.

In order to realize such a method,
For example, in each piece of advertisement information, at least the advertisement content information such as a still image, a moving image, a hyperlink, and a sound related to the display content of the advertisement information and the position data of the advertisement target in the advertisement information may be associated with each other. . Here, the position data of the advertising target can be coordinate data on a map. For example, when the map plane is an XY coordinate system, the coordinates on the map of the advertisement target (store, business location, etc.) can be used as the position data. As described above, a plurality of pieces of advertisement information including the advertisement content information and the position data are prepared to constitute an advertisement database, and when a display position (or a display range) of a map is designated, the display position is determined. The advertisement information having a location in the displayed map is read out, and the advertisement content of the read out advertisement information is displayed in an area different from the map information (for example, displayed in the form of a banner advertisement). You can do that).

For example, if the display position of the map is a coordinate range (for example, if the map plane is an XY plane, the X coordinate range, Y
When it is determined as the (coordinate range), the advertisement information having the position data (for example, X, Y coordinate values) in the coordinate range may be extracted. It should be noted that, for example, the advertisement target of the banner advertisement here always has a location on the map, and if the map is changed, the banner advertisement corresponding to the changed position is displayed. As a result, the position of the advertisement target related to the banner advertisement has a location, which can be instantly determined from the map information.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above.
The present invention is not limited to this, is merely an example, and unless departing from the scope described in each claim,
The present invention is not limited to the language described in each claim, and extends to a range that can be easily replaced by those skilled in the art, and can appropriately add an improvement based on the knowledge usually possessed by those skilled in the art.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view conceptually illustrating a map information providing method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of an electrical configuration of a map information providing method according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an electrical configuration of a user-side terminal device.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of map information display processing.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a web page from which position corresponding text information is acquired.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence between map data and position data.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence between position-associated text information and position data.

[Description of Signs] 1 Map Information Providing System 700 Map Information Providing Server 702 Communication Network 703 User Terminal 712 CPU (Conversion Unit, Searching / Reading Unit, Output Unit) 722 Fixed Storage Unit (Storage Unit)

Continued on front page F term (reference) 2C032 HB08 HB31 HC24 HC27 5B050 BA17 CA07 CA08 FA02 FA19 GA08 5B075 KK02 KK07 ND08 NK10 NK13 NR03 NR06 PP03 PP13 PQ02 UU13

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A map connected via a communication network such as the Internet to a terminal device provided with a display screen (hereinafter referred to as a user terminal device) provided on a user side for providing map information. A map information providing method for providing map information to the user terminal device using an information providing server, wherein the map information providing server includes a map database in which the map information is stored. Text information mainly composed of characters and / or numbers associated with a position on a map such as a telephone number, a location, a postal code, etc. (hereinafter, also referred to as "position-related text information") Converting the acquired position-corresponding text information into display position designation information for designating a display position corresponding to the position-corresponding text information based on the acquisition of The map information corresponding to the converted display position designation information is searched and read out in the map database, and is output to the user terminal device that generates the position corresponding text information. And a map information providing method. 2. In the user-side terminal device, at least one of a location, a postal code, and a telephone number in text information such as a web page displayed on a display screen of the user-side terminal device is the same. Based on the selection as the position-corresponding text information, the selected position-corresponding text information is converted into the display position designation information by the conversion means provided in the user-side terminal device or the map information providing server. 2. The map information providing method according to claim 1, wherein: 3. An advertisement information, which is preliminarily associated with a display area of map information displayed corresponding to the display position designation information, has a different area on the same screen as a display area of the map information on the display screen. The map information and the advertisement information are output by the output means to the user terminal device of the origin so that the display position of the map is displayed by the user terminal device of the origin. When the position change information for changing is transmitted to the map information providing server, on the display screen,
The output means outputs the map information and the advertisement information corresponding to the position change information so that the map information corresponding to the position change information is displayed and the advertisement information previously associated with the display area after the change is displayed. The map information providing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the map information is output. 4. A computer-readable program stored on a recording medium or made available for performing the steps of a method for performing a method according to claim 1. Possible computer programs. 5. A map connected to a terminal device provided with a display screen (hereinafter referred to as a user terminal device) provided on a user side for providing map information via a communication network such as the Internet. A map information providing system that distributes map information to the user side terminal device using an information providing server, wherein the user side terminal device has a telephone number, a location, a position on a map such as a postal code, and the like. Based on the acquisition of the associated text information mainly composed of characters and / or numbers (hereinafter, also referred to as “position correspondence text information”), the acquired position correspondence text information is Converting means for converting the display position corresponding to the corresponding text information into display position specifying information for specifying the display position; and further converting the map information corresponding to the converted display position specifying information, Search / read means for searching and reading in the figure database; and output means for outputting the read map information to the user-side terminal device that generates the position-corresponding text information. Map information providing system.