JP2003241650A - Device, method, and program for generating map information, and server system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a map information generating device for superimposing map information on target object information and displaying them by a layer, and also to provide its method, its program, and a server system. <P>SOLUTION: The map information generating device 51 is arranged in a client 50 and includes: an area obtaining means for obtaining the area of map information received via a network 100; a target object information reception control means for performing control to receive target object information belonging to the area from a prescribed database 61; and a layer display control means for performing control to display received map information as a background layer, and also to display the received target object information by superimposition on the background layer as a target layer. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a map information creating apparatus and method, a map information creating program, and a server system for displaying targets such as buildings and shops on a background map.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, services for distributing map information via networks have become widespread. This service includes map distribution ASP (Application Service Provide
r) is known. FIG. 6 shows the system configuration of a conventional map distribution ASP.

In this figure, a map distribution ASP 200 comprises a Web server 210, a map server 220, and a database server 230, and is connected to a client 50 via a network 100 such as the Internet. The map server 220 manages a map information database 221, and the database server 230 manages a database 231 that stores target object information. This target information is unique data for each user who receives the map distribution service,
For example, in the case where the user is a company, the information on the business office, store, etc. is data associated with coordinates (latitude, longitude). The target object information is registered in advance in the map distribution ASP by each user.

The map information is created as follows.
First, the Web server 210 configures the W of the map information distribution service screen based on the request from the client 50.
The eb page is transmitted to the client 50. The user browses the service screen and requests distribution of map information of a desired area via the client 50. Map server 220
Acquires the map information corresponding to this request from the map information database 221, and at the same time acquires the map information area (latitude,
The target information included in the longitude) is stored in the database server 23.
It is acquired from the database 231 via 0.

Next, the map server 220 uses a predetermined map engine (software) to replace the data at a predetermined position on the map information with the target object information, generate one map image, and send it to the client 50. . Client 50
As shown in FIG. 7, an image in which a part of the map image 300 is replaced with a target object image (in this case, an icon representing the store of the user company) 310 is displayed on the display unit of the browser by the browser.

[0006] The user has a database server 230 and a database 23 in the network managed by the user.
The server 60 and the database 61 similar to those in No. 1 are provided, and when the target object information is updated, the update of the database 231 in the map distribution ASP is requested via the network 100.

[0007]

However, the conventional map distribution system has the following problems. The first is
There is a problem in that even data that is not desired to be known to anyone other than the user for security reasons must be registered in the map distribution ASP. This is because the map information of the map delivery ASP must be managed because the map engine of the map delivery ASP needs to combine the map information and the target information. Then, an illegal person may steal the target object information when accessing the database 231 in the map distribution ASP or when the map information is downloaded from the network 100. Further, since the user needs to register the target object information (often confidential information) in the database 231 via the Internet, there is a risk that the transmission data packet will be tapped. Then, performing encryption, VPN, or the like to prevent eavesdropping poses a problem of increasing the equipment cost of the system.

The second problem is that the work of registering the target information in the map distribution ASP is complicated. In particular, when the amount of data is large or the data is highly confidential, the data registration work becomes difficult. The same work also occurs when updating the data. When the target information in the output server 60 and the database 61 in the network managed by the user is updated, the target information in the database 231 in the map distribution ASP also needs to be updated and managed in synchronization.

The third problem is that part of the map information is replaced by the target object information, so that the map cannot be reused or processed. For example, if the data of the target object is changed and the data is deleted, the background map image will be blank. Furthermore, in order to display different types of targets, such as store data and customer data separately, it is necessary to create two map images.

It should be noted that the above system has been improved to provide map distribution A.
A method of solving security problems by registering ID data and coordinates of target object information in the SP and placing actual target object information under the control of the user is also proposed. However, in the case of this method, it takes time to collate and associate the ID data with the actual target object information, so that there is a problem that it cannot be used in actual use.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and is a map information creating apparatus and method, a map information creating program, and a server capable of superimposing and displaying map information and target object information in layers. The purpose is to provide a system.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above object, a map information creating apparatus of the present invention is provided in a client, and area acquiring means for acquiring an area of map information received via a network, Target information reception control means for controlling the reception of target information belonging to the area from a predetermined database, and control for displaying the received map information as a background layer, and the received target information as a target layer. And a layer display control means for controlling the display on the background layer.

The predetermined database is preferably connected to the same network as the client. It is preferable that the predetermined database is connected to a network different from the database that stores the map information. It is preferable that the predetermined database is distributed in plural.

When a plurality of types of target object information are provided,
It is preferable that the layer display control means performs control to superimpose and display the target object layer for each type on the background layer.

It is preferable that the background layer and the target object layer are displayed by a browser installed in the client.

The map information creating method of the present invention is performed on a client, and a process of acquiring the area of the map information,
The process of controlling the reception of target information belonging to the area from a predetermined database, and the control of displaying the received map information as a background layer, and superimposing the received target information as a target layer on the background layer. And a process of controlling display.

The map information creating program of the present invention includes a process of acquiring a region of the map information, a process of controlling the target object information belonging to the region from a predetermined database, and a background layer of the received map information. And a process of performing control to display the received target object information as a target object layer on the background layer in a superimposed manner.

The server system of the present invention is characterized in that the map information creation program is delivered to the client.

[0019]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an entire system including a map information creation device 51 of the present invention. The map information creation device 51 is configured as a part of a CPU (control device) that controls the client 50, operated by a predetermined computer program (application). The client 50 includes a predetermined display unit, a pointing device described later, and a browser (browsing software) 52.
This browser can overlay multiple images as separate layers. The server 60 and the target object information database 61 are the same as those shown in FIG.
The user manages the target object information in the target object information database 61 and updates it appropriately. In this embodiment, the application is described as a script language in the Web page downloaded when the map distribution site 20 is accessed, and is executed on the client 50 each time the access is made.

The map distribution site 20 is a Web server 2
1, a map server 22, and a map information database 23, and is connected to the network 100 via an input / output unit (not shown). The Web server 21 does not manage the target object information database described above, but appropriately creates a map image from the map information acquired from the map information database 23 and sends it to the client 50. In addition,
The map distribution site 20 is the map distribution AS in FIG.
The database server 230 and the database 231 are excluded from P200. The map information is digital data in a vector format (consisting of coordinate data and line segment data, etc.) according to a standard called SHAPE, for example.

In the present invention, the term "map information" includes not only the original map information data but also a map image created based on the original map information data, and both are not particularly distinguished. The same applies to "target object information", which includes not only the original target object information data but also the image of the target object. In addition, the term "network" refers to the Internet, L
Includes AN, WAN, etc. And "same network"
In that case, it means a closed network that cannot be accessed by a third party, rather than an open network such as the Internet. "Different networks" means that they are closed networks and cannot access the other network.

Next, referring to FIG. 2, the map distribution site 2
0, the client 50 (map information creation device 51) and the database server 60 will be described.
First, the user activates the browser from the client 50, and the address (URL: Uniform
Input (Resource Locator) to access (step S1).

The web server 21 of the map distribution site transmits the main screen (web page) of the map distribution service (step S101). As described above, a predetermined application is written in the web page as a script language, and when the browser of the client 50 reads the web page, the CPU automatically starts the application (program) (step S3). After that, the CPU of the client operates as a map information creation device.

On the main screen, an entire map for designating the position (area) of the map information desired to be created is displayed, and the user can, for example, use the pointing device of the client 50 or the like to create the desired position on the entire map. Is designated (step S5). The map information creation device 51 acquires the designated position (represented as pixel coordinates (screen coordinates) on the display unit) and converts it into latitude and longitude coordinates (step S7). It should be noted that the number of coordinates may be one in step S7. Next, the map information creation device 51 requests the map information site 20 to deliver the map image centered on the converted latitude and longitude (step S9). For example, when a rectangular image having a predetermined vertical and horizontal size centered on the coordinate of one converted point is used as a map image, the distribution request is made by designating the coordinates of the four corners of this rectangle.

The Web server 21 of the map distribution site instructs the map server 22 to create a map image based on the received distribution request. The map server 22 extracts the map data included in the area surrounded by the coordinates of the four corners from the map database 23, and creates a map image based on the map data (step S103). The web server 21 sends the map image acquired via the map server 22 to the client 5
0 (step S105).

The map information creation device 51 performs control to display the received map image as a background layer (step S
11). This control is performed by the map information creation device 51 calling the layer display function of the browser, recording the map image in a predetermined layer, and designating this layer as the background layer. Then, the browser displays the map image (background layer) on the display unit.

Next, the map information creation device 51 acquires the pixel coordinates (screen coordinates) at the four corners of the displayed image, and calculates the latitude / longitude coordinates from each coordinate (step S13).
The calculation is performed as follows. First, the map information creation device 51 acquires pixel coordinates P1 to P4 at the four corners of the map image shown in FIG. In the map image, the latitude / longitude coordinates about the screen reference coordinates (P0 in the figure) that is the reference in advance,
The latitude / longitude value per pixel is included as data, and the map information creation device 51 determines that each coordinate P with respect to P0.
The latitude / longitude coordinates of P1 to P4 are calculated based on the positions of 1 to P4 (the numbers of vertical and horizontal pixels of the screen). In this figure, the displacement in the vertical direction represents latitude and the displacement in the horizontal direction represents longitude. The vertical and horizontal pixels of the map image transmitted from the server are fixed at 450 pixels, respectively, and when this is displayed on the browser of the client, P0 is the coordinate (0,0). Also, P1
Are arranged at positions vertically and horizontally offset by 100 pixels from P0. In this way, the pixel coordinates P1 to P1x (latitude coordinates) and P1y (longitude coordinates) are calculated. The same applies to the other coordinates P2 to P4.

Next, the map information creation device 51 requests the database server 60 to transmit the target object data included in the image display area (area surrounded by P1 to P4) (step S15). This request includes the calculated coordinates, and the database server 60 extracts the necessary target object data from the database 61 based on the calculated coordinates and sends it to the client 50 (step S201).

Data extraction from the database 61 is performed as follows. First, as shown in FIG. 4, target data a1 ... Is stored in the database 61 in association with latitude data a1x ... And longitude data a1y. The database server 60 is
From the received calculated coordinates, P1x ≦ anx ≦ P3x (1) is set as the latitude range corresponding to the display area, and P1y ≦ any ≦ P3y (2) is set as the longitude range corresponding to the display area (where n = 1, 2, 3 ...) And the target object data having the latitude / longitude data satisfying the above expressions (1) and (2) are extracted. In the case of FIG. 4, a2, a indicated by diagonal lines
4 is extracted. By doing so, only the necessary data can be extracted from the database 61, so that waste of data exchange between the client and the database can be prevented. The target object data is, for example, image information indicating a store icon, and may appropriately include character information and the like (store name and the like).

The map information creation device 51 converts the latitude and longitude data of the received target object data into screen coordinates (pixel coordinates) (step S17). This conversion is step S
This is the reverse operation of 13, and in step S13, the pixel value per latitude / longitude is calculated based on the latitude / longitude value per pixel included in the map image, and the pixel coordinate conversion is performed according to the calculated value. Next, the map information creation device 51 performs control to superimpose and display the target object data whose pixel coordinates have been converted as a (target object) layer (step S19). This control is performed by the map information creation device 51 calling the layer display function of the browser, recording (plotting) the target object data in a predetermined layer, and designating this layer as the upper layer of the background layer. Then, the browser displays the target object layer on the display unit.

FIG. 5 shows a mode in which each layer is superimposed on the display unit. In this figure, a target object layer 31 is superimposed on a map image 30 which is a background layer, and a map information image 32 in which the target object is displayed on the map is displayed on the display unit. The vertex at the left corner of each layer is the screen reference coordinate P0.
And each layer is superimposed on the basis of P0. Further, a1x and a1y in the figure indicate distances corresponding to the latitude / longitude data of the target object data a1.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, a plurality of types of target object information may be provided, and the layer display control unit may perform control to display the target object layer of each type on the background layer in a superimposed manner. In this case, a plurality of target layers are superimposed on one background layer.

The map information creation device of the present invention can be realized by a computer, various peripheral devices such as a communication device, and a software program operated by the computer. This software program can be distributed via a computer-readable storage medium or a communication line. Also, map distribution site (server system)
Client program 5 from 20 above
0, and the client may install this program. In this case, the program is W
It is described on the eb page and includes the case where the client reads it by the browser and executes it.

[0034]

As described above, according to the first, the seventh, and the eighth aspects.
According to the present invention described, the target information received from the predetermined database is superimposed on the map information received via the network as a background layer and a target layer, respectively, and is displayed on the client. The map can be reused and processed by removing the layers.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the predetermined database is connected to the same network as the client, when the user registers and updates the target object information in the predetermined database from the client, It prevents the data from being stolen by a third party,
Registration and update management becomes easy.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the predetermined database is connected to a network different from the database for storing the map information, so that the map information database is arranged on an open network such as the Internet. However, if a predetermined database is placed in a closed network, map information can be shared by many users, and each user can manage his / her target object information so that it cannot be stolen by others.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the predetermined database is dispersed in a plurality of pieces, which facilitates the management of the target object information.

According to the present invention of claim 5, since a plurality of target layers are superimposed on one background layer,
Different types of targets can be displayed separately using one map image. In addition, various processes such as simultaneously displaying a plurality of types of target objects on the map image and removing one target layer are facilitated.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the background layer and the target object layer are superposed by the browser installed in the client, the superposing process can be performed by the function of a general-purpose browser and the layer display can be performed. There is an advantage that there is no need to separately prepare an application for.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a map information creation device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a processing flow of a map information creation device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a method of calculating area information (latitude / longitude coordinates) from a display image.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a structure of target object data stored in a database.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an aspect in which each layer is superimposed on the display unit.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a conventional map distribution ASP.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a mode in which map information is displayed on a client by a conventional map distribution ASP.

[Explanation of symbols]

20 map distribution site 23 map information database 50 client 51 map information creation device (area acquisition means, target information reception control means, layer display control means) 60 server 61 target information database 100 network

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An area acquisition unit provided in a client for acquiring an area of map information received via a network, and target object information reception control for controlling reception of target object information belonging to the area from a predetermined database. Means for controlling the display of the received map information as a background layer and a control of displaying the received target object information as a target object layer on the background layer in a superimposed manner. Map information creation device. 2. The map information creation device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined database is connected to the same network as the client. 3. The map information creating device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined database is connected to a network different from the database that stores the map information. 4. The map information creating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined database is distributed in plural. 5. When the target information is provided in plural types, the layer display control means controls to display the target layer for each type on the background layer in a superimposed manner. 4. The map information creation device according to any one of 4. 6. The map information creating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the background layer and the target object layer are displayed by a browser installed in the client. 7. A process performed on a client to obtain a region of map information received via a network, a process of controlling reception of target object information belonging to the region from a predetermined database, and a received map. Controlling the information to be displayed as a background layer, and controlling the received target object information to be superimposed and displayed on the background layer as a target object layer. 8. A process of acquiring a region of map information received via a network, a process of controlling reception of target object information belonging to the region from a predetermined database, and displaying the received map information as a background layer. And a process of controlling the received target object information to be superimposed on the background layer as a target object layer and displaying the target object information on the client. 9. A server system, which distributes the map information creation program according to claim 8 to the client.