JP2008046681A - Map display system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To retrieve a Web page based on geographical positional relations by making the display of the Web page and the display of a map cooperate with each other. <P>SOLUTION: The creator of a Web page stores a Web page and meta data in a Web server by associating them with each other. The meta data are XML data including the geographical information of a registering spot relating with the Web page. A map display system displays the Web page as shown by display V04, and analyzes meta data, and displays a map including the registering spot in a map view. A marker ICN with a link to another Web page is also displayed on the map. When a user clicks a marker, a new Web page and map are displayed with transition as shown by arrows A04 and A03. Thus, it is possible to achieve Web page retrieval using the geographical position relations. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for displaying a Web page and a map in association with each other.

  In an environment where Web pages are provided by various servers connected via a network such as the Internet (hereinafter, such an environment is referred to as a “Web space”), a wide variety of information can be relatively transferred by accessing the Web pages. It can be easily obtained. Some web pages provide information about specific points. For example, a web page that provides tourist information. In such a Web page, it is convenient if the corresponding point is automatically presented on a map. From this point of view, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that displays corresponding points on a map in conjunction with the display of a Web page. This system analyzes a keyword representing geographic information, such as a city name, every time a user accesses a Web page, and displays the result on a map.

JP 2000-194715 A

  Today, the amount of information provided in a web space is very large, and it is becoming difficult to efficiently search for information desired by a user. Under such circumstances, various search engines have been proposed and put into practical use in order to enable efficient information search and to effectively use the Web space.

  However, information retrieval utilizing geographic information has not been sufficiently put into practical use. For example, when searching for tourist guide information, after searching a Web page of a certain sightseeing spot, it is usual to want guide information in the vicinity. Conventionally, even in such a case, there is no choice but to obtain information by browsing several Web pages and confirming the location while using the place name of the sightseeing spot as a keyword. Such a search method is inefficient and there is no guarantee that optimal information close to the geographical area can be obtained without omission.

  This is not a problem specific to tourist information, but a common problem when searching for information with an emphasis on geographical location. This is because the Web space stores information regardless of the geographical positional relationship. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of these problems, the present invention has an object of associating a Web space with a geographical positional relationship and realizing a practical information search using the geographical positional relationship.

  The map display system of the present invention displays a web page scattered in the web space and a map including registered points related to the web page. This map display system can be configured as a stand-alone device, or can be configured as a system in which a plurality of computers and servers are connected via a network. The Web page used in the present invention is prepared with metadata including geographic information indicating the position of a registered point. As geographic information, coordinate values such as latitude and longitude, addresses, and the like can be used. The metadata may be prepared as a file independent of the web page, or may be incorporated in the web page. In the case of an independent file, the Web page and the metadata may be used in a one-to-one correspondence relationship, or one metadata may be used for a plurality of Web pages. The metadata may be created by the creator of the web page, or a delegate who is requested to create by the creator of the web page may create the metadata in accordance with an instruction from the creator of the web page. The latter mode includes a mode in which the administrator of the map display system creates metadata according to an instruction from the Web page creator.

  The map display system of the present invention includes a metadata management unit for managing metadata, a Web display unit, a map database for displaying a map, and a map display unit. The web display unit displays a web page in accordance with a designation from the user. The map display unit displays a map around the registered point with reference to the map database. The registration point can be specified based on geographic information included in the metadata corresponding to the designated Web page. The map display unit displays the map in a state where a marker with a link to one of the Web pages is installed at a point different from the registered point. The marker can be a character string or a figure with a link. Since the map display system manages metadata corresponding to a plurality of Web pages, the position of a link or marker to be displayed can be specified by referring to the metadata.

  According to the present invention, since the map is displayed in conjunction with the display of the Web page designated by the user, the position of the registered spot can be confirmed immediately. Since the position information included in the metadata is used, there is an advantage that the registration point can be specified accurately and easily. In addition, since a marker with a link other than the registered location is displayed on the map, the user can browse other Web pages by clicking the marker. As a result, it is possible to search for a Web page according to a geographical positional relationship, such as searching for information in the vicinity of a registered point.

  The metadata management unit may manage metadata registered in the map display system by the creator of the web page. Further, the metadata management unit may search the Web space and collect metadata corresponding to a plurality of Web pages. According to this aspect, as long as the creator of the web page prepares the metadata, the web page can be searched for by the map display system without performing complicated processing such as registration in the map display system. There are advantages that can be made. Conversely, if the metadata is deleted, the Web page can be easily removed from the search target by the map display system.

  The metadata may include display control information for controlling the display mode of the map in addition to the geographic information. The display control information can include, for example, the position of the representative point of the map display, the display range of the map, that is, the size and scale of the map. It is not necessary to include all of these, and only a part may be included. The map display unit displays a map corresponding to the display control information by analyzing the metadata.

  By doing so, it becomes possible to display a map in accordance with the intention of the creator of the Web page, and the convenience of the system can be improved. For example, if the location of the registration point is shifted from the center of the map and the representative point and scale are set so that the registration point and the station are within the map, a guide map from the nearest station to the registration point can be provided. . As another example, when a store guide map including a main store and a branch is displayed, a wide-scale scale may be designated according to the location of these stores.

  All the links included in the display range may be displayed on the map, or the link range may be controlled so that a part of the link is displayed. As a first aspect, the metadata management unit associates and manages metadata corresponding to a plurality of Web pages, and the map display unit controls a range of links to be displayed on the map in accordance with the association. Can be taken. For the association of metadata, for example, a method of classifying and storing in a directory provided in a hierarchy or in parallel can be adopted. In this case, the creator of the Web page or the like may be able to specify a directory where the metadata is to be stored, or the metadata management unit may make a determination based on metadata or a keyword in the Web page. When the association is performed in this way, the range of the link to be displayed by using the metadata in the same directory as the metadata corresponding to a certain Web page or the metadata in the directory having a predetermined hierarchical relationship. Can be controlled.

  As another aspect, for example, when registering metadata, a creator of a Web page or the like may select metadata to be associated with the metadata from a list provided by the map display system. The map display system may manage the selection result separately using a table or the like.

  As a second mode for controlling the link range, the metadata may include related information for controlling the link range to be displayed on the map. A map display part displays a marker according to this related information. By doing this, it is possible to avoid a state in which a large number of markers appear cluttered on the map, and display by focusing on markers according to the intention of the Web page creator, for example, markers indicating links to information deeply related to the Web page. Can be made.

  For example, the related information may be specified individually as links to be displayed, or may be specified by category or area information. A category refers to an attribute representing the contents of a Web page, such as “education institution” or “shop”. Categories can be set hierarchically such as “education / university”. The regional information refers to information for specifying a geographical range represented by the administrative boundaries (hereinafter, regional information may be referred to as “region”). Regional information can also be set hierarchically, such as “Fukuoka / Kitakyushu City”. When categories and regions are set hierarchically, it is preferable that the related information can specify a link range at an arbitrary hierarchy. This makes it possible to flexibly specify the link range.

  At least a part of the metadata used in the present invention may be hierarchically scattered in the Web space. Hierarchical in this case means, for example, a case where metadata exists in only one or both of the upper directory and the lower directory in a state where the lower directory is created in the upper directory. In this case, the metadata management unit also manages the hierarchy of each metadata so that the map display unit also uses metadata other than the metadata corresponding to the specified Web page based on this hierarchy. Map display. For example, when there is no metadata corresponding to the designated Web page, a map can be displayed using metadata of another layer. Even when metadata corresponding to the designated Web page exists, it is possible to set a wide range of links to be displayed on the map by using metadata of other layers.

  The hierarchy to be used can be set by various rules. For example, a method of using metadata from a specified Web page hierarchy to a hierarchy higher by a predetermined level can be employed. In other words, this means that the upper layer metadata affects the lower layer map display. In this case, the upper hierarchy may be searched until the metadata is found, or the number of stages may be fixed in advance, such as viewing the upper hierarchy only by one stage. Alternatively, the search may be performed retroactively to the top domain. As another aspect, a method of using metadata from a specified Web page hierarchy to a lower hierarchy by a predetermined level may be adopted. In this way, when using multi-level metadata, if the display control information of the metadata conflicts, use one of the preferential rules such as higher layer priority or lower layer priority. You can do it.

  There may also be web pages that are not associated with metadata (hereinafter referred to as “non-compliant web pages”) in the web space. As a map display when there is no metadata corresponding to the Web page specified in this way, nothing is displayed, information unrelated to the map is displayed, and a default map around a point registered in advance as a home is displayed. It is conceivable that the conventional map display is maintained. In the present invention, any of these aspects can be applied, but it is particularly preferable to maintain the conventional map display. By doing so, even when a non-compliant Web page is designated, it is possible to easily return to the search for the Web page using the previous map.

  The map display system may accept an instruction regarding the display mode of the map from the user, and the map display unit may update the display mode of the map including the range of the link to be displayed according to the instruction. Examples of the instruction relating to the display mode include movement and enlargement / reduction of the display range of the map, instructions on the type and number of links to be displayed, and the like. For example, when a map reduction is instructed, a wide area map in a wider range than before is displayed, and a new marker is additionally displayed in the expanded portion. By enabling the user to specify the display mode in this way, a user-friendly map can be obtained, and the user can arbitrarily adjust the search range of the web page based on the geographical relationship. Convenience is further improved.

  In the present invention, the map display unit may set the display range of the map according to the position of the marker to be displayed on the map. The display range may be set by the distance between the vertical and horizontal directions of the map, or may be set at a reduced scale. The display range may be specified to include all markers to be displayed, or may be specified to include a predetermined number of markers close to the registration point. According to these aspects, it is possible to provide an easy-to-read map even when the Web page creator does not specify the display range of the map. In addition, if only the range of the link to be displayed is specified by the related information, a map including the marker intended by the creator of the Web page is automatically displayed, so that there is an advantage that the burden of metadata setting is reduced. .

  In the map display system, markers with links to Web pages corresponding to managed metadata may be displayed in a tree structure that is hierarchized according to a predetermined rule. For example, a hierarchy such as a directory or a hierarchy such as a category or a region can be used as the predetermined rule. This tree display is preferably performed separately from the Web page display and the map display. By using this tree display, it is possible to flexibly use a search for a Web page that uses a geographical relationship and a search that uses a relationship based on the above-described rules, thereby improving the convenience of the system. it can.

  In this aspect, it is preferable that the metadata management unit updates the tree display to reflect the metadata management status. When new metadata is found or registered, information is additionally displayed in the tree display. When previous metadata is deleted, the corresponding display is also deleted from the tree display. In this way, the latest information can be used effectively. Similarly, it is preferable to reflect the collection result of the metadata on the marker on the map display.

  In the present invention, as described above, various displays are realized using metadata. For this purpose, it is preferable to identify and manage appropriate metadata corresponding to the system of the present invention from the Web space. From this point of view, identification data may be attached to the metadata that is the target of the map display system. By managing only the metadata to which the identification data is attached, the metadata management unit makes it easy to manage appropriate metadata. In this aspect, when the map display system receives a metadata issuance request from the creator of the Web page, it is preferable that identification data different from the already-issued metadata can be issued. This makes it easy to maintain the authenticity and uniqueness of the identification data. The identification data may be an ID uniquely set in the metadata by a combination of numbers or the like, or may include information on the applicant such as an electronic signature.

  The map display system of the present invention can be further provided with various additional functions. For example, the user may be able to instruct switching between map display and Web page display. When the switching instruction is issued, the map display unit displays a map in the Web display area where the Web page was displayed. The Web display unit displays a Web page in the map display area where the map was displayed. That is, the display position of the map display and the Web page is switched. When the display area of the Web page is set larger than the display area of the map, the map is enlarged and displayed according to the switching instruction in accordance with the large display area. In this way, the user can easily select a marker on the map, and the convenience of searching a Web page using the geographical positional relationship can be improved. When the user designates a marker and displays a new web page, the above switching is restored, the web page is displayed in the web display area as usual, and the map is displayed in the map display area. It is preferable. In this way, the user can browse the contents of the Web page in the original display state without further instructing display switching.

  The various features described above are not necessarily all provided, and some of them may be omitted or appropriately combined. In addition to the mode as a map display system, the present invention includes a mode of a map display server that mainly stores, manages, and provides the above-described metadata, and a map display method that realizes the above-described Web page and map display by a computer. Or a computer program for realizing the map display can be adopted. Aspects as a computer program include aspects such as a program for realizing the functions of the entire map display system by a computer and a map browser for realizing display of a Web page and a map. Moreover, you may take the aspect of a computer-readable recording medium which recorded this computer program. Recording media in this case include flexible disks, CD-ROMs, magneto-optical disks, IC cards, ROM cartridges, punch cards, printed matter printed with codes such as barcodes, computer internal storage devices (such as RAM and ROM) Various types of computer-readable media such as a memory) and an external storage device can be used.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order.
A. System configuration:
B. Metadata management:
C. Display screen overview:
D. Control processing:
D1. Metadata issue processing:
D2. Metadata management process:
D3. Display control processing:
E. Variation:

A. System configuration:
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a map display system as an embodiment. The map display system is a display system in which a Web browser and an electronic map are linked. The main functions include a web page browsing function, a function for displaying points corresponding to the web page on a map, and a link attached to the marker by clicking on the marker displayed on the map with a pointer such as a mouse. For example, a function for displaying the previous Web page may be used.

  The map display system of the embodiment is configured by connecting the server 200 and the terminal 100 via the Internet INT. In the example in the figure, the terminal 100 is a personal computer. In addition, various devices such as a mobile phone and a PDA can be used for the terminal 100. In the present embodiment, an example in which a map display system is configured by the server 200 and the terminal 100 is shown, but the map display system can also be configured as a stand-alone device. In the example of the figure, an example in which the Internet INT is applied is shown, but a limited network such as an intranet can be used instead of the Internet INT.

  Web servers 300 [1] and 300 [2] (hereinafter, both may be collectively referred to as Web server 300) provide Web pages on the Internet. Some Web pages provide information on a specific point or region, such as tourist information and information on companies and universities. In this embodiment, the Web page that provides information on specific points or regions (hereinafter, representative points of these points or regions are referred to as “registered points”) is registered on the Web server 300 as described above. Metadata including geographic information representing a position or the like is stored. The metadata is data prepared by the creator of the Web page. The content and structure of the metadata will be described later. The map display system displays a web page and refers to metadata to provide a map corresponding to the web page. In this specification, an environment in which various web pages provided by a web server can be accessed may be referred to as “web space” in the sense of an information space in which a large number of web pages exist.

  Not all web pages provide information about any point or area, and there are some web pages that do not have a “registration point”. Some Web pages with registration points do not provide metadata. When the map display system according to the present embodiment browses a Web page for which metadata is not prepared as described above, the content of the Web page is not reflected on the map display, and functions as a normal Web browser. In this sense, a web page for which no metadata is prepared is referred to as a “non-compliant web page” in this specification. Hereinafter, in the present specification, for convenience of explanation, “Web page” is used as a term that means that metadata corresponding to the Web page is prepared.

  In the figure, functional blocks of the server 200 for providing functions as a map display system are also shown. In this embodiment, these functional blocks are realized by software by installing a computer program for realizing each function in the server 200. This computer program can be created in a language such as JAVA (registered trademark). At least a part of the functional blocks in the figure can also be configured in hardware by a circuit such as an ASIC.

  The communication unit 202 has a function of communicating with the terminal 100 or the like via the Internet INT. The map DB is a database used for map display, and stores polygon data representing terrain, features, etc., and their attributes. In the present embodiment, the map data is provided from the server 200 to the terminal 100. However, the map DB may be provided from another Web server 300, or may be prepared on the terminal 100 side, DVD, or the like. It is good also as a structure provided with the medium of.

  The service provider module 210 provides various services common to the plurality of terminals 100 in the map display system. The main services are the issuance of metadata to web page creators, and the collection and management of metadata provided by various web servers 300.

  These functions are provided by the region manager 212, the metadata manager 214, and the category manager 216 provided in the service provider module 210. The metadata manager 214 searches the web space, collects metadata, and stores it in the metadata storage 218. In addition, when the metadata that has existed before is deleted from the Web server 300, the corresponding metadata is deleted from the metadata storage 218. As described above, the metadata manager 214 has a function of synchronizing metadata between the Web space and the metadata storage 218. The metadata manager 214 also has a function of issuing new metadata. The region manager 212 manages metadata in a hierarchical structure according to administrative boundaries such as municipalities based on the geographic information of metadata collected and stored in the metadata storage 218. The category manager 216 divides into categories set in advance in accordance with the content of information provided on the Web page, and manages the metadata in the metadata storage 218 according to this division. In this embodiment, the metadata collected from the Web space is stored in the metadata storage 218. However, the metadata manager 214 may hold the metadata.

  In the figure, functional blocks of the terminal 100 are also shown. These functional blocks can also be configured by either software or hardware. The communication unit 102 realizes communication via the Internet. The command input unit 104 inputs a command designated by the user through device operations such as a keyboard and a mouse of the terminal 100. The display control unit 106 controls display contents on the display of the terminal 100. The functions of the communication unit 102, the command input unit 104, and the display control unit 106 may be provided by an OS (Operating System) of the terminal 100.

  The browser module 120 provides a user interface of the map display system. In the present embodiment, the map display system performs display in which four screens of a web browser view, a map view, a tree view, and a user view are arranged in parallel. The web browser view is a display area of a web page. The map view is a map display area. The user view is an area that provides an interface for designating map display contents and the like. The tree view is an area for displaying a list of metadata managed hierarchically. Each display content is controlled by the web browser view controller 122, the map view controller 124, the user view controller 126, and the tree view controller 128.

  The agent module 110 mediates between the browser module 120, the server 200, and the Web server 300. For example, when displaying a Web page, the Web server 300 designated from the browser module 120 is accessed, and the Web page data is transferred to the browser module 120. When displaying a map or processing using metadata, mediation between the browser module 120 and the server 200 is performed. The agent module 110 also mediates between the controllers in the browser module 120.

  The system configuration described above is only an example. The map display system of the present embodiment is provided mainly by cooperation of the service provider module 210, the browser module 120, and the agent module 110. Accordingly, the map display system can have various configurations including these three modules. If all modules are mounted on a single personal computer, a stand-alone operating device can be obtained. A configuration in which three modules are provided by distributed processing of a larger number of servers may be employed.

B. Metadata management:
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of the metadata. Two types of FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are illustrated. FIG. 2A shows only a part of the metadata for convenience of illustration. In this embodiment, the metadata is described using XML, and the contents of the data are defined by tags. The number at the left end in the figure is a line number given for convenience of explanation.

  FIG. 2A shows the contents of the URL attached to the web page of “Kyushu Institute of Technology Yoshida Laboratory” (see the title column on the eighth line in FIG. 2A). The second line represents the metadata ID. In this example, “ID = 1”. In order to identify each metadata on the Web space, the metadata manager 214 of the map display system issues a unique ID as described later. The third line represents the URL of the corresponding web page. In the example of FIG. 2A, the URL to the top page of the Yoshida laboratory is attached. The 5th to 7th lines represent the location information of the registered points. The position information is information used when displaying the map as described later. In the example of FIG. 2A, the location information is indicated by the address of the location of the Yoshida laboratory. In addition, the position information may be indicated by coordinate values such as latitude and longitude.

  The 10th to 13th lines represent category information. A category refers to an attribute representing the contents of a Web page, such as “education institution” or “shop”. The category information is information used for map display and Web page search, as will be described later. In this embodiment, the web page creator thinks that the web page creator thinks that it is most appropriate from the categories set hierarchically in advance. In the example of FIG. 2A, the lower category “university” in the upper category “education institution” is selected. The category can be selected at an arbitrary level. For example, in the example of FIG. 2A, the designation of the lower category “university” may be stopped, and the upper layer category “education institution” may be selected.

  The 14th and subsequent lines represent display control information. As will be described later, the display control information is used to control the display mode of the map around the registration point of the Web page. In the example of FIG. 2A, an example is shown in which the user can selectively use two types of the first view shown in the 16th to 29th lines and the second view shown in the 30th and subsequent lines. . However, for convenience of illustration, the description after the 31st line is omitted. The definition of the first view is divided into a title (17th line), a definition of related information (18th to 25th lines), and a definition of drawing conditions (26th to 28th lines). The title is a headline displayed on the map. The drawing condition is data that defines the display range of the map. Although a specific specification example is omitted in the figure, the display range can be specified using the vertical and horizontal distances of the display range or the scale of the map.

  In this embodiment, as will be described later, a marker with a link to another Web page is displayed on the map. The related information is information for designating the number and type of markers. Related information can be specified in three ways: individual designation, category designation, and region designation. FIG. 2A illustrates individual designation. “Relationship Type =“ Group ”” shown in the 19th line is a tag indicating individual designation. In FIG. 2A, two URLs are designated as display objects in the 21st and 22nd lines. The number of URLs may be 1 or 3 or more.

  The display position of the marker corresponding to the individually designated URL is determined based on the registration point of the metadata corresponding to each URL. A method may be used in which the display position of the marker is specified together with the URL. However, in this case, there is a possibility that the geographic information specified by the related information and the registration point of the Web page specified by the URL (hereinafter referred to as “related page”) cannot be synchronized. For example, when the registration point of a related page is changed due to moving, etc., the creator of the related page can update the geographic information of the corresponding metadata, but the other person who specifies the URL of this related page The geographic information recorded in the metadata of the Web page (hereinafter referred to as “call page”) cannot be updated. For this reason, there is a risk of inconsistency between the geographic information specified by the metadata of the calling page and the registration point of the related page. On the other hand, in the method of the present embodiment, the geographic information is specified by referring to the metadata of the related page, so that such inconsistency can be easily avoided.

  FIG. 2B shows an example in which related information is designated by category. “Relationship Type =“ Introduction ”” shown in the 22nd line is a tag indicating category designation. In FIG. 2B, two categories of “life / restaurant” and “life / transportation” are designated as display objects in the 25th and 26th lines. Unlike the case of individual designation, in the case of category designation, the Web page corresponding to this category is designated comprehensively. These markers are displayed on the map. As in the case of individual designation, the display position of each marker can be specified by referring to the respective metadata.

  FIG. 2B shows metadata for designating a view for displaying “Guide map around hotel” (see the 19th line). In the related information, restaurants and transportation facilities are indicated by category designation as information required by visitors to the hotel. If it is going to designate these information separately, the web page creator of a hotel needs to investigate the surrounding restaurant and transportation itself. On the other hand, if the category of the related information is designated, it is only necessary to designate the category of information that is assumed to be necessary for the viewer of the Web page without performing such a survey. As described above, category designation has an advantage that appropriate information can be provided to a web page viewer without applying a high load.

  Although the illustration of the example in which the related information is designated as a region is omitted, the designation method is the same as the category designation (see FIG. 2B). In FIG. 2B, the category of “life / restaurant” is specified, but it is different in that it is specified in the form of administrative boundaries such as “Fukuoka / Kitakyushu City”.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a metadata management method. The functions of the region manager 212, the metadata manager 214, and the category manager 216 are schematically shown. The metadata manager 214 searches the web space and collects metadata. In this embodiment, the collected metadata is stored in the metadata storage 218. In the figure, an example in which three types of metadata “ID = 1 to 3” are collected and stored is shown. The metadata storage 218 may be integrated with the metadata manager 214.

  The metadata manager 214 creates a table for associating IDs and URLs with respect to the collected metadata as illustrated. This table is used to easily identify used IDs and search for IDs using URLs as keys. Since these processes can be performed by sequentially referring to the respective metadata stored in the metadata storage 218, a configuration in which the above-described table creation is omitted is also possible.

  The region manager 212 manages metadata in a hierarchical structure according to administrative boundaries such as municipalities. The region manager 212 holds a table corresponding to this hierarchical structure, and stores the ID of the corresponding metadata in each hierarchy. In the figure, “ID = 1, 3” corresponds to “** city”, and “ID = 2” corresponds to “xx city”. For the sake of illustration, only metadata corresponding to “city” is shown, but metadata corresponding to a hierarchy of “prefecture” higher than this and metadata corresponding to “town” below are similarly stored. Based on these correspondences, the region manager 212 can identify each metadata in the metadata storage 218 in accordance with the administrative boundaries (see solid arrows in the figure).

  The category manager 216 manages metadata according to categories set hierarchically in advance. The category can be arbitrarily set on the management side of the map display system. Since the creator of the web page selects a category corresponding to his / her web page from the set categories, any web page corresponds to any category. As shown in the figure, the category manager 216 holds a table corresponding to the hierarchical structure of categories, and stores the ID of the corresponding metadata in each hierarchy. In the figure, an example is shown in which “ID = 1, 2” corresponds to the category “education / university” and “ID = 3” corresponds to the category “food / convenience store”. Furthermore, the ID corresponding to each of the upper hierarchy and the lower hierarchy can be stored. Based on these correspondences, the category manager 216 can specify each metadata in the metadata storage 218 according to the category (see broken line arrows in the figure).

C. Display screen overview:
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of the display screen. An example of the entire display screen is shown in the upper right of the figure. As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the display screen is divided into four display areas. The first is a Web browser view (WebBrowserView). The web browser view has the same function as a normal browser and displays a web page. The second is a map view (MapView). The enlarged view is shown in the upper left of the figure. The map view displays a map including registered points on the Web page. The display mode of the map is defined by the metadata as described above with reference to FIG. In the example shown in the figure, three markers are displayed together on the map. This marker corresponds to the link designated by the related information of the metadata. When the user clicks one of the markers in the map view, the Web page specified by the corresponding URL can be displayed in the Web browser view.

  The third display area is a tree view (TreeView). An enlarged view is shown in the lower right of the figure. The tree view displays the contents managed by the region manager 212 and the category manager 216 in a tree structure. The example on the left is the content displayed by the category manager 216, and links to each Web page are displayed according to a hierarchical structure such as “education institution / university”. The example on the right is the content displayed by the region manager 212. In the example in the figure, links to each Web page are displayed for each ward of “Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture”. Both trees can be switched by clicking a tab provided on the upper side. The user can display the corresponding Web page in the Web browser view by clicking each link displayed in the tree view.

  The fourth display area is a user view (UserView). An enlarged view is shown in the lower left of the figure. The user view can be displayed by switching between two types of tabs, an adjustment screen for adjusting the display mode of the map and a URL list. In the figure, an example of the adjustment screen is shown. On this screen, the position, scale, and map type of the map representative point can be specified. The position of the representative point can be specified by the name of the point (“View” field in the figure) or the latitude and longitude. The user view does not necessarily need to be able to specify both a point and a latitude / longitude, and only one of them may be specified. The scale is the scale of the map and is specified by a slide bar. The map type is designation of a map type such as a two-dimensional map or a three-dimensional map. When a URL list is selected on the tab, the history of Web pages that have been browsed so far by the user is displayed in a list.

  In the present embodiment, an example in which the above-described four display areas or views are provided has been described. In the present embodiment, these views are displayed in parallel, but may be switched by tabs or the like. However, in order to make full use of the effect of the present embodiment in which the Web page and the map are linked, it is preferable to display at least two Web pages and the map in parallel. The display screen is not limited to the arrangement and size shown in FIG. 4, and the sizes of the four views may be variable. However, since the main screen from which information is obtained is the web browser view, it is practical to set the size of the web browser view larger than the map view and other screens by default.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the transition of the display screen. As shown in the display V01, when the user inputs a URL in the address field B01 of the web browser view, the display screen changes as indicated by an arrow A01, and the designated web page is displayed in the web browser view (display V03). reference). Also, as shown in display V02, when the user clicks on any link in the tree view, the display screen changes as indicated by arrow A02, and the Web page corresponding to the link is displayed (see display V03). ).

  The display V03 schematically shows a transient state in which the Web page is displayed according to the above-described aspect. In this state, the map display system has not completed the analysis of the metadata corresponding to the Web page. Therefore, the map view and the tree view are not displayed corresponding to the Web page. The same applies when there is no metadata corresponding to the Web page. In the figure, the fact that the map view and the tree view are outlined means that there is no display corresponding to the Web page. Actually, the previous display is retained. By doing so, even if a Web page for which no metadata is prepared is displayed, it is possible to use the specification of the Web page using the map view or the tree view as before. However, it is not essential to keep the previous display. Before the metadata analysis is completed or when there is no metadata, the map view and tree view are displayed in white as shown, It is also possible to adopt a configuration such as displaying the screen.

  When the analysis of the metadata is completed, the display screen changes as indicated by an arrow A03, and a screen reflecting the content of the metadata is displayed in the map view, the tree view, and the user view as indicated by a display V04. As described above, the map is displayed in the display mode indicated by the metadata, and the marker ICN specified by the related information is displayed in the map view. In the tree view, links are displayed in a tree structure with a hierarchy corresponding to the metadata as the center. In the user view, the display mode specified by the metadata is displayed as a default value.

  When the user adjusts the display mode in the user view, the display mode changes as indicated by an arrow A05, and the display mode of the map shown in the map view changes. If the representative point is changed, the display position of the map is moved, and if the scale is changed, the display range of the map is changed. In addition, markers that are out of the display range on the map before the change are newly displayed by expanding the display range of the map. For example, the marker display in the map also changes according to the display mode of the map. To do.

  When the user clicks the marker ICN in the map view, the display screen changes as indicated by an arrow A04, and a corresponding new Web page is displayed in the Web browser view. The same applies when the user selects a link in the tree view or selects a link in the Web page. In addition, the map view and tree view display screens are also updated in accordance with the metadata of the new Web page. As described above, in the map display system of this embodiment, a new Web page can be displayed by clicking a marker on the map view. Therefore, the geographical relationship between registration points of the Web page is used. Information retrieval can be performed.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of each module when the display screen changes. The operation | movement for implement | achieving each transition shown by arrow A01-A05 in FIG. 5 was shown. FIG. 6A shows an operation when a new URL is specified in the Web browser view. In FIG. 5, this corresponds to the transition from the state where the URL is entered in the address field B01 (arrow A01) and the transition when the link in the Web page is clicked (arrow A04). The web browser view controller 122 receives these designations, and notifies the agent module 110 of the occurrence of a change event for updating the display. The agent module 110 returns the designated web page to the web browser view controller 122 in response to the change event, and updates the display content in accordance with the metadata corresponding to the web page. The view controller 128 and the user view controller 126 are instructed. As a result, as shown by an arrow A03 in FIG. 5, a display reflecting the metadata is performed.

  FIG. 6B shows an operation when a new URL is specified in the map view or the tree view. This corresponds to the transition (arrow A04) when the marker ICN is clicked in the map view of the display V04 in FIG. 5 or when the link is clicked in the tree view. The map view controller 124 or the tree view controller 128 accepts these designations and transmits a change event to the agent module 110. In response to this change event, the agent module 110 returns the designated web page to the web browser view controller 122 and instructs to update the display content. When the Web page is updated by this instruction, the map view, the tree view, and the user view are also changed by the same operation as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 6C shows the operation when the adjustment of the display mode is instructed in the user view and when any link is selected from the URL list. This corresponds to the arrow A05 in FIG. The user view controller 126 receives a display mode adjustment instruction and transmits a change event to the agent module 110. In response to this change event, the agent module 110 instructs the map view controller 124 to update the display mode. When the user selects and designates a link in the URL list, the user view controller 126 accepts this designation and transmits a change event to the agent module 110. The agent module 110 returns the designated web page to the web browser view controller 122 in response to the change event, and updates the display content in accordance with the metadata corresponding to the web page. The view controller 128 and the user view controller 126 are instructed. As a result, as shown by an arrow A03 in FIG. 5, a display reflecting the metadata is performed.

D. Control processing:
The control processing for realizing the display shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 will be described in order below.
D1. Metadata issue processing:
FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the metadata issuing process. As shown in FIG. 2, since the metadata is an XML file, it is possible for the user to newly create the whole. In this embodiment, the server 200 issues metadata with a unique ID. The method to do was adopted. In this way, new creation and deletion of metadata can be easily managed. The ID can also be used to eliminate unauthorized metadata. The map display system may treat only metadata with a regular ID issued by the server 200 as valid. In order to avoid unauthorized use of an ID, an ID including an applicant's information such as an electronic signature or an ID including a URL associated with metadata may be used.

  In the figure, the process executed by the terminal 100 on the left side and the process executed by the server 200 on the right side are shown. When the user accesses server 200 from terminal 100, server 200 provides an interface screen for registration (step S10). On this screen, the user inputs the URL of the Web page associated with the metadata (step S100). The server 200 accepts this URL (step S12), searches the correspondence table (see FIG. 3) held by the metadata manager 214, issues a new metadata ID (step S14), and includes a meta data including this ID. Data is delivered to the terminal 100 (step S16).

  At this time, the metadata only stores the URL and ID, and the geographic information, the display control information, and the related information are only provided with tags. The user edits the metadata at the terminal 100 and adds geographic information, display control information, and the like (step S102). When editing is completed, the user stores and publishes metadata in the same directory as the Web page (step S104). Then, the server 200 is requested to register new metadata (step S106).

  Upon receiving this request, the server 200 searches the Web space according to the URL specified by the user in step S100, acquires the corresponding metadata (step S18), and manages in the metadata storage 218 and the metadata manager. Register in the table (step S20). This registration process can be simplified. For example, registration to the management table may be performed at the time of issuing the metadata (step S14). Instead of the registration request (step S106), metadata created by the user may be sent to the server 200. However, if the server 200 acquires the metadata (step S18) as in the embodiment, it is possible to confirm that the metadata is stored in the same directory as the Web page. .

D2. Metadata management process:
FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the metadata management process. This process is executed by the metadata manager 214 and is a process for updating the contents of the metadata storage 218 and the management table. In this embodiment, the administrator of the server 200 manually manages these, and the metadata manager 214 automatically circulates the Web space so that these can be updated.

  In this process, when manual management by the administrator of the server 200 is designated (step S30), the server 200 accepts an instruction such as registration of new metadata or deletion of existing metadata (step S31). The instruction content is reflected in the management table of the metadata storage 218 and the metadata manager 214. For example, when registration of new metadata is instructed, the instructed metadata is stored in the metadata storage 218 and the contents are registered in the management table. When deletion of existing metadata is instructed, the instructed metadata is deleted from the metadata storage 218 and the contents are also deleted from the management table.

  When manual management is not designated (step S30), the server 200 executes automatic management. Automatic management can be performed at a predetermined timing. For example, it may be repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle such as a daily unit or a weekly unit, or may be performed when the metadata issuing process (FIG. 7) described above is executed. . In automatic management, the server 200 circulates in the Web space and collects and confirms metadata. In order to execute this processing efficiently, the present embodiment employs a method of circulating around a directory in which existing metadata is registered. This is because there are an infinite number of web pages in the web space, and it is a heavy load to collect and check metadata for all of them. In the present embodiment, as described above, since the metadata issued by the server 200 is used, even if such a limited patrol method is adopted, there is a big leak in the collection and confirmation of metadata. Does not occur.

  In order to perform the patrol with the above-described method, the server 200 first selects already-registered metadata according to a predetermined rule (step S35). For example, the selection may be made according to the order registered in the management table, the order of IDs, and the like. The server 200 accesses the Web page corresponding to the selected metadata (Step S36), checks whether or not the metadata exists in the directory, and extracts a link included in the Web page (Step S36). S37).

  The server 200 reflects the result of the confirmation in the management table of the metadata storage 218 and the metadata manager 214 (step S38). As described above, when issued metadata is deleted, it is also deleted from the metadata storage 218 and the management table. If new metadata is prepared, it is acquired and stored in the metadata storage 218, and the contents of the management table are updated as necessary.

  Next, the server 200 accesses the Web page based on the link extracted in step S37 (steps S39 and S36), and executes processing such as metadata confirmation (steps S37 to S39). Similarly, a link is extracted from the accessed Web page, the access destination is further expanded, and the metadata search is repeated. Restrictions may be added to the range of expanding the Web page by following the link. For example, only the link destination included in the Web page corresponding to the registered metadata, or further to the Web page after the link at a predetermined stage may be limited to the circulation range. In addition, when a web page that does not correspond to metadata is reached, the link from there may be stopped. The server 200 repeatedly executes the above processing until all the registered metadata is completed (step S40).

  By this metadata management processing, the management tables of the metadata storage 218 and the metadata manager 214 are held in the latest state. Therefore, if the creator of the Web page wants to change the content of the metadata, it is only necessary to store the new metadata in the same directory as the Web page, without performing special processing such as a change application to the server 200. Further, when it is desired to stop using the metadata, it is sufficient to delete the metadata from the Web space. Even when the directory for storing the Web page is changed, both the Web page and the metadata need only be migrated to a new directory. Thus, the metadata management process can facilitate the management of metadata when using the present embodiment, and the convenience of the present system can be improved.

D3. Display control processing:
FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the display control process. This process is executed by the agent module 110 and the browser module 120 of the terminal 100. When the process is started, the terminal 100 determines whether or not the URL to be displayed is changed (step S50). When a URL is input in the Web browser view, when a link in the Web page is clicked, when a map view marker or a tree view link is clicked, the terminal 100 determines that the URL has been changed, In other cases, it is determined that there is no URL change.

  If it is determined that the URL has not been changed (step S50), the terminal 100 next determines whether or not the display mode has been changed (step S55). If the display mode is adjusted in the user view, it is determined that the display mode has been changed (step S55), the newly instructed display position and scale are input (step S56), and the map display control process ( Step S60) is executed. The map display control process is a process for displaying a map view. Thus, a map according to the user's instruction is displayed on the map view. Specific processing contents of the map display control processing will be described later. When the change of the display mode is not instructed (step S55), the terminal 100 determines that there is no need to change the display content, and ends the display control process as it is.

  When it is determined that the URL has been changed (step S50), the terminal 100 acquires the data of the web page corresponding to the new URL and updates the web browser view (step S51). Next, the terminal 100 confirms whether or not there is metadata corresponding to the new Web page (step S52). This can be confirmed by making an inquiry to the metadata manager 214 of the server 200. If there is no metadata (step S52), it is determined that there is no need to change the display of the map view, the tree view, and the user view, and the display control process ends.

  If there is metadata (step S52), the terminal 100 acquires the metadata from the server 200 and analyzes the content (step S53). As described above, the metadata includes display control information of the map view and related information (see FIG. 2). The terminal 100 executes a map display control process (step S60), and displays a map reflecting these pieces of information on the map view.

  The terminal 100 determines the tree display range and updates the tree view (step S70). When displaying a category tree in the tree view, the terminal 100 inquires the category manager 216 for information necessary for this display. The category manager 216 identifies a category corresponding to the Web page to be displayed, extracts a predetermined number of links belonging to the same category, links belonging to the same upper category, etc., and receives them as data for tree display in the terminal 100. hand over. In the tree view, when the administrative tree is displayed, information necessary for display can be acquired from the region manager 212 by the same processing.

  Next, the terminal 100 updates the user view using the display position and scale specified by the metadata (step S71). Here, the display position and scale are used as values representing the initial state of the user view. The user view may be displayed with the default value as the initial value without using the display position and scale specified by the metadata.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the map display control process. This process is executed by the map view controller 124 of the browser module 120. The terminal 100 acquires and analyzes the metadata (step S61), and sets the map display position and scale (step S62). At this time, priority is given to the individual designation, that is, the display position and scale designated by the user view over the metadata. By doing so, it becomes possible to switch the display mode of the map according to the designation by the user view.

  The metadata acquisition method is shown on the right side of the figure. In the case where various types of Web pages and metadata are stored in a hierarchically configured directory, in this embodiment, the metadata also affects a lower layer directory. In this embodiment, as described below, the display position and scale are set in consideration of such a directory structure.

  In the example in the figure, “*** 2”, “top”, “top / abc” are stored in a directory “www. *** 1.ac.jp” (hereinafter also referred to as “domain”). , “Top / bcd” and the like are hierarchically configured. Since the metadata also affects the lower layer directory, the display control information and related information in the metadata in “top” are also displayed when the lower layer directories “top / abc” and “top / bcd” are displayed. Used (see arrows Aa and Ab in the figure). However, when metadata exists in these lower layer directories, the lower layer metadata is given priority. For example, when the scale is designated by both “top” and “top / abc”, the scale designated by “top / abc” as the lower layer is used. Even if metadata exists on both sides, if the display position of the map is specified only in “top”, which is the upper layer, the content of the instruction does not conflict, so “top” The specified display position is used. Accordingly, in step S61, the terminal 100 obtains the metadata corresponding to the Web page as well as the metadata of the upper layer going back to the domain, and displays the display position and the scale under the rule that the instruction content is prioritized in the lower layer. Is set.

  The terminal 100 also extracts related information from the metadata (step S63) and specifies the display position of the marker. Then, a map is displayed based on the display position, scale and marker position set in the above process (step S64). Data necessary for map display is acquired from the map DB 204 of the server 200. The size of the map is defined by the display position and scale, and a marker with a link is displayed on the map at the position indicated by the related information.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the related information is designated by any one of individual designation, category designation, and region designation. When individually specified, the registration position corresponding to the URL specified in the metadata is the marker display position. When a category is designated, a list of metadata belonging to the designated category is acquired from the category manager 216 of the server 200, and a registration position corresponding to these metadata is set as a marker display position. If the region is designated, a list of metadata belonging to the designated region is acquired from the region manager 212 of the server 200, and the registration position corresponding to these metadata is set as the marker display position.

  When no related information is specified, the related information may be acquired from metadata in another hierarchy in consideration of the directory structure in which the metadata is stored. For example, when related information is not specified in the lower layers “top / abc” and “top / bcd”, the related information in the metadata of the upper layer “top” may be used (arrows Aa, Ab). Further, as shown by an arrow Ac in the figure, when related information is not specified in the lower layer “top / abc”, after tracing back to the upper layer “top”, another directory “top / bcd” belonging to the lower layer “top / bcd” ”Related information in the metadata may be used. Furthermore, as indicated by an arrow Ad, related information in the metadata of the directory “*** 2” of another hierarchy belonging to the domain going back to the domain may be used. In these aspects, it may be set in advance how many steps the upper layer is traced back, or the range of directories to be referred to may be expanded until a predetermined number of related information is obtained.

  According to the map display system of the embodiment described above, when a Web page is displayed, a map including the registered position can be displayed in conjunction with it. The user can confirm the registered position of the Web page on the map based on the displayed map. For example, in tourist information, it is possible to easily check a sightseeing spot introduced on a Web page. The map display system displays a marker with a link to another Web page on this map. Therefore, the user can search for another Web page based on the geographical positional relationship by using this marker. For example, it is possible to easily refer to Web pages of other sightseeing spots and other facilities in the vicinity of the sightseeing spot based on a map displayed when the Web page of the sightseeing spot is opened.

  Furthermore, in the map display system according to the embodiment, the metadata manager 214 can collect metadata in the Web space and manage change / deletion. For this reason, the web page provider does not have to register new metadata to the server 200, notify the storage location and contents, and delete the metadata. Synchronization with the management contents 214 can be easily achieved.

E. Variation:
(1) In the embodiment, the case where the metadata is configured as an independent file different from the Web page and stored in the same directory as the Web page has been described. In addition to the above, the metadata format and storage location can take various forms. For example, metadata may be incorporated into a part of a web page. By doing so, there is an advantage that the correspondence between the two can be easily maintained, and the registration of a new Web page and the movement of the storage location can be easily performed. In this case, the metadata storage 218 may store data including the Web page, or may extract and store only a portion corresponding to the metadata from the Web page.

  As another aspect, instead of preparing the metadata and the Web page on a one-to-one basis, integrated metadata corresponding to a plurality of Web pages may be used. At this time, the range that can be integrated may be limited to a Web page in the same directory as the metadata storage location, or may be a Web page in the same and lower layer directory as the metadata storage location.

(2) In the embodiment, the display position and the scale are set by metadata. When these display modes are not specified by the metadata, the map display system may display the map at a default display position and scale, or may set the display mode using related information. In the latter example, the terminal 100 obtains the display positions of all markers specified by the related information in step S64 of the map display control process (FIG. 10), sets these barycentric points as display positions, and all the markers are displayed. What is necessary is just to determine a scale so that it may enter. You may restrict | limit the marker used at the time of the setting of a display mode so that it may be within a predetermined number in order near the registration point of a web page.

(3) In the embodiment, an example in which the size of the Web browser view is larger than that of the map view is shown. However, when a marker is selected in the map view, it is more convenient to enlarge the map. As described above, if the size of each view is variable, the user may enlarge the map view as necessary. However, in this case, when a Web page is displayed after selecting a marker, the size of the Web browser view must be adjusted again to view the information, which is complicated. Therefore, as shown below, the map display system may be provided with a function capable of easily switching the size of the view as a modification.

  FIG. 11 is an explanatory view showing an example of a display screen in the modification. At the time of displaying the web page, as shown in the display V11, the web browser view is displayed in the window W1, the map view is displayed in the window W2, the tree view is displayed in the window W3, and the user view is displayed in the window W4. Is done. As shown in the figure, the display size of each view is the largest in the Web browser view. In addition to the map, a switch button Bu is displayed in the map view.

  In this state, when the user clicks the switching button Bu, the display state is switched as shown in the display V12. A map view is displayed in window W1, and a web browser view is displayed in window W2. Since the sizes of the windows W1 and W2 remain the same as before, the map view size is maximized. Here, a map in the same range as before is displayed in an enlarged manner. By doing so, the user can easily recognize and select the marker on the map. When a marker is selected, a new web page is displayed according to the link. At this time, the state returns to the display V11 again, and the Web browser view is displayed in the window W1 having the maximum size.

The display switching shown in FIG. 11 can be realized relatively easily in step S64 of the map display control process (FIG. 10). It is only necessary to change the correspondence between each view and window when the map is displayed only when the switching button is pressed. This means that the default setting is
Web browser view-> window W1;
Map view → Window W2;
Tree view → window W3;
User view → Window W4;
When each view is associated with a window and the switch button Bu is pressed,
Web browser view-> window W2;
Map view → Window W1;
Switching may be performed. By making this switching effective only when the switching button Bu is pressed, when displaying a new Web page, it is possible to easily return to the default association.

(4) In the embodiment, the example in which the metadata manager 214 collects metadata in the Web space is shown. This embodiment may be configured such that the creator of the Web page registers the metadata in the server 200. For example, in the metadata issuing process (see FIG. 7) in the embodiment, a method of transmitting metadata to the server 200 together with a registration request (step S106) can be adopted. The metadata manager 214 receives this metadata and stores it in the metadata storage 218. The creator of the Web page similarly accesses the server 200 and requests these processes when changing or deleting the metadata. In such a configuration, the metadata manager 214 does not search in the web space, so there is no need to store the metadata in the same directory as the web page (step S104).

  In the above aspect, when registering metadata, the Web page creator may be able to select a directory to be stored in the server 200. When requesting registration (step S106), a method of selecting a storage destination from the tree view (see FIG. 4) from the server 200 to the terminal 100 can be employed. The tree structure may be displayed in a unique hierarchical structure set for metadata management, unlike the hierarchical structure that can be specified by related information such as categories and regions. By specifying the hierarchical structure and registering the metadata in this way, it is possible to register the metadata across the hierarchies in the map display control process (see FIG. 10) as in the case where the metadata is hierarchically stored in the Web space. It is possible to influence the data.

(5) In the embodiment, the example is shown in which the creator of the web page prepares the metadata and stores it in the web server together with the web page. In the embodiment, the metadata is made available by the metadata manager 214 searching the web space, collecting it, and storing it in the metadata storage 128. In this embodiment, the metadata does not necessarily have to be created by the creator of the web page. For example, a trustee who receives a request from the creator of the Web page may create metadata, and the metadata may be registered in the server 200 of the map display system or stored in the trustee's own server. . In order to associate the Web page with the metadata when stored in the server of the trustee, for example, the URL indicating the location of the metadata in the Web server, the metadata in the metadata storage 218 or in the trustee's server, for example. What is necessary is just to store the path information for specifying the directory in which the file exists and other location information. By doing so, the metadata manager 214 can appropriately collect metadata corresponding to the Web page from the Web server specified by the location information. According to this aspect, even a person who does not have the technical ability to create metadata can easily participate as a search target in the map display system of the present embodiment only by specifying necessary information such as registration point designation. It becomes possible.

  Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and it goes without saying that various configurations can be adopted without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The various features shown in the embodiments and the modifications are not necessarily all provided, and some of them can be omitted as appropriate. Various processes shown in the embodiments can be performed by either the terminal 100 or the server 200, and can be realized by a distributed process of both.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the map display system as an Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the content of metadata. It is explanatory drawing which shows the management method of metadata. It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline | summary of a display screen. It is explanatory drawing which shows the transition of a display screen. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of each module at the time of a display screen transition. It is a flowchart of a metadata issuing process. It is a flowchart of a metadata management process. It is a flowchart of a display control process. It is a flowchart of a map display control process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of a display screen in a modification.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Terminal 102 ... Communication part 104 ... Command input part 106 ... Display control part 110 ... Agent module 120 ... Browser module 122 ... Web browser view controller 124 ... Map view controller 126 ... User view controller 128 ... Tree view controller 200 ... Server 202 ... Communication department 204 ... Map DB
210 ... Service provider module 212 ... Region manager 214 ... Metadata manager 216 ... Category manager 218 ... Metadata storage 300 ... Web server

Claims (16)

A map display system for displaying web pages scattered in a web space and displaying a map including registered points related to the web pages,
A metadata management unit for managing metadata including geographic information representing the position of the registration point for a plurality of Web pages;
A web display unit for displaying the web page according to a designation from a user;
A map database for displaying maps,
With reference to the map database and using at least metadata corresponding to the designated web page, the registration point in a state where a marker with a link to any web page is installed at a point different from the registration point A map display system comprising a map display unit for displaying a map of the surrounding area. The map display system according to claim 1,
Metadata corresponding to the web page is scattered in the web space,
The metadata management unit is a map display system that searches the web space and collects metadata corresponding to a plurality of web pages. The map display system according to claim 1 or 2,
The metadata includes display control information for controlling a display mode of the map,
The map display unit displays a map according to the display control information. The map display system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The metadata management unit associates and manages metadata corresponding to a plurality of Web pages,
The map display unit controls a range of links to be displayed on the map according to the relation. The map display system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The metadata includes related information that controls a range of links to be displayed on the map,
The map display unit displays the marker according to the related information. A map display system according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
At least a part of the metadata is scattered hierarchically in the web space,
The metadata management unit manages the hierarchy together with the metadata,
The map display unit is configured to display the map based on the hierarchy and using metadata other than the metadata corresponding to the designated Web page. The map display system according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The map display unit is a map display system that maintains a conventional map display when there is no metadata corresponding to the designated Web page. A map display system according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
A user instruction receiving unit for receiving an instruction regarding a display mode of the map from a user;
The map display unit updates a display mode of the map according to the instruction including a marker to be displayed. A map display system according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The said map display part is a map display system which sets the display range of the said map according to the position of the marker which should be displayed on the said map. A map display system according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A tree display unit for displaying a marker with a link to a Web page corresponding to the metadata in a tree structure hierarchized according to a predetermined rule;
The tree display unit is a map display system that updates the display according to a management status of the metadata by the metadata management unit. It is a map display system in any one of Claims 1-10, Comprising:
The metadata is attached with identification data,
The metadata management unit
Receiving a request for issuing the metadata by the creator of the Web page;
A map display system that issues identification data that is different from the already published metadata. A map display system according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
An instruction receiving unit for receiving a switching instruction between a map display and a Web page display from a user;
In response to the switching instruction, the map display unit displays the map in the Web display area where the Web page was displayed,
The map display system, wherein the web display unit displays the web page in a map display area displaying the map in response to the switching instruction. A map display method for displaying a web page scattered in a web space and displaying a map including a registration point related to the web page, and a step executed by a computer,
Managing metadata including geographic information representing the location of the registration point or a link to the metadata by storing a plurality of Web pages in the memory of the computer;
Obtaining the data of the web page from the web space according to the designation from the user, storing the data in the memory of the computer, and displaying the web page;
Marker display data for referring to the map database and using at least metadata corresponding to the designated web page to place a marker with a link to any web page at a location different from the registered location And storing the data in the memory of the computer, generating data obtained by combining the marker display data and the data in the map database, and displaying a map around the registration point. Map display method. A computer program for displaying a web page scattered in a web space and displaying a map including registration points related to the web page,
A subprogram for managing metadata including geographical information indicating the position of the registration point or a link to the metadata by storing a plurality of Web pages in the memory of the computer;
Subprogram for acquiring the data of the Web page from the Web space according to the designation from the user, storing the data in the memory of the computer, and displaying the Web page;
Marker display data for referring to the map database and using at least metadata corresponding to the designated web page to place a marker with a link to any web page at a location different from the registered location And a subprogram for generating a combined data of the marker display data and the data in the map database and displaying a map around the registration point. A computer program provided. A map display browser for displaying a web page scattered in a web space and displaying a map including registration points related to the web page,
Accessing a management module for managing a plurality of Web pages of metadata including geographical information indicating the position of the registered point, which is provided in or outside the computer on which the map display browser is installed, A subprogram that obtains at least a portion of the data and stores it in the memory of the computer;
Subprogram for acquiring the data of the Web page from the Web space according to the designation from the user, storing the data in the memory of the computer, and displaying the Web page;
Marker display data for referring to the map database and using at least metadata corresponding to the designated web page to place a marker with a link to any web page at a location different from the registered location And a subprogram for generating a combined data of the marker display data and the data in the map database and displaying a map around the registration point. Map display browser provided. A web page that is connected to a terminal on which the map display browser according to claim 15 is installed on a network and that is scattered in a web space is displayed on the terminal, and a map that includes a registration point related to the web page is displayed on the terminal. A map display server that
Metadata storage for storing metadata corresponding to a plurality of web pages;
Metadata for searching the Web space, collecting metadata corresponding to a plurality of Web pages, storing the metadata in the metadata storage, and providing metadata corresponding to a request from the map display browser to the terminal A map display server comprising a management unit.