JPH0792907A - Method to add information to map - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To add a necessary information and to hold the result by going to a site, making a survey and inputting an additional information while displaying the contents, that are taken into a storage device, on the screen of a pan computer. CONSTITUTION:Prior to an on-site survey, a person, who adds a necessary information to a map, asks someone to input the map of the peripheral area into the memory device of the pen computer which is to be carried to the site. If a fascimile equipment is used during the above operation, the display of the map, which is digitally read from a paper map, is D/A converted, outputted and A/D converted and inputted to the storage device of the pen computer. The presence or the absence of the changes made in the past are checked on the received and inputted map and if there is no change, a survey is made at the site, a necessary information, for example, a route and labellings to reach a specific building are written in the blank area prepared by erasing a map display in the peripheral portion of the map, for example, with no relation with the information to be added.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention provides information necessary for a user of a map, such as a field survey, by using a portion of the same map which is unnecessary for the purpose of use. The original map display of the site can be sacrificed (in the blank area generated by removing the map display there or overlaid on the original display) and added to the place, which can be immediately executed at the site of the survey. So on how to add information to the map.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, information necessary for a user of a map as shown in FIG. 5, for example, the name and location of a specific company, which is not displayed on a general map, and a caution when entering and exiting a building. Add items, building layout, location of specific equipment in the building, etc. to the location that is unnecessary for the purpose of use in the same map and sacrifice the original map display of that location. The display is convenient, for example, when a trader who has started a new transaction with the above company conveys necessary information to another person inside the same trader.

As described above, the addition of the special information to the ordinary general map can be performed without any difficulty by using the ordinary stationary computer. In such a case, in the past, in practice, for example, a person who first visited and experienced the route from the nearest station, the prominent building on the way as a sign, the procedure at the reception desk and guard station, etc. It was usually made by tracing the memory or by the memo made at that time. As long as the computer has a certain amount of functions, the above-mentioned work can be sufficiently performed.

[0004]

However, in the conventional method as described above, the memory is inaccurate, or the contents of the simple memo are mistakenly input when the user attempts to input the data to the stationary computer at the site later. It is easy to happen.

In recent years, what is called a portable type so-called notebook type personal computer has been widely available, so it would be good to carry it and conduct an on-site investigation of the information to be added to the map and write it immediately. , It is usual to use a keyboard or mouse for input even in a laptop computer.
The keyboard cannot be made too small due to the thickness of human fingers, and it requires a nearly horizontal place to put it. The mouse also needs a plane with a certain size.
On the other hand, there are many cases where the above-mentioned places cannot be found at the local site or so-called site. Especially in the case of a machine maintenance company, it is not uncommon for the machine installation location to have an entrance at a location that is not well understood by people using the same building, or to change the entrance to a special location at night. .
Therefore, it is highly desirable to add a detailed map of the building in addition to a general map at the site, but it is necessary to be able to use the computer function while standing in the field.

Further, in the above-mentioned case, a method of inputting a map of the surrounding area as a base is also available in the case where the map is suddenly needed, even if a portable computer is brought. When using a printed or handwritten map as a basis, it may be necessary to enter it into a computer that can be read by an image scanner and put it in a portable computer brought to the site by data communication.

Further, when the topography of the created map changes, for example, the above-mentioned map in which necessary special information is additionally written needs to be changed in accordance with it, and the work is the same as that of the new creation. If you do so, it will require a considerable amount of man-hours.

The present invention solves the problems that have conventionally occurred when adding information to a map as described above, conducts a field survey while looking at the display of the map of the surrounding area, and needs to be obtained by that. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of adding information to a map, which allows such information to be immediately added to the map of the surrounding area on the spot and the result can be retained.

[0009]

In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, a map of a target peripheral area to which information is to be added is printed or handwritten on a base paper,
It is transmitted using a general facsimile machine or from a remote facility where the corresponding map is stored via a communication line. During that time, it is once transmitted in analog mode by a general facsimile transmission procedure and is A / D converted by a modem when receiving. Then, while displaying the contents captured in the storage device of the portable pen computer that can be operated by directly touching the display screen with the pen on the screen of the pen computer, while visiting the site and investigating, the above-mentioned need is immediately required. I decided to add additional information.

In addition, in case the map around the above-mentioned information addition target area is changed, the display of the map of the unnecessary portion for the purpose of use is partially erased, and the necessary information is added to the erased portion. If the map you added is already created,
Based on the content of the additional information of the above-mentioned created map, the display of the changed map is partially erased from the display of the unnecessary parts for the purpose of use, and the necessary additional information is pasted there. A means to do it automatically was provided.

[0011]

Although the pen computer requires a certain area on the display screen, it is lightweight and easy to carry because it does not use a keyboard or mouse and can be used while standing. Moreover, with the recent progress in semiconductor devices, the function of the pen computer has been greatly improved.

On the other hand, as is well known, in the G3 facsimile apparatus based on the CCITT recommendation which is most commonly used at present, CCD and LED are used for reading and recording, so that digital processing is inevitably performed inside the apparatus. However, since the telephone line used as the main force of transmission today mostly uses a copper wire with an inductance, analog conversion is performed at the time of input / output to / from the outside. Therefore, digital conversion (or vice versa) of a facsimile analog (for example, MR system for improving telephone line transmission efficiency) signal to a solid state storage device of a pen computer (or vice versa) This can be easily done by the modem used at times.
Of course, it is also easy to directly input a signal according to the CCITT standard in which a map printed on paper is output to a telephone line (or an ordinary electric wire) via a facsimile device, instead of the facsimile device.

In addition, when the base map is changed, the map information database according to the present invention is also modified to update and update the map information by adding necessary information once. For example, based on the contents of the already created one, like the previous one, it is easy to provide a means for blanking the unnecessary parts of the map and writing the necessary information there. . Note that the work for this change does not need to be performed by the pen computer, and normally, it may be performed by the above means by the computer of the department that stores the map information database according to the present invention.

[0014]

EXAMPLE A company or the like that implements the present invention usually has a department that stores a database of map information according to the present invention. It is customary for such departments to collect in advance maps of regions and areas where relationships are likely to occur. Therefore, a person who conducts a field survey and adds the necessary information to the map according to the present invention first inputs a map of the peripheral area into the storage device for the pen computer that is carried by requesting such a department. deep. At that time, if a facsimile machine is used, the display of the map digitally read from the map printed on paper as described above is D / A converted and output, which is A / D converted, Input to a storage device for a pen computer. In order to actually carry out such work, there are international recommended standards and regulations as described above, which will be called FAX transmission procedures.
FIG. 1 shows the process of loading a map of the surrounding area into the storage device of the pen computer as described above before going out to the field survey. FIG. 2 shows that the map received and input is first checked for changes in the past, and if there is no change, a field survey is carried out to obtain necessary information, for example, a route to a specific building, a sign,
Furthermore, a sketch of the building or a passage to a specific equipment installation location in the building is not relevant to the information to be added, for example, in a peripheral area of the map, etc., in a blank location created by deleting the map display. , Add and write. Although the functions of the pen computer have improved with the progress of semiconductor devices, it is unavoidable that the pen computer has a storage capacity and other various capabilities comparable to those of a laptop computer, which is larger and heavier. Therefore, if the necessary information has been added to the surrounding area map by the field survey, it is desirable to send the contents as soon as possible to the above-mentioned map information database storage department according to the FAX transmission procedure. If you do, you can safely start another work.) It is shown in FIG. It should be noted that FIG. 2 has a step of determining whether or not the change content of the map is recorded, but this is a waste of time and effort without knowing that a similar field survey had been performed before. It is also necessary to prevent this from happening and to add the necessary information to the modified map when the map of the area has been modified.In the latter case, if the modified map is available. Since it is possible, the information addition work is performed by the database storage department described above based on the map with the necessary information added that has already been created previously, and the necessary parts are created in the unnecessary parts by the automatic creation means described above. By pasting the information, the update work can be performed with little effort.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the system according to the present invention. The left frame shows the work in the department that stores the map information database, and the right frame is carried by a field surveyor. It shows the work performed by the pen computer.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, special information necessary for a map user is immediately and accurately on site while conducting a field survey in the map of the surrounding area and is effective for the user. It can be added at the expense of the non-existing parts. In addition, even if there is a change in the map of the surrounding area, if a map with the above information is already created, based on it, most of the added information on the map after the change will be It can be created automatically without any trouble.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a procedure of importing a map of a peripheral area of a target to which necessary information is to be added into a storage device of a pen computer carried on site.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a procedure of actually adding necessary information to a map of a peripheral area of a target to which necessary information is to be added and storing the contents.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a procedure for transmitting the contents stored as shown in FIG. 2 to the map information database storage department for storage.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an entire system configuration for executing a method for adding information to a map according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a map to which special information to be created according to the present invention is added.

Front page continuation (72) Inventor Keizo Watanabe 2-14-6 Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nikkei Electronic Service Co., Ltd. (72) Akio Otani 2-14-6 Uchikanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nitrate Electronic Service Co., Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. Information necessary for a user of a map, such as a route to a specific building, a sketch of a building, etc., is sacrificed on the original map display of a portion unnecessary for the purpose of use in the peripheral area map. Then, in the method of displaying it additionally,
Use a standard facsimile machine to print a map of the area around the area to which information should be added, or use a handwritten map as a base paper, or use a prescribed facsimile transmission procedure from a remote facility that stores the map. When going to the field and investigating the contents that have been A / D converted by the receiving modem via a general transmission path and taken into the storage device of the portable pen computer that can be operated by directly touching the display screen with the pen In addition, while displaying it on the screen of the pen computer and collating it, based on the results of the survey at the site, the information input to the map is performed immediately on the spot, and the information is added to the map. How to add. 2. A peripheral area which becomes a basis when a map in which unnecessary portions for the purpose of use are partially erased and a map in which necessary information is additionally written in the erased portion has already been created. When the map of the area is changed and the above-mentioned map in which necessary information is additionally entered is also changed to the latest one, based on the contents of the above-mentioned created map, the changed map is displayed for the purpose of use. 2. A method for adding information to a map according to claim 1, further comprising means for automatically arranging necessary additional information in a blank part where the display of the map of the unnecessary portion is partially erased. .