Patent ID: 6477526
Filing Date: 2002-11-05
Classification: G01C,G06F,G08G,Y10S

Abstract:
A map information providing system comprising:a main server for communicating with a user terminal via a network; a route calculation server for receiving starting point data and destination data corresponding to a starting point and a destination which a user designates by the user terminal, and for calculating a route from the starting point to the destination; a map server comprising a map database and for communicating with the user terminal via the network; wherein the route calculation server stores calculated route data together with route identification information associated with the calculated route data, the calculated route data comprising a string of data indicating X and Y coordinates of points on the route and comprising no picture data, and transmits the route identification information and outline information of the route associated with the calculated route data to the user terminal via the network, and wherein the map server receives the route identification information from the user terminal via the network, obtains the route data associated with the route identification information from the route calculation server, produces route display picture data including map picture on which the calculated route is represented by emphasized lines on the basis of said string of data indicating said X and Y coordinates, and transmits the route display picture data to the user terminal, the route display picture data compressed in predetermined format.