Patent ID: 8600957

Claim:
A mesh data creation method to create mesh data for expression of population densities, comprising: a reference mesh data creation step of creating reference mesh data with a predetermined size; a location information acquisition step of acquiring location information contained in a region of the reference mesh data created in the reference mesh data creation step; a first determination step of specifying a number of samples existing in the region of the reference mesh data, based on the location information acquired in the location information acquisition step, and determining whether the number of samples is not less than a preset threshold; a mesh data creation step of creating divided mesh data by dividing the region of the reference mesh data, if it is determined in the determination step that the number of samples is not less than the threshold; a size acceptance step of accepting a request to designate a size of the region of the mesh data, from a user; a second determination step of determining whether a maximum size of the divided mesh data created in the mesh data creation step satisfies the size of the region requested by the user in the size acceptance step; and a duration calculation step of calculating, by processing circuitry, an expanded duration for acquisition of the location information necessary for achieving the size of the region requested by the user in the size acceptance step when a result of the second determination step indicates that the maximum size of the divided mesh data created in the mesh data creation step does not satisfy the size of the region requested by the user in the size acceptance step, wherein the location information acquisition step comprises acquiring the location information, according to the expanded duration calculated in the duration calculation step.