Patent ID: 7617047

Claim:
A map information system comprising: an electronic pen which reads a dot pattern recorded as position information in a form where one or more map images are shown, to output a trace of a pen tip as handwriting information; a processing unit; and a storage unit, wherein the processing unit comprises: an association module which associates the handwriting information output by the electronic pen with one of the map images where the handwriting information is written and stores the associated handwriting information and map image in the storage unit; a search module which searches the storage unit to retrieve the associated handwriting information and map image using information to specify the map image as a search key; a pattern assignment module which when acquiring print request information including information to specify one or more map images to be printed, newly assigns a dot pattern to the acquired print request information; and an output instruction module which issues an output instruction so as to cause an output unit to visually output data including the associated handwriting information and map image retrieved by the search module and the dot pattern assigned by the pattern assignment module.