Patent ID: 7047131

Claim:
A map displaying apparatus that receives scalable map data from a map data provider for a user, the apparatus comprising an output device for displaying a map: a memory that receives data from the map data provider based on a map drawn to a first scale, and stores the received data as first data; an input unit that generates an area selection signal to select an area on the first scale map in response to an input of the user; an area selection unit that selects the area in response to the area selection signal, and outputs a transmission request signal for second data that corresponds to data on a map drawn to a second scale for the selected area; a network interface unit that transmits the transmission request signal to the map data provider and receives the second data from the map data provider; an analysis unit that receives the second data from the network interface unit, analyzes the second data, and converts the second data into third data configured for display on said output device; an adjusting unit that sets a size of the third data equal to a size of the selected area to obtain fourth data; and a combination unit that combines the fourth data with the selected area associated with the first data.