Patent ID: 8355158

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for map data output processing, comprising: extracting a plurality of map elements with area on the map data satisfying a predetermined condition from a map data storage unit storing the map data including the plurality of map elements; determining an output frame for each of the map elements with substantially the smallest size to cover one of the extracted map elements from a plurality of types of output frames that is defined to make up an entire available output area per page alone or in combination with a fixed scaling factor for all of the extracted map elements; clipping out map areas including the extracted map element corresponding to a size of the determined output frames from the map data stored in the map data storage unit; and generating output data by embedding the clipped-out map areas in the entire available output area per page, wherein each output frame has a point value associated therewith, and the generating operation comprises the operation of grouping the map elements corresponding to the determined output frames while adding up point values of the determined output frames so that the point values sum to a value associated with the entire available output area per page.