Method for associating map item images and text information

Abstract

A system and method for manipulating digital map information, that allows the operator to view or modify map object or item attributes from either a graphical window or a text window. In one embodiment, when the user selects a map item within the graphical window ( 202 ), the text window ( 210 ) displays a text record that includes attributes ( 242 ) associated with the currently selected item. Attributes may include, for example, a street name, or a relationship of the current item to another item. The system can display these relationships within the text window. In one embodiment, the attributes that include links to related map items or to related items of information are highlighted or are visibly identified ( 249 ) in some manner. The operator can then select a highlighted attribute to traverse to, and display the new map item. The graphical window display can be updated in parallel with the text window.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
   
   
       18 . A computer implemented method for associating text and graphical views of map information, comprising the steps of:
 displaying an image of a map, wherein the map comprises a plurality of map items displayed therein;   displaying an interface that allows a user to select at least one of the map items displayed within the map as a user-selected map item;   determining one or more relationships between the user-selected map item and at least one other map item;   retrieving a set of information that corresponds to the user-selected map item; and   displaying a textual representation of the set of information that corresponds to the user-selected map item, and that further comprises a visual indication of at least one of the relationships between the user-selected map item and the at least one other map item.   
   
   
       19 . The computer implemented method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of displaying an image of a map further comprises displaying the map in a window, and wherein the step of displaying a textual representation of the set of information further comprises displaying the textual representation in a separate window. 
   
   
       20 . The computer implemented method of  claim 18 , wherein the set of information that corresponds to the user-selected map item includes information not readily displayable on the image of the map. 
   
   
       21 . The computer implemented method of  claim 18 , wherein the set of information that corresponds to the user-selected map item comprises clickable links to particular items of information within the set of information. 
   
   
       22 . The computer implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the method further comprises providing an editor utility that displays the clickable links and allows a user to modify the particular items of information associated with those links. 
   
   
       23 . The computer implemented method of  claim 22 , wherein the editor utility further displays additional clickable links to the relationships between the user-selected map item and the at least one other map item. 
   
   
       24 . The computer implemented method of  claim 18 , further comprising the steps of:
 displaying a second image of the map wherein the second image of the map comprises a plurality of map items displayed therein, and allowing the user to select at least one of the map items displayed within the map as a second user-selected map item;   determining one or more relationships between the second user-selected map item and other map items;   retrieving a set of information that corresponds to the second user-selected map item;   displaying a textual representation of the set of information that corresponds to the second user-selected map item, and that further comprises a visual indication of at least one of the relationships between the second user-selected map item and the other map items; and   allowing the user to repeat the process as desired for subsequent user-selected map items.   
   
   
       25 . The computer implemented method of  claim 24 , wherein the step of displaying a second image of the map comprises displaying the second image of the map in a separate window from that used to originally display the image of the map. 
   
   
       26 . The computer implemented method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of graphically highlighting within the image of the map the at least one other map item to which the user-selected item is related. 
   
   
       27 . The computer implemented method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of graphically highlighting within the image of the map the user-selected map item. 
   
   
       28 . The computer implemented method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of determining a relationship between a user-selected map item and at least one other map item further comprises determining whether said user-selected map item and said at least one other map item are related to at least one other map item in common. 
   
   
       29 . The computer implemented method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of determining one or more relationships between the user-selected map item and at least one other map item further comprises establishing a relationship between the user-selected map item and the at least one other map item if each of the map items is determined to be of same item type. 
   
   
       30 . The computer implemented method of  claim 18 , further comprising providing a search utility that allows the user to search for a desired map item, and if the user locates the desired map item using the search utility, then the further step of making the desired map item the user-selected item. 
   
   
       31 . A computer implemented method for associating text and graphical views of map information, comprising the steps of:
 (a) displaying an image of a map, wherein the map comprises a plurality of map items displayed therein, and an interface that allows a user to select at least one of the map items displayed within the map as a user-selected map item;   (b) determining one or more relationships between the user-selected map item and at least one other map item;   (c) retrieving a set of information that corresponds to the user-selected map item;   (d) displaying a textual representation of the set of information that corresponds to the user-selected map item, and that further comprises a visual indication of at least one of the relationships between the user-selected map item and the at least one other map item;   (e) allowing the user to select a subsequent user-selected map item from the map or the textual representation;   (f) displaying a new image of the map; and   (g) retrieving a set of information that corresponds to the subsequent user-selected map item;   (h) displaying a textual representation of the set of information that corresponds to the subsequent user-selected map item; and   (i) allowing the user to repeat steps (e) through (h) as desired for subsequent user-selected map items.