Geographic information output system

A geographic information providing method comprising the steps of:

• identifying a moving means of a moving means type to be used by a user who desires the supply of geographic information;
• obtaining geographic data on a current geographic position of the user;
• extracting geographic information for the moving means about an area surrounding the current geographic position of the user from a geographic database;
• and
• providing the extracted geographic information.

A geographic information server comprising:

• a receiving device that receives a moving means type of a moving means to be used by a user who desires the supply of geographic information, and a current position of the user or a specified position specified by the user through a network;
• geometric information storage device previously storing geographic information needed by the user;
• a retrieving device that retrieves geometric information about an area surrounding the current position of the user or a position specified by the user from the geometric information stored in the geometric information storage device by using a moving means type of the user, and the current position of the user or the position specified by the user as keys for retrieval received by the receiving device;
• and
• a transmission device for sending the geographic information about the area around the current position of the user or the position specified by the user to the user.

A mobile station comprising:

• a moving means type identifying device that identifies a moving means type of a moving means to be used by a user;
• a position obtaining device that obtains a current position of the user or a specified position specified by the user;
• a transmission device that sends a map request signal including the moving means type, and the current position of the user or the specified position specified by the user and requesting a map of an area surrounding the current position of the user or the specified position to a geographic information server;
• a receiving device that receives the map of the area surrounding the current position of the user or the specified position provided by the geographic information server in response to the map request;
• and
• an output device that outputs the map of the area surrounding the current position of the user or the specified position.

A mobile station comprising:

• an input device for entering a moving means type of a moving means to be used by a user;
• a first storage area for storing the moving means type entered by the input device;
• a starting point setting device for setting a starting point for navigation;
• a second storage area for storing the starting point set by the starting point setting device;
• an arriving point setting device for setting an arriving point for navigation;
• a third storage area for storing the arriving point set by the arriving point setting device;
• a route finding request producing device that reds the moving means type from the first storage area, reads the starting point from the second storage area, reads the arriving point from the third storage area, and produces a route finding request including the moving means type, the starting point and the arriving point read from the first, the second and the third storage area, respectively;
• a transmitting device that transmits the route finding request produced by the route finding request producing device by radio;
• a receiving device that receives route data obtained by a route finding operation carried out in response to the route finding request;
• and
• an output device that outputs the route data received by the receiving device.

A storage medium storing a data structure including data on roads, wherein the data structure is capable of:

• dividing roads into a plurality of sections and representing each of the sections by two end points at opposite ends of the section;
• linking two end points of a first section serving for one-way traffic among the plurality of sections by a link extended in a direction in which a user is allowed to move;
• and
• expressing a second section serving for two-way traffic among the plurality of sections by links extending in opposite directions from opposite ends of the second section, respectively.