System and method for processing map images

A system of processing map images, comprising:

• a Web Mapping Service (WMS) for storing map images;
• and
• a WMS proxy operative with the WMS that receives from a client a request for a map image for display at the client, said WMS proxy further comprising
• a distributed two-tier cache that stores map tiles based on the Java Caching System (JCS),
• a tile broker module that converts the request for the map image into a series of requests for obtaining map tiles, wherein said tile broker module is operative for returning cached map tiles if they already exist within the cache and retrieving map tiles from the WMS if map tiles are not returned from the cache;
• and
• a tile building module that is operative for building a map image at the WMS proxy from the map tiles in a requested format and resolution and displaying the map image at the client without resampling at the client.

A method of processing map images, comprising:

• receiving at a Web Mapping Service (WMS) proxy from a client a request for a map image for display at the client;
• converting the request for the map image into a series of requests for obtaining map tiles;
• returning cached map tiles if they already exist within a cache and from a Web Mapping Service (WMS) if the map tiles do not exist within the cache;
• building a map image at the WMS proxy from the map tiles in a requested format and resolution;
• and
• displaying the map image at the client without resampling at the client.