System, method, and computer program for providing map information from a server to movable terminals

A method for providing map information for one or more movable terminals, said method comprising:

• previously storing map related information including the map information;
• searching for a route referring to the map information based on position information transmitted from the one or more movable terminals;
• extracting only information about areas surrounding the route obtained by said searching from the map related information;
• and
• notifying the one or more movable terminals of the route related information obtained by said extraction through telecommunications;
• wherein the map related information has latitude and longitude coordinates to point a location on the map, and said method further comprising calculating a linear distance between the latitude and longitude coordinates of each information item and a node constructing the route, and extracting an information item if the calculated distance is not more than a threshold.

A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for execution in a server, said computer program for providing map information from the server to one or more movable terminals, and said server having stored therein map related information including the map information, said computer program comprising:

• computer readable program code operable to cause the server to search for a route referring to the map information based on position information transmitted from the one or more movable terminals;
• computer readable program code operable to cause the server to extract only information about areas surrounding the route obtained by a search from the map related information;
• and
• computer readable program code operable to cause the server to notify the one or more movable terminals of the route related information obtained by extraction through telecommunications;
• wherein the map related information has latitude and longitude coordinates to point a location on the map, and said computer program further comprises computer readable program code operable to cause the server to calculate a linear distance between the latitude and longitude coordinates of each information item and a node constructing the route, and computer readable program code operable to cause the server to extract an information item if the calculated distance is not more than a threshold.

A map information providing system for providing map information, said system comprising:

• a server and one or more movable terminals, wherein the map information is provided from said server to said one or more movable terminals;
• said server comprising:
• an information storage portion operable to store map related information including the map information;
• a first converting portion operable to convert the information stored in said information storage portion into an identifier capable of identifying the information;
• and
• a portion operable to notify said one or more movable terminals of the identifier obtained by a conversion performed by said first converting portion through telecommunications;
• and
• each of said one or more movable terminals comprises:
• a terminal side information storage portion operable to store map related information equal to the map related information stored in said information storage portion;
• and
• an information reading portion operable to read information corresponding to the identifier transmitted from said server from the map related information stored in said terminal side information storage portion.

A map information providing system for providing map information, said system comprising:

• a server and one or more movable terminals, wherein the map information is provided from said server to said one or more movable terminals;
• said server comprising:
• an information storage portion operable to store map related information including the map information;
• a first converting portion operable to convert the information stored in said information storage portion into a group of identifiers capable of identifying one or more elements which construct the information;
• and
• a portion operable to notify said one or more movable terminals of the group of identifiers obtained by conversion performed by said first converting portion through telecommunications;
• and
• each of said one or more movable terminals comprises:
• a terminal side information storage portion operable to store elements which construct map related information equal to the map related information stored in said information storage portion;
• and
• an element reading portion operable to read one or more elements corresponding to the group of identifiers of which the one or more movable terminals are notified by said server from the elements stored in said terminal side information storage portion.