Region calculation method, spatial data mining apparatus, geographical information display apparatus, spatial data mining system and storage medium

A region calculation method for introducing a two-dimensional association rule extracted from a database, which includes spatial information, such as addresses, comprising the steps of:

• defining an objective function used to introduce said two-dimensional association rule;
• entering data from said database that includes said spatial information;
• aggregating said data to calculate a region for the optimization of said objective function;
• entering geographical information;
• employing said geographical information to extract entities appearing on a map;
• selecting, from said entities, proposed regional edges corresponding to said obtained region;
• and
• displaying said proposed regional edges that are reflected in said geographical information.

A spatial data mining apparatus for introducing a two-dimensional association rule extracted from a database, which includes spatial information, such as addresses, comprising:

• definition means, for defining an objective function that is used to evaluate said two-dimensional association rule;
• input means, for entering geographical information;
• division means, for employing said geographical information to divide a region on said map into pixel grids having a predetermined size;
• data aggregation means, for extracting data from said database and for aggregating data for each of said pixel grids obtained by said division means;
• grid region calculation means, for employing aggregates to calculate the region of a pixel grid that optimizes said objective function;
• entity extraction means, for employing said geographical information to extract entities depicted on a map;
• proposed edge selection means, for selecting, from among said entities, proposed regional edges that correspond to said region obtained by said grid region calculation means;
• and
• output means, for employing said proposed regional edges to output a region corresponding to said geographical information.

A geographical information display apparatus comprising:

• data input means, for receiving data from a database in which data are stored that include attribute information associated with spatial information, such as addresses;
• geographical information input means, for entering geographical information, such as road information, that includes entities depicted on a map;
• objective function definition means, for defining an objective function that is used for evaluating a region;
• aggregate means, for employing said objective function to obtain an aggregate for said data entered by said data input means;
• selection means, for employing the aggregate obtained by said aggregate means to select a specific entity from among said entities input by said geographical information input means;
• and
• display means, for displaying a map using said geographical information, and for enhancing and displaying said entity selected by said selection means.

A spatial data mining system comprising:

• a database in which data are stored that include attribute information associated with spatial information, such as addresses;
• a geographical information memory in which geographical information, such as road information, is stored that includes entities depicted on a map;
• an input device, for inputting an objective function to be requested for analyzation;
• aggregate means, for receiving data from said database and for aggregating said data based on said objective function;
• selection means, for receiving a predetermined entity depicted on said map from said geographical information memory, and for employing the aggregate obtained by said aggregate means to select a specific entity from among said entities;
• adjustment means, for adjusting said specific entity;
• and
• a display device, for displaying, together with said map stored in said geographical information memory, information for said specific entity that has been adjusted.

A storage medium on which a program is stored, based on an objective function for which regional information is not provided, to introduce a predetermined region extracted from a database that includes spatial information, such as addresses, said program comprising the steps of:

• obtaining data from said database;
• aggregating said data to calculate a region for the optimization of said objective function;
• entering geographical information;
• employing said geographical information to extract entities depicted on a map;
• selecting, from among said extracted entities, proposed regions that correspond to said region;
• and
• outputting said selected proposed regions that are reflected in said geographical information.