Collaborative Map Annotation System with Real-Time Synchronization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital cartography systems lack effective methods for collaborative map production and sharing of geographic information between users, limiting real-time annotation editing and access control.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows users to access and share geographic data, including map modules for display and annotation editing, storage, and communication networks for collaborative map editing, with features like panning, zooming, and annotation registration using map coordinates, and access control through authentication servers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If digital maps are made accessible and editable by multiple users, then collaborative map production and information sharing are improved, but system complexity and access control requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the collaborative mapping functionality into separate modules: map display module, annotation module, and communication module. Each module handles specific tasks independently, allowing the system to support multiple users and functions without becoming unmanageably complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an annotation server as an intermediary component that manages annotation data storage, retrieval, and synchronization between multiple users. This mediator handles the complexity of collaborative operations, shielding individual users from system complexity while enabling versatile collaboration.
2Productivity
If real-time annotation editing is enabled for multiple users, then information sharing speed is improved, but data synchronization and access control challenges increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where annotation changes made by one user are transmitted through the communication network to the annotation server, which then updates other users' displays in real-time. This continuous feedback loop ensures all users see consistent, synchronized annotation data while maintaining high information sharing speed.
3Ease of operation
If annotation data is stored remotely on a server, then data accessibility and collaboration are improved, but network dependency and security requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication and authorization actions through the authentication server before allowing users to access or modify annotation data. By establishing security protocols in advance, the system enables easy remote data accessibility while mitigating security risks through pre-validated user credentials and permissions.
Data Source
AI summary
Users can collaborate to annotate a map by sharing geographical information. Map data can be stored locally or remotely while annotations are stored in an annotation server. A presentation device such as a personal computer can use the map data to display a map and can access the annotations on the annotation server and display them. Different users can edit the annotations and save them on the annotation server. The annotations presented to users who are simultaneously viewing them can be synchronized. Presentation devices can download modules for sharing geographical information from servers such as web servers.