PDF Geographic Coordinate Encoding and Rendering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital map systems, particularly in PDF file formats, lack the ability to encode and render geographic coordinates and features, restricting users' ability to determine the position of objects in different coordinate systems and requiring proprietary software and hardware for access.
Innovation Solution
Methods and systems for encoding and rendering geographic coordinates and features in a PDF file format, allowing for the inclusion of geo-registered data, annotation, and cross-referencing with a database, enabling self-contained cartographical documents independent of hardware platforms or operating systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If digital map data is distributed using proprietary software and network systems, then users can access and manipulate map data with full functionality, but the system becomes complex and requires specific hardware and software infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential map data and geographic information from complex proprietary GIS systems and embeds it directly into PDF documents. This allows the map data to be ported out from the original system context into a universally accessible format, eliminating the need for specialized software while preserving the core geographic information and coordinate data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates faithful digital copies of map data and geographic features within PDF files, maintaining the structural and spatial relationships of the original GIS data. These PDF copies can be distributed independently without requiring the source GIS software, enabling widespread access while reducing system complexity requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If map data is distributed on physical media like floppy disks or tapes, then users can access digital source maps outside the originator's network, but the distribution process becomes cumbersome and slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the distribution parameter from physical media (floppy disks, tapes) to electronic PDF files that can be transmitted digitally. This parameter change enables much faster distribution speeds while maintaining the ability to access map data outside the originator's network, directly addressing the productivity issue with physical media distribution.
3Ease of operation
If users need specific proprietary software to view and manipulate digital source maps, then full map functionality and data manipulation are available, but the ease of operation decreases for general users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes PDF files universal containers that can be viewed on any standard PDF reader without requiring proprietary GIS software. The PDF format serves multiple functions: it preserves the visual representation of maps, embeds geographic coordinate data, and maintains spatial relationships, allowing the same file to be both viewed and processed across different platforms and applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary encoding of geographic coordinates, map features, and spatial relationships into the PDF file structure during the conversion process. This preliminary action ensures that when users open the PDF, the geographic information is already structured and accessible, eliminating the need for users to have access to the original GIS software to extract or interpret the data.
4Loss of information
If digital source maps include extensive non-graphic information and attributes, then the informational value of the maps increases, but the file size and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and embeds only the essential geographic information, coordinate data, and spatial relationships needed for map functionality within the PDF file. Non-essential or redundant data is excluded, maintaining information completeness for geographic purposes while controlling the quantity of embedded data to manage file size and processing requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is methods and systems for encoding geographic coordinates and features in a portable document format file. Various embodiments of the invention permit encoding of a geographic relationship between the coordinate system of a digital source map, and the rendering of that map to a portable document format (PDF) document as well as the information required to transform between the source map coordinate system and the PDF coordinate system. This encoding can be performed by determining the coordinates of the points of a polygon of selected source map data to be rendered to PDF in both PDF coordinates and source coordinates, and by determining a transformation matrix to convert the coordinates from one system to the other, including information regarding the geometric projection of the source coordinate system. Having encoded this data, it can be possible to obtain any location within the rendered PDF file in coordinates of the source coordinate system.