System and method of displaying geographic entities

摘要

A system and method is provided that identifies one geographic entity based on another geographic entity. In one aspect, a user may select one of plurality of relationships that associates one geographic region with one or more other geographic regions. When the user selects one of the geographic regions, the related geographic region(s) are highlighted based on the selected relationship.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
displaying, on an electronic display of a client device, a plurality of geographic regions on a map, each geographic region being displayed with a visual characteristic; receiving, with the client device, data specifying a plurality of predefined relationships, wherein:
at least one predefined relationship associates at least one geographic region with at least one other geographic region and the at least one predefined relationship identifies whether a road connects one geographic region with another geographic region; andthe data specifying the plurality of predefined relationships comprises relationship data having been modified by one of a plurality of client devices in communication with the client device; receiving a user's selection of a graphical representation of a first geographic region from the plurality, the graphical representation being part of the map; receiving a user's further selection of a predefined relationship associated with the first geographic region; determining, with a processor and based on the identification of the first geographic region and a predefined relationship associated with the first region, a second geographic region based on the received data; modifying the visual characteristic associated with the second geographic region from the plurality that is associated with the first geographic region by the user's further selection of the first predefined relationship; and in response to the user's selection of the graphical representation of the first geographic entity and the user's further selection of the predefined relationship, displaying the second geographic region with the modified visual characteristic, wherein:
at least one geographic region of the plurality of geographic regions includes other geographic regions as members and at least one of the predefined relationships is based on whether one geographic region is a member of another geographic region;the second geographic region is contained in but not occupying the entire area of the first geographic region;a third geographic region of the plurality of geographic regions is contained in but not occupying the entire area of the second geographic region; andat least one predefined relationship of the plurality of predefined relationships is based on whether one geographic region is contained in but does not occupy the entire area of another region.