The D-MAP System
General Information:
Lack of a viable and easy to use geographical reference system on today's
Internet served as an inspiration for seeking a way to deploy a system
with
data-enabled, logically definable points on earth's surface. Approach
described in this paper uses the main concept behind HTTP protocol, which
allows for definition of one do***ent to be composed from bits of
information stored in different locations.
Today web do***ents can be, and often are, built with information derived
from various data-providers, such as news print, photos, advertisements,
etc. The Image Data Matrix Mapping System, henceforth D-Map, uses the
above
HTTP protocol concept to compose images, or matrixes, on Internet users'
computer screens where every pixel of the image represents an independent
object within the collection of the matrix's pixels.
The composed matrix looks like any regular Gif or Jpeg image to the end
user. However, with the inherent ability for every single pixel of the
matrix to behave as an independent data- and programming-logic enabled
Object it becomes possible to compose those image matrixes from
information
derived from virtually unlimited in numbers and complexity content and
programming logic providers.
It is the author's sole opinion that, being one of the most interesting
and
the most real-world-adaptable, the geographical mapping should become the
first practical application of the D-Map system. Thus part the do***ent
describing general principles of operation and real-world examples of this
system will use geographical mapping as an example.
Usage Examples:
The D-Map matrix, like any other image or map, consists of pixels with
coordinates x and y. With traditional mapping techniques, using city map
as
an example, objects representing flat structures (buildings, malls, parks,
lakes, fields, etc) and communication links (roads, administrative
borders,
rivers, communication lines, water and sewage systems, etc) are mapped,
or
physically drawn, onto a pre-prepared city map (main low-level map). Every
structure is then assigned a coordinate x,y (communication links are
usually
given vectors). The fundamental difference of the D-Map system is that the
map is represented by an aggregation of the objects, without the necessity
to be tied in to the main low-level map.
Besides providing a greater technological flexibility for web deployment,
the D-Map system also enables for data feed of any type from any content
provider to be supplied to an unlimited number of objects on the map.
A live news re****t, for example, may contain local or world map with live
events taking place in one spot or another on the map. Every type of news
event may is categorized by type (celebrations, public gatherings,
accidents, crime re****ts, etc.) and presented by different color on the
map.
With every object being an independent part of the matrix, a user may then
select and click the spot on the map he/she is most interested in. This
would in turn direct him/her to a specific provider for more event-related
information.
Any and all events that have taken, are taking, or will take place on the
map are stored in a special database for instant lookup and
cross-reference.
Please refer to two possible scenarios below:
Scenario 1:
You are looking for a place to stay in an unknown to you area. An
apartment
on ABC St. suits your needs and is within your price-range. As you are
looking at the location of this apartment building on city map, the D-Map
system would allow you to instantly look up the following information:
* Shopping and Services Database:
where and what are the nearest supermarkets, dry-cleaners, s****t clubs,
restaurants, bars, etc.
* Traffic Database:
statistics on traffic jams, road construction work, parking, motorists'
opinions of the area, available public trans****tation.
* News Database:
crime rate (for your building and the vicinity), special events (past,
present or planned), public gatherings.
* Telephone Directory Database:
who would be your neighbors.
* Municipality Database:
what development and construction projects are planned for the immediate
vicinity.
Scenario 2:
Financial figures for a hotel chain X show decline in profits during
summer
months in resort complex A, but a sharp raise during fall season in
complex
B. By referring to those locations on the D-Map system, it may be
determined
that a manufacturing plant near resort A was shut down in late spring
leading to high unemployment and unrest in local population creating
unfavorable travel conditions, whereas in the area of resort B, in
accordance with Local History Database, the local population was having a
folk festival celebration of an anniversary of a certain medieval event
creating an attractive tourist destination.
Conclusion:
Since there is no technologically imposed limit on the quantity and
quality
of data indexed onto the D-Map system, the list of possible application
usages of this system may be expanded into an unlimited number of
activities; such as market forecasts, area satisfaction ratings, weather
conditions, geographical sales and cor****ate profits re****ting,
improvement
of distribution systems, traffic rerouting, city planning, communication
links development, optimization of cargo ****pping, etc.
Other possible usages:
* Mathematical Modeling:
Coupled with existing mathematical models (e.g. of chemical reactions,
physical events, biological growth cycles, etc), the D-Map system would
provide for visual broadcast of those modeling processes via the Internet
and enable scientists from locations around the world to facilitate the
modeling process by way of correcting the central model processor with the
feedback of newly discovered phenomena.
* Games and VR:
The D-Map system should be able to provide a robust platform for game and
VR
engine developers.
* Digital interactive video on demand:
In the future, the D-Map system may be used for broadcasting live video in
digital format over the Internet, as bandwidth becomes more readily
available.
* Graphical User Interface:
The same concept of synthesizing images from objects, whose attributes are
stored in relational tables, may be applied to creating computer operating
systems' GUI, enabling software manufacturers to easily create custom
program controls for their products.
System Architecture Overview:
The D-Map system would be built in accordance with the Distributed
Application Architecture concept, which provides for the main application
engine to be hosted on one server cluster and have one or multiple
Internet
addresses for end-user access. Application developers and data-providers
are
in turn given facilities to conduct independent application development
and
live data-feed for the application databases.
With inherent scalability of distributed application structure as the
quantity of applications and size of application databases grows,
replication of the main D-Map system engine over several strategically
placed server hosts may be easily implemented. A high level of redundancy
with procurement of additional servers may be easily achieved as well.
The centralization of the main system engine, while being technologically
necessary, also serves a business-related need requiring any commercial,
non-profit, or government organization to achieve one sort of agreement or
another with the owner of the D-Map engine system prior to commencement of
any application development project.
Open Architecture Concept:
Given the nature of the system in question, the author believes that it
would be in the best interests of successful system deployment to initiate
the development process in a non-profit oriented, academic environment,
such
as a University or a Research Institute.
The initial development stage in a strictly R&D environment should take
anywhere from three to six months after which the system should be able to
show viable results. At that point, future R&D process and real-world
business application usage of the D-Map system may be revised.
With potentially wide-ranging application field of the D-Map system,
author
believes that a premature commercialization of this project would have a
negative effect on its future and would impede diversification of this
system into various fields of activity that may benefit from technological
advantages of the D-Map system over traditional approaches used today.
Therefore, the author believes that after the D-Map system becomes
technically feasible, a non-profit organization or company should be
created
and charged with administrative and business development of the system
whose
main tasks would be finding new data-providers for the system database,
expanding application usages, furthering technical capabilities, and
finding
new real-world and business applications for the system.
Licensing fees from companies willing to utilize the D-Map system engine
for
commercial purposes may be collected. However, advertising, partnering and
promotional offers should be considered very carefully, as they may have a
negative effect on the Open Architecture Concept.
Virtual Earth Model:
The D-Map system would consist mainly of an application engine with
capabilities to sup****t wide-ranging business, non-profit and government
applications.
It is solely the author's opinion that the greatest benefit for Internet
users everywhere provided by this system would be a world map with
continuously updated data on the scale from local community-related
information (local businesses, news events, specific building information,
traffic updates, etc) to world-map view (global climate update, world
news,
political map, economic and demographic situations, etc.).
It is obvious that creating a database with continuously updated
information
of this scale would require involvement of a large number of businesses,
non-profit organizations, governments, research institutes and other
data-providers. Therefore, as a practical approach, development of the
D-Map
system should not and would not be centered around creation of a Virtual
Earth Model, as it is clear that such a model would not become a reality
in
the near foreseeable future even under the best of cir***stances.
System Development Requirements:
Development of the D-Map system, as with most Internet-deployed systems,
would involve the following steps:
* Data-Model development and creation of Database Structure
* Application Engine
* Client-Side Browser Plug-In and/or Java applet
As it is usually the case with virtually all database sup****ted systems,
development of the Data-Model will be the first crucial step in
development
of a flexible and adaptable architecture of the D-Map system. Creation of
a
solid Database Structure will insure successful future development process
and adaptability to changing real-world and business application needs.
As author's previous experience in system architecture development shows,
once a unified system Database Structure is defined, developers with
various
backgrounds may proceed with development of facilities for data population
and retrieval. Those facilities usually consist of interfaces for manual
data input, automated data-feed and other utilities for populating the
main
system database. In parallel with development of Data-Population
Facilities,
development of the Main Application Engine for serving client-side, or
end-user, applications will commence.
Although modern Internet browser model (IE, Netscape, etc.) contains the
necessary object model for implementation of a workable solution for the
D-Map system, the author deems it necessary to create a custom-made
Client-Side Browser Plug-In and/or Java Applet utilities for running on
client machines solely for performance reasons.
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