What's Special about Spatial?--Database
Requirements for Vehicle Navigation in Geographic Space
M. Egenhofer SIGMOD `93, Washington, D.C.,
P. Buneman and S. Jajodia (eds.), SIGMOD Record, 22 (2): 398-402, June 1993.
Abstract
Geographic databases are becoming a popular subject for research
projects. It is acknowledged that database requirements for such
applications as Geographic Information Systems (GISs), computer
cartography, remote-sensing image databases, and emergency
routing/dispatching are distinct from those for traditional
database applications; however, the specific database needs due to
the properties of geographic data are frequently overlooked. Here,
we describe a specific problem domain, a vehicle navigation
system, and analyze the properties of data to be modeled
appropriately and managed efficiently by database management
systems. Vehicle navigation systems need continuous, fast access to
very large databases. Through the combination of real-time
access and geographic data, we identify particularly
challenging database requirements of this application with respect
to data models, query languages, and query processing.
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M. Egenhofer