Abstract: Methods and systems are described of location-based features using partition mapping. For example, the system may receive a user request for a location-based feature corresponding to a first location. The system may then determine a global-positioning coordinate of the first location and a first set of global-positioning coordinates defining a first grid partition in a global partition map, wherein a shape of the first grid partition corresponds to a polygonal face of a spherical polyhedral. The system may then determine whether the global-positioning coordinate is located within the first set of global-positioning coordinates. The system may then, in response to determining that the global-positioning coordinate is located within the first set of global-positioning coordinates, determine that the first location corresponds to the first grid partition.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, world maps in the Azimuthal Equidistant (AE) Hemispheric projection are formed by depicting the main hemisphere of a globe in full and the opposing hemisphere in the form of two semi-hemispheres contiguous two spaced side portions of the main hemisphere. Any city (or location) of interest in the world can be highlighted as the center point of the main hemisphere. Each of these two semi-hemispheres is movable along the circumference of the main hemisphere so that a straight line can be drawn from the center point of the main hemisphere to any other point on the two semi-hemispheres via corresponding tangent points. This straight line is a part of a great circle and will show correct distance and direction from the center point to the other point. A transparent ruler, a set of gears, a compass rose and others may be attached to this map for quicker and easier acquisition of correct distance and direction.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, world maps in the Azimuthal Equidistant (AE) Hemispheric projection are formed by depicting the main hemisphere of a globe in full and the opposing hemisphere in the form of two semi-hemispheres contiguous two spaced side portions of the main hemisphere. Any city (or location) of interest in the world can be highlighted as the center point of the main hemisphere. Each of these two semi-hemispheres is movable along the circumference of the main hemisphere so that a straight line can be drawn from the center point of the main hemisphere to any other point on the two semi-hemispheres via corresponding tangent points. This straight line is a part of a great circle and will show correct distance and direction from the center point to the other point. A transparent ruler, a set of gears, a compass rose and others may be attached to this map for quicker and easier acquisition of correct distance and direction.

Abstract: World maps for the earth's continents are formed from the continental hemisphere as a main body by attaching several sections of the oceanic hemispheres. Folding the hemispheres in half repeatedly makes near-flat disk maps of the both hemispheres. Other methods of producing world maps with less distortion are provided. These maps show that the earth's continents originated concurrently and did not change their shapes much since then. This also supports the inventor's hypothesis that a gigantic meteor-like body broke up in the air and fell as chunks of lava onto a proto-earth covered solely by the ocean.

Abstract: The present invention comprises an educational device for use with an earth globe having ecliptic angle of inclination for teaching students the position of the earth relative to the sun through the various seasons. The educational device can also be used to teach the months of the year as well as teaching the causes of night and day. The educational device having a flat board, which represents the earth's orbital plane, and having a sun label, a plurality of season labels and a plurality of month labels affixed on the facade of the board. The educational device also has a indexer wheel pivotally mounted to the board for rotatably mounting the earth globe so that the student may be able to freely rotatably maneuver the earth globe relative to the season labels so that the student can visually grasp the causes of the seasons as the year proceeds.

Abstract: A globe that shows internal structures of the earth three-dimensionally. The globe comprises a plurality of concentrically arranged spheres 1, 2, 3, 4 which are made of a transparent material except the innermost sphere and three-dimensional displaying members 5 to 11 which are arranged in the spaces between the spheres and represent the physically continuous internal structure of the earth.

Abstract: The polyhedron globe puzzle system of this invention comprises a plurality of scalene triangles with attachment means so as to form a generally spherical body on which is inscribed a world map such that the position of the scalene triangles contains latent and patent information and intelligence about the geography of the world map including but not limited to longitudinal and latitudinal information. The 360 edges of the 240'dron form themselves into 21 circumscribing polygons which, when projected on to a concentric true sphere, become Great Circles.

Abstract: A flexible sheet can be stored or patterned while in a flat configuration, and subsequently readily adapted to overlay a curved surface, for example a hemisphere of a sphere. Radial incisions made to the sheet provide a hub and a plurality of substantially triangular gores that adapt the sheet to conform substantially to the curved surface. A patternable transparent cover, adapted to be removably and/or pivotally secured to the hemisphere, closely overlays the sheet to form a covering assembly. Covering assemblies may be placed over one or both hemispheres of a sphere and fixedly or removably joined together.

Abstract: A multidisplay globe comprising a globular body including a globe spherical surface representing the earth, support means for mounting the globular body, and spherical film overlays removably mounted over the globe spherical surface for displaying selected features related to the earth. Each film overlay is preferably in two units comprising the northern and southern hemispheres of the earth. The spherical film overlays include one, two or more transparent film overlays each of which has a spherical surface one of which is removably mounted over the spherical earth surface and in turn each further film overlay is further removably mounted one over the other. The selected features related to the earth spherical surface are imprinted on the spherical surfaces of each of the film overlays.

Abstract: A world map system consists of thirty-two loose maps in the form of twelve equilateral pentagons and twenty inequilateral hexagons having alternately a relatively short side and a relatively long side. With these maps a globe can be formed by surrounding each pentagon with five hexagons in such a way that the side of pentagons and hexagons abutting each other are the same length. The ratio of the length of the relatively long hexagon sides to the length of the relatively short hexagon sides lies between 1:0.75 and 1:1.

Abstract: An Earth planet model based on the science of plate tectonics. Accordingly, the model (10) includes a plurality of curved members (12), each curved member representing one of Earth's crustal tectonic plates. Each plate member (12) is formed of a durable, lightweight plastic material and molded in raised and indented relief to illustrate such tectonic features as subduction zones, collision zones, mid-ocean ridges, island chains, island arcs, continental shelves, terrestrial and ocean floor topography, and the like. Plates (12) are attached to the exterior of a base globe (14) forming, as a whole, the surface layer of Earth, or lithosphere. The base globe itself consists of a plurality of spheroidal members, an inner core (22), an outer core (20), and a mantle (18), representing Earth's internal strata. The assembled model is positioned on a supporting pedestal (11) for display or demonstration. The pedestal includes a simple rotary mechanism which allows rotation of the model.

Abstract: A polyhedral approximation of an Earth globe or other non-planar surface and a projection of such non-planar surface to a two-dimensional form with a practical minimum of distortion of principal and secondary features is disclosed. Vertices are selected on the non-planar surface to be mapped so as to define identifiable panels which are suitable for individual study because of their incorporation of at least one of the principal features wholly within one of the panels. Vertices are selected so that the panels are individually shaped and sized to accommodate at least a majority of at least one of the principal features.

Abstract: A geographic map-grid network constructed on a sphere is obtained by inverse gnomonic transfer of a Rome de l'Isle polyhedron (P) circumscribed about a sphere (S) in accordance with local transfers centered at the point of tangency (E) of each lozenge-shaped face (L) of the polyhedron (P) to the sphere (S).

Abstract: A puzzle comprising a planar map projection is formed from a conformal projection of the earth's surface onto an equilateral tetrahedron whose apices are located at preselected significant points on the surface, for example, major airports, major seaports, etc. The planar map puzzle is tesselated (that is, space filling) and periodic (repeating itself with, at most, changes of orientation). A plurality of frames are provided to accommodate different predefined configurations of the puzzle pieces to thereby illustrate differing features of the respective configurations.

Abstract: Self-Assemble revolving globe using paper board materials in the making.