Notes on the History of the Map Tile

a year ago

Web map tiles revolutionized digital maps by enabling fluid, dynamic exploration.
Google Maps is often credited with popularizing raster tiles, but the concept predates them.
The idea of tiling map data originated with the Canada Geographic Information System (CGIS) in the 1960s.
The Morton Matrix, or z-order curve, was an early method for tiling geospatial data.
Quad trees, related to the z-order curve, were proposed for GIS data storage in the 1980s.
Patents from PRC Public Sector and WildTangent show early implementations of map tiling.
PRC Public Sector was involved in police dispatch systems and crime mapping.
WildTangent, a gaming company, patented a tile-based mapping method but may not have implemented it.
Michael Potmesil of Bell Labs proposed web map tiles in 1997, predating Google Maps.
The development of map tiles was a collaborative effort, not the invention of a single individual or company.

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