S' is the abbreviation for the acronyms of Remote Sensing, Geographical Information System, and Global Positioning System. At the beginning the article briefly introduces the main content, the developing history, and the current situation of '3S' technologies. Then it elaborates the exact meaning of '3S' integration and the differences among various implementation modes corresponding with all kinds of integration patterns according to the three standards of breadth, compactness, and simultaneity. Further it expounds the characters and the main application fields of the four integration pattern...
