Data acquisition apparatus, data acquisition system and method of acquiring data

• US 10,247,570 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2008
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Aben, Sjoerd, Thomassen, Erik, De Haas, Teun
• Primary Examiner(s): Hwa, Shyue Jiunn
• Application Number:
  US12/736,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20110131243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,799 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

A data acquisition apparatus includes a processing resource operably coupled to an input unit and an output unit. The processing resource is arranged to provide an execution environment for supporting a user interface. An enquiry module is provided and supported by the execution environment. In at least one embodiment, the apparatus also includes a communications unit operably coupled to the processing resource for supporting communications over a communications network. The enquiry module is arranged to generate a search query relating to a point of interest and receive search results in response thereto via the communications unit, the enquiry module also being arranged to use the search results to derive data associated with the point of interest.

Claims

1. A method of acquiring data in relation to a point of interest, comprising:

generating, by a processor, a search enquiry relating to a point of interest;

communicating the search query over a communications network;

receiving search results in response thereto via the communications network, the search results comprising identifiers for web pages that were found by a web search engine based on the search query;

filtering the search results to eliminate search results that do not have one or more properties matching corresponding criteria, the criteria comprising at least one of tags or identifiers in the content within the web pages associated with the search results and file names associated with the search results;

using, by the processor, the search results to derive data associated with the point of interest, the deriving comprising processing content within the web pages to acquire the data associated with the point of interest;

updating information about the point of interest in a point of interest database based at least in part on the data associated with the point of interest, the updating comprising adding, to information describing characteristics of the point of interest, at least one piece of information describing a characteristic of the point of interest that is based on data acquired from the content within the web pages; and

providing, to other devices, information from the point of interest database, the provided information arranged to be used to perform navigation operations involving the point of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the content in the web pages to acquire the data associated with the point of interest comprises:

parsing the content to acquire one or more terms, the one or more terms having corresponding arrangements of information.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

ascertaining context for the one or more terms based at least in part on a portion of the content having a specified locality relationship with the one or more terms within the content.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein parsing the content to acquire the one or more terms comprises:

identifying, in the content, a specified type of data structure; and

parsing the data structure to acquire the data associated with the point of interest.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the point of interest is one of:

one or more times when the point of interest is open; and

one or more contact details for the point of interest.

6. A data acquisition apparatus, comprising:

a processor and memory arranged to provide an execution environment; and

a communications unit operably coupled to the processor for supporting communications over a communications network, wherein the processor is arranged to;

generate a search enquiry relating to a point of interest;

communicate the search query over the communications network;

receive search results in response thereto via the communications network, the search results comprising identifiers for web pages that were found by a web search engine based on the search query;

filter the search results to eliminate search results that do not have one or more properties matching corresponding criteria, the criteria comprising at least one of tags or identifiers in the content within the web pages associated with the search results and file names associated with the search results;

use the search results to derive data associated with the point of interest, the deriving comprising processing content within the web pages to acquire the data associated with the point of interest;

update information about the point of interest in a point of interest database based at least in part on the data associated with the point of interest, the updating comprising adding, to information describing characteristics of the point of interest, at least one piece of information describing a characteristic of the point of interest that is based on data acquired from the content within the web pages; and

providing, to other devices, information from the point of interest database, the provided information arranged to be used to perform navigation operations involving the point of interest.

7. The data acquisition apparatus of claim 6, wherein, when processing the content in the web pages to acquire the data associated with the point of interest, the processor is further arranged to:

parse the content to acquire one or more terms, the one or more terms having corresponding arrangements of information.

8. The data acquisition apparatus of claim 7, the processor is further arranged to:

ascertain context for the one or more terms based at least in part on a portion of the content having a specified locality relationship with the one or more terms within the content.

9. The data acquisition apparatus of claim 7, wherein, when parsing the content to acquire the one or more terms, the processor is further arranged to:

identify, in the content, a specified type of data structure; and

parse the data structure to acquire the data associated with the point of interest.

10. The data acquisition apparatus of claim 6, wherein the data associated with the point of interest is one of:

one or more times when the point of interest is open; and

one or more contact details for the point of interest.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer program code to, when executed by a processor of a data acquisition apparatus, cause the apparatus to execute a method of acquiring data in relation to a point of interest, the method comprising:

generating a search enquiry relating to a point of interest;

communicating the search query over a communications network;

receiving search results in response thereto via the communications network, the search results comprising identifiers for web pages that were found by a web search engine based on the search query;

filtering the search results to eliminate search results that do not have one or more properties matching corresponding criteria, the criteria comprising at least one of tags or identifiers in the content within the web pages associated with the search results and file names associated with the search results;

using the search results to derive data associated with the point of interest, the deriving comprising processing content within the web pages to acquire the data associated with the point of interest;

updating information about the point of interest in a point of interest database based at least in part on the data associated with the point of interest, the updating comprising adding, to information describing characteristics of the point of interest, at least one piece of information describing a characteristic of the point of interest that is based on data acquired from the content within the web pages; and

providing, to other devices, information from the point of interest database, the provided information arranged to be used to perform navigation operations involving the point of interest.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein processing the content in the web pages to acquire the data associated with the point of interest comprises:

parsing the content to acquire one or more terms, the one or more terms having corresponding arrangements of information.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

ascertaining context for the one or more terms based at least in part on a portion of the content having a specified locality relationship with the one or more terms within the content.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein parsing the content to acquire the one or more terms comprises:

identifying, in the content, a specified type of data structure; and

parsing the data structure to acquire the data associated with the point of interest.