Ranking of geographic information

• US 10,360,228 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Katragadda, Lalitesh, Ito, Keith, Muller, James R., Balakrishnan, Ramesh, Norris, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phong H
• Application Number:
  US15/611,152
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 707723, 707724, 707748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

Ranking of geographic information includes receiving information about geographic features, identifying documents based on the information, each document being associated with one of the geographic features, and generating a rank score for each document based on one or more properties of the geographic feature associated with the document.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of ranking geographic information, the method comprising:

receiving information about a set of candidate geographic features that are candidates to present on a map at a computing device, wherein at least one candidate geographic feature comprises a geopolitical unit, a natural structure, or a man-made structure;

for each candidate geographic feature;

identifying a respective ranking function for the candidate geographic feature based on a type of the candidate geographic feature, wherein the respective ranking functions identified for at least some of the candidate geographic features are different from each other;

identifying at least one of (i) one or more physical properties of the candidate geographic feature or (ii) a relationship between the candidate geographic feature and one or more other geographic features;

generating a rank score for the candidate geographic feature, including evaluating the respective ranking function for the candidate geographic feature using, at least, indications about the one or more physical properties of the candidate geographic feature or the relationship between the candidate geographic feature and the one or more other geographic features;

selecting particular ones of the candidate geographic features based on the rank scores for the candidate geographic features; and

providing the selected candidate geographic features for presentation on the map at the computing device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising, for at least one candidate geographic feature:

identifying the one or more physical properties of the candidate geographic feature; and

generating the rank score for the candidate geographic feature, including evaluating the respective ranking function for the candidate geographic feature using an indication about the one or more physical properties of the candidate geographic feature.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the one or more physical properties of at least one candidate geographic feature include at least one of an area occupied by the candidate geographic feature, a total length of roads of the candidate geographic feature, an infrastructure quality of the candidate geographic feature, or a visual prominence of the candidate geographic feature.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one candidate geographic feature comprises a building, and the rank score for the building is generated based at last one a number of floors of the building or a total floor area of the building.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising, for at least one candidate geographic feature:

identifying the relationship between the candidate geographic feature and the one or more other geographic features; and

generating the rank score for the candidate geographic feature, including evaluating the respective ranking function for the candidate geographic feature using an indication about the relationship between the candidate geographic feature and the one or more other geographic features.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, for each candidate geographic feature:

determining a confidence score that is based on a level of confidence attributed to a source of information about the candidate geographic feature;

wherein the rank score for the candidate geographic feature is generated further based on the confidence score for the candidate geographic feature.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving information about a set of candidate geographic features that are candidates to present on a map at a computing device, wherein at least one candidate geographic feature comprises a geopolitical unit, a natural structure, or a man-made structure;

for each candidate geographic feature;

identifying a respective ranking function for the candidate geographic feature based on a type of the candidate geographic feature, wherein the respective ranking functions identified for at least some of the candidate geographic features are different from each other;

identifying at least one of (i) one or more physical properties of the candidate geographic feature or (ii) a relationship between the candidate geographic feature and one or more other geographic features;

generating a rank score for the candidate geographic feature, including evaluating the respective ranking function for the candidate geographic feature using, at least, indications about the one or more physical properties of the candidate geographic feature or the relationship between the candidate geographic feature and the one or more other geographic features;

selecting particular ones of the candidate geographic features based on the rank scores for the candidate geographic features; and

providing the selected candidate geographic features for presentation on the map at the computing device.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the operations comprise, for at least one candidate geographic feature:

identifying the one or more physical properties of the candidate geographic feature; and

generating the rank score for the candidate geographic feature, including evaluating the respective ranking function for the candidate geographic feature using an indication about the one or more physical properties of the candidate geographic feature.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the one or more physical properties of at least one candidate geographic feature include at least one of an area occupied by the candidate geographic feature, a total length of roads of the candidate geographic feature, an infrastructure quality of the candidate geographic feature, or a visual prominence of the candidate geographic feature.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein at least one candidate geographic feature comprises a building, and the rank score for the building is generated based at last one a number of floors of the building or a total floor area of the building.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the operations comprise, for at least one candidate geographic feature:

identifying the relationship between the candidate geographic feature and the one or more other geographic features; and

generating the rank score for the candidate geographic feature, including evaluating the respective ranking function for the candidate geographic feature using an indication about the relationship between the candidate geographic feature and the one or more other geographic features.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise, for each candidate geographic feature:

determining a confidence score that is based on a level of confidence attributed to a source of information about the candidate geographic feature;

wherein the rank score for the candidate geographic feature is generated further based on the confidence score for the candidate geographic feature.

13. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving information about a set of candidate geographic features that are candidates to present on a map at a computing device, wherein at least one candidate geographic feature comprises a geopolitical unit, a natural structure, or a man-made structure;

for each candidate geographic feature;

identifying a respective ranking function for the candidate geographic feature based on a type of the candidate geographic feature, wherein the respective ranking functions identified for at least some of the candidate geographic features are different from each other;

identifying at least one of (i) one or more physical properties of the candidate geographic feature or (ii) a relationship between the candidate geographic feature and one or more other geographic features;

generating a rank score for the candidate geographic feature, including evaluating the respective ranking function for the candidate geographic feature using, at least, indications about the one or more physical properties of the candidate geographic feature or the relationship between the candidate geographic feature and the one or more other geographic features;

selecting particular ones of the candidate geographic features based on the rank scores for the candidate geographic features; and

providing the selected candidate geographic features for presentation on the map at the computing device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations comprise, for at least one candidate geographic feature:

identifying the one or more physical properties of the candidate geographic feature; and

generating the rank score for the candidate geographic feature, including evaluating the respective ranking function for the candidate geographic feature using an indication about the one or more physical properties of the candidate geographic feature.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more physical properties of at least one candidate geographic feature include at least one of an area occupied by the candidate geographic feature, a total length of roads of the candidate geographic feature, an infrastructure quality of the candidate geographic feature, or a visual prominence of the candidate geographic feature.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one candidate geographic feature comprises a building, and the rank score for the building is generated based at last one a number of floors of the building or a total floor area of the building.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations comprise, for at least one candidate geographic feature:

identifying the relationship between the candidate geographic feature and the one or more other geographic features; and

generating the rank score for the candidate geographic feature, including evaluating the respective ranking function for the candidate geographic feature using an indication about the relationship between the candidate geographic feature and the one or more other geographic features.