System and method for the storage, management and sharing of spatial-temporal based information

• US 20020069312A1
• Filed: 07/03/2001
• Published: 06/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Gad Quentin
• Application Number:
  US09/898,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20020069312A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A personal, group, and community spatial-temporal based information system for the storage, management and sharing of user annotated spatial-temporal based information is disclosed. Spatial-temporal information is provided to the system by a variety of remote users. Geographical coordinates and time are automatically stored or sent by the device to a spatial-temporal sub-system which includes a spatial-temporal information database and a geographical information system database. Users can easily add highly accurate and relevant spatial-temporal information into a personal information management system, to be stored, shared, edited and managed by the user.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to spatial-temporal based information, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of spatial-temporal based information entries from a plurality of users utilizing geographic positioning compatible devices;

storing the plurality of spatial-temporal based information entries from the plurality of users; and

providing access to the plurality of stored spatial-temporal based information entries, wherein each spatial-temporal based information entry identifies at least one location, a date/time the at least one location was visited and some user annotated information related to the at least one location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user annotation is a voice annotation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one location identification includes geographical positioning information and a location name.

4. A method for facilitating global information access, the method comprising:

providing at least one database of spatial-temporal based information, wherein the database is coupled to at least one geographic information system database;

receiving a plurality of spatial-temporal information entries from a plurality of remote user global positioning enabled devices; and

updating the database of spatial-temporal information with the received spatial-temporal information entries, wherein each of the spatial-temporal entries is comprised of a user identification, geographic location, a time and a user annotation.

5. A spatial temporal information access device for providing and accessing spatial-temporal information, comprising:

a spatial-temporal component for providing spatial and temporal information related to one or more locations;

a user interface component for providing and accessing user annotations related to the one or more locations; and

a communications component, wherein the transfer component can send and receive spatial temporal information.

6. A method for receiving and providing spatial-temporal information via a distributed network, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of geographical bookmarks from one or more remote users;

compiling the plurality of geographical bookmarks in one or more databases accessible by the one or more remote users; and

providing user access to the plurality of geographical bookmarks, wherein each of the geographical bookmarks comprises a destination profile, the destination profile including an annotated description of the destination by the one or more remote users.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the destination profile includes location and time coordinates.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the annotated description is a user voice annotation.

9. A spatial-temporal information system, comprising:

a global positioning component;

a geographical information component; and

at least one spatial-temporal component for receiving and storing spatial-temporal information in concert with information received from the global positioning component and the geographical information component, wherein the at least one spatial-temporal component includes a database operative to receive, store and provide access to a plurality of user provided spatial-temporal bookmarks which identify particular locations and descriptive annotated information related to the particular locations, the at least one spatial-temporal component accessible from a plurality of remote locations.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the descriptive annotated information is speech based.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of global positioning user devices.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the spatial-temporal information is a geographical bookmark having a voice annotation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user annotated component is speech based.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the user interface is accessed via a plurality of geographic positioning enabled devices.

12. A method for accessing a dynamic spatial-temporal bookmarking system, the method comprising:

receiving inputs from a plurality of distributed users, the inputs comprising spatial-temporal information entries having user supplied annotations;

aggregating the inputs in a manner to allow for distributed access to the inputs; and

allowing access to the inputs, wherein a user can access a historical collection of the spatial-temporal information.

14. A method comprising:

receiving destination profile information related to a plurality of users visited destinations;

storing the destination profile information in a database accessible by the plurality of users; and

providing user access to the destination profile information, wherein the destination profile information has at least a location component, a date/time component and a user annotated component which describes the user visited destination.

16. A method for facilitating rapid spatial-temporal based information collection and access, the method comprising:

providing a simplified user interface for capturing a plurality of spatial-temporal based information entries;

receiving spatial-temporal based information entries via the user interface; and

assembling the spatial-temporal based information for access, wherein the spatial-temporal based information entries contain user annotations.

17. A system for sharing spatial-temporal information via the Internet, comprising:

one or more geographical information system databases;

one or more databases for storing a plurality of geographical bookmarks; and

a Web server in communication with the one or more geographical information system databases and the one or more databases for storing the plurality of geographical bookmarks, wherein the Web server includes a geographical bookmark user interface for receiving spatial-temporal information from at least one user and for presenting information to the at least one user, wherein the information received and presented includes a user annotated portion.

19. An apparatus communicatively coupling a plurality of clients to a spatial-temporal based information system, the apparatus comprising:

a storage device, operative to store and retrieve spatial-temporal based information on demand; and

a controller, coupled to the storage device, operative to receive spatial-temporal based information from the plurality of clients and on behalf of and in response to client requests, to provide the requesting clients with the received information.

20. A method for enabling sharing and access to a historical collection of location based information provided by a plurality of users employing geographic positioning enabled devices via a distributed information network, the method comprising:

providing a user accessible database for collecting the location based information from the plurality of users;

receiving a plurality of location based information entries from the plurality of users;

storing the historical collection of location based information from plurality of users;

processing the historical collection of location based information; and

providing access to the historical collection of location based information, wherein each location based information entry includes a user annotation.