Method and system for locating position for a mobile communication device

• US 20020072379A1
• Filed: 11/06/2001
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rao, Fangyan, Chen, Ying
• Application Number:
  US09/992,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20020072379A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

This invention presents methods, apparatus and systems for locating position for a mobile commutation device generally used in applications including mobile commerce. In example embodiments, geo-indicators based on text are inputted by a user with the mobile commutation device. Then, a candidate feature set is generated for each geo-indicator by applying geocoding which maps the text address to a geo-location based on a back end spatial database. The final geo-location information is decided by geoclustering the candidate feature set.

Claims

1. A method for locating position for a mobile commutation device, comprising:

inputting geo-indicators (Gi-i, Gi-2, . . . , Gi-n) based on text by a user with the mobile commutation device;

transmitting the geo-indicators to a back end server;

generating a candidate feature set for each geo-indicator by applying geocoding which maps the text address to a geo-location based on a back end spatial database;

deciding the final geo-location information by geoclustering the candidate feature set; and

transmitting the geo-location information to the mobile communication device.

2. A method for locating position for a mobile communication device according to claim 1, wherein the geo-indicators (Gi-1, Gi-2, . . . , Gi-n) are based on text inputted by the user with the mobile commutation device, Gi-j is an item selected from a group of items including:

a street name, a building name, a postal code, a telephone number, and any combination of these.

3. A method for locating position for a mobile communication device according to claim 1, wherein the geo-indicators (Gi-1, Gi-2, . . . , Gi-n) are based on text inputted by the users with the mobile commutation device, Gi-j is selected from a group including an abbreviation of a street name and/or a building name, a local code of a postal code, a telephone number, and any combination of these.

4. A method for locating position for a mobile communication device according to claim 1, wherein said candidate feature set is a set of points determined from an item in a group of items including:

a building name, a set of lines determined by a road name, a polygon determined by a postal code, a telephone number, and any combination of these.

5. A method for locating position for a mobile communication device according to claim 1, wherein said candidate feature set is labeled with a confidence level.

6. A method for locating position for a mobile communication device according to claim 5, wherein the geometry relationship and confidence level is taken into account when geoclustering said candidate feature set.

7. A method for locating position for a mobile communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a step of feeding back a choice made by the user and/or adding an additional geo-indicator inputted by the user, in order to locate said position precisely.

16. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for locating a position for a mobile commutation device, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of claim 1.

17. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for locating a position for a mobile commutation device, said method steps comprising the steps of claim 1.

8. A system for locating position for a mobile commutation device, comprising:

a mobile communication device, for inputting geo-indicators (Gi-1, Gi-2, . . . , Gi-n) based on text;

geo-location generating means, for generating a candidate feature set for each geo-indicator by applying geocoding which maps the text address to an geo-location based on a back end spatial database; and

clustering means, for deciding the final geo-location information by geoclustering the candidate feature set.

9. A system for locating position for a mobile communication device according to claim 8, wherein said mobile communication device is a WAP phone or a PDA.

10. A system for locating position for a mobile communication device according to claim 8, wherein the geo-indicators (Gi-1, Gi-2, . . . , Gi-n) based on text inputted by the user with the mobile commutation device, Gi-j is selected from the group of items including:

a street name, a building name, a postal code, a telephone number, and any combination of these.

11. A system for locating position for a mobile communication device according to claim 10, wherein the geo-indicators (Gi-1, Gi-2, . . . , Gi-n) based on text inputted by the user with the mobile commutation device, Gi-j could be an abbreviation of a street name and a building name, or the local code of a postal code and a telephone number.

12. A system for locating position for a mobile communication device according to claim 8, wherein said candidate feature set could be a set of points determined by a building name, a set of lines determined by a road name, or a polygon determined by a postal code or a telephone number.

13. A system for locating position for a mobile communication device according to claim 8, wherein said candidate feature set is labeled with a confidence level.

14. A system for locating position for a mobile communication device according to claim 13, wherein the geometry relationship and confidence level is taken into account when geoclustering said candidate feature set.

15. A system for locating position for a mobile communication device according to claim 8, further comprising result feedback means wherein a choice is made by the user or an additional geo-indicator is inputted by the user in order to locate the position precisely.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a system for locating position for a mobile commutation device, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the functions of claim 8.