Method, system, and program for an improved enterprise spatial system

• US 20040117358A1
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CeleritasWorks, LLC (RGS Senior Management Group, LC)
• Original Assignee: Questerra Corporation
• Inventors: Stier, Mark Andrew, Odom,, Richard Hoyt Jr., Wayman, Jared Paul, Mihalich, Joseph, Trivelpiece, Craig Evan, Kumar, C. Suresh, Dyrnaes, David Neil, Obee, Anne Janetta, Goodwin, Jonathan David, von Kaenel, Tim A., Jenkins, Anthony Page
• Granted Patent: US 7,107,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Disclosed is a method, system, and program for providing access to spatial data. A request for data is received. Enterprise and third party data are integrated. The integrated data is processed. Spatially referenced results are generated using the processed data. The spatially referenced results are returned in response to the request.

Claims

1. A method for processing data, comprising:

receiving a query;

retrieving data for the query from at least one of an enterprise data store and a third party data store;

processing the data; and

returning a result for the query.

2. A method for providing access to spatial data, comprising:

receiving a request for data;

integrating enterprise and third party data;

processing the integrated data;

generating spatially referenced results using the processed data; and

returning the spatially referenced results in response to the request.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

coupling a data processing center to a live data processing center to provide for viewing of the spatially referenced results.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein processing the integrated third party data and enterprise data comprises at least one of:

cleansing the integrated third party data and enterprise data; and

geocoding the third party data and enterprise data.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the results comprise data layers in a first order and further comprising:

modifying an order of the data layers.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

updating at least one of the third party data and enterprise data in real time.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the spatially referenced results comprise data layers and further comprising:

providing hierarchical access control to each of the data layers.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the spatially referenced results comprise data layers further comprising:

storing the data layers as pyramided data;

receiving a request to scale a first data layer; and

automatically selecting a second data layer to be returned in response to the request.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the spatially referenced results comprise data layers and further comprising:

combining the data layers to form a printable file.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving an order for stored data;

collecting the requested data; and

forwarding the collected data to a requested location.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing at least one of purchase order handling, shopping cart management, billing, user profile management, and account management

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

enabling sharing of the spatially referenced results across multiple users.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending a handoff to a third party system; and

receiving at least one of a handback from the third party system or updated data.

14. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

enabling editing of the spatially referenced results.

15. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating the spatially referenced results using metadata.

16. A system for providing access to spatial data, comprising:

means for receiving a request for data;

means for integrating enterprise and third party data;

means for processing the integrated data;

means for generating spatially referenced results using the processed data; and

means for returning the spatially referenced results in response to the request.

17. An article of manufacture for providing access to spatial data, wherein the article of manufacture is capable of causing operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a request for data;

integrating enterprise and third party data;

processing the integrated data;

generating spatially referenced results using the processed data; and

returning the spatially referenced results in response to the request.

18. A method for manipulating a composite image, comprising:

retrieving data layers, wherein each data layer comprises an image;

forming a first composite image from one or more of the retrieved data layers, wherein the one or more of data layers forming the first composite image are stored in a structure;

receiving a request to manipulate one or more of the data layers in the first composite image; and

when the request may be performed without retrieving an additional data layer,

modifying the data layers stored in the structure; and

overlaying the data layers stored in the structure to form a second composite image.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the request is to remove the data layer.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the request is to reorder the data layers.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the request is one of panning, zooming, and refreshing one of the data layers.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the request is to view a new data layer.

23. A system for manipulating a composite image, comprising:

means for retrieving data layers, wherein each data layer comprises an image;

means for forming a first composite image from one or more of the retrieved data layers, wherein the one or more of the data layers forming the first composite image are stored in a structure;

means for receiving a request to manipulate one or more of the data layers in the first composite image; and

when the request may be performed without retrieving an additional data layer,

means for modifying the data layers stored in the structure; and

means for overlaying the data layers stored in the structure to form a second composite image.

24. An article of manufacture for manipulating a composite image, wherein the article of manufacture is capable of causing operations, the operations comprising:

retrieving data layers, wherein each data layer comprises an image;

forming a first composite image from one or more of the retrieved data layers, wherein the one or more of data layers forming the first composite image are stored in a structure;

receiving a request to manipulate one or more of the data layers in the first composite image; and

when the request may be performed without retrieving an additional data layer,

modifying the data layers stored in the structure; and

overlaying the data layers stored in the structure to form a second composite image.

25. A method of processing data, comprising:

receiving a data set comprising a data layer for processing;

generating data layer metadata for the data layer;

generating a rendering specification for the data layer;

generating access control metadata for the data layer; and

when a notification about the data layer is to be sent, sending the notification.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the rendering specification is generated based on business rules.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the data layer metadata is associated with user metadata for access control.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

sending the notification to client software in real time.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising at least one of:

performing address cleansing for the data layer; and

geocoding the data layer.

30. A system of processing data, comprising:

means for receiving a data set comprising a data layer for processing;

means for generating data layer metadata for the data layer;

means for generating a rendering specification for the data layer;

means for generating access control metadata for the data layer; and

means for when a notification about the data layer is to be sent, sending the notification.

31. An article of manufacture for processing data, wherein the article of manufacture is capable of causing operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a data set comprising a data layer for processing;

generating data layer metadata for the data layer;

generating a rendering specification for the data layer;

generating access control metadata for the data layer; and

when a notification about the data layer is to be sent, sending the notification.

32. A method for access control, comprising:

receiving a request to access a data set;

locating a layer definition table entry associated with the data set;

accessing a user table associated with the user from whom the request was received; and

determining whether the data set may be accessed by the user based on accessing a resource access control list table.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

filtering the data set.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

rendering the data set using a rendering specification.

35. A system for access control, comprising:

means for receiving a request to access a data set;

means for locating a layer definition table entry associated with the data set;

means for accessing a user table associated with the user from whom the request was received; and

means for determining whether the data set may be accessed by the user based on accessing a resource access control list table.

36. An article of manufacture for access control, wherein the article of manufacture is capable of causing operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a request to access a data set;

locating a layer definition table entry associated with the data set;

accessing a user table associated with the user from whom the request was received; and

determining whether the data set may be accessed by the user based on accessing a resource access control list table.

37. A method for processing data, comprising:

receiving a request for a data layer at a zoom scale, wherein the data layer has a layer identifier;

matching the layer identifier in a layer definition table and a layer pyramid table;

retrieving an entry from the layer pyramid table for data layer with the layer identifier; and

determining whether the zoom scale is between a minimum and maximum zoom scales found in the retrieved entry from the layer pyramid table.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

if the zoom scale is not between the minimum and maximum zoom scales found in the retrieved entry from the layer pyramid table, attempting to retrieve another entry from the layer pyramid table for data layer with the layer identifier.

39. A system for processing data, comprising:

means for receiving a request for a data layer at a zoom scale, wherein the data layer has a layer identifier;

means for matching the layer identifier in a layer definition table and a layer pyramid table;

means for retrieving an entry from the layer pyramid table for data layer with the layer identifier; and

means for determining whether the zoom scale is between a minimum and maximum zoom scales found in the retrieved entry from the layer pyramid table.

40. An article of manufacture for processing data, wherein the article of manufacture is capable of causing operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a request for a data layer at a zoom scale, wherein the data layer has a layer identifier;

matching the layer identifier in a layer definition table and a layer pyramid table;

retrieving an entry from the layer pyramid table for data layer with the layer identifier; and

determining whether the zoom scale is between a minimum and maximum zoom scales found in the retrieved entry from the layer pyramid table.

41. A method for processing data, comprising:

under control of a first system,

preparing a handoff package; and

sending the handoff package to a second system; and

under control of a second system;

processing data in the handoff package.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

under control of the second system,

preparing a handback package; and

sending the handback package to the first system.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

under control of the second system,

sending at least one of updated data or status to a third system.

44. A system for processing data, comprising:

under control of a first system,

means for preparing a handoff package; and

means for sending the handoff package to a second system; and

under control of a second system;

means for processing data in the handoff package.

45. An article of manufacture for processing data, wherein the article of manufacture is capable of causing operations, the operations comprising:

under control of a first system,

preparing a handoff package; and

sending the handoff package to a second system; and

under control of a second system;

processing data in the handoff package.

46. A method for editing data, comprising:

when existing editable data elements are selected for editing, retrieving information for the selected editable data elements; and

performing edit commands on the selected editable data elements using the retrieved information.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

creating a new editable data element.

48. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

performing edit commands on tabular data.

49. A system for editing data, comprising:

means for, when existing editable data elements are selected for editing, retrieving information for the selected editable data elements; and

means for performing edit commands on the selected editable data elements using the retrieved information.

50. An article of manufacture for editing data, wherein the article of manufacture is capable of causing operations, the operations comprising:

when existing editable data elements are selected for editing, retrieving information for the selected editable data elements; and

performing edit commands on the selected editable data elements using the retrieved information.

51. A method for sharing views of data, comprising:

creating a project;

associating access rights between users and the project; and

when receiving a request to access the project, determining whether access is permitted based on the associated access rights.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein a project access control list table stores a list of projects and users granted access to each of the projects.

53. The method of claim 51, further comprising:

allowing access to the project; and

allowing modifications to the project based upon the access rights.

54. The method of claim 51, wherein the views of data comprise views of spatial and tabular data.

55. A system for sharing views of data, comprising:

means for creating a project;

means for associating access rights between users and the project; and

means for, when receiving a request to access the project, determining whether access is permitted based on the associated access rights.

56. An article of manufacture for sharing views of data, wherein the article of manufacture is capable of causing operations, the operations comprising:

creating a project;

associating access rights between users and the project; and

when receiving a request to access the project, determining whether access is permitted based on the associated access rights.