System and method for populating a geo-coding database

• US 20070135992A1
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Devesh, Riise, Sorren
• Granted Patent: US 7,606,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method is disclosed of populating a geo-coded database. A polygon is received for defining a first geographic region. At least one group of at least two points is determined corresponding to the geographic region, the at least one group of at least two points defining a plane enclosing the geographic region. A first data record representative of the first geographic region is generated, the data record including an identifier of the geographic region and the determined at least one group of at least two points corresponding thereto. The first data record is stored in the geo-coded database.

Claims

1. A method of populating a geo-coded database comprising:

receiving a first polygon defining a first geographic region;

determining a first group of at least two points corresponding to the first geographic region, the first group of at least two points defining a plane in which the first geographic region lies;

generating a first data record representative of the first geographic region, the data record comprising an identifier of the first geographic region and the determined first group of at least two points corresponding thereto; and

storing the first data record in the geo-coded database.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a second data record in the geo-coded database representative of a second geographic region one of adjacent to, proximate to, overlapping with, within or encompassing the first geographic region; and

associating the second data record with the first data record in the geo-coded database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving further comprises receiving a second polygon, the second polygon defining a second geographic region, the method further comprising:

performing the determining and generating for each of the first and second polygons; and

associating the first data record representative of the first geographic region with the second data record representative of the second geographic region.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

storing the first and second data records in the geo-coded data;

identifying a third data record in the geo-coded database representative of a third geographic region one of adjacent to, proximate to, overlapping with, within or encompassing the first and second geographic regions; and

associating the third data record with the first and second data records in the geo-coded database.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

augmenting the first polygon with the generated first data record representative of the first geographic region.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

augmenting the first polygon with the associated second data record.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first geographic region comprises a characteristic defining the first geographic region.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the characteristic comprises at least one of administrative boundaries, geographic boundaries, demographic boundaries, or combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first group of at least two points comprises a first minimum bounding polygon.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first group of at least two points comprises a second minimum bounding polygon.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first group of at least two points comprises a first minimum bounding rectangle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first group of at least two points comprises a second minimum bounding rectangle.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data record representative of the first geographic region further comprises a polygon identifier.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data record representative of the first geographic region further comprises a minimum bounding rectangle identifier.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data record representative of the first geographic region further comprises at least one of text name of the geographic region, characteristic defining the geographic region, attribute associated with the first geographic region, latitude and longitude coordinates representative of the geographic region, or combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one of attribute associated with the first geographic region comprises at least one of a demographic attribute, a geographic attribute, a meteorological attribute, a geological attribute, or combinations thereof.

17. A system for populating a geo-coded database with a first received polygon, the first received polygon defining a first geographic region, the system comprising:

a determining processor operative to determine a first group of at least two points corresponding to the first geographic region, the first group of at least two points defining a plane in which the first geographic region lies; and

an affiliating processor coupled with the determining processor and operative to generate a first data record representative of the first geographic region, the data record comprising an identifier of the first geographic region and the determined first group of at least two points corresponding thereto; and

the affiliating processor is further operative to store the first data record in the geo-coded database.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the affiliating processor is further operative to:

identify a second data record in the geo-coded database representative of a second geographic region one of adjacent to, proximate to, overlapping with, within or encompassing the first geographic region; and

associate the second data record with the first data record in the geo-coded database.

19. The system of claim 17 further comprising a second received polygon, the second received polygon defining a second geographic region, the determining processor being further operable to determine a second group of at least two points corresponding to the second geographic region, the second group of at least two points defining a plane in which the second geographic region lies, the affiliating processor being further operative to generate a second data record representative of the second geographic region, the second data record comprising a second identifier of the second geographic region and the determined second group of at least two points corresponding thereto, and wherein the affiliating processor is further operative to associate the first and second data records in the geo-coded database.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the affiliating processor is further operative to:

store the first and second data records in the geo-coded database;

identify a third data record in the geo-coded database representative of a third geographic region one of adjacent to, proximate to, overlapping with, within or encompassing the first and second geographic regions; and

associate the third data record with the first and second data records in the geo-coded database.

21. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

an augmenting processor operative to augment the first polygon with the generated first data record representative of the first geographic region.

22. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

an augmenting processor operative to augment the first polygon with the associated second data record.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the first geographic region comprises a characteristic defining the first geographic region.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the characteristic comprises at least one of administrative boundaries, geographic boundaries, demographic boundaries, or combinations thereof.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the first group of at least two points comprises a first minimum bounding polygon.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the first group of at least two points comprises a second minimum bounding polygon.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the first group of at least two points comprises a first minimum bounding rectangle.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the first group of at least two points comprises a second minimum bounding rectangle.

29. The system of claim 17, wherein the first data record representative of the first geographic region further comprises a polygon identifier.

30. The system of claim 17, wherein the first data record representative of the first geographic region further comprises a minimum bounding rectangle identifier.

31. The system of claim 17, wherein the first data record representative of the first geographic region further comprises at least one of text name of the geographic region, characteristic defining the geographic region, attribute associated with the first geographic region, latitude and longitude coordinates representative of the geographic region, or combinations thereof.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the at least one of attribute associated with the first geographic region comprises at least one of a demographic attribute, a geographic attribute, a meteorological attribute, a geological attribute, or combinations thereof.

33. The system for populating a geo-coded database comprising:

means for receiving at least one polygon defining a first geographic region;

means, coupled with the means for receiving, for determining at least one group of at least two points corresponding to the first geographic region, the at least one group of at least two points defining a plane in which the first geographic region lies;

means, coupled with the means for determining, for generating a first data record representative of the first geographic region, the data record comprising an identifier of the first geographic region and the determined at least one group of at least two points corresponding thereto;

means, coupled with the means for generating, for storing the first data record in the geo-coded database.

34. A system for populating a geo-coded database with at least one received polygon, the at least one received polygon defining a first geographic region, the system comprising computer programming logic stored in a memory and executable by a processor coupled with the memory, the computer programming logic comprising:

first logic operative to determine at least one group of at least two points corresponding to the first geographic region, the at least one group of at least two points defining a plane in which the first geographic region lies;

second logic coupled with the first logic and operative to generate a first data record representative of the first geographic region, the data record comprising an identifier of the first geographic region and the determined at least one group of at least two points corresponding thereto; and

the second logic further operative to store the first data record in the geo-coded database.