System and method for geo-coding user generated content

• US 20070244634A1
• Filed: 02/20/2007
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Farmx, Automodality Inc. (FarmX Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Geopeg, Inc.
• Inventors: Koch, Edward, Collier, Wesley, Hennage, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 7,617,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3856 Data obtained from user input
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3874 Structures specially adapted for data searching and retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A system and method for geo-coding user generated content is described. The system comprises a content source, a content management module, a content repository, a location source, a location repository, a geo-coding module, and a geo-location object data sheet (GDS). The content source captures the user generated content. The content management module manages the user generated content. The content repository stores the user generated content. The location source generates a plurality of location data, and the location repository stores the location data. The geo-coding module generates the geo-located object data sheet (GDS) that associates the user generated content with the corresponding location data. The GDS depository stores the geo-located object data sheet.

Claims

1. A system for geo-coding a plurality of user generated content, said system comprising:

at least one content source configured to capture the plurality of user generated content;

at least one content management module configured to manage the user generated content;

a content repository configured to store the user generated content;

at least one location source configured to generate a plurality of location data;

a location repository configured to store the location data;

a geo-coding module configured to generate a geo-located object data sheet (GDS) that associates the user generated content with the corresponding location data; and

a GDS depository configured to store a plurality of GDSs.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said location source is configured to generate a plurality of time data that is stored in the location repository, and said GDS associates the user generated content with the corresponding time data.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said location source is configured to identify a particular user and store the user information in the location repository, and said GDS associates the user generated content with the corresponding user information.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the content repository is on a user personal computer.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the content repository is a server on the Internet.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein the location repository resides on a network that is publicly accessible.

7. A method for geo-coding user generated content, the method compromising:

providing at least one content source configured to capture the user generated content comprising a plurality of geo-located objects;

determining if there is a location record associated with the user generated content;

extracting the location record from the user generated content;

associating the user generated content with the location record; and

storing the location record in a location repository that resides on a network that is publicly accessible.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

identifying an explicit location record associated with the location record; and

extracting the explicit location record.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein after extracting the explicit location record, the method further comprises determining whether the extracted explicit location record is adequate.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

identifying an explicitly geo-located object within said plurality of objects, said explicitly geo-located object having a location;

determining a relationship between said explicitly geo-located object and the remaining plurality of objects; and

determining a location for each of the remaining plurality of objects based on the location of the explicitly geo-located object and the relationship between the explicitly geo-located object and the remaining plurality of objects.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

identifying a content annotation associated with the location record; and

extracting the content annotation location record.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein after extracting the content annotation location record, the method further comprises determining whether the content annotation location record is adequate.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

providing at least one location source configured to generate a plurality of location data that is stored in the location repository; and

identifying at least one location record in the location repository that is associated with the user generated content.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising generating a calculated location record using the location record in the location repository.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein after generating the calculated location record, the method further comprises determining whether the calculated location record is adequate.

16. The method of claim 7 further comprising generating the location record from a user entry where the user manually specifies the location record.

17. A method for geo-coding a plurality of objects, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of objects;

identifying an explicitly geo-located object within said plurality of objects, said explicitly geo-located object having a location;

determining a relationship between said explicitly geo-located object and the remaining plurality of objects; and

determining a location for each of the remaining plurality of objects based on the location of the explicitly geo-located object and the relationship between the explicitly geo-located object and the remaining plurality of objects.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising extracting a location coordinate from each of the remaining plurality of objects.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the relationship between the explicitly geo-located object and the remaining plurality of objects comprises a particular annotation that is applied to the plurality of objects.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said plurality of objects are a plurality of sequenced objects that have a sequential relationship further comprising determining the location for each of the remaining plurality of objects based on the sequential relationship between the sequenced objects and the explicitly geo-located object.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the sequenced relationship comprises a time stamp for each of the sequenced objects.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising identifying a path that associates at least two of the time-stamped objects.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising identifying a path that associates at least one of the sequenced objects with another of the sequenced objects.

24. A method for geo-coding a plurality of objects, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of sequenced objects;

identifying an explicitly geo-located object within said plurality of objects, said explicitly geo-located object having a location;

determining a sequential relationship between said explicitly geo-located object and the remaining plurality of objects; and

determining a location for each of the remaining plurality of objects based on the sequential relationship between the sequenced objects and the explicitly geo-located object.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising extracting a location coordinate from each of the remaining plurality of sequenced objects.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the relationship between the explicitly geo-located object and the remaining plurality of sequenced objects comprises a particular annotation that is applied to the plurality of sequenced objects.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the sequenced relationship comprises a time stamp for each of the sequenced objects.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising identifying a path that associates at least two of the time-stamped objects.

29. The method of claim 24 further comprising identifying a path that associates at least one of the sequenced objects with another of the sequenced objects.

30. A method for generating a virtual tour on a display device, the method comprising:

providing at least one map;

providing a plurality of sequenced images, wherein each of the images is associated with at least one location by a geo-coding module configured to generate a geo-location object data sheet that associates sequential images with a corresponding location;

organizing the sequenced images based on the location of each of the sequenced images; and

displaying the organized sequenced images on the map.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising providing a route on the map that is associated with the organized sequenced images, and displaying the organized sequence of images along the route that is shown on the map.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein one of the organized sequenced images comprises a point-of-interest (POI) having additional information that is provided by a third party.

33. The method of claim 31 further comprising associating a time with each of the organized sequenced images.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising generating an animation of the organized sequenced images based on the time of each organized sequenced image.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising providing at least one user control that is configured to allow a user to control the animation comprising the sequenced images.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein one of the organized sequenced images comprises a point-of-interest (POI) having additional information that is provided by a third party.