Method of associating user related data with spatial hierarchy identifiers for efficient location-based processing

• US 20080183730A1
• Filed: 01/30/2008
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Craxel, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Craxel, Inc.
• Inventors: Enga, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,305,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]

Abstract

A program storing computer-readable instructions therein for instructing a computer to perform analytical steps for associating user related data with a spatial hierarchy identifier, the program comprising a recording medium readable by the computer and the computer instructions stored on said recording medium instructing the computer to perform the processes including receiving user related data, determining the user that is associated with the user related data, determining the at least one location associated with the user, associating the at least one location with at least one first spatial hierarchy identifier, and associating the user related data with the at least one first spatial hierarchy identifier.

Claims

1. A program storing computer-readable instructions therein for instructing a computer to perform analytical steps for associating user related data with a spatial hierarchy identifier, the program comprising:

a recording medium readable by the computer; and

the computer instructions stored on said recording medium instructing the computer to perform the processes including;

receiving user related data;

determining a user that is associated with the user related data;

determining at least one location associated with the user;

associating the at least one location with at least one first spatial hierarchy identifier; and

associating the user related data with the at least one first spatial hierarchy identifier.

2. The program of claim 1, wherein the user related data is the result of a request associated with a user.

3. The program of claim 1, wherein the user related data is an action associated with a user.

4. The program of claim 1, wherein the user related data is sent to the user without the user making a request.

5. The program of claim 1, further performing the processes including:

generating a first spatial hierarchy identifier for identifying first regions within a first spatial hierarchy associated with the at least one location.

6. The program of claim 1, further performing the processes including:

generating at least one second identifier for identifying second regions within a second spatial hierarchy corresponding to the at least one location, wherein the at least one first spatial hierarchy is different than the at least one second spatial hierarchy; and

associating the user related data with the at least one second spatial hierarchy identifier.

7. The program of claim 1, wherein the spatial hierarchy identifier identifies all of the regions within a spatial hierarchy that contains the at least one location.

8. The program of claim 1, wherein the at least one location associated with the user is determined by using a mobile device with location-determining means.

9. The program of claim 1, wherein the at least one location associated with the user is determined by user registration of his locations of interest.

10. The program of claim 1, wherein the at least one location associated with the user is determined by the user choosing a location using an interactive map.

11. The program of claim 1, further performing the processes including:

storing the user related data and the at least one spatial hierarchy identifier in a database.

12. The program of claim 1, further performing the processes including:

storing the at least one spatial hierarchy identifier using a string representation of the spatial hierarchy identifier as an index.

13. A program storing computer-readable instructions therein for instructing a computer to perform analytical steps for preprocessing data for efficient location-based indexing, the program comprising:

a recording medium readable by the computer; and

the computer instructions stored on said recording medium instructing the computer to perform the processes including;

loading data associated with at least one location;

generating at least one first spatial hierarchy identifier for identifying first regions within a first spatial hierarchy associated with the at least one location; and

storing the data with the at least one first spatial hierarchy identifier.

14. The program of claim 13, further performing the processes including:

generating at least one second spatial hierarchy identifier for identifying second regions within a second spatial hierarchy corresponding to the at least one location, wherein the at least one first spatial hierarchy is different than the at least one second spatial hierarchy; and

storing the data with the at least one second spatial hierarchy identifier.

15. The program of claim 13 or 14, wherein the location is represented by at least one address, and further performing the processes including:

generating the at least one location by geo-coding the at least one address.

16. The program of claim 13 or 14, wherein the location is represented using multi-dimensional coordinates.

17. A program storing computer-readable instructions therein for instructing a computer to perform analytical steps for securely associating a user with a location, the program comprising:

a recording medium readable by the computer; and

the computer instructions stored on said recording medium instructing the computer to perform the processes including;

receiving user related data and at least one location;

associating the at least one location with at least one first spatial hierarchy identifier; and

applying a security algorithm on a data element comprising the at least one first spatial hierarchy identifier.

18. The program of claim 17, wherein the data element further comprises the at least one location.

19. The program of claim 17, wherein the security algorithm is an encryption algorithm.

20. The program of claim 17, wherein the security algorithm is a digital signature algorithm.