Geographic feature name search system

• US 20080319990A1
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Geographic Services, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Geographic Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Taranenko, Inessa, Taranenko, Alexandre
• Granted Patent: US 8,015,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

A computer-based software tool for performing intelligent searches for geographic names data utilizing a fuzzy-logic search as well as linguistic principles and allowing the user to select various search criteria is disclosed. Geographic feature names can be searched for exact matches, similar geographic names based on misspellings or phonetic similarities, similar geographic names based on language dialects, historic place name variants, features with similar name Romanization, similar names with the type of feature, such as city, river, or mountain included in the name, in reversed or reading order, and similar names with inconsistent Unicode. With the aid of a displayed geographic map, the search can be localized.

Claims

1. A method of searching for geographic information, comprising the steps of:

loading a dictionary of geographic feature names and geographic feature types into a memory;

loading locations associated with the geographic feature names into the memory;

normalizing each of the geographic feature names;

storing the normalized geographic feature names in the memory;

inputting a query for searching for geographic information, the query including a geographic name;

normalizing the geographical name included in the query;

searching the memory for a candidate name to be compared with the geographic name included in the query, the candidate name being one of the normalized geographic feature names;

calculating a value of proximity between the candidate name and the geographic name included in the query; and

if the value of proximity is equal or larger than a predetermined value, displaying on a display a geographic feature name corresponding to the candidate name and a location associated with the geographic feature name corresponding to the candidate name.

2. A method according to claim 1,

wherein the step of normalizing each of the geographic feature names comprises the steps of:

replacing a diacritical character in each of the geographic feature names with a non-diacritical equivalent character,

replacing a string in each of the geographic feature names with a phonetically normalized equivalent string, and

removing a non-alphanumeric character in each geographic feature name, and

wherein the step of normalizing the geographical name included in the query comprises the steps of

replacing a diacritical character in the geographical name included in the query with a non-diacritical equivalent character,

replacing a string in the name included in the query with a phonetically normalized equivalent string, and

removing a non-alphanumeric character in the geographical name included in the query.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the location associated with the geographic feature name corresponding to the candidate name is displayed in a map.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of replacing a string in each of the geographic feature names with a phonetically normalized equivalent string includes the step of replacing a string in a geographic feature name which uses a character different from Latin alphabets with a phonetically equivalent normalized string which uses the Latin alphabets.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

extracting a geographically generic term from the geographic name included in the query;

retrieving a synonym of the geographically generic term from an internal glossary;

searching the memory for a candidate name which includes the synonym, the candidate name being one of the normalized the geographic feature names including the synonym;

calculating a value of proximity between a string other than the synonym in the candidate name and a string other than the geographically generic term in the geographic name included in the query; and

if the value of proximity is equal or larger than the predetermined value, displaying on a display a geographic feature name corresponding to the candidate name including the synonym and a location associated with the geographic feature name corresponding to the candidate name including the synonym,

wherein a location associated with the geographic feature name corresponding to the candidate name including the synonym is displayed in the map.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of calculating a value of proximity between the candidate name and the geographic name included in the query comprises the steps of:

comparing characters in the normalized geographic name in the query with characters in the candidate name, position by position;

determining a weight of each character in the candidate name according to a number of shift to match a character in the normalized geographic name in the query; and

dividing a sum of weights of characters in the candidate name by a number of the characters in the candidate name.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the step of calculating a value of proximity a between a string other than the synonym in the candidate name and a string other than the geographically generic term in the geographic name included in the query comprises the steps of:

comparing characters in the string other than the geographically generic term in the geographic name included in the query with characters in the string other than the synonym in the candidate name, position by position;

determining a weight of each character in the string other than the synonym in the candidate name according to a number of shift to match a character in the string other than the geographically generic term in the geographic name included in the query; and

dividing a sum of weights of characters in the string other than the synonym in the candidate name by a number of the characters in the string other than the synonym in the candidate name.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining a geographic coordinate of the candidate name; and

determining a smallest longitude, largest longitude, a smallest latitude, and a largest latitude,

wherein an area of the map is defined by the smallest longitude, the largest longitude, the smallest latitude, and the largest latitude and the area includes a location corresponding to the candidate name.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

inputting a command for changing a size of a viewing area of the map; and

changing the size of the viewing area of the map according to the command for changing a size of a viewing area of the map.

10. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

inputting a command for moving a viewing area of the map; and

moving the viewing area according to the command for moving a viewing area of the map.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein the candidate name is selected from a plurality of candidate names searched.

12. A machine-readable medium storing a computer program for searching for geographic information, the computer program comprising the steps of:

loading a dictionary of geographic feature names and geographic feature types into a memory;

loading locations associated with the geographic feature names into the memory;

normalizing each of the geographic feature names;

storing the normalized geographic feature names in the memory;

inputting a query for searching for geographic information, the query including a geographic name;

normalizing the geographical name included in the query;

searching the memory for a candidate name to be compared with the geographic name included in the query, the candidate name being one of the normalized geographic feature names;

calculating a value of proximity between the candidate name and the geographic name included in the query; and

if the value of proximity is equal or larger than a predetermined value, displaying on a display a geographic feature name corresponding to the candidate name and a location associated with the geographic feature name corresponding to the candidate name.

13. A machine-readable medium according to claim 12,

wherein the step of normalizing each of the geographic feature names comprises the steps of:

replacing a diacritical character in each of the geographic feature names with a non-diacritical equivalent character,

replacing a string in each of the geographic feature names with a phonetically normalized equivalent string, and

removing a non-alphanumeric character in each geographic feature name, and

wherein the step of normalizing the geographical name included in the query comprises the steps of

replacing a diacritical character in the geographical name included in the query with a non-diacritical equivalent character,

replacing a string in the name included in the query with a phonetically normalized equivalent string, and

removing a non-alphanumeric character in the geographical name included in the query.

14. A machine-readable medium according to claim 12,

wherein the location associated with the geographic feature name corresponding to the candidate name is displayed in a map.

15. A machine-readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the step of replacing a string in each of the geographic feature names with a phonetically normalized equivalent string includes the step of replacing a string in a geographic feature name which uses a character different from Latin alphabets with a phonetically equivalent normalized string which uses the Latin alphabets.

16. A machine-readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the computer program further comprises the steps of:

extracting a geographically generic term from the geographic name included in the query;

retrieving a synonym of the geographically generic term from an internal glossary;

searching the memory for a candidate name which includes the synonym, the candidate name being one of the normalized the geographic feature names including the synonym;

calculating a value of proximity between a string other than the synonym in the candidate name and a string other than the geographically generic term in the geographic name included in the query; and

if the value of proximity is equal or larger than the predetermined value, displaying on a display a geographic feature name corresponding to the candidate name including the synonym and a location associated with the geographic feature name corresponding to the candidate name including the synonym,

wherein a location associated with the geographic feature name corresponding to the candidate name including the synonym is displayed in the map.

17. A machine-readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the step of calculating a value of proximity between the candidate name and the geographic name included in the query comprises the steps of:

comparing characters in the normalized geographic name in the query with characters in the candidate name, position by position;

determining a weight of each character in the candidate name according to a number of shift to match a character in the normalized geographic name in the query; and

dividing a sum of weights of characters in the candidate name by a number of the characters in the candidate name.

18. A machine-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the step of calculating a value of proximity a between a string other than the synonym in the candidate name and a string other than the geographically generic term in the geographic name included in the query comprises the steps of:

comparing characters in the string other than the geographically generic term in the geographic name included in the query with characters in the string other than the synonym in the candidate name, position by position;

determining a weight of each character in the string other than the synonym in the candidate name according to a number of shift to match a character in the string other than the geographically generic term in the geographic name included in the query; and

dividing a sum of weights of characters in the string other than the synonym in the candidate name by a number of the characters in the string other than the synonym in the candidate name.

19. A machine-readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the computer program further comprises the steps of:

obtaining a geographic coordinate of the candidate name; and

determining a smallest longitude, largest longitude, a smallest latitude, and a largest latitude,

wherein an area of the map is defined by the smallest longitude, the largest longitude, the smallest latitude, and the largest latitude and the area includes a location corresponding to the candidate name.

20. A machine-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the computer program further comprises the steps of:

inputting a command for changing a size of a viewing area of the map; and

changing the size of the viewing area of the map according to the command for changing a size of a viewing area of the map.

21. A machine-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the computer program further comprises the steps of:

inputting a command for moving a viewing area of the map; and

moving the viewing area according to the command for moving a viewing area of the map.

22. A machine-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the candidate name is selected from a plurality of candidate names searched.