Methods of Systems Using Geographic Meta-Metadata in Information Retrieval and Document Displays

• US 20090119255A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Metacarta, Inc.
• Inventors: Kornai, Andras, Frank, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,286,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/137 Hierarchical processing, e.g. outlines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis

Abstract

A computer-implemented method involving a corpus of documents. The method includes accepting search criteria from a user, the search criteria including a domain identifier identifying a domain and including a filter condition specifying a geometric relationship between co-referenced locations; in response to accepting the search criteria from the user, searching among the corpus of documents to identify a set of documents, wherein each document among the set of documents contains anywhere within the document location-related information that refers to a location within the domain and satisfies the filter condition, and wherein the set of documents only includes documents that satisfy the filter condition; and identifying to the user the documents in the set of documents.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method involving a corpus of documents, said method comprising:

accepting search criteria from a user, said search criteria including a domain identifier identifying a domain and including a filter condition specifying a geometric relationship between co-referenced locations;

in response to accepting said search criteria from the user, searching among the corpus of documents to identify a set of documents, wherein each document among the set of documents contains anywhere within the document location-related information that refers to a location within the domain and satisfies the filter condition, and wherein the set of documents only includes documents that satisfy the filter condition; and

identifying to the user the documents in the set of documents.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the geometric relationship is one of being a container of another location.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the geometric relationship is one of being contained in another location.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the geometric relationship is one of being overlapping with another location.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the geometric relationship is one of being a neighbor of another location.

6. A computer-implemented method involving a corpus of documents, said method comprising:

accepting search criteria from a user, said search criteria including a domain identifier identifying a domain and a filter specifying a semantic category for referenced locations;

in response to accepting said search criteria from the user, searching among the corpus of documents to identify a set of documents, wherein each document among the set of documents contains anywhere within the document location-related information that refers to a location within the domain and that satisfies the filter condition; and

identifying to the user the documents in the set of documents.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the semantic category is a context-dependent property of the spatial indicator.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the semantic category is place-of-author.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the semantic category is place-of-subject.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the semantic category is literal location.

11. A computer-implemented method of displaying information about a document that includes a plurality of spatial identifiers each of which identifies a corresponding location within a metric space and at least two of which have a geometric relationship to each other, said method comprising:

displaying a visual representation of content from the document;

displaying a map image of a portion of the metric space;

displaying a visual indicator at a position on the map image representing the location that corresponds to one of said plurality of spatial identifiers; and

visually indicating that the location corresponding to the visual indicator has associated data that characterizes the geometric relationship between that location and the location of another spatial identifier in the document.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the geometric relationship is one of being a container of another location.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the geometric relationship is one of being contained in another location.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the geometric relationship is one of being overlapping with another location.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the geometric relationship is one of being a neighbor of another location.

16. A computer-implemented method of displaying information about a document that includes a spatial identifier that identifies a corresponding location within a metric space and wherein that spatial identifier is characterized by a semantic type that is determined by its use within the document, said method comprising:

displaying a visual representation of content from the document;

visually identifying the spatial identifier within the displayed visual representation of the content from the document; and

visually indicating the semantic type of the spatial identifier.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

along with the displayed visual representation of content, also displaying a map image of a portion of the metric space; and

displaying a visual indicator at a position on the map image representing the location that corresponds to the spatial identifier;

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the semantic category is a context-dependent property of the spatial indicator.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the semantic category is place-of-author.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the semantic category is place-of-subject.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the semantic category is literal location.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein visually indicating involves highlighting.

23. A computer-implemented method of displaying information about a document that includes a spatial identifier that identifies a corresponding location within a metric space and wherein that spatial identifier is a semantic type, said method comprising:

displaying a visual representation of content from the document;

displaying a map image of a portion of the metric space;

displaying a visual indicator at a position on the map image representing the location that corresponds to the spatial identifier; and

visually indicating the semantic type of the spatial identifier.

24. A computer readable medium storing code which when executed on a computer system causes the computer system to:

accept search criteria from a user, said search criteria including a domain identifier identifying a domain and including a filter condition specifying a geometric relationship between co-referenced locations;

in response to accepting said search criteria from the user, search among the corpus of documents to identify a set of documents, wherein each document of the set of documents contains anywhere within the document location-related information that refers to a location within the domain and satisfies the filter condition, and wherein the set of documents only includes documents that satisfy the filter condition; and

identify to the user the documents in the set of documents.

25. A computer readable medium storing code which when executed on a computer system causes the computer system to:

accept search criteria from a user, said search criteria including a domain identifier identifying a domain and a filter specifying a semantic category for referenced locations;

in response to accepting said search criteria from the user, search among the corpus of documents to identify a set of documents, wherein each document among the set of documents contains anywhere within the document location-related information that refers to a location within the domain and that satisfies the filter condition; and

identify to the user the documents in the set of documents.

26. A computer readable medium storing code for use with a document that includes a plurality of spatial identifiers each of which identifies a corresponding location within a metric space and at least two of which have a geometric relationship to each other, wherein said code when executed on a computer system causes the computer system to:

display a visual representation of content from the document;

display a map image of a portion of the metric space;

display a visual indicator at a position on the map image representing the location that corresponds to one of said plurality of spatial identifiers; and

visually indicate that the location corresponding to the visual indicator has associated data that characterizes the geometric relationship between that location and the location of another spatial identifier in the document.

27. A computer readable medium storing code for use with a document that includes a spatial identifier that identifies a corresponding location within a metric space and wherein that spatial identifier is characterized by a semantic type that is determined by its use within the document, wherein said code when executed on a computer system causes the computer system to:

display a visual representation of content from the document;

visually identify the spatial identifier within the displayed visual representation of the content from the document; and

visually indicate the semantic type of the spatial identifier.

28. A method of searching a corpus of documents, the method comprising:

accepting search criteria from a user, the search criteria including a geometric attribute;

in response to accepting the search criteria, searching the corpus of documents to identify portions of the documents that reference locations in a metric vector space;

analyzing the portions of the documents to identify the locations that satisfy the geometric attribute; and

compiling a set documents and their corresponding location references that are responsive to the search criteria.

29. A method of displaying information contained within a document, the method comprising:

receiving information that identifies a first portion of the document containing a first identifier that references a first location in a metric vector space;

receiving information that identifies a second portion of the document containing a second identifier that references a second location in a metric vector space;

receiving information describing a geometric relationship between the first location and the second location;

displaying a map of a portion of the metric vector space, the domain encompassing at least a part of one of the first and second locations; and

displaying at least one of the first location and the second location on the map, wherein a mode of displaying the at least one of the first location and the second location is determined by the geometric relationship between the first and second locations.

30. A method of displaying information contained within a document, the method comprising:

identifying a portion of the document that contains an identifier that references a location in a metric vector space;

analyzing the portion of the document to obtain a semantic category of the identifier, the semantic category identifying a sense in which an author of the document intended to use the identifier in the portion of the document;

displaying a map of the domain of the metric vector space, the domain encompassing at least a part of the location referenced by the identifier; and

displaying on the map of the domain the location referenced by the identifier, wherein a mode of displaying the location referenced by the identifier is determined by the semantic category of the identifier.