MACHINE-READABLE REPRESENTATION OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

• US 20090303036A1
• Filed: 06/10/2008
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Sahuguet, Arnaud
• Granted Patent: US 7,940,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.130
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/434 using image data, e.g. images, photos, pictures taken by a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces

Abstract

A computer-implemented location identification method involves obtaining a digital image of a machine-readable representation encoded with a geographic location identifier that is associated with a geographic location, decoding the image of the machine-readable representation to produce the geographic location identifier, and presenting content related to the geographic location and identified using the decoded geographic location identifier.

Claims

1. A computer implemented location identification method, comprising:

obtaining a digital image of a machine-readable representation encoded with a geographic location identifier that is associated with a geographic location;

decoding the image of the machine-readable representation to produce the geographic location identifier; and

presenting content related to the geographic location and identified using the decoded geographic location identifier.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the image of the machine-readable representation comprises capturing a digital picture of the machine-readable representation.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein decoding the image of the machine-readable representation comprises comparing the image to representations stored in a database.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein decoding the image of the machine-readable representation comprises first obtaining a non-location-based identifier that is associated with the geographic location identifier, and using the non-location-based identifier to obtain the geographic location identifier.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location is a latitude-longitude coordinate pair.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the geographic location identifier to a central server system and receiving, from the central server system, the content associated with the geographic location, wherein the central server system identifies the content using the geographic location identifier.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein decoding the image comprises accessing a database that contains pre-defined correlations between particular machine-readable representations and particular geographic locations.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the content associated with the geographic location comprises two or more members of a group consisting of a map, a coupon, a comment, and a review.

9. A computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier and comprising instructions that when executed by a processor perform a method, the method comprising:

obtaining an image of a machine-readable representation encoded with a geographic location identifier that is associated with a geographic location;

decoding the image of the machine-readable representation to produce the geographic location identifier; and

presenting content related to the geographic location and identified using the decoded geographic location identifier.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein decoding the image of the machine-readable representation comprises first obtaining a non-location-based identifier that is associated with the geographic location identifier, and using it to obtain the geographic location identifier.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the geographic location is a latitude-longitude coordinate pair.

12. A computer-implemented location identification method, the method comprising:

associating a geographic location identifier with a geographic location;

encoding the geographic location identifier in a machine-readable representation for display at the geographic location; and

supplying the machine-readable representation to a third party for display at the geographic location.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising initially receiving a request comprising the geographic location identifier from a remote device.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising presenting an electronic map to the remote device and receiving a selection of the geographic location on the map.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein associating the geographic location identifier with the geographic location comprises correlating a plurality of geographic locations with a plurality of geographic location identifiers, with each location identifier having a unique value.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the machine-readable representation comprises a two-dimensional barcode.

17. A computer-implemented system, comprising:

a code generator to provide machine-readable visual codes for presentation at geographic locations;

a database storing correlations between the codes and location identifiers submitted by third party users in association with requests to provide information relating to the geographic locations; and

an image analyzer to identify a location identifier associated with a machine-readable code submitted in an electronic image.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the machine-readable visual code comprises a two-dimensional data matrix.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the image analyzer and database are located on a device containing a digital camera for capturing the electronic image.

20. A computer-implemented system, comprising:

a digital camera to capture images of location information encoded in a machine-readable format;

a decoder to convert codes in the images to an alpha-numeric representation; and

means for associating the alpha-numeric representation with a geographic location and delivering location-related information for review on a device containing the digital camera.

21. A computer-implemented location identification system, comprising:

a code generator to provide machine-readable visual codes for presentation at geographic locations;

a database storing correlations between codes and location identifiers submitted by third party users in association with requests to provide information relating to the geographic locations; and

a media server to transmit the information in response to receipt of a location identifier correlated in the database to the information.

22. A computer-implemented location identification method, comprising:

associating a geographic location identifier with a geographic location and encoding the geographic location identifier in a machine-readable representation to be displayed at the geographic location;

receiving by electronic communication from a remote device a request comprising the geographic location identifier; and

supplying to the remote device content related to the geographic location and identified using the received geographic location identifier.