PROCESSING TIME-BASED GEOSPATIAL DATA

• US 20110142347A1
• Filed: 12/10/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Terrago Technologies Incorporated (In-Q-Tel)
• Original Assignee: Terrago Technologies Incorporated (In-Q-Tel)
• Inventors: Knoblock, Craig A., Shahabi, Cyrus, Chen, Ching-Chien
• Granted Patent: US 8,953,887 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/190
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

A method for processing geospatial datasets corresponding to geospatial objects, the method having the steps of extracting geospatial attributes from the geospatial datasets, locating extracted geospatial attributes corresponding to a particular geospatial object at a particular point in time, and generating output indicative of the particular geospatial object at the particular point in time utilizing the located geospatial attributes.

Claims

1. A method for processing geospatial datasets corresponding to geospatial objects, the method comprising:

extracting geospatial attributes from the geospatial datasets;

locating extracted geospatial attributes corresponding to a particular geospatial object at a particular point in time; and

generating output indicative of a particular geospatial object at a particular point in time utilizing the located geospatial attributes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

organizing the extracted geospatial attributes into sets based upon the geospatial dataset from which the geospatial attributes were extracted; and

storing each set as an entry in a geospatial record, wherein the geospatial records are further divided by geospatial attribute type.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the geospatial datasets in a geospatial dataset database, wherein the geospatial datasets are associated with geospatial attributes extracted therefrom.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the output comprises a content rich map of one or more particular geospatial objects at a particular point in time generated by:

locating a geospatial image associated with the located geospatial attributes;

aligning the located geospatial attributes to the geospatial image to create a content rich map; and

outputting the content rich map via a display device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the geospatial datasets include one or more of structured datasets such as geospatial images, geospatial vector data, maps and non-structured datasets such as photographs, articles, and RSS feeds.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of automatically and continuously, or periodically gathering additional geospatial datasets and performing the steps of extracting, locating, and storing on the additional geospatial datasets.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising evaluating an extracted geospatial attribute for accuracy by:

establishing a control geospatial attribute common between a first geospatial dataset and at least one trusted geospatial dataset;

comparing at least one geospatial attribute of the first geospatial dataset to the same geospatial attribute of the at least one trusted geospatial dataset to determine a margin of error for the geospatial attribute; and

determining the accuracy of the geospatial attribute utilizing the margin of error.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the margin of error is expressed as a percentage of difference between the geospatial attribute of the first geospatial dataset and to the geospatial attribute of the trusted geospatial dataset.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first geospatial dataset is determined to be accurate when the margin of error is within a predetermined range of percentages.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising approximating a geospatial attribute indicative of time for a first geospatial dataset lacking geospatial attributes indicative of time by:

establishing a control geospatial attribute common between the first geospatial dataset lacking a geospatial attribute indicative of time and at least one trusted geospatial dataset having a geospatial attribute indicative of time;

comparing at least one geospatial attribute of the first geospatial dataset to the same geospatial attribute of the at least one trusted geospatial dataset to determine a margin of error for the at least one geospatial attribute, wherein the margin of error is expressed as a percentage of difference between the geospatial attribute of the first geospatial dataset and the geospatial attribute of the trusted geospatial dataset; and

assigning to the first geospatial dataset a geospatial attribute indicative of time equal to the geospatial attribute indicative of time of the at least one trusted geospatial dataset.

11. A device for processing geospatial datasets corresponding to geospatial objects, the device comprising:

a memory for storing a program;

a processor for executing the program;

an extraction module stored in the memory and executable by the processor to;

(i) extract geospatial attributes from the geospatial datasets and (ii) locate extracted geospatial attributes corresponding to a particular geospatial object at a particular point in time; and

a generation module stored in the memory and executable by the processor to output indicative of the particular geospatial object at the particular point in time utilizing the located geospatial attributes.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the extraction module organizes the extracted geospatial attributes into sets based upon the geospatial dataset from which the geospatial attributes were extracted, and stores each set as an entry in a geospatial record, wherein the geospatial records are further divided by geospatial attribute type.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the extraction module automatically and continuously, or periodically gathers additional geospatial datasets.

14. The device of claim 11, further comprising an evaluation module stored in the memory and executable by the processor to:

establish a control geospatial attribute common between a first geospatial dataset and at least one trusted geospatial dataset;

compare at least one geospatial attribute of the first geospatial dataset to the same geospatial attribute of the at least one trusted geospatial dataset to determine a margin of error for the geospatial attribute; and

determine the accuracy of the geospatial attribute utilizing the margin of error, wherein the margin of error is expressed as a percentage of difference between the geospatial attribute of the first geospatial dataset and the geospatial attribute of the trusted geospatial dataset, further wherein the geospatial attribute is determined to be accurate when the margin of error is within a predetermined range of percentages.

15. The device of claim 11, further comprising an approximation module stored in the memory and executable by the processor to:

establish a control geospatial attribute common between a first geospatial dataset lacking a geospatial attribute indicative of time and at least one trusted geospatial dataset having a geospatial attribute indicative of time;

compare at least one geospatial attribute of the first geospatial dataset to the same geospatial attribute of the at least one trusted geospatial dataset to determine a margin of error for the at least one geospatial attribute, wherein the margin of error is expressed as a percentage of difference between the geospatial attribute of the first geospatial dataset and the geospatial attribute of the trusted geospatial dataset; and

assign to the first geospatial dataset a geospatial attribute indicative of time equal to the geospatial attribute indicative of time of the at least one trusted geospatial dataset.

16. A computer readable storage medium having a program embodied thereon, the program executable by a processor to perform a method for processing geospatial datasets corresponding to geospatial objects, the method comprising:

extracting geospatial attributes from the geospatial datasets;

locating extracted geospatial attributes corresponding to a particular geospatial object at a particular point in time; and

generating output indicative of the particular geospatial object at the particular point in time utilizing the located geospatial attributes.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, the method further comprising evaluating an extracted geospatial attribute for accuracy by:

establishing a control geospatial attribute common between a first geospatial dataset and at least one trusted geospatial dataset;

comparing at least one geospatial attribute of the first geospatial dataset to the same geospatial attribute of the at least one trusted geospatial dataset to determine a margin of error for the geospatial attribute; and

determining the accuracy of the geospatial attribute utilizing the margin of error, wherein the margin of error is expressed as a percentage of difference between the geospatial attribute of the first geospatial dataset and the geospatial attribute of the trusted geospatial dataset, further wherein the geospatial attribute is determined to be accurate when the margin of error is within a predetermined range of percentages.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, the method further comprising approximating a geospatial attribute indicative of time for a first geospatial dataset lacking a geospatial attribute indicative of time by:

establishing a control geospatial attribute common between the first geospatial dataset lacking a geospatial attribute indicative of time and at least one trusted geospatial dataset having a geospatial attribute indicative of time;

comparing at least one geospatial attribute of the first geospatial dataset to the same geospatial attribute of the at least one trusted geospatial dataset to determine a margin of error for the at least one geospatial attribute, wherein the margin of error is expressed as a percentage of difference between the geospatial attribute of the first geospatial dataset and the geospatial attribute of the trusted geospatial dataset; and

assigning to the first geospatial dataset a geospatial attribute indicative of time equal to the geospatial attribute indicative of time of the at least one trusted geospatial dataset.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising organizing the extracted geospatial attributes into sets based upon the geospatial dataset from which the geospatial attributes were extracted;

and

storing each set as an entry in a geospatial record, wherein the geospatial records are further divided by geospatial attribute type.