Location Identification Systems and Methods
First Claim
1. A computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions for causing a programmable processor to execute a method for generating location identification codes for referencing locations within a geographic region, the method comprising:
- receiving a geographic region selection;
receiving a definition of a standard areal unit representing a smallest identifiable subset of the geographic region to be identified by a location identification code;
determining a total number of the standard areal units in the geographic region;
determining a number of character positions in the location identification code based on the total number of the standard areal units in the geographic region and a predetermined set of characters; and
generating the location identification code for at least one standard areal unit in the geographic region, the location identification code comprising a character from the predetermined set of characters in one or more of the number of character positions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments provide systems and methods for identifying one or more locations in a selected geographic region of interest. In certain cases a processor-executed method for generating location identification codes is provided. The method includes receiving information about a selected geographic region, a standard areal unit, and a predetermined set of characters, and then generating one or more location identification codes after determining the total number of areal units in the region and the number of character positions in the code. An interactive mapping system includes inputs/outputs, memory, and a processor programmed to receive a location identification code, retrieve and display a location description for verification, and retrieve and display map data corresponding to the location identification code.
64 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions for causing a programmable processor to execute a method for generating location identification codes for referencing locations within a geographic region, the method comprising:
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receiving a geographic region selection; receiving a definition of a standard areal unit representing a smallest identifiable subset of the geographic region to be identified by a location identification code; determining a total number of the standard areal units in the geographic region; determining a number of character positions in the location identification code based on the total number of the standard areal units in the geographic region and a predetermined set of characters; and generating the location identification code for at least one standard areal unit in the geographic region, the location identification code comprising a character from the predetermined set of characters in one or more of the number of character positions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An interactive mapping system, comprising:
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an input device; an output device; one or more computer-readable storage mediums comprising executable instructions; and one or more programmable processors programmed with the executable instructions to receive a location identification code from the input device, retrieve a location description using the location identification code, display the location description using the output device, and retrieve and display map data corresponding to the location identification code on the output device, wherein the location identification code identifies one of a plurality of standard areal units within a geographic region of interest and wherein the location identification code has a number of character positions based on a total number of the plurality of standard areal units within the geographic region of interest and based on a predetermined set of characters for generating the location identification code. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for providing map data, comprising:
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entering a location identification code into a computer processor based interactive mapping system comprising at least one programmable processor, one or more computer-readable storage mediums programmed with computer-executable instructions, and an electronic display, the location identification code identifying one of a plurality of standard areal units within a geographic region of interest and comprising a positional numeral having a first base and a number of character positions determined according to 1) a total number of the plurality of standard areal units within the geographic region of interest and 2) a predetermined set of characters for generating the location identification code, wherein the first base of the location identification code is a total number of characters in the predetermined set of characters; converting the location identification code to an index having a second base with the at least one programmable processor; retrieving reference coordinates corresponding to the index from at least one of the one or more computer-readable storage mediums; retrieving a location description based on the location identification code from at least one of the one or more computer-readable storage mediums; displaying the location description on the electronic display of the interactive mapping system for validation by a system user; and retrieving map data from at least one of the one or more computer-readable storage mediums using the reference coordinates and displaying the map data on the electronic display. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification