METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTEGRATION OF COMMUNITY-PROVIDED PLACE DATA

• US 20160004753A1
• Filed: 09/14/2015
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: SCHMIDT, Andreas, GROSSE, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 10,387,438 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2468 Fuzzy queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An approach is provided for integrating place metadata provided by a community of metadata builders, including receiving registration data that indicates one or more values for a corresponding one or more attributes that describe a place. A place is associated with a geographic location. Providing an indication of match between the registration data and metadata for a predetermined place is also initiated. In some embodiments, a new entry for a set of predetermined places is generated based on validating the registration data and a negligible degree of match. In some embodiments, a unique identifier for the place is included in indication of match for either a new place represented by the registration data or a matching predetermined place.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to perform at least the following:

receiving registration data that indicates one or more values for a corresponding one or more attributes that describe a place that is associated with a geographic location; and

initiating providing indication of a match between the registration data and metadata for a predetermined place,

wherein the registration data includes one or more fields that hold the one or more values.

2. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

validating the registration data; and

generating a new entry for predetermined places based on the validation of the registration data and a negligible degree of match.

3. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the indication of the match further indicates a unique identifier for the place, the unique identifier corresponding to the new entry of the place within a data structure, the predetermined places having been assigned respectively a plurality of unique identifiers within the data structure.

4. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform determining a degree of match using a fuzzy matching algorithm that applies place category matching, place name matching, nearby matching, previous selection matching, or a combination thereof.

5. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the indication of the match further indicates a candidate place of one or more predetermined places based on the validation of the registration data and determining that the registration data matches the candidate place to a predetermined degree.

6. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein:

the apparatus is caused to further perform building a token for a candidate place if the registration data matches the candidate place to a predetermined degree;

the token includes data that indicates a difference between the registration data and the candidate place; and

the indication of the match further includes the token for the candidate place.

7. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the token includes a unique identifier for the candidate place if the candidate place is one of predetermined places.

8. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

receiving a candidate selection message that indicates a single token selected by a user; and

initiating updating of a set of predetermined places for the candidate place based on the single token.

9. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein building the token for the candidate place further comprises generating the candidate place by automatically correcting the registration data.

10. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the indication of the match includes a plurality of tokens for a plurality of candidate places.

11. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform initiating sending an error message if the registration data omits a value for a place name attribute or a place category attribute or a geographic location attribute.

12. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein initiating updating of the set of predetermined places for the candidate place based on the single token further comprises initiating deleting or merging one of the predetermined places.

13. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform learning a heuristic for selecting a candidate based on the single token selected by the user.

14. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that if executed cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:

receive registration data that indicates one or more values for a corresponding one or more attributes that describe a place that is associated with a geographic location; and

initiate providing an indication of a match between the registration data and metadata for a predetermined place,

wherein the registration data includes one or more fields that hold the one or more values.

15. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further configured to:

validate the registration data; and

create a new entry for predetermined places based on the validation of the registration data and a negligible degree of match.

16. An apparatus of claim 15, wherein the indication of the match further indicates a unique identifier for the place, the unique identifier corresponding to the new entry of the place within a data structure, a set of predetermined places having been assigned respectively a plurality of unique identifiers within the data structure.

17. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further configured to determine a degree of match using a fuzzy matching algorithm that applies place category matching, place name matching, nearby matching, previous selection matching, or a combination thereof.

18. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the apparatus is further configured to build a token for a candidate place if the registration data matches the candidate place to a predetermined degree;

the token includes data that indicates a difference between the registration data and the candidate place; and

the response data further includes the token for the candidate place.

19. A system including the apparatus of claim 14, the system further comprising a place-building client configured to send the registration data.

20. A method comprising:

receiving registration data that indicates a value for a subset of place metadata that includes a plurality of attributes that describe a place that is associated with a geographic location; and

providing an indication of match between the registration data and metadata for a predetermined place,

wherein the registration data includes one or more fields that holds the value.