Nesting grid structure for a geographic referencing system and method of creating and using the same

• US 6,609,062 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2001
• Issued: 08/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WGRS Licensing Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: WGRS Licensing Company, LLC
• Inventors: Hancock, S. Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/965,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20030036842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/208, 701/300, 702/5
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A nested grid structure of a geographical referencing system includes one or more regional grids generally centered on one or more respective grid origins, each regional grid including a plurality of cells. One or more local cities are located at least partially within the one or more regional grids. One or more local city grids, each including a plurality of cells, are generally centered on one or more respective local city origins of the one or more local cities. At least some of the plurality of cells of the one or more local city grids directly overlap and coincide with at least some of the plurality of cells of the one or more regional grids to form a nested grid structure.

Claims

1. A nested grid structure of a geographical referencing system, comprising:

one or more regional grids generally centered on one or more respective grid origins, each regional grid including a plurality of cells, one or more local cities located at least partially within said one or more regional grids;

one or more local city grids, each local city grid including a plurality of cells, said one or more local city grids generally centered on one or more respective local city origins of said one or more local cities and at least some of the plurality of cells of said one or more local city grids directly overlap and coincide with at least some of the plurality of cells of said one or more regional grids to form a nested grid structure.

2. The nested grid structure of claim 1, wherein said one or more regional grids and said one or more local city grids are 10 cell×

10 cell and 100 km×

100 km.

3. The nested grid structure of claim 1, wherein said one or more regional grids and said one or more local city grids include cells numbered from 0-9 from left-to-right along an X-axis and 0-9 from bottom-to-top along a Y-axis.

4. The nested grid structure of claim 3, wherein said one or more local city grids are centered so that said local city origin resides within a cell corresponding to “

5”

along the X-axis and “

5”

along the Y-axis.

5. The nested grid structure of claim 1, wherein said local city grid origin is located at a predetermined level of latitude and longitude intersection nearest a city center of the local city.

6. The nested grid structure of claim 1, wherein said local city grid origin is located at a ten minute of latitude and a ten minute of longitude intersection nearest a city center of the local city.

7. A method of creating a nested grid structure for a geographical referencing system, comprising:

determining a regional origin for a region;

centering a regional grid for said region generally on said regional origin, said regional grid including a plurality of cells;

determining a local city origin for a local city located at least partially within said regional grid;

positioning a local city grid including a plurality of cells so that the local city grid is generally centered on said local city origin and at least some of the plurality of cells of said local city grid directly overlap and coincide with at least some of the plurality of cells of said regional grid to form a nested grid structure.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said regional grid and said local city grid are 10 cell×

10 cell and 100 km×

100 km grids.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said grids include cells numbered from 0-9 from left-to-right along an X-axis and 0-9 from bottom-to-top along a Y-axis.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein positioning said local city grid includes generally centering said local city grid so that said local city origin resides within a cell corresponding to “

5”

along the X-axis and “

5”

along the Y-axis.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said local city grid origin is located at a predetermined level of latitude and longitude intersection nearest a city center of the local city.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said local city grid origin is located at a ten minute of latitude and a ten minute of longitude intersection nearest a city center of the local city.

13. A method of addressing a geographical location using a local city grid, comprising:

providing a geographical location;

determining a local city grid corresponding to the geographical location, the local city grid having a plurality of grid cells, a local city grid origin having global coordinates defined in accordance with a known global referencing system, and a local city grid name;

subdividing a cell corresponding to the geographical location into as many levels of hierarchically arranged sub-cells as necessary to obtain a desired addressing precision;

associating each sub-cell with a sub-cell code;

identifying each sub-cell with a hierarchical arrangement of codes;

addressing the geographical location with an address formed by appending to the name of the local city grid a hierarchical arrangement of codes corresponding to the geographical location.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining a local city grid corresponding to the geographical location includes determining a local city grid with a local city grid origin closest to the geographical location.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the local city grid name includes top, second, and third level hierarchical codes for identifying countries, states/provinces, and local cities.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the third level hierarchical code for a local city is a two or three alpha character mnemonic.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the local city grid is nested with a regional grid.

18. A method of addressing a geographical location within overlapping geographical areas of a regional grid and a local city grid of a geographical referencing system, comprising:

providing a first address of a geographical location in a first geographical area, the first address comprising a hierarchical arrangement of codes of a first pre-defined grid corresponding to the first geographical area appended to the name of the first grid, the first grid being either a regional grid or a local city grid;

determining a second pre-defined grid which corresponds to a second geographical area, the second geographical area having a portion which overlaps at least in part the first geographical area, the geographical location being within the overlapping portion, the second pre-defined grid being the opposite of the first predefined grid, either a regional grid or a local city grid;

determining a hierarchical arrangement of codes of the second grid corresponding to the geographical location;

appending the hierarchical arrangement of codes of the second grid corresponding to the geographical location to the name of the second grid to form a second address of the geographical location.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein providing a first address of a geographical location includes:

determining a first pre-defined grid corresponding to the geographical location, the first pre-defined grid having a plurality of grid cells, a first pre-defined grid origin having global coordinates defined in accordance with a known global referencing system, and a first pre-defined grid name;

subdividing a cell corresponding to the geographical location into as many levels of hierarchically arranged sub-cells as necessary to obtain a desired addressing precision;

associating each sub-cell with a sub-cell code;

identifying each sub-cell with a hierarchical arrangement of codes;

addressing the geographical location with an address formed by appending to the name of the first pre-defined grid a hierarchical arrangement of codes corresponding to the geographical location.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein determining a second pre-defined grid includes determining a second pre-defined grid with a grid origin closest to the geographical location.

21. A method of addressing a geographical location using a nested grid structure of a geographic referencing system, the nested grid structure including one or more local city grids nested with one or more regional grids, comprising:

providing a geographic location;

determining a grid which corresponds to the geographical location, the grid including at least one of said one or more local city grids and said one or more regional grids;

determining a hierarchical arrangement of codes of the grid corresponding to the geographical location;

appending the hierarchical arrangement of codes of the grid corresponding to the geographical location to the name of the grid to form an address of the geographical location.

22. The method of claim 21, further including selecting a mode representative of a local city address generation mode or a regional address generation mode.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the type of grid determined to correspond to the geographical location and address generated depends on the mode selected.