Method for associating real-time information with a geographical location

• US 6,823,256 B1
• Filed: 05/06/2003
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Burt, Wylie R.
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US10/430,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20040225433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 701/66, 701/200, 701/201, 701/207, 701/214, 701/300, 707/1, 707/101, 342/357.01, 342/357.08, 342/357.09
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

A location of interest is received by a server, and a buffer zone is determined surrounding that location. Real-time spatial events may be continually updated in one or more GIS databases. The database entries may be software spatial objects, which consist of the location and supplemental information pertaining to each event. All locations that are related to a spatial event may be listed in a relationship table. The location of interest is used to query the relationship table for events occurring within the location'"'"'s buffer zone, and therefore affecting the location.

Claims

1. A method for associating real-time information with a geographical location comprising:

receiving at least one location of interest at a server;

determining at least one buffer zone based on the at least one location of interest;

creating at least one spatial object based on spatial events;

creating at least one relationship table based on spatial objects; and

determining at least one spatial object based on the at least one buffer zone.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a buffer zone comprises an area surrounding a location of interest to search for IDs of spatial objects related to the location of interest.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the area of the buffer zone comprises an area reflected by a circle, square, or any other polygon shape.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a spatial object comprises the location and supplemental information associated with an occurrence, object, or statistic of interest inside the buffer zone.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a relationship table comprises at least one spatial object ID and at least one buffer zone ID.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determination of a spatial object is based on performing at least one query of at least one spatial object database.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a spatial object comprises at least one spatial object ID associated with the at least one location of interest.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein a spatial object comprises real-time information pertaining to traffic density, advertisements, road work, weather conditions, and other events associated with the geographical location of an event.

9. A system for associating real-time information with a geographical location comprising:

means for receiving at least one location of interest at a server;

means for determining at least one buffer zone based on the at least one location of interest;

means for creating at least one relationship table based on spatial objects; and

means for determining at least one spatial object based on the at least one buffer zone.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising means for updating the at least one spatial object as new spatial event information becomes available.

11. A computer usable medium for associating real-time information with a physical location comprising:

computer readable code to receive at least one location of interest;

computer readable code to determine at least one buffer zone based on the at least one location of interest;

computer readable code to create at least one relationship table comprising at least one spatial object ID and at least one buffer zone ID; and

computer readable code to determine at least one spatial object based on the at least one buffer zone.

12. The computer usable medium of claim 11 wherein a buffer zone comprises an area surrounding an event to search for IDs of events related to the location of interest.

13. The computer usable medium of claim 12 wherein the area of the buffer zone comprises an area reflected by a circle, square, or any other polygon shape.

14. The computer usable medium of claim 11 wherein a spatial object comprises the location and supplemental information associated with an occurrence, object, or statistic of interest inside the buffer zone.

15. The computer usable medium of claim 11 wherein a relationship table comprises at least one spatial object ID and at least one buffer zone ID.

16. The computer usable medium of claim 11 wherein determination of a spatial object is based on performing at least one query of at least one spatial object database.

17. The computer usable medium of claim 11 wherein a spatial object comprises at least one spatial object ID associated with the at least one buffer zone associated with at least one location of interest.

18. The computer usable medium of claim 11 wherein a spatial object comprises real-time information pertaining to traffic density, advertisements, road work, weather conditions, and other events associated with the geographical location of an event.