Geographical comparison system and method

• US 7,127,068 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2001
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Switchboard LLC
• Original Assignee: Blucora Incorporated
• Inventors: Sundaravel, Vale, Paul, Benjamin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrón, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOBAHAR, ABDULHAKIM
• Application Number:
  US09/863,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20010055393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,980 Days
• Field of Search: 340/7.1, 340/825.37, 340/995.12, 380/271, 380/258, 342/450, 342/451
• US Class Current: 380/258
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00

Abstract

Systems and methods to create venue tokens that provide generalized geographic information while preserving location specific data. In one embodiment, a Universal Location Descriptor (ULD) translator converts location data into a geocode that in one embodiment is a binary code. Location information can include a street address, zip code, directional information, destination, velocity information, latitude and/or longitude, etc. The geocode can then be encrypted to generate a token. Relative geographic similarities can be identified by comparing geographic information from the tokens, thereby allowing similarly situated individuals and/or organizations, service providers, etc., to be identified without disclosing specific location identities of those parties seeking such privacy. The comparison of token geographic information can provide a probabilistic output that, in one embodiment, can be customized using an application-dependent threshold, to generate only those outputs satisfying a specified probability measure.

Claims

1. A method for comparing a first location and a second location, the method comprising,

generating a first binary representation from geographic information based on the first location,

generating a second binary representation from geographic information based on the second location,

associating an uncertainty with at least one of the first binary representation and the second binary representation,

bitwise comparing the first binary representation and the second binary representation, and,

associating an uncertainty with the bitwise comparison.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein an uncertainty associated with the first binary representation is based on the geographic information based on the first location.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein an uncertainty associated with the second binary representation is based on the geographic information based on the second location.

4. A method according to claim 1, where the uncertainty associated with the bitwise comparison is based on the uncertainty associated with at least one of the first binary representation and the second binary representation.

5. A method according to claim 1, further including:

associating the bits of the bitwise comparison to derive a distance measure.

6. A method according to claim 1, further including,

encrypting at least one of the first binary representation and the second binary representation,

and wherein performing a bitwise comparison further includes performing a bitwise comparison of at least one of the encrypted first binary representation and the encrypted second binary representation.

7. A method according to claim 1, further including,

receiving a criteria, and

comparing the bitwise comparison to the criteria.

8. A method according to claim 1, further including,

receiving a criteria, and

comparing the distance measure to the criteria.

9. A method according to claim 1, further including,

receiving a probability threshold, and,

comparing the bitwise comparison to the probability threshold.

10. A method according to claim 9, where the probability threshold is at least one of a constant probability threshold and a variable probability threshold.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein performing a bitwise comparison includes computing an exclusive OR operation.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein generating a first binary representation includes generating a first binary code based on at least one of latitude, longitude, direction, parcel, ward, street address, town, city, zip code, telephone number, area code, destination, and directional information.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein generating a second binary representation includes generating a second binary code based on at least one of latitude, longitude, direction, parcel, ward, street address, town, city, zip code, telephone number, area code, destination, and directional information.

14. A method according to claim 6, wherein encrypting at least one of first binary representation and the second binary representation includes altering the precision of at least one of the first binary representation and the second binary representation.

15. A method according to claim 1, where the first uncertainty is based on the accuracy of the first geographic information.

16. A method according to claim 1, where the second uncertainty is based on the accuracy of the second geographic information.

17. A method according to claim 1, where at least one of the first binary representation and the second binary representation include a token.

18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising providing a database of tokens.

19. A method according to claim 17, further comprising categorizing the token.

20. A method according to claim 1, further comprising associating an identity with at least one of the first binary representation and the second binary representation.