System and method for identifying bounds of a geographical area
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented method of identifying boundaries of a geographic area comprising a city, the method comprising:
- (a) identifying coordinates of multiple cities;
(b) associating with each city a grid of cells of geographic data encompassing the city'"'"'s coordinates;
(c) for each cell associated with a city, identifying a larger replacement cell of geographic data encompassing the cell;
(d) testing for intersection between replacement cells of cells of different cities;
(e) for each cell whose replacement cell does not intersect another replacement cell of another cell of another city, replacing the cell with the replacement cell and associating the replacement cell with the city;
(f) repeating (c)-(e) to replace replacement cells with further replacement cells until;
(1) no cell associated with a city can be replaced without the replacement cell intersecting a replacement cell associated with a different city;
or(2) said (e) has been performed a threshold number of times;
or(3) an area covered by cells associated with the city meets a threshold size; and
(g) using said replacement cells to define a boundary of the geographic area;
wherein the method is implemented in a computer system that comprises a process and a memory.
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Abstract
A system and method for determining bounds of a geographical area, such as a city, metropolis, region (e.g., state) or country. From a set of coordinates within the area (e.g., latitude/longitude coordinates), a grid of relatively small cells of geographic data is overlaid upon those coordinates and associated with the area. Each initial cell is iteratively replaced with a larger cell that encompasses the initial cell until the replacement cell intersects a cell associated with some other geographical area or some other boundary condition is met (e.g., a threshold number of replacements).
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of identifying boundaries of a geographic area comprising a city, the method comprising:
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(a) identifying coordinates of multiple cities; (b) associating with each city a grid of cells of geographic data encompassing the city'"'"'s coordinates; (c) for each cell associated with a city, identifying a larger replacement cell of geographic data encompassing the cell; (d) testing for intersection between replacement cells of cells of different cities; (e) for each cell whose replacement cell does not intersect another replacement cell of another cell of another city, replacing the cell with the replacement cell and associating the replacement cell with the city; (f) repeating (c)-(e) to replace replacement cells with further replacement cells until; (1) no cell associated with a city can be replaced without the replacement cell intersecting a replacement cell associated with a different city;
or(2) said (e) has been performed a threshold number of times;
or(3) an area covered by cells associated with the city meets a threshold size; and (g) using said replacement cells to define a boundary of the geographic area; wherein the method is implemented in a computer system that comprises a process and a memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of identifying boundaries of a geographic area comprising a city, the method comprising:
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(a) identifying coordinates of multiple cities; (b) associating with each city a grid of cells of geographic data encompassing the city'"'"'s coordinates; (c) for each cell associated with a city, identifying a larger replacement cell of geographic data encompassing the cell; (d) testing for intersection between replacement cells of cells of different cities; (e) for each cell whose replacement cell does not intersect another replacement cell of another cell of another city, replacing the cell with the replacement cell and associating the replacement cell with the city; (f) repeating (c)-(e) to replace replacement cells with further replacement cells until; (1) no cell associated with a city can be replaced without the replacement cell intersecting a replacement cell associated with a different city;
or(2) said (e) has been performed a threshold number of times;
or(3) an area covered by cells associated with the city meets a threshold size; and (g) using said replacement cells to define a boundary of the geographic area; wherein the method is implemented in a computer system that comprises a processor and a memory.
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14. A method of determining boundaries of a geographical area comprising a city, the method comprising:
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identifying coordinates of the city; associating with the city a grid of cells of geographical data, wherein the grid encompasses the city coordinates; repeatedly expanding each cell associated with the city and associating the expanded cell with the city until; the expanded cell cannot be expanded without intersecting a cell associated with a different geographical area;
orsaid expanding has been performed a threshold number of times; and defining a boundary of the city using the cells associated with the city; wherein the method is implemented in a computer system that comprises a processor and a memory. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of determining boundaries of a geographical area comprising a city, the method comprising:
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identifying coordinates of the city; associating with the city a grid of adjacent cells of geographical data, wherein the grid encompasses the city coordinates; repeatedly expanding each cell associated with the city and associating the expanded cell with the city until; the expanded cell cannot be expanded without intersecting a cell associated with a different geographical area;
orsaid expanding has been performed a threshold number of times; and defining a boundary of the city using the cells associated with the city; wherein the method is implemented in a computer system that comprises a processor and a memory.
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25. A system for determining boundaries of a geographic area, comprising:
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a spatial index comprising multiple layers of nodes, each node corresponding to a cell of geographic data, wherein each cell at a layer M−
1 comprises multiple layer M cells (M>
1);a boundary generator configured to; receive coordinates of a point within the geographic area; associate with the geographic area a set of layer N cells (N>
2) encompassing said coordinates;iteratively replace the identified cells with encompassing cells at layer N−
1 until;an encompassing cell intersects a terminating cell;
ora threshold number of replacement iterations has been performed; and identify a boundary of the geographical area from the encompassing cells; wherein a terminating cell is; a cell encompassing a cell associated with a different geographic area;
ora cell encompassing unassigned geographic data. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification