System for increasing accuracy of geocode data

• US 7,636,901 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CDS Business Mapping LLC (CoreLogic Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CDS Business Mapping LLC (CoreLogic Incorporated)
• Inventors: Munson, Kenneth A., Munson, James M., Munson, Daniel E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Augustine; Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US10/877,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20050034074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,006 Days
• Field of Search: 715/790, 715/799, 715/818, 715/823, 715/825, 715/851, 715/855
• US Class Current: 715/855
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A mapping system uses aerial photographs to correct geocode data for street addresses. After entering an address, a street map is displayed along with an aerial photo, both of which indicate the street address location based on standard algorithms. The indicator on the aerial map can be moved to accurately align with the location of the entered street address, which corrects the geocode data, allowing further geographical analysis to be performed using the corrected geocode data. The corrected geocode data can be used to more accurately determine distances from the property at the street address to natural hazards such as, coastlines, earthquake faults and flood zones.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for interactively modifying geographic coordinates corresponding to a street address comprising:

displaying a map representing a geographical area that includes an indication of the location of the street address;

displaying a geo-referenced image of the geographical area;

upon selection of a control accepting manual selection by a user of a corrected location of the street address, the manual selection of the corrected location made directly on the geo-referenced image at a particular point on the image, computing geographic coordinates of the corrected location from x,y display coordinates corresponding to the particular point on the image;

redrawing the map based on the computed geographic coordinates; and

displaying an indication of the corrected location of the street address in the redrawn map at the computed geographic coordinates.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying another indication of the corrected location of the street address in the georeferenced image.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing geographical analysis using the computed geographic coordinates.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3 wherein the geographical analysis performed is the distance of the street address to a natural hazard.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4 wherein the natural hazard is a flood zone.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the georeferenced image is displayed beside the map.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the map is overlaid on top of the georeferenced image.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the georeferenced image is an aerial photograph.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the georeferenced image is a satellite image.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the particular point on the image corresponds to a particular selected pixel and wherein computing further comprises:

converting the location of the selected pixel in the geo-referenced image into the corrected geographic coordinates.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the georeferenced image is a parcel map.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the georeferenced image is a scaled topographical map.

13. An apparatus for interactively modifying geographic coordinates corresponding to a street address comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises program instructions implementing a graphical user interface for interactively modifying the geographic coordinates, wherein the program instructions are executable by the processor for;

displaying a map representing a geographical area that includes an indication of the location of the street address and a geo-referenced image of the geographical area;

processing a user input routine that processes selection of a control accepting manual selection by a user of a corrected location of the street address, the manual selection of the corrected location made directly on the geo-referenced image at a particular point on the image;

processing a mapping routine which computes geographic coordinates of the corrected location from x, y display coordinates corresponding to the particular point on the image, redraws the map based on the computed geographic coordinates and provides an indication of the corrected location of the street address in the map at the computed geographic coordinates.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the mapping routine provides another indication of the corrected location of the street address in the geo-referenced image at the computed geographic coordinates.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a graphical information systems routine which performs geographical analysis using the computed geographic coordinates.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the geographical analysis performed is the distance of the street address to a natural hazard.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the natural hazard is a flood zone.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the georeferenced image is displayed beside the map.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the map is overlaid on top of the georeferenced image.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the georeferenced image is an aerial photograph.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the georeferenced image is a satellite image.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the particular point on the image corresponds to a particular selected pixel and wherein the mapping routine converts the location of the selected pixel in the geo-referenced image into the corrected geographic coordinates.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the georeferenced image is a parcel map.

24. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the georeferenced image is a scaled topographical map.

25. An apparatus for interactively modifying geographic coordinates corresponding to a street address comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises;

means for displaying a map representing of a geographical area that includes an indication of the location of the street address and a geo-referenced image of the geographical area;

means for processing selection of a control accepting manual selection by a user of a corrected location of the street address, the manual selection of the corrected location made directly on the geo-referenced image at a particular point on the image;

means for computing geographic coordinates of the corrected location from x, y display coordinates corresponding to the particular point on the image;

means for redrawing the map based on the computed geographic coordinates; and

means for displaying an indication of the corrected location of the street address in the map at the computed geographic coordinates.

26. A computer program product, for interactively modifying geographic coordinates corresponding to a street address, the computer program product comprising a readable memory device having computer readable program code stored thereon, including program code which, when executed, causes one or more processors to perform the steps of:

displaying a map representing a geographical area that includes an indication of the location of the street address;

displaying a geo-referenced image of the geographical area represented by the map;

processing selection of a control accepting manual selection by a user of a corrected location of the street address, the manual selection of the corrected location made directly on the geo-referenced image at a particular point on the image;

computing geographic coordinates of the corrected location from x, y display coordinates corresponding to the particular point on the image;

redrawing the map based on the computed geographic coordinates; and

displaying an indication of the corrected location of the street address in the map at the computed geographic coordinates.