System and process for identifying objects and/or points nearby a given object or point

• US 7,680,861 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gray, James
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US11/256,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20060036630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/100, 707/749, 707/750, 707/798, 707/799, 707/919, 707/960, 345/838
• US Class Current: 707/750
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/919 Geographic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system and process is presented that identifies nearby objects and/or points in relation to a base object or point. An object or point is nearby if it resides within a prescribed area around the base point. The identification is based on information accessed from a database of geometric data. The identification of nearby neighbors begins by dividing the geographic system defined by said geometric data into a plurality of zones. The zone in which each object or point resides and the zones intersected by the prescribed area are determined. The nearby objects and/or points of interest are then identified by initially considering only those that are identified as residing in the zones intersected by the prescribed area. The search for nearby neighbors can be further refined by limiting the objects and/or points considered to those with locations within the lateral extent and/or within the height of the prescribed area.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented process for identifying all nearby neighbor objects and/or points of interest in relation to a user-specified base point which reside within a search area around the base point based on information accessed from a database of geometric data which includes the location of said objects and/or points of interest, said process comprising:

using a computer to perform the following process actions;

dividing the geographic system defined by said geometric data into a plurality of zones;

identifying which zone each object or point in the database resides;

identifying every zone intersected by the search area;

identifying the nearby neighbor objects and/or points of interest in relation to a user-specified base point which reside within the search area around the base point by initially considering only those objects and/or points that are identified as residing in the zones intersected by the search area; and

designating the considered objects and/or points found to reside within the search area around the base point to be nearby neighbor objects and/or points of interest.

2. The process of claim 1, comprising a process action of further limiting the objects and/or points considered in identifying said nearby neighbor objects and/or points to those with locations within the lateral extent of the search area.

3. The process of claim 2, comprising a process action of further limiting the objects and/or points considered in identifying said nearby neighbor objects and/or points to those within the height of the search area.