Associating geographic-related information with objects

• US 7,698,336 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nath, Suman K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz; Apu M
• Assistant Examiner(s): GIRMA, ANTENEH B
• Application Number:
  US11/553,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20080104019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 711/100, 711/118, 711/129, 711/133, 711/141
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

Techniques for associating geographic-related information with objects are described. In one implementation, a search is conducted on a keyword string of one or more keywords descriptive or otherwise representative of a geographically-relevant object. If a location is identified, geographic-related semantic information of the location is associated with the geographically-relevant object. In some cases, multiple possible locations may be identified as a result of searching the keyword string. If multiple locations are identified, a probable location is determined and then geographic-related semantic information of the probable location is associated with the geographically-relevant object described by the keyword string.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a keyword string of one or more keywords, the keyword string being representative of a geographically-relevant object available on the Web, wherein the geographically-relevant object is an object selected from a group of objects, the group of objects comprising map objects, image objects, and sensor objects;

searching geographical data, available on the Web, to identify locations associated with the keyword string;

determining a probable location based on the identified locations;

associating geographic-related semantic information descriptors of the probable location with the geographically-relevant object by assigning a metadata tag derived from the keyword string to the geographically-relevant object, wherein the metadata tag associates the descriptors with the geographically-relevant object and wherein the associating comprises determining a probable location as a clustering function of the multiple locations;

correlating the geographic-related semantic information of the probable location with the geographically-relevant object, wherein the cluster function for computing the probable location from the multiple locations comprises;

computing an initial center point as a statistical function that minimizes a sum of the square distances from the initial center point to each one of the multiple locations;

removing spurious locations located greater than a predefined distance from a mean of the multiple locations; and

computing the probable location for remaining ones of the multiple locations by minimizing a sum of the square distances from the probable location to each one of the remaining ones of the multiple locations; and

storing the geographically-relevant object and the metadata tag to allow a web search engine to locate the geographically-relevant object and the metadata tag responsive to a query.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the geographic-related semantic information comprises latitude and longitude.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the tag further comprises co-ordinates of the at least one location.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising correlating the geographic-related semantic information of the probable location with the geographically-relevant object.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the storing stores the associated geographic-related semantic information descriptors together with the geographically-relevant object.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising presenting a map such that the location with the geographically-relevant object is centered.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising sending targeted relevant advertising information to a sender of the keyword string, the targeted relevant advertising information being relevant to at least one of the locations and to the keyword string.

18. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the determination of the probable location is selectable to be performed automatically and manually.

7. A computer readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor coupled to the computer readable medium cause the processor to perform acts comprising:

initiating a Web search of geographical data to identify possible locations associated with a keyword string, the keyword string comprising one or more keywords representative of a geographically-relevant object, wherein the geographically-relevant object is an object selected from a group of objects, the group of objects comprising map objects, image objects, and sensor objects;

determining a probable location as a function of the possible locations and associating geographically-related semantic information descriptors of the probable location with the geographic-relevant object, by assigning a metadata tag derived from the keyword string to the geographically-relevant object wherein the metadata tag associates the descriptors with the geographically-relevant object;

correlating the geographic-related semantic information of the probable location with the geographically-relevant object, wherein the cluster function for computing the probable location from the multiple locations comprises;

computing an initial center point as a statistical function that minimizes a sum of the square distances from the initial center point to each one of the multiple locations;

removing spurious locations located greater than a predefined distance from a mean of the multiple locations; and

computing the probable location for remaining ones of the multiple locations by minimizing a sum of the square distances from the probable location to each one of the remaining ones of the multiple locations; and

storing the geographically-relevant object and the metadata tag to allow a web search engine to locate the geographically-relevant object and the metadata tag responsive to a query.

8. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the geographic-related semantic information comprises latitude and longitude.

9. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 7, further storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform acts comprising assigning the tag to include co-ordinates of at least one of the possible locations and the probable location.

10. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 7, further storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform acts comprising storing the associated geographic-related semantic information together with the geographically-relevant object.

11. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 7, further storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform acts comprising presenting a map such that the geographically-relevant object is centered.

12. One or more processor-accessible storage media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a device to provide an interface comprising:

an entry area to permit entry of a keyword string of one or more keywords, the keyword string being representative of a geographically-relevant object, wherein the geographically-relevant object is an object selected from a group of objects, the group of objects comprising map objects, image objects, and sensor objects;

a module to identify, via the Web, geographical locations associated with the keyword string and to associate geographic-related information of the geographical location with the geographically-relevant object, by assigning a metadata tag derived from the keyword string to the geographically-relevant object wherein the metadata tag associates geographic-related information descriptors with the geographically-relevant object; and

a correlating module, wherein the correlating module that correlates the geographic-related semantic information of the probable location with the geographically-relevant object, wherein the cluster function for computing a probable location from the multiple locations comprises;

computing an initial center point as a statistical function that minimizes a sum of the square distances from the initial center point to each one of the multiple locations;

removing spurious locations located greater than a predefined distance from a mean of the multiple locations; and

computing the probable location for remaining ones of the multiple locations by minimizing a sum of the square distances from the probable location to each one of the remaining ones of the multiple locations.

13. The interface as recited in claim 12, wherein the geographic-related information comprises latitude and longitude.

14. The interface as recited in claim 12, wherein the module assigns the tag to include co-ordinates of the at least one geographical location.

15. The interface as recited in claim 12, wherein the module further comprising an analysis unit to determine a probable location from the multiple possible locations and associate the geographic-related semantic information of the probable location to the geographically-relevant object.

16. The interface as recited in claim 12, further comprising a mapping module to present a map with the geographically-relevant object at center.