Numeric geodesic locator

• US 8,198,980 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2007
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dale J. Luger
• Original Assignee: Dale J. Luger
• Inventors: Luger, Dale J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US11/859,563
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/431, 701/412, 340/3.54, 340/7.27, 340/995.24, 342/357.1, 345/204, 455/457, 455/414.1, 455/556.2
• US Class Current: 340/3.54
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A geodesic locator system having an input for receiving a user-inputted numeric code in a format limited solely to digits and expressed by a fixed code length. The system associates the received numeric code with a unique geographical area on the Earth'"'"'s surface and communicates that area to the user.

Claims

1. A geodesic locator system comprising:

(a) an input for receiving from a user a numeric code representing a geographic destination and in a format limited solely to digits, where said format represents said geographic destination with a fixed thirteen digits and where said numeric code is divided into a plurality of non-overlapping sections, where a first section is associated with a respective geographic region circumscribed by geopolitical boundaries of one or more countries, a second said section specifies one of a plurality of locations within said respective geographic region and also circumscribed by geopolitical boundaries, and a third said section uniquely identifies an area within the second said section; and

(b) an interface for directing said user to said geographic destination using said numeric code, where said interface is capable of directing said user to said geographical area upon contemporaneous entry of a sequence of digits having a length less than thirteen digits.

2. The geodesic locator system of claim 1 where said first section is two digits in length, said second section is two digits in length, and said third section is eight digits in length.

3. The geodesic locator system of claim 2 including a fourth section of said code having a single digit.

4. The geodesic locator system of claim 1 where said input is performed by voice recognition of digits of said code.

5. The geodesic locator system of claim 1 where said length is 9 digits.

6. The geodesic locator system of claim 1 where said length is 8 digits.

7. The geodesic locator system of claim 1 where said geographic area is approximately square with 20 meters on a side.

8. The geodesic locator system of claim 1 where said user is directed to said geographical location by at least one of:

(a) a map;

(b) a displayed address;

or (3) audible instructions.

9. A geodesic locator system comprising:

(a) a geodesic grid overlaid over at least a portion of the surface of the Earth, said geodesic grid stored at a location accessible to said system, said geodesic grid uniquely associating different geographic areas of a substantially uniform size with respective numeric codes conforming to a format limited solely to digits and expressed by a fixed code length, where at least one digit of said code represents a geographic area circumscribed by geopolitical boundaries;

(b) an input capable of receiving from a user a sequence of digits cumulatively numbering less than said fixed code length;

where

(c) said system uses the received said sequence of digits to automatically select one of said numeric codes and communicate to said user the geographic area uniquely associated with the automatically selected said numerical code.

10. The geodesic locator system of claim 9 where each said numeric code is a fixed thirteen digits in length.

11. The geodesic locator system of claim 9 where said numeric code has first, second, and third non-overlapping sections, and where said first section is two digits in length, said second section is two digits in length, and said third section is eight digits in length.

12. The geodesic locator system of claim 11 including a fourth section of said code having a single digit.

13. The geodesic locator system of claim 9 where said input is performed by voice recognition of digits of said code.

14. The geodesic locator system of claim 9 where said numeric code is divided into a plurality of non-overlapping sections, where a first section is associated with a respective geographic region circumscribed by geopolitical boundaries or one or more countries, a second said section specifies one of a plurality of locations within said respective geographic region and also circumscribed by geopolitical boundaries, and a third said section uniquely identifies an area within the second said section.

15. The geodesic locator system of claim 14 where said code is 13 digits and said user enters only 8 digits.

16. The geodesic locator system of claim 9 where said code is 13 digits and said user enters only 9 digits.

17. The geodesic locator system of claim 9 where said geographic area is approximately square with 20 meters on a side.

18. The geodesic locator system of claim 9 where said user is directed to said geographical location by at least one of:

(a) a map;

(b) a displayed address;

or (3) audible instructions.