Methods, apparatuses and computer program products for converting a geographical database into a map tile database

• US 8,352,480 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Piece Future Pte., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Iwuchukwu, Tochukwu
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Uyen T.
• Application Number:
  US12/973,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20120158762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/756
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

An apparatus for converting geographical geometrical content of a geographical database to map tiles may include a processor and a memory storing executable computer code that cause the apparatus to at least perform operations including modifying a geographical database based in part on adding items of data arranged in fields based on analyzing values corresponding to geometry information. The geometry information is associated with records of the geographical database. The computer program code may further cause the apparatus to determine a set of tiles at a predetermined zoom level including geographical information of respective records and may update the records to include data associated with minimum and maximum x and y values of the tiles. The computer program code may further cause the apparatus to determine minimum and maximum x and y values that define a rectangular block(s) of map tiles. Corresponding computer program products and methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

modifying, via a processor, a geographical database based in part on adding a plurality of items of data arranged in a plurality of fields based on analyzing one or more values corresponding to geometry information associated with each of a plurality of geographical records of the geographical database;

determining a set of tiles, for each of the records, at a predetermined zoom level that comprises at least a portion of the geographical information of respective records;

updating each of the records to include data associated with minimum and maximum x and y values of the tiles that correspond to the geometrical information of a corresponding record; and

determining that the minimum and maximum x and y values define one or more rectangular blocks of map tiles.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

utilizing at least one of the rectangular blocks of map tiles to determine whether to provide data associated with at least one of the geographical records to a device in response to receipt of a query.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the fields comprise respective columns, wherein,

a first column of the columns corresponds to a minimum x value of all tiles at the predetermined zoom level that comprises at least a portion of geometrical data of the records,

a second column of the columns corresponds to a minimum y value of all tiles at the predetermined zoom level that comprises at least a portion of the geometrical data of the records,

a third column of the columns corresponds to a maximum x value of all the tiles at the predetermined zoom level that comprises at least a portion of the geometrical data of the records, and

a fourth column of the columns corresponds to a maximum y value of all the tiles at the predetermined zoom level that comprises at least a portion of the geometrical data of the records; and

the geometrical information comprises data associated with at least one of a latitude or longitude coordinate associated with a location of a place or object in the real world.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a query for data from a device, the query comprises content corresponding to at least one tile associated with x and y values and a zoom level corresponding to the tile; and

determining a plurality of equivalent tiles, corresponding to the at least one tile, at a maximum zoom level based in part on the zoom level for the tile.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

converting the query to a new query comprising the x and y values corresponding to the maximum zoom level; and

enabling provision of the new query to the modified geographical database requesting retrieval of each geographical record associated with one or more tile blocks that intersect a tile block identified in the new query.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving results corresponding to the new query, from the modified geographic database, indicating one or more of the geographical records associated with one or more tile blocks that intersect a portion of the tile block identified in the new query.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

analyzing data associated with the one or more geographical records to determine whether each of the one or more geographical records comprise geometry content that intersects the tile block identified in the new query.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

enable removal of any of the one or more geographical records from the results that are determined to be associated with geometry content that does not intersect the tile block identified in the new query.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

enabling provision of the results to a device, the results comprising indicia indicating at least one of the geographical records with corresponding geometry data that intersects the tile block identified in the new query.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

modify a geographical database based in part on adding a plurality of items of data arranged in a plurality of fields based on analyzing one or more values corresponding to geometry information associated with each of a plurality of geographical records of the geographical database;

determine a set of tiles, for each of the records, at a predetermined zoom level that comprises at least a portion of the geographical information of respective records;

update each of the records to include data associated with minimum and maximum x and y values of the tiles that correspond to the geometrical information of a corresponding record; and

determine that the minimum and maximum x and y values define one or more rectangular blocks of map tiles.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

utilize at least one of the rectangular blocks of map tiles to determine whether to provide data associated with at least one of the geographical records to a device in response to receipt of a query.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the fields comprise respective columns, wherein,

a first column of the columns corresponds to a minimum x value of all tiles at the predetermined zoom level that comprises at least a portion of geometrical data of the records,

a second column of the columns corresponds to a minimum y value of all tiles at the predetermined zoom level that comprises at least a portion of the geometrical data of the records,

a third column of the columns corresponds to a maximum x value of all the tiles at the predetermined zoom level that comprises at least a portion of the geometrical data of the records, and

a fourth column of the columns corresponds to a maximum y value of all the tiles at the predetermined zoom level that comprises at least a portion of the geometrical data of the records; and

the geometrical information comprises data associated with at least one of a latitude or longitude coordinate associated with a location of a place or object in the real world.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive a query for data from a device, the query comprises content corresponding to at least one tile associated with x and y values and a zoom level corresponding to the tile; and

determine a plurality of equivalent tiles, corresponding to the at least one tile, at a maximum zoom level based in part on the zoom level for the tile.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

convert the query to a new query comprising the x and y values corresponding to the maximum zoom level; and

enable provision of the new query to the modified geographical database requesting retrieval of each geographical record associated with one or more tile blocks that intersect a tile block identified in the new query.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive results corresponding to the new query, from the modified geographical database, indicating one or more of the geographical records associated with one or more tile blocks that intersect a portion of the tile block identified in the new query.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

analyze data associated with the one or more geographical records to determine whether each of the one or more geographical records comprise geometry content that intersects the tile block in the new query.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

enable removal of any of the one or more geographical records from the results that are determined to be associated with geometry content that does not intersect the tile block identified in the new query.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

enable provision of the results to a device, the results comprising indicia indicating at least one of the geographical records with corresponding geometry data that intersects the tile block identified in the new query.

19. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

program code instructions configured modify a geographical database based in part on adding a plurality of items of data arranged in a plurality of fields based on analyzing one or more values corresponding to geometry information associated with each of a plurality of geographical records of the geographical database;

program code instructions configured to determine a set of tiles, for each of the records, at a predetermined zoom level that comprises at least a portion of the geographical information of respective records;

program code instructions configured to update each of the records to include data associated with minimum and maximum x and y values of the tiles that correspond to the geometrical information of a corresponding record; and

program code instructions configured to determine that the minimum and maximum x and y values define one or more rectangular blocks of map tiles.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

program code instructions configured to utilize at least one of the rectangular blocks of map tiles to determine whether to provide data associated with at least one of the geographical records to a device in response to receipt of a query.