Real-time markup of maps with user-generated content

• US 8,604,977 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wilfert, Nathan S., Siu, Alec, Molinari, Roberto R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le H
• Application Number:
  US13/333,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20130166640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.13, 342/450, 342/452, 342/357.34, 709/229, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 701/300, 701/202, 345/659, 707/736, 707/739, 707/748, 705/14.36, 715/781, 348/36
• US Class Current: 342/450
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

User-generated content that is associated with a geographic location is uploaded to existing networked services or directly to a digital map updating service. Distinct digital map updating services can be assigned to defined geographic areas, such that they are only notified of, or poll for, new user-generated content within their defined geographic areas. Utilizing the geographic location associated with such user-generated content, the digital map updating service identifies one or more digital map “tiles”, which are updated to include new user-generated content and capable applications on client devices can be notified directly of such new user-generated content if they are accessing the relevant tiles. Additionally, data mining can be performed and deductions of events from data mining can be indicated in the digital map in the same manner.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable memory comprising computer-executable instructions for providing efficient sharing of user-generated content through a digital map, the computer-executable instructions directed to steps comprising:

registering to receive user-generated content, the registering comprising a specification of a defined geographic area such that only user-generated content associated with a geographic location located within the defined geographic area will be received on account of the registering;

receiving a first user-generated content and a first geographic location associated therewith;

identifying at least one digital map tile on which a presence of the first user-generated content is to be indicated, the identifying comprising determining that the first user-generated content is sufficiently highly ranked, as compared to other user-generated content that is also associated with geographic locations encompassed by the identified at least one digital map tile, so as to be indicated on the identified at least one digital map tile;

specifying a first location on the at least one digital map tile, corresponding to the first geographic location as represented on the at least one digital map tile, for a first indicator indicating the presence of the first user-generated content; and

transmitting the identification of the at least one digital map tile and the specification of the first location on the at least one digital map tile.

2. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, comprising further computer-executable instructions for providing an interface through which the dedicated application programs can register for updates comprising the transmission of the identification of the at least one digital map tile and the specification of the first location.

3. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions for registering to receive the user-generated content comprise computer-executable instructions for polling for the user-generated content.

4. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions for specifying the first location on the at least one digital map tile comprise computer-executable instructions for adding the first location to a numeric identifier of the at least one digital map tile.

5. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions for adding an identifier of the user-generated content to a numeric identifier of the at least one digital map tile.

6. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, comprising further computer-executable instructions for receiving a modification to either the first user-generated content or to the first geographic location and, in response to the receiving the modification, repeating the identifying, the specifying and the transmitting with the modification.

7. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, comprising further computer-executable instructions for correlating the first user-generated content with other user-generated content associated with the first geographic location and deducing, from the correlation, an event at the first geographic location.

8. The computer-readable memory of claim 7, wherein the computer-executable instructions for transmitting the identification of the at least one digital map tile and the specification of the first location further comprise computer-executable instructions for transmitting information regarding the deduced event.

9. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, comprising further computer-executable instructions for:

selecting a digital map tile;

identifying the other user-generated content that is also associated with geographic locations encompassed by the selected digital map tile;

ranking the first user-generated content and the other user-generated content; and

selecting one or more highest ranked user-generated content whose presence is to be indicated on the selected digital map tile, the selecting resulting in one or more unselected user-generated content whose presence will not be indicated on the selected digital map tile.

10. A method for providing efficient sharing of user-generated content through a digital map, the method comprising the steps of:

registering to receive user-generated content, the registering comprising a specification of a defined geographic area such that only user-generated content associated with a geographic location located within the defined geographic area will be received on account of the registering;

receiving a first user-generated content and a first geographic location associated therewith;

identifying at least one digital map tile on which a presence of the first user-generated content is to be indicated, the identifying comprising determining that the first user-generated content is sufficiently highly ranked, as compared to other user-generated content that is also associated with geographic locations encompassed by the identified at least one digital map tile, so as to be indicated on the identified at least one digital map tile;

specifying a first location on the at least one digital map tile, corresponding to the first geographic location as represented on the at least one digital map tile, for a first indicator indicating the presence of the first user-generated content; and

transmitting the identification of the at least one digital map tile and the specification of the first location on the at least one digital map tile.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of providing an interface through which the dedicated application programs can register for updates comprising the transmission of the identification of the at least one digital map tile and the specification of the first location.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the specifying the first location on the at least one digital map tile comprises adding the first location to a numeric identifier of the at least one digital map tile.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of receiving a modification to either the first user-generated content or to the first geographic location and, in response to the receiving the modification, repeating the identifying, the specifying and the transmitting with the modification.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

selecting a digital map tile;

identifying the other user-generated content that is also associated with geographic locations encompassed by the selected digital map tile;

ranking the first user-generated content and the other user-generated content; and

selecting one or more highest ranked user-generated content whose presence is to be indicated on the selected digital map tile, the selecting resulting in one or more unselected user-generated content whose presence will not be indicated on the selected digital map tile.

15. A system for providing efficient sharing of user-generated content through a digital map, the system comprising:

a content hosting computing device comprising user-generated content and geographic location information associated therewith;

a map hosting computing device comprising map tiles; and

a real-time update computing device comprising computer-executable instructions for;

receiving a first user-generated content and a first geographic location associated therewith from the content hosting computing device;

identifying at least one digital map tile from the map hosting computing device on which a presence of the first user-generated content is to be indicated, the identifying comprising determining that the first user-generated content is sufficiently highly ranked, as compared to other user-generated content that is also associated with geographic locations encompassed by the identified at least one digital map tile, so as to be indicated on the identified at least one digital map tile;

specifying a first location on the at least one digital map tile, corresponding to the first geographic location as represented on the at least one digital map tile, for a first indicator indicating the presence of the first user-generated content; and

transmitting the identification of the at least one digital map tile and the specification of the first location on the at least one digital map tile.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

at least one personal computing device executing a dedicated digital map viewing application program capable of receiving the map tiles from the map hosting computing device and the identification of the at least one digital map tile and the specification of the first location on the at least one digital map tile from the real-time update computing device;

wherein the real-time update computing device comprises further computer-executable instructions for transmitting the identification of the at least one digital map tile and the specification of the first location on the at least one digital map tile to the at least one personal computing device executing the dedicated digital map viewing application program.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the real-time update computing device comprises further computer-executable instructions for providing an interface through which the dedicated digital map viewing application program can register for updates comprising the transmission of the identification of the at least one digital map tile and the specification of the first location.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the real-time update computing device comprises further computer-executable instructions for adding the first location to a numeric identifier of the at least one digital map tile.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the real-time update computing device comprises further computer-executable instructions for receiving a modification to either the first user-generated content or to the first geographic location and, in response to the receiving the modification, repeating the identifying, the specifying and the transmitting with the modification.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the real-time update computing device comprises further computer-executable instructions for:

selecting a digital map tile;

identifying the other user-generated content that is also associated with geographic locations encompassed by the selected digital map tile;

ranking the first user-generated content and the other user-generated content; and

selecting one or more highest ranked user-generated content whose presence is to be indicated on the selected digital map tile, the selecting resulting in one or more unselected user-generated content whose presence will not be indicated on the selected digital map tile.