System, method and process of identifying and advertising organizations or other entities by overlaying image files on cartographic mapping applications

• US 8,698,841 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2010
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Geologos Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Georeplica, Inc.
• Inventors: Olsen, M. Brandon
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, JIN CHENG
• Application Number:
  US12/834,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20110267369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 345418-427, 345/629
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/40 Hidden part removal
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/20 Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, tesselation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A system, method and process of identifying and advertising organizations or other entities by overlaying image files on cartographic mapping applications is disclosed. Applicant has discovered a system, method and process for displaying image files of logos, trademarks or other source identifying objects, such as a trade name or the like, that are used to identify or advertise a business or other establishment using various cartographic mapping applications, such as Internet or online mapping applications, geobrowser applications, geospatial software applications, GPS mapping applications, such as navigation systems, or other mapping products, such as MapQuest®, Google® Maps, Yahoo!® Maps, and other mapping applications.

Claims

1. A computer system for providing a logo layer overlay on a map comprising:

a logo computer database having logo data representing logo images;

a map computer database having map data representing a geographical area;

an entity location computer database having entity location data representing entity locations;

an entity footprint computer database having entity footprint data representing an area that an entity occupies from a top down perspective;

a bounding component that identifies the dimensions of the logo image and identifies the dimensions of the entity footprint and sizes the logo image so as to fit within the dimensions of the entity footprint and storing the dimensions of the logo image, the dimensions of the entity footprint and the sized logo image in computer memory;

a location component that identifies an entity location corresponding to map data within said map computer database;

a scaling component to determine a size of the logo corresponding to the identified dimensions of the entity footprint as determined by the bounding component, and wherein the scaling component comprises a prescribed limit that limits how small the logo will get in response to a zoom operation;

wherein the scaling component further determines a priority for displaying the logo in response to a zoom operation;

a rendering component that renders an output to a user wherein said output comprises;

a map layer corresponding to an entity location;

a logo layer corresponding to an entity footprint;

wherein said entity footprint is rendered approximate said entity location;

wherein said logo layer is rendered corresponding to said entity footprint;

wherein said logo layer is the top most layer rendered; and

said logo layer is bounded by the dimensions of said footprint.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the scaling component identifies the scale of the map data and applies a scaling factor to scale the dimensions of the entity footprint and also scales the logo so as to fit within the scaled dimensions of the entity footprint.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an information component that identifies additional information data corresponding to the logo and causes additional information to be rendered.

4. The information component of claim 3, wherein said additional information is advertising data.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an information component that identifies additional information to be rendered corresponding to the logo and location.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the map computer database is provided by a third party.

7. The system of claim 1, the bounding component further comprising:

a parcel polygon set of instructions that ascertains a polygon that defines a viewable surface of the entity.

8. The system of claim 1, the bounding component further comprising:

an edge detection set of instructions that determines an outside perimeter of an entity footprint selected from said entity footprint computer database.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an entity information computer database having detailed entity information about a business of an occupant of a corresponding entity and wherein detailed information is rendered in a layer to be output.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the information data includes one or more advertisements related to the business of the corresponding entity and wherein the advertisements are rendered in a layer to be output.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a user interface wherein detailed information can be changed by a user or administrator in real time.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the rendering component selectively alters the orientation of the logo corresponding to the orientation of the rendered map layer so as to make said logo readable to a user.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising an entity entrance computer database having entity entrance data representing the location of the entrances for an entity and wherein the entrances of the entity to be rendered in a layer to be output.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a multi-tenant entity computer database having detailed tenant entity information for a plurality of tenants in a single entity.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the relative location of tenants within a multi-tenant entity is rendered in a layer to be output.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a logo priority component comprising instructions for determining a rendering hierarchy when rendering area is limited.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a bounding override component comprising instructions for determining the displayed dimensions of a logo when said entity footprint dimensions is scaled too small for supporting a readable logo rendering.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plat computer database having plat data and wherein a plat correlation component comprises instructions to determine the displayed dimensions of a logo to be rendered based on plat data.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a security component comprising instructions for preventing unauthorized use of the system.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising an Internet based user interface for entering data into the system.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising an account computer database having account data therein.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising an approval component comprising instructions for preventing data entered by a user from being used in the system until it is approved, and wherein said approval component allows data entered by a user to be used after said data has been approved.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said approval is based on verification of location data.

24. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface configured to receive input from a user.

25. A method of overlaying a logo layer in a map using a computer comprising:

collecting a logo computer database having logo data representing logo images stored in computer memory;

collecting a map computer database having map data representing a geographical area stored in computer memory;

collecting an entity location computer database having entity location data representing entity locations stored in computer memory;

collecting an entity footprint computer database having entity footprint data representing an area an entity occupies from a top down perspective;

identifying the dimensions of the logo image;

identifying the dimensions of the entity footprint;

sizing the logo image so as to fit within the dimensions of the entity footprint and storing said image logo in computer memory;

identifying an entity location corresponding to map data within said map computer database;

determining a size of the logo corresponding to the identified dimensions of the entity footprint as determined by the bounding component using a scaling component that prescribes a limit limiting how small the logo image will get in response to a zoom operation;

determining a priority for displaying the logo image in response to a zoom operation using the scaling component;

rendering an output to a user wherein said output comprises;

a map layer corresponding to an entity location;

a logo layer corresponding to an entity footprint;

rendering said entity footprint approximate to said entity location;

rendering said logo layer so as to correspond to said entity footprint;

overlaying said logo layer as the top most layer on to said map layer; and

bounding logos within said logo layer according to dimensions of said footprint.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising identifying the scale of the map data and applying a scaling factor to scale the dimensions of the entity footprint;

and scaling the logo so as to fit within the scaled dimensions of entity footprint.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising identifying additional information data corresponding to the logo;

and

rendering said additional information.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said additional information is advertising data.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising identifying additional information to be rendered corresponding to the logo and location.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising receiving map computer database from a third party source.

31. The method of claim 25, further comprising supplying said rendered logo layer to a third party for inclusion with the third party'"'"'s rendered layers.

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising ascertaining a polygon as a boundary defining an entity footprint.

33. The method of claim 25, further comprising detecting the edge of an entity footprint and generating a footprint data set.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising updating said detailed information in real time.

35. The method of claim 25, further comprising rending entity information about a business of an occupant of a corresponding entity in a layer to be output.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the information data includes one or more advertisements related to the business of the corresponding entity.

37. The method of claim 25, further comprising selectively altering the orientation of the logo to correspond to the orientation of the rendered map layer so as to make said logo readable to a user.

38. The method of claim 25, further comprising rendering the location of entity entrances in a layer.

39. The method of claim 25, further comprising placing a logo on a multi-tenant entity footprint corresponding to the relative location of tenants within a multi-tenant entity.

40. The method of claim 25, further comprising determining a rendering hierarchy when rendering area is limited.

41. The method of claim 25, further comprising not scaling the dimensions of a logo when said entity footprint dimensions is scaled too small for supporting a readable logo rendering.

42. The method of claim 25, further comprising using plat data to determine the displayed dimensions of a logo to be rendered.

43. The method of claim 25, further comprising preventing unauthorized access by providing security means.

44. The method of claim 25, further implemented through a webpage interface to a user.

45. An Internet based webpage for providing a logo layer overlay on a map using a computer comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a user input comprising a logo and location information;

a user logo and location computer database representing the logo and location data input by said user and stored in computer memory;

a map computer database having map data representing a geographical area stored in computer memory;

an entity location computer database having entity location data representing entity locations stored in computer memory;

an entity footprint computer database having entity footprint data representing an area that an entity occupies from a top down perspective;

a bounding component that identifies the dimensions of the logo image and identifies the dimensions of the entity footprint and sizes the logo image so as to fit within the dimensions of the entity footprint and storing the dimensions of the logo image, the dimensions of the entity footprint and the sized logo image in computer memory;

a location component that identifies an entity location corresponding to map data within said map computer database;

a scaling component to determine a size of the logo corresponding to the identified dimensions of the entity footprint as determined by the bounding component, and wherein the scaling component comprises a prescribed limit that limits how small the logo will get in response to a zoom operation;

wherein the scaling component further determines a priority for displaying the logo in response to a zoom operation;

a rendering component that renders an output to a user wherein said output comprises;

a map layer corresponding to an entity location;

a logo layer corresponding to an entity footprint;

wherein said entity footprint is rendered approximate said entity location;

wherein said logo layer is rendered corresponding to said entity footprint;

wherein said logo layer is the top most layer rendered; and

said logo layer is bounded by the dimensions of said footprint.

46. The webpage of claim 45 further comprising an approval component for approving the logo and location inputs by said user.