Enhanced geocoding

• US 8,972,167 B1
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Oberweis Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Oberweis Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Takyar, Akash, Garg, Shaifali
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan k
• Application Number:
  US14/027,498
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/457, 455/422.1, 455/456.5, 455/39, 455/41.2, 455/556.1, 455/566, 455/66.1, 455/95, 455/99, 701/31.4, 701/427, 701/428, 701/461, 701/465, 701/522
• US Class Current: 701/409
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem

Abstract

An enhanced geocoding module may be used to determine various physical addresses located on the same street. The enhanced geocoding module may create a grid around a predetermined location and request the physical addresses of various coordinate points located on the grid. Additional features of the module may include a display that displays the grid with physical addresses located on the same street, various statistics related to a user of the enhanced geocoding module, and a color-coded scheme that indicates the status of individuals/groups located at the physical addresses.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums having computer-executable program instructions stored thereon that when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform steps comprising:

(i) determining a geocode of a current location;

(ii) determining a plurality of coordinate points on a grid that has the geocode of the current location at center of the grid, wherein a spacing of the coordinate points on the grid is based on a predetermined granularity, and is such that physical addresses corresponding to at least some of the coordinate points are on a same thoroughfare as the current location;

(iii) determining, by a reverse geocoding server, a plurality of physical addresses corresponding to the plurality of coordinate points;

(iv) sorting the plurality of physical addresses by distance from the current location and by which street the plurality of physical addresses are located;

(v) displaying a map comprising one or more of the plurality of physical addresses;

(vi) displaying the plurality of physical addresses in the sorted list; and

(vii) displaying, in association with the plurality of the physical addresses in the sorted list, additional information about one or more of the plurality of physical addresses.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the predetermined granularity is based on at least one of:

population density, zoom level of a geographical area covered by the grid, average spacing value, a spacing that includes 81 coordinate points on the grid, and a rectangular grid shape.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the reserve geocoding server receives the plurality of coordinate points as a batch request for a plurality of physical addresses corresponding to the plurality of coordinate points.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the additional information about one or more of the physical addresses includes statistical information about a status of the physical address as a customer.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of physical addresses are located close to the current location.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein the plurality of physical addresses are further sorted based on street name.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs:

displaying the grid and an identifier of the sorted physical addresses on the grid.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs:

displaying a plurality of statistics related to a traveling salesperson.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the plurality of statistics includes a number of customer sign-ups attributed to the traveling salesperson.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the plurality of statistics includes a number of hours spent by the user to sign customers.

11. A method comprising:

(i) determining, by a location tracking system embedded in a computing device, a current location of a user;

(ii) determining, by a processor of the computing device, a plurality of geocodes on a grid that has the current location at center of the grid, wherein a spacing of geocodes on the grid is based on a predetermined granularity, and is such that physical addresses corresponding to at least some of the geocodes are on a same thoroughfare as the current location;

(iii) determining, by a reverse geocoding server, a plurality of physical addresses corresponding to the plurality of geocodes;

(iv) sorting, by the processor, the plurality of physical addresses such that the physical address of the plurality of physical addresses closest to the current location and on the same thoroughfare as the current location is near a top of a sorted list;

(v) displaying, by the processor on the display device, the plurality of physical addresses in the sorted list; and

(vi) displaying, by the processor on the display device, in association with the plurality of physical addresses in the sorted list, additional information about one or more of the plurality of physical addresses.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined granularity is based on at least one of:

population density, zoom level of a geographical area covered by the grid, average spacing value, a spacing that includes 81 coordinate points on the grid, and a rectangular grid shape.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying, by the display device, the grid and an identifier of the sorted physical addresses on the grid to the user.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying, by the display device, a plurality of statistics related to a traveling salesperson.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the reverse geocoding server, the plurality of coordinate points as a batch request for a plurality of physical addresses corresponding to the plurality of coordinate points.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying, by the processor on a display device, a map comprising one or more of the plurality of physical addresses.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising;

(i) determining a geocode of a current location;

(ii) determining a plurality of coordinate points on a grid that has the current location at center of the grid, wherein a spacing of the coordinate points on the grid is based on a predetermined granularity, and is such that physical addresses corresponding to at least some of the coordinate points are on a same thoroughfare as the current location;

(iii) determining, by a reverse geocoding server, a plurality of physical addresses corresponding to the plurality of coordinate points;

(iv) sorting the plurality of physical addresses by which street the plurality of physical addresses are located and then by distance from the current location;

(v) displaying the plurality of physical addresses in the sorted list; and

(vi) displaying, in association with the plurality of physical addresses in the sorted list, additional information about one or more of the plurality of physical addresses.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the non-transitory memory stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method further comprising:

displaying a map comprising one or more of the plurality of physical addresses.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the predetermined granularity is based on at least one of:

population density, zoom level of a geographical area covered by the grid, average spacing value, a spacing that includes 81 coordinate points on the grid, and a rectangular grid shape.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of physical addresses are sorted based on a street name and distance from the apparatus.