Server, dictionary creation method, dictionary creation program, and computer-readable recording medium recording the program

• US 9,158,790 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2011
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bandara, Udana
• Primary Examiner(s): Chawan, Vijay B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Villena, Mark
• Application Number:
  US13/379,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20120143598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 715/700, 715/259, 704/10, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/242 Dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

A search server includes a category database that stores category information containing location information indicating a geographical location, a word assigned to the location, and a user ID identifying a user having assigned the word to the location in association with one another, and a dictionary registration unit that reads first input information indicating locations to which a first word is assigned by a first user and second input information indicating locations to which a second word is assigned by a second user, and when determining that the first and second users have assigned the words to a predetermined number or more of common locations based on those information, creates dictionary data containing the first and second words in association with each other and enters the dictionary data into a dictionary database.

Claims

1. A server comprising:

an input storage unit for storing input information containing location information indicating a geographical location, a word assigned to the location, and a user ID identifying a user having assigned the word to the location, the location information, the word, and the user ID being in association with one another;

a determination unit for reading out first input information indicating first locations to which a first word is assigned by a first user and second input information indicating second locations to which a second word is assigned by a second user from the input storage unit, the first word being different from the second word and the first user being different from the second user, and determining whether a number of common locations overlapping between the first and second locations is equal to or greater than a first preset threshold based on the first and second input information; and

a registration unit for creating dictionary data containing the first and second words in association with each other and entering the dictionary data into a dictionary storage unit when the determination unit determines that the number of common locations overlapping between the first and second locations is equal to or greater than the first preset threshold.

2. The server according to claim 1, wherein, when the dictionary data containing the first word and the second word in association with each other are stored in the dictionary storage unit and further the determination unit determines, based on the second input information and third input information indicating third locations to which a third word is assigned by a third user, that a number of common locations overlapping between the second and third locations is equal to or greater than a second preset threshold, the registration unit creates dictionary data containing the first to third words in association with one another and enters the dictionary data into the dictionary storage unit.

3. The server according to claim 1, wherein, when the dictionary data containing the first word and the second word in association with each other is stored in the dictionary storage unit and further the determination unit determines, based on the second input information and third input information indicating third locations to which a third word is assigned by a third user, that a number of common locations overlapping between the second and third locations is equal to or greater than a second preset threshold, the registration unit creates dictionary data containing the second and third words in association with each other without associating the first and third words each other, and enters the dictionary data into the dictionary storage unit.

4. The server according to claim 1, wherein

the location information is information representing the geographical location by at least latitude and longitude, and

when a location indicated by one of the input information and a location indicated by another one of the input information are within a predetermined geographical range, the determination unit determines the both locations to be common.

5. The server according to claim 4, wherein

the location information is information representing the geographical location by the latitude and longitude, and an altitude, and

the predetermined geographical range is a range represented in a three-dimensional form.

6. The server according to claim 1, further comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving a request signal containing a specified category name input by a user from a terminal of the user;

a search unit for reading facility information corresponding to the request signal received by the receiving unit from a facility storage unit for storing facility information containing a facility ID identifying a facility and a category name assigned to the facility by a user in association with each other; and

a transmitting unit for transmitting the facility information read by the search unit to the terminal, wherein

the word is a category name assigned to a facility located in a predetermined location, and

the search unit reads another category name associated with the specified category name from the dictionary storage unit, and reads facility information corresponding to the specified category name or said another category name from the facility storage unit.

7. The server according to claim 6, wherein

the facility information further contains information indicating privacy settings of the facility information based on a relationship between users assigned by a user,

the receiving unit receives the request signal further containing a user ID identifying a user of the terminal, and

the search unit reads facility information corresponding to the specified category name or said another category name and in which the user identified by the user ID contained in the request signal is within boundaries of the privacy settings by reference to the facility storage unit and a user relationship storage unit for storing user relationship information indicating the relationship between users.

8. The server according to claim 6, wherein, when the search unit reads facility information containing said another category name and not containing the specified category name, the search unit temporarily associates the specified category name with the facility information for processing in the terminal.

9. A dictionary creation method to be executed by a server, comprising:

a determination step of reading out first input information indicating first locations to which a first word is assigned by a first user and second input information indicating second locations to which a second word is assigned by a second user from an input storage unit for storing input information containing location information indicating a geographical location, the first word being different from the second word and the first user being different from the second user, a word assigned to the location, and a user ID identifying a user having assigned the word to the location, and determining whether a number of common locations overlapping between the first and second locations is equal to or greater than a preset threshold based on the first and second input information, the location information, the word, and the user ID being in association with one another; and

a registration step of creating dictionary data containing the first and second words in association with each other and entering the dictionary data into a dictionary storage unit when it is determined that the number of common locations overlapping between the first and second locations is equal to or greater than the preset threshold.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a dictionary creation program causing a computer to function as:

an input storage unit for storing input information containing location information indicating a geographical location, a word assigned to the location, and a user ID identifying a user having assigned the word to the location, the location information, the word, and the user ID being in association with one another;

a determination unit for reading out first input information indicating first locations to which a first word is assigned by a first user and second input information indicating second locations to which a second word is assigned by a second user from the input storage unit, the first word being different from the second word and the first user being different from the second user, and determining whether a number of common locations overlapping between the first and second locations is equal to or greater than a preset threshold based on the first and second input information; and

a registration unit for creating dictionary data containing the first and second words in association with each other and entering the dictionary data into a dictionary storage unit when the determination unit determines that the number of common locations overlapping between the first and second locations is equal to or greater than the preset threshold.