Proximity-based detail reduction of geographic data

• US 9,208,593 B1
• Filed: 02/21/2007
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Asher, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, M Good
• Application Number:
  US11/708,835
• Time in Patent Office: 3,212 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/60 Memory management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/40 Filling a planar surface by adding surface attributes, e.g. colour or texture
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A system and method for storing a plurality data points, each data point representing a geographic location, a first set of data points representing a first geometric object and a second set of data points representing a second geometric object. The system and method then remove a first data point from the first set of data points representing the first geometric object based on at least a distance between a first location represented by the first data point and a second location represented by a second data point of the second set of data points representing a second geometric object.

Claims

1. A non-transitory memory storing a set of instructions executable by a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of data points, each data point representing a geographic location, a first set of data points organized into a first geometric object representing a first geographical feature and a second set of data points organized into a second geometric object representing a second geographical feature; and

removing a first data point from the first set of data points based on at least a first distance between a first location represented by the first data point and a second location represented by a second data point of the second set of data points, wherein the removing is further based on a second distance between the first location represented by the first data point and a third location represented by a further data point of the first set of data points, wherein the removing is further based on a relationship between the first and second distances.

2. The non-transitory memory of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying the first and second geometric objects, wherein the first geometric object is displayed without the first data point.

3. The non-transitory memory of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

storing the first geometric object without the first data point.

4. The non-transitory memory of claim 1, wherein the first and second geographical features are one of a natural feature, a manmade feature or a political subdivision feature.

5. The non-transitory memory of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving an indication defining the second geometric object as a directorial object.

6. The non-transitory memory of claim 1, wherein the removing is further based on a dynamic threshold value, the dynamic threshold value being set based on a zoom level at which the geometric objects are to be displayed.

7. The non-transitory memory of claim 1, wherein the removing is based on the following formula:

∥

(P_n,P_last)∥

>

T*ln(1+∥

(P_n,O)∥

),

where Pn is the first data point, Plast is a further data point of the first geometric object, T is a threshold value and O is the second node.

8. A system, comprising:

a data storage mechanism storing a plurality of data points, each data point representing a geographic location, a first set of data points organized into a first geometric object representing a first geographical feature and a second set of data points organized into a second geometric object representing a second geographical feature; and

a data reducer removing a first data point from the first set of data points based on at least a first distance between a first location represented by the first data point and a second location represented by a second data point of the second set of data points, wherein the removing is further based on a second distance between the first location represented by the first data point and a third location represented by a further data point of the first set of data points, wherein the removing is further based on a relationship between the first and second distances.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a view generator creating a viewable display of the geometric objects from the nodes.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a display displaying the viewable display of the geometric objects.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the view generator receives a request for the viewable display.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the data reducer performs the removing after the view generator receives the request for the viewable display.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein, after the first data point is removed by the data reducer, the data storage mechanism re-stores the first geometric object without the first data point.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the first and second geographical features are one of a natural feature, a manmade feature or a political subdivision feature.

15. A non-transitory memory storing a set of instructions executable by a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of data points, each data point representing a geographic location, a first set of data points organized into a first geometric object representing a first geographical feature and a second set of data points organized into a second geometric object representing a second geographical feature;

determining a first distance between a first location represented by a first data point of the first set of data points and a second location represented by a second data point of the first set of data points;

determining a second distance between the first location and a third location represented by a third data point of the second set of data points; and

determining a relationship between the first and second distances.

16. The non-transitory memory of claim 15, wherein the relationship between the first and second distances is determined based on the following formula:

∥

(P_n,P_last)∥

>

T*ln(1+∥

(P_n,O)∥

),

where Pn is the first data point, Plast is the second data point, T is a threshold value and O is the third data point.

17. The non-transitory memory of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

removing the first data point from the first set of data points based on the relationship between the first and second distances;

determining, when the first data point is removed from the first set of data points, a third distance between a fourth location represented by a fourth data point of the first set of data points and the second location;

determining a fourth distance between the fourth location and the third location; and

determining a further relationship between the third and fourth distances, wherein the fourth data point is one of removed from the first set of data points and maintained in the first set of data points based on the further relationship between the third and fourth distances.

18. The non-transitory memory of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

maintaining the first data point in the first set of data points based on the relationship between the first and second distances;

determining, when the first data point is maintained in the first set of data points, a third distance between a fourth location represented by a fourth data point of the first set of data points and the first location;

determining a fourth distance between the fourth location and the third location; and

determining a further relationship between the third and fourth distances, wherein the fourth data point is one of removed from the first set of data points and maintained in the first set of data points based on the further relationship between the third and fourth distances.

19. A non-transitory memory storing a set of instructions executable by a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of data points, each data point representing a geographic location, a first set of data points organized into a first geometric object representing a first geographical feature and a second set of data points organized into a second geometric object representing a second geographical feature;

determining spatial relationships between a plurality of data points of the first set of data points and at least one data point of the second set of data points; and

removing one data point from the first set of data points based on the spatial relationships, wherein the removing is further based on a second distance between the first location represented by the first data point and a third location represented by a further data point of the first geometric object, wherein the removing is further based on a relationship between the spatial relationships and second distance.

20. The non-transitory memory of claim 19, wherein the spatial relationships are one of distance relationships and angular relationships.