Searching and classifying information about geographic objects within a defined area of an electronic map

• US 9,424,358 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2013
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chang, Billy W., Rakshit, Sarbajit K.
• Primary Examiner(s): BOCCIO, VINCENT F
• Application Number:
  US13/969,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20150052130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 707/732, 707/722, 707/724, 707/736, 707/725
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/14 Details of searching files based on file metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

Provided are a method, computer program product and system for classifying and displaying information. A boundary within an electronic map is determined, based on a drawn closed shape. At least one geographic object, at least partially within the boundary, is identified. Each geographic object is representable by one or more geographic coordinates. A search is performed, on an external data source, for unstructured information associated with the at least one geographic object and a plurality of search results are received. The plurality of search results are classified and displayed according to a user topic of interest.

Claims

1. A computer program product for classifying and displaying information, the computer program product comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to determine a boundary within an electronic map based on a drawn closed shape;

program instructions to receive a query that requests real-time information about a user topic of interest with reference to an amount of drive time;

program instructions to identify at least one geographic object at least partially within the boundary, wherein each geographic object is representable by one or more geographic coordinates;

program instructions to perform a first search for the at least one geographic object and the user topic of interest using an internet search engine;

program instructions to perform a second search for the at least one geographic object and the user topic of interest using a special search engine that retrieves unstructured information from a private network with authentication and performs at least one non-textual search;

program instructions to receive a plurality of search results;

program instructions to analyze the search results with the real-time information to generate a response to the query that includes classifying the plurality of search results into multiple categories according to the user topic of interest; and

program instructions to display the classified results.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the program instructions to determine a boundary within an electronic map based on a drawn closed shape, are performed automatically upon receiving the drawn closed shape.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the program instructions to determine the boundary further comprise program instructions to:

extend the drawn closed shape by a buffer.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the program instructions for classifying the plurality of search results are performed with an ontological classification.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the program instructions to perform a search on at least one external data source for unstructured information associated with the at least one geographic object and the user topic of interest, are performed dynamically.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein identifying further comprises:

automatically extracting the at least one geographic object displayed on a detail display of the electronic map.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the program instructions to determine the boundary further comprise program instructions to:

perform a second search using metadata associated with media contained in the plurality of search results; and

add the results of the second search to the plurality of search results.

8. A computer system for classifying and displaying information, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer program instructions; and

at least one processor coupled to the non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer program instructions to;

determine a boundary within an electronic map based on a drawn closed shape;

receive a query that requests real-time information about a user topic of interest with reference to an amount of drive time;

identify at least one geographic object at least partially within the boundary, wherein each geographic object is representable by one or more geographic coordinates;

program instructions to perform a first search for the at least one geographic object and the user topic of interest using an internet search engine;

program instructions to perform a second search for the at least one geographic object and the user topic of interest using a special search engine that retrieves unstructured information from a private network with authentication and performs at least one non-textual search;

receive a plurality of search results;

analyze the search results with the real-time information to generate a response to the query that includes classifying the plurality of search results into multiple categories according to the user topic of interest; and

display the classified results.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one processor is configured to:

determine the boundary automatically upon receiving the drawn closed shape.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one processor is further configured to:

extend the drawn closed shape by a buffer.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one processor is further configured to:

classify the plurality of search results with ontological classification.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one processor is further configured to:

perform the search dynamically.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one processor is further configured to:

perform a second search using metadata associated with media contained in the plurality of search results; and

add the results of the second search to the plurality of search results.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one processor is further configured to:

automatically extract the at least one geographic object displayed on a detail display of the electronic map.