Method and system for managing and sharing geographically-linked content

• US 9,465,890 B1
• Filed: 08/09/2010
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donald Jay Wilson
• Original Assignee: Donald Jay Wilson
• Inventors: Wilson, Donald Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruiz, Angelica
• Application Number:
  US12/852,983
• Time in Patent Office: 2,255 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results

Abstract

This disclosure relates generally to the field of content sharing over a network using geographical tags, particularly multimedia content relating to community, genealogical and historical information. The content that can be shared via preferred embodiments may take many forms, such as images, genealogical data, video, audio, etc. Preferably, the content comprises personalized content (such as family tree information, family photographs, neighborhood photographs, home video, home audio, etc.).

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a database configured to store a plurality of accessible data structures, a first plurality of the data structures comprising people data structures, a second plurality of the data structures comprising media data structures corresponding to a plurality of media items, and a third plurality of the data structures comprising marker data structures corresponding to geographic locations, a plurality of the people data structures being associated with a plurality of the media data structures, a plurality of the media data structures being associated with a plurality of the marker data structures such that each of a plurality of the media data structures are associated with marker data structures corresponding to geographic locations where the media items corresponding to those media data structures were generated, wherein at least a plurality of the media data structures associated with a marker data structure are also associated with a people data structure; and

a processor for communication with the database, the processor configured to host a website, the website for providing a plurality of user computers with access to the database via a network, the website configured to provide a plurality of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to the user computers for display thereon, at least a plurality of the GUIs configured to receive input from the user computers to update the database with additional people, media and geographic location data structures and create associations between a plurality of the people, media and geographic location data structures;

wherein the processor is further configured to (1) provide a map interface for presentation to a user via a GUI, (2) receive a user-specified geographic location as input through the map interface, (3) search the database for a media data structure having an association with the user-specified geographic location, (4) based on the search, identify a media data structure that is associated with the user-specified geographic location, and (5) provide a resultant map interface for presentation to the user via a GUI, wherein the resultant map interface is configured to display a marker icon corresponding to a marker data structure associated with the identified media data structure such that the marker icon is positioned on the resultant map interface in accordance with its corresponding geographic location; and

wherein the processor is further configured to (1) receive input from the user indicative of a selection of the identified media data structure, (2) present the media item corresponding to the selected media data structure for display to the user via a GUI, the GUI being configured to (i) identify a person corresponding to a people data structure associated with that media data structure and (ii) display a user-selectable link, wherein the user-selectable link is associated with the people data structure that is associated with that media data structure, (3) receive input from the user indicative of a selection of the user-selectable link, and (4) in response to selection of the user-selectable link (i) search the database for a media data structure associated with the people data structure that is associated with the user-selected link regardless of the geographic locations associated with the media data structures, (ii) based on the search, identify a media data structure that is associated with the people data structure associated with the user-selected link, and (iii) present the identified media data structure that is associated with the people data structure associated with the user-selected link for display to the user via a GUI.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor comprises a server.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the database further comprises a plurality of user data structures associated with a plurality of users, wherein a first people data structure is associated with a first user data structure and a second people data structure is associated with a second user data structure, wherein the first people data structure is the people data structure corresponding to the identified person, and wherein the second people data structure corresponds to the same person as the first people data structure;

and

wherein the processor is further configured to (1) receive association input from a user that is indicative of a request to create an association between (i) the first people data structure and (ii) the second people data structure, and (2) create an association in the database in accordance with the received association input.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the database further comprises a plurality of user data structures associated with a plurality of users, wherein a first people data structure is associated with a first user data structure and a second people data structure is associated with a second user data structure, wherein the first people data structure is the people data structure corresponding to the identified person, and wherein the second people data structure corresponds to the same identified person;

and

wherein the processor is further configured to (1) receive association input from a user that is indicative of a request to create an association between (i) the identified media data structure that is associated with the people data structure associated with the user-selected link and (ii) the second people data structure, and (2) create an association in the database in accordance with the received association input.

5. A system comprising:

a database configured to store a plurality of accessible data structures, a first plurality of the data structures comprising people data structures, a second plurality of the data structures comprising media data structures, and a third plurality of the data structures comprising data structures corresponding to geographic locations, a plurality of the people data structures being associated with a plurality of the media data structures, a plurality of the media data structures being associated with a plurality of the geographic location data structures, wherein at least a plurality of the media data structures associated with a geographic location data structure are also associated with a people data structure, wherein each of a plurality of the media data structures that are associated with a people data structure comprises a photograph and is associated with a geographic location data structure corresponding to a geographic location for where that photograph was taken; and

a processor for communication with the database, the processor configured to host a website, the website for providing a plurality of user computers with access to the database via a network, the website configured to provide a plurality of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to the user computers for display thereon, at least a plurality of the GUIs configured to receive input from the user computers to update the database with additional people, media and geographic location data structures and create associations between a plurality of the people, media and geographic location data structures; and

wherein the processor is further configured to (1) receive input from a user indicative of a request to track a person of interest over time, (2) access the database to determine a plurality of geographic locations associated with the people data structure corresponding to the person of interest via (i) any geographic location data structures that are directly associated with the people data structure corresponding to the person of interest, and (ii) any geographic location data structures that are associated with media data structures that are associated with the people data structure corresponding to the person of interest, and (3) provide a GUI for display on the user'"'"'s user computer that displays a map, the map having a plurality of marker icons placed thereon at positions corresponding the determined geographic locations.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein each determined geographic location has an associated time, and wherein the GUI is configured to display the map in a time lapse format such that marker icons are added to the map sequentially with respect to the times associated with the geographic locations.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the GUI is configured to display the map in a time lapse cumulative format such that at the end of the time lapse all of the added marker icons are displayed together on the map.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the received input is indicative of a request to track a plurality of people of interest over time, and wherein the processor is further configured to (1) access the database to determine a plurality of geographic locations associated with the people data structures corresponding to the people of interest via (1) any geographic location data structures that are directly associated with the people data structures corresponding to the people of interest, and (2) any geographic location data structures that are associated with media data structures that are associated with the people data structures corresponding to the people of interest, and (2) populate the map with a plurality of marker icons placed thereon at positions corresponding the determined geographic locations with respect to the people of interest.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein each determined geographic location has an associated time, and wherein the GUI is configured to display the map in a time lapse format such that marker icons are added to the map sequentially with respect to the times associated with the geographic locations.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the GUI is configured to display the map in a time lapse cumulative format such that at the end of the time lapse all of the added marker icons are displayed together on the map.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the marker icons have a plurality of graphic formats, and wherein the GUI is configured to coordinate the different marker icon graphic formats with respect to the people of interest.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the people of interest comprise members of a family of interest as defined by a plurality of people data structures having genealogy information.

13. A system comprising:

a database configured to store (1) a plurality of accessible data structures, and (2) a plurality of historical maps that are associated with a plurality of times from the past and which depict geographic areas as those geographic areas existed at around the associated past times, a first plurality of the data structures comprising people data structures, a second plurality of the data structures comprising media data structures, and a third plurality of the data structures comprising data structures corresponding to geographic locations, a plurality of the people data structures being associated with a plurality of the media data structures, a plurality of the media data structures being associated with a plurality of the geographic location data structures, wherein at least a plurality of the media data structures associated with a geographic location data structure are also associated with a people data structure, and wherein at least a plurality of the data structures are associated with temporal data; and

a processor for communication with the database, the processor configured to host a website, the website for providing a plurality of user computers with access to the database via a network, the website configured to provide a plurality of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to the user computers for display thereon, at least a plurality of the GUIs configured to receive input from the user computers to update the database with additional people, media and geographic location data structures and create associations between a plurality of the people, media and geographic location data structures; and

wherein the processor is further configured to (1) receive data corresponding to a geographic location and a time from the past from a user computer through at least one of the GUIs, (2) access the database to determine whether any data structures are associated with the received geographic location data and past time, (3) in response to a determination that at least one of the data structures is associated with the received geographic location data and time, (i) provide a historical map from the database to a user computer for display thereon through at least one of the GUIs, wherein the provided historical map corresponds to the received past time and depicts a geographic area that encompasses the geographic location corresponding to the received data as it existed around the received past time, wherein the provided historical map is configured to display a marker icon that is placed on the map at a position corresponding to the geographic location with which the at least one determined data structure is associated, (ii) receive a selection of the marker icon from the user computer, and (iii) provide another of the GUIs to the user computer for display thereon that displays data corresponding to the at least one determined data structure.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the historical maps comprise satellite maps.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the historical maps comprise older maps that have been scaled and geo-referenced for overlay over geographic coordinates corresponding to current maps.

16. A computer-implemented method comprising:

maintaining a database comprising a plurality of accessible marker data structures, a plurality of accessible people data structures, a plurality of accessible media data structures corresponding to a plurality of media items and a plurality of accessible genealogical data structures, wherein each of at least a plurality of the marker data structures are associated with a geographic location such that a plurality of the marker data structures are associated with a plurality of geographic locations in the aggregate, and wherein at least a plurality of the marker data structures, people data structures, media data structures and genealogical data structures share associations with each other in the database such that each of a plurality of the media data structures are associated with marker data structures corresponding to geographic locations where the media items corresponding to those media data structures were generated; and

executing a software application on a processor that (1) provides a user computer with access to the database, (2) provides a plurality of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to the user computer for display thereon to create new data structures for storage in the database, modify the data structures stored in the database, create new associations between the data structures stored in the database, and modify the associations between the data structures in the database; and

wherein the executing step further comprises;

the processor receiving input from a user computer through a map interface, the received input corresponding to a geographic location, wherein the geographic location corresponding to the received input is associated with a first people data structure and a first media data structure, but where the first people data structure is not directly associated with the first media data structure;

the processor searching the database for media data structures that are associated with the geographic location corresponding to the received input;

based on the searching, the processor identifying the first media data structure as being associated with the geographic location corresponding to the received input;

the processor communicating the identified first media data structure to the user computer for display thereon through the map interface, wherein the map interface includes a marker icon at a location on the map interface corresponding to the geographic location associated with the identified first media data structure;

the processor receiving a request from the user computer to create an association between the first media data structure and the first people data structure; and

in response to the received request, the processor creating a direct association in the database between the first media data structure and the first people data structure.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the geographic location corresponding to the received input is directly associated with a second media data structure, the second media data structure being directly associated with the first people data structure such that the first people data structure'"'"'s association with the geographic location corresponding to the received input is an indirect association via the second media data structure.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the executing step further comprises tracking a plurality of geographic locations associated with at least one member of the group consisting of (1) a people data structure, (2) a genealogical data structure, (3) a plurality of people data structures, (4) a plurality of genealogical data structures and (5) a people data structure and a genealogical data structure and displaying the tracked geographic locations on a map.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the first media data structure is associated with a second people data structure, the second people data structure also being associated with a second media data structure, and wherein the executing step further comprises:

the processor receiving second input from the user computer through a GUI that displays the first media data structure, the second input being indicative of a request to search the database for any additional media data structures that are associated with the second people data structure;

the processor searching the database in accordance with the received second input;

based on the searching in accordance with the received second input, the processor identifying the second media data structure;

the processor communicating the identified second media data structure to the user computer for display thereon through a GUI;

the processor receiving a request from the user computer to create an association between the second media data structure and the first people data structure; and

in response to the received request to create an association between the second media data structure and the first people data structure, the processor creating a direct association in the database between the second media data structure and the first people data structure.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the second media data structure is associated with a different geographic location than the geographic location corresponding to the received input, and wherein the creating step causes the first people data structure to become associated with a new geographic location corresponding to the different geographic location.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the map interface GUI is configured to permit the user to filter a display of data structures on the map according to a plurality of criteria.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the first media data structure is associated with a second people data structure, wherein the first and second people data structures correspond to the same person, and wherein the executing step further comprises:

the processor receiving a request from the user computer to create an association between the first people data structure and the second people data structure; and

in response to the received request to create an association between the first people data structure and the second people data structure, the processor creating a direct association in the database between the first people data structure and the second people data structure.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein the first media data structure is associated with a second people data structure, wherein the first and second people data structures correspond to the same person, wherein the second people data structure is also associated with a second media data structure, and wherein the received request comprises a request to create an association between the first people data structure and both the first and second media data structures, and wherein the creating step comprises the processor creating direct associations in the database between the first people data structure and both the first and second media data structures.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the second media data structure is associated with a different geographic location than the geographic location corresponding to the received input, and wherein the creating step causes the first people data structure to become associated with a new geographic location corresponding to the different geographic location.

25. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving content from a user;

receiving data from the user that associates the content with a geographic location and a time;

storing the received content and associated data;

storing data for a plurality of historical maps, the historical map data being indexed by geographic location and time, each historical map represented by the historical map data corresponding to a geographic area and depicting the corresponding geographic area as it existed around its indexed time; and

providing access over a network to the stored content and the historical map data through a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI being configured to (1) receive time data and geographic location data from a user, (2) select historical map data from the database based on the received time and geographic location, and (3) display the historical map corresponding to the selected historical map data, wherein the displayed historical map comprises a plurality of user-selectable identifiers for stored content that is associated with the geographic area and time corresponding to the displayed historical map, the displayed historical map including each user-selectable identifier at a geographic location on the historical map corresponding to that identifier'"'"'s content, the identifier being user-selectable to display the content associated with that geographic location.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

permitting a user to scroll through time via the GUI to access and display a plurality of the historical maps and stored content associated with geographic locations encompassed by the displayed historical maps.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the historical map data is indexed by a range of dates such that the historical maps represented by the historical map data depict geographic areas as they existed at some point during the date range with which the historical map data is indexed.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the content comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of images, genealogical information, video and audio.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the stored historical map data comprises satellite map data such that the displayed historical map comprises a satellite map.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein the stored historical map data comprises data from older maps that has been scaled and geo-referenced for overlay over geographic coordinates corresponding to current maps.

31. A system comprising:

a server configured to (1) receive content from a user, (2) receive data from the user that associates the content with a geographic location and a time, (3) store the received content and associated data, (4) store data for a plurality of historical maps, the historical map data being indexed by geographic location and time, each historical map represented by the historical map data corresponding to a geographic area and depicting the corresponding geographic area as it existed around its indexed time, and (5) provide access over a network to the stored content and the historical map data through a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI being configured to (1) receive time data and geographic location data from a user, (2) select historical map data from the database based on the received time and geographic location, and (3) display the historical map corresponding to the selected historical map data, wherein the displayed historical map comprises a plurality of user-selectable identifiers for stored content that is associated with the geographic area and time corresponding to the displayed historical map, the displayed historical map including each user-selectable identifier at a geographic location on the historical map corresponding to that identifier'"'"'s content, the identifier being user-selectable to display the content associated with that geographic location.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the server comprises a web server and a database server.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein the stored historical map data comprises satellite map data such that the displayed historical map comprises a satellite map.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein the stored historical map data comprises data from older maps that has been scaled and geo-referenced for overlay over geographic coordinates corresponding to current maps.

35. A computer program product comprising:

code executable by a processor and resident on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the code, upon execution by the processor, configured to cause the processor to (1) receive content from a user, (2) receive data from the user that associates the content with a geographic location and a time, (3) store the received content and associated data, (4) store data for a plurality of historical maps, the historical map data being indexed by geographic location and time, each historical map represented by the historical map data corresponding to a geographic area and depicting the corresponding geographic area as it existed around its indexed time, and (5) provide access over a network to the stored content and the historical map data through a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI being configured to (1) receive time data and geographic location data from a user, (2) select historical map data from the database based on the received time and geographic location, and (3) display the historical map corresponding to the selected historical map data, wherein the displayed historical map comprises a plurality of user-selectable identifiers for stored content that is associated with the geographic area and time corresponding to the displayed historical map, the displayed historical map including each user-selectable identifier at a geographic location on the historical map corresponding to that identifier'"'"'s content, the identifier being user-selectable to display the content associated with that geographic location.

36. The computer program product of claim 35 wherein the stored historical map data comprises satellite map data such that the displayed historical map comprises a satellite map.

37. The computer program product of claim 35 wherein the stored historical map data comprises data from older maps that has been scaled and geo-referenced for overlay over geographic coordinates corresponding to current maps.