Identification of over-clustered map features

• US 9,552,552 B1
• Filed: 08/20/2013
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kulshreshtha, Ashutosh, Cornea, Nicu D., de Alfaro, Luca
• Primary Examiner(s): Starks, Wilbert L
• Application Number:
  US13/970,595
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/048 Fuzzy inferencing
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/00 Computing arrangements based on specific mathematical models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location

Abstract

A system and method for managing online map information determines map records that represent more than one map feature by identifying map feature records where at least one attribute of the map feature record has more than value wherein each of the values has a probability of being correct that exceeds a threshold.

Claims

1. A method performed on a computer for identifying a map feature record representing more than one map feature comprising:

receiving a record for a map feature of an online geographic map, the map feature having attributes wherein at least one of the attributes has more than one value;

determining a first score for each of the more than one values; and

responsive to each of the first scores exceeding a threshold, identifying the record as possibly representing more than one map feature.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the attributes is a title of the map feature.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the more than one values is proposed by a user and determining the first score comprises:

determining for the user a second score indicative of a probability that the user provides unreliable values;

determining for the user a third score indicative of a probability that the user provides accurate values;

determining a fourth score indicative of a probability that the proposed value is an unreliable value; and

determining the first score based on the second, third and fourth scores.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the second score comprises:

receiving a plurality of interactions of the user with a map editing service;

determining characteristics of the plurality of interactions of the user; and

determining the second score based at least in part on the determined characteristics of the plurality of interactions.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the second score comprises:

receiving a plurality of proposed edits to a map feature;

determining characteristics of the plurality of proposed edits; and

determining the second score based at least in part on the determined characteristics of the plurality of proposed edits.

6. A system for identifying map feature records representing more than one map feature, the system implemented on one or more processors and comprising:

a module configured to;

receive a record for a map feature of an online geographic map, the map feature having attributes wherein at least one of the attributes has more than one value;

determine a first score for each of the more than one values; and

responsive to each of the first scores exceeding a threshold, identify the record as possibly representing more than one map feature.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the at least one of the attributes is a title of the map feature.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein each of the more than one values is proposed by a user and the module configure to determine the first score comprises the module configured to:

determine for the user a second score indicative of a probability that the user provides unreliable values;

determine for the user a third score indicative of a probability that the user provides accurate values;

determine a fourth score indicative of a probability that the proposed value is an unreliable value; and

determine the first score based on the second, third and fourth scores.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the module configured to determine the second score comprises a second module configured to receive a plurality of interactions of the user with a map editing service and the module further configured to;

determine characteristics of the plurality of interactions of the user; and

determine the second score based at least in part on the determined characteristics of the plurality of interactions.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the second module configured to receive a plurality of interactions comprises the second module configured to retrieve the plurality of interactions.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the module configured to determine the second score comprises a second module configured to receive a plurality of proposed edits to a map feature and the module further configured to:

determine characteristics of the plurality of proposed edits; and

determine the second score based at least in part on the determined characteristics of the plurality of proposed edits.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the second module configured to receive a plurality of interactions comprises the second module configured to retrieve the plurality of interactions.

13. A method performed on a computer for identifying a map feature record representing more than one map feature comprising:

receiving a record for a map feature, the map feature having attributes wherein at least one of the attributes has more than one value;

determining a first score for each of the more than one value, wherein each of the more than one values is proposed by a user and determining the first score comprises

receiving a plurality of proposed edits to a map feature;

determining characteristics of the plurality of proposed edits; and

determining a second score indicative of a probability that the user provides unreliable values based at least in part on the determined characteristics of the plurality of proposed edits;

determining for the user a third score indicative of a probability that the user provides accurate values,

determining a fourth score indicative of a probability that the proposed value is an unreliable value, and

determining the first score based on the second, third and fourth scores; and

responsive to each of the first scores exceeding a threshold, identifying the record as possibly representing more than one map feature.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein determining the second score further comprises:

receiving a plurality of interactions of the user with a map editing service;

determining characteristics of the plurality of interactions of the user; and

determining the second score based at least in part on the determined characteristics of the plurality of interactions.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one of the attributes is a title of the map feature.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the map feature is of an online geographic map.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the first score is indicative of the probability that the value is correct.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the threshold depends on a prominence of the map feature.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the threshold depends on a number of impressions associated with the map feature.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein at least one of the attributes is a telephone number.