System and method for proximity searching position information using a proximity parameter

• US 20070016562A1
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Buffalo Patents, LLC
• Original Assignee: Archeron Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Cooper, Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 7,783,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/919 Geographic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A computer implemented proximity searcher searches position field information (representing geographical positions) stored in database records, to identify database positions falling within a predetermined search range of a position of interest. The proximity searcher avoids time consuming conventional techniques such as great circle calculations to thereby reduce the computational burden associated with proximity searching, thus achieving time efficient proximity searches to identify candidate geographical positions that are near the position of interest. The proximity searcher identifies the candidate geographical positions within a search range, specified as a proximity parameter, of the position of interest. The proximity parameter and the position field information can have incompatible formats. In one configuration, the proximity searcher resides on a server coupled to a network and responds to user queries provided by, for example, client computers also coupled to the network.

Claims

1. A method of performing a proximity search, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a search radius defining a circular search area centered around a predetermined position;

(b) calculating a set of latitudes and longitudes to define a smallest square search area into which the circular search area can fit based on the search radius; and

(c) comparing the set of latitudes and longitudes to position information in a plurality of records stored in a database.

2. A method of performing a proximity search, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a search radius defining a circular search area centered around a predetermined position;

(b) mapping the circular search area to a smallest square search area into which the circular search area can fit based on the search radius and being defined in terms of a set of latitudes and longitudes; and

(c) comparing the set of latitudes and longitudes to position information in a plurality of records stored in a database to determine which of the plurality of records include the position information within the smallest square search area.

3. A system for performing a proximity search, comprising:

a database including a plurality of records for storing position-information; and

a proximity searcher that receives a search radius defining a circular search area centered around a predetermined position,

calculates a set of latitudes and longitudes to define a smallest square search area into which the circular search area can fit based on the search radius, and

compares the set of latitudes and longitudes to the position information in the plurality of records stored in the database.

4. A computer program product comprising computer usable media having computer readable program code means embodied in the media for causing application programs to execute on a computer processor to perform a proximity search, the computer readable program code means comprising:

a first computer readable program code means for causing the processor to receive a search radius defining a circular search area centered around a predetermined position;

a second computer readable program code means for causing the processor to calculate a set of latitudes and longitudes to define a smallest square search area into which the circular search area can fit based on the search radius; and

a third computer readable program code means for causing the processor to compare the set of latitudes and longitudes to position information in a plurality of records stored in a database.