Computerized national online parcel-level map data portal

• US 20140237410A1
• Filed: 04/29/2014
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boundary Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Boundary Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Klein, Dennis H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,760,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/92 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A National Online Parcel-Level Map Data Portal (NPDP) is provided that optimizes online delivery of parcel-level maps and linked attribute data. To do this, the NPDP manages a database of assembled and current vector based parcel data in a spatial format (GIS) that enables geocoded parcel boundaries to be linked to property tax records. A user enters a street address into an appropriate screen window to call up and view road right-of ways, all parcel boundaries and the “exact” address location as a highlighted parcel area. In addition, a list of property record attributes such as owner, use code, assessed value and year constructed can be displayed. Other on screen parcels can likewise be selected if one wishes to view their linked attributes.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a selected parcel and its surrounding parcels on the display screen of a computer, wherein the data used to describe the selected parcel, and adjacent and surrounding parcels is obtained from those jurisdictional digital parcel map database service areas which lie within or cross the extents of a bounding box whose coordinates equal the viewing extents of the display screen, the method comprising:

selecting a parcel to be displayed;

locating within a multi jurisdictional digital parcel polygon map database the selected parcel;

creating a rectilinear bounding box to define a retrieval area;

identifying the one or more jurisdictional service areas intersected by the bounding box;

searching the files of such identified one or more jurisdictional service areas to determine which parcels lie within or cross the bounding box, conducting such determination for each jurisdictional service area identified;

collecting said parcel data from all jurisdictional service areas located with the bounding box; and

thereafter,

providing said data for display on a computer screen.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the parcel is selected by designating an address, APN or by cursor placement and selection.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the bounding box crosses more than one jurisdictional area.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the bounding box crosses more than two jurisdictional areas.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the jurisdictional service area is a city, county, or other geopolitical area.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the jurisdictional service area is a county.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the multi jurisdictional digital parcel polygon map database includes jurisdictional service areas from two or more states.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein each county has associated with it a unique jurisdictional identifier.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the jurisdictional identifier is a FIPS number.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein a selection set of jurisdictional identifiers is created corresponding to each county boundary crossed.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein if multiple county boundaries intersect the bounding box, a first jurisdictional identifier from said jurisdictional identifier selection set is used to select and access its associated county directory to extract those parcels within the county which are to be displayed, the extracted parcels added to a parcel boundary selection set, the next jurisdictional identifier of said jurisdictional identifier election set then used to select and access its pertinent county directory, this process repeated for all said jurisdictional identifiers of the jurisdictional identifier selection set have been so processed, all such extracted parcels so identified added to the parcel selection set for subsequent display.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein each time the extent of the view area to be displayed on a screen is changed, new bounding box coordinates are generated equal to the screen viewing extents.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein each time the extent of the view area is changed, a determination is made as to whether or not another jurisdictional service area is crossed by the bounding box, and whether or not the required polygon map data needs to be retrieved from a single or multiple jurisdictional service area directories.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the multi jurisdictional digital parcel polygon map database includes information about individual parcels normalized to a common spatial data protocol, including vector based polygon data used to describe each line segment defining the boundary of a property, each line segment encoded with its parcel'"'"'s unique identification number.

15. The method of claim 15 wherein each line segment is also encoded with the unique identification number of the parcel which lies to the other side of that line segment.

16. A method for retrieving and displaying geographic parcel boundary polygon maps comprising:

receiving by a server a request a street address;

searching, by the server, a digital multi-jurisdictional parcel map database for the a selected parcel boundary polygon having said street address, and along with the boundary polygons of adjacent and surrounding parcels, the database having information about individual land parcels normalized to a common spatial data protocol, said information including vector based polygon data used to describe the boundaries of a plurality of parcels, including each of the vector based line segments used to define the extents of an individual parcel polygon, where each vector based line segment is further encoded with a unique identification number for said individual parcel polygon;

transmitting the parcel boundary polygon map data for the selected parcel having said street address along with the adjacent and surrounding parcels to a remote appliance having a screen display, wherein when displayed, the transmitted parcel boundary polygon map will display the selected parcel polygon along with adjacent and surrounding parcel boundary polygons around the selected parcel, the displayed map filling the computer display screen with parcel boundaries within a selected distance around the subject parcel, the selected parcel highlighted or otherwise differentiated.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the end points of each segment of a parcel boundary segment are assigned identical XY coordinated as the end points of other boundary segments that start or stop at each of its end points, resulting in no gaps or overshoots.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein each vector based line segment of the selected parcel includes the unique identification number of the parcel polygon which lies to the other side of the line segment of the selected parcel boundary.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the unique identification number for each parcel is its APN number.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the multi jurisdictional digital parcel map database includes a plurality of files arranged in separate service area directories corresponding to multi-jurisdictional service areas within two or more states.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the mufti-jurisdictional digital parcel map database comprises a national parcel map database.

22. A method to improve locational accuracy of a street address within a general digital mapping system comprising:

using a multi jurisdictional database of parcel boundary information collected from governmental tax records from multiple jurisdictions, in which the records are normalized to a common data protocol;

receiving a search for a street address;

accessing the database of parcel boundary information;

determining which parcel boundary within the database is associated with the said address;

displaying the exact location of the address.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the exact location is displayed in the form of a point, said point spatially positioned within the extents of the selected parcel boundary.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the exact location is displayed in the form of the parcel polygon associated with the street address.

25. A method for providing locational accuracy for a street address employing a multi-jurisdictional multi-state database of digital parcel polygon boundary extents comprising:

receiving by a server a request comprising a street address;

searching by the server a multi jurisdictional digital parcel map database for the a selected parcel boundary polygon having said street address, and along with the boundary polygons of adjacent and surrounding parcels; and

thereafter

finding and transmitting the parcel boundary polygon map data for the selected parcel having said street address along with the adjacent and surrounding parcels to a remote appliance having a screen display, wherein the transmitted parcel boundary polygon map display includes the exact street address location as a highlighted parcel area, along with all road right of ways and sufficient parcel boundary polygons adjacent to and surrounding said parcel to fill the screen upon which the map is to be displayed.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the multi jurisdictional database is a national database.

27. A method for more accurately assessing the nature and extent of spatial conditions that may present within the boundary of one or more selected parcels, said method comprising:

selecting a parcel by entering its street address;

locating within a multi jurisdictional digital parcel polygon map database information describing the parcel associated with the selected address, including parcel data defining the selected parcel boundary, said parcel data normalized such that eachparcel boundary shares a common projection, attribute assignment and display characteristic;

collecting parcel data for the selected parcel, and adjacent and surrounding parcels;

superimposing a boundary polygon defining the extents of the spatial condition;

determining which parcel boundaries intersect the spatial condition boundary polygon, which parcel polygons lie within said spatial condition boundary polygon, and which parcel polygons lie without said spatial condition boundary polygon; and

, thereafter

generating a report including those parcels lying within or crossing said spatial condition boundary polygon.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the generated report is in the form of tabular display for temporal reference, or written into linked parcel attribute records as a permanent amendment.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the generated report includes an address list of those addresses within or crossing the boundary polygon.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein all parcel polygons within or crossing the boundary polygon are highlighted or otherwise differentiated to distinguish them from other displayed parcel polygons not within or crossing the boundary polygon.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the extents of said boundary polygon are determined by a user-defined condition existing within the boundary.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the defined condition are risk conditions.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the risk conditions include soil, flood, fire, fault, tidal wave, mold, subsidence, pollution and landslide.

34. The method of claim 27 wherein with the spatial condition boundary polygon is a circle centered at a user selected point of interest on the displayed parcel map.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the circle defining the boundary polygon is centered on the selected parcel having the street address, the radius of the circle defined by the user.

36. The method of claim 27 wherein the boundary polygon is the same shape as, but larger than the selected parcel associated with the street address by a defined, buffered distance from the selected parcel, the selected parcel centered within the boundary polygon.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the exact number of spatial features, points, lines and polygons features within or intersecting the buffer is determined, including those that parcels that would not otherwise be accounted for if the parcels were defined by an address point.