Geographic location referencing system and method

• US 6,223,122 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2000
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WGRS Licensing Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: Go2 Systems Inc (xAd, Inc)
• Inventors: Dana, Peter H., Hancock, S. Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/540,398
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/201, 701/211, 701/300, 701/208, 701/200, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 342/357.13, 342/357.17, 340/988
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3878 Hierarchical structures, e.g. layering
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3881 Tile-based structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method and apparatus for defining grid and proprietary addresses of selected locations within a geographical area is described, characterized in that the grid addresses are defined in relation to a grid and can be easily converted to global coordinates defined in relation to a known global referencing system, and the proprietary addresses are unique to the geographical area.

Claims

1. A method of using a novel grid address as a geographical location identifier, comprising:

providing a hierarchical grid address including a specific locational address appended to general position information, the general position information representing at least one of a plurality of pre-defined grids, each of the grids corresponding to a geographical area and having a plurality of cells and sub-cells corresponding to smaller geographical areas within the grid; and

using the hierarchical grid address as a geographic location identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific locational address includes a plurality of hierarchical codes representative of a specific cell, sub-cell, and any further levels of cell subdivision.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the grids corresponds to a geographical area and has:

a plurality of cells;

a reference location;

global coordinates of said reference location; and

at least one parameter defining cell size and orientation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific locational address is a proprietary name.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the proprietary name is, at least in part, an abbreviated version of a name.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the proprietary name is, at least in part, a company'"'"'s name.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the proprietary name is a company'"'"'s name and a unique identifier for one of many establishments of the company.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the proprietary name is, at least in part, an individual person'"'"'s name.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the geographic location is an individual person'"'"'s house.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the geographic location is an establishment of a company.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the general position information includes top, second, and third level hierarchical codes for identifying countries, states/provinces, and cities.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the general position information includes a country code as a top level hierarchical code.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the country code is a two alpha character mnemonic.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the general position information includes a state/province code as a second level hierarchical code.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the state/province code is a two alpha character mnemonic.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the general position information includes a city code as a third level hierarchical code.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the city code is a two or three alpha character mnemonic.

18. A method of using a novel grid address as a geographical location identifier, comprising:

providing a hierarchical grid address including at least a top level code, a second level code, and a third level code, the top level code representing a country, the second level code representing a state/province, and the third level code representing a city; and

using the hierarchical grid address as a geographic location identifier.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the country code is a two alpha character mnemonic.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the state/province code is a two alpha character mnemonic.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the city code is a two or three alpha character mnemonic.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the hierarchical grid address includes a fourth level code representing a proprietary name.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the hierarchical grid address includes one or more alpha and/or numeric characters.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the hierarchical grid address further includes a plurality of hierarchical codes representative of a specific cell, sub-cell, and any further levels of cell subdivision of a grid.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the grid corresponds to a geographical area and has:

a plurality of cells;

a reference location;

global coordinates of said reference location; and

at least one parameter defining cell size and orientation.