Method and apparatus for identifying geographic locations
AssigneeStichting Mapcode Foundation
InventorPieter Andreas Geelen
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention provide a computer-implemented method for assigning identifiers to geographic locations within digital map data, comprising selecting a region within the map data, dividing the region into a first plurality of cells each uniquely addressable by an identifier of a first length, selecting a portion of the region and dividing the portion into a second plurality of cells each uniquely addressable by an identifier of a second length, wherein the second length is shorter length than the first length and a geographic location within the portion of the region may be uniquely identified by an identifier of the first length and an identifier of the second length.
Claims22
A computer-implemented method for assigning identifiers to geographic locations within digital map data, comprising:
- selecting a region within the map data;
- dividing the region into a first plurality of cells each uniquely addressable by an identifier of a first length;
- selecting a portion of the region;
- and
- dividing the portion into a second plurality of cells each uniquely addressable by an identifier of a second length, wherein the second length is shorter length than the first length and a geographic location within the portion of the region may be uniquely identified by an identifier of the first length and an identifier of the second length.
(canceled)
The navigation device of claim 18, wherein the context table comprises one or more further pluralities of cells dividing portions of the geographic region, each cell in each respective plurality of cells being associated with a unique identifier of successively decreasing length.
The navigation device of claim 18 wherein the first and second pluralities of cells are associated with the context identifier.
The navigation device of claim 18, wherein the context table comprises size information indicating a size of each cell in the first and second plurality of cells.
16-17. (canceled)
A navigation device, comprising:
- a display screen for providing navigation information to a user;
- and
- a processor communicably coupled to a data store comprising a context table, wherein the context table comprises:
- a context identifier associated with a geographic region;
- information identifying a location of a firstly plurality of cells dividing at least a part of the geographic region, each cell being associated with a unique identifier of a first length;
- and
- information identifying a location of a second plurality of cells dividing one portions of the geographic region, each cell being associated with a unique identifier of a second length,
- wherein geographic locations within the second plurality of cells are uniquely identified by identifiers of the first and second lengths, and
- wherein the processor is arranged to receive, from a user, at least one identifier, and to determine at least one geographic location corresponding to the respective identifier from the context table.
A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- receiving, from a user, at least one identifier;
- accessing a data store comprising a context table, wherein the context table comprises:
- a context identifier associated with a geographic region;
- information identifying a location of a firstly plurality of cells dividing at least a part of the geographic region, each cell being associated with a unique identifier of a first length;
- and
- information identifying a location of a second plurality of cells dividing one portions of the geographic region, each cell being associated with a unique identifier of a second length,
- wherein geographic locations within the second plurality of cells are uniquely identified by identifiers of the first and second lengths;
- and
- determining at least one geographic location corresponding to the respective identifier from the context table.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.