Spatial identification of assets using n-dimensional asset identifiers

A method of assigning an n-dimensional asset identifier to an asset comprising:

• Defining a stratum as a span between a fixed minimum height and a fixed maximum height at a higher altitude than the minimum height;
• Sub-dividing the stratum into nested layers, wherein increasingly nested layers correspond to finer resolutions;
• Determining from a map, a position of the asset in n dimensions (n 3) comprising length, width, and height, wherein the position is based on the center of mass of the asset's geometry;
• Determining an extent for each of the dimensions, wherein each extent is measured from the center of mass to a surface of an n-dimensional bounding hyperrectangle containing the asset, wherein no bounding hyperrectangle extends outside the stratum;
• Referencing the position and extents to a grid system having n-dimensions, wherein the grid system comprises uniform, non-overlapping grid cells and overlays at least a portion of Earth's surface;
• and
• Encoding the position and the extents of the asset into a single, non-opaque, code string that can be stored on computer-readable media, wherein the code string does not encode the asset's geometry and wherein two non-opaque, code strings are directly comparable for functional equivalence.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device cause the device to:

• Determine a position of an asset in n dimensions (n 3), wherein the position is based at least on the center of mass of the asset's geometry;
• Determine an extent for each of the n dimensions, wherein each extent is measured from the center of mass to a surface of an n-dimensional bounding polytope containing the asset;
• and
• Encode the position and the extents of the asset into a single, non-opaque, code string that is a computer-readable, n-dimensional identifier of the asset.