System and method for identifying the geographic region of a geographic area which contains a geographic zone associated with a location

A method for identifying the geographic region of a geographic area which contains a geographic zone, said geographic zone being defined by a zone boundary of a plurality of zone boundary points, comprising the steps of:

• A. dividing s aid geographic area into a plurality of non-overlapping geographic regions;
• B. selecting one of said plurality of zone boundary points of said geographic zone as a selected zone boundary point;
• C. selecting one of said plurality of non-overlapping geographic regions as a selected region, said selected region being defined by a region boundary of a plurality of region boundary points;
• D. making a first determination as to whether said selected zone boundary point is located within said selected region by
• drawing a line of predetermined slope through said selected zone boundary point and through said selected region,
• checking whether said line intersects said selected region at said selected zone boundary point, and
• if said line intersects said selected region at said selected zone boundary point, then defining said first determination to be that said selected zone boundary point is located within said s elected region;
• E. if said first determination is that said selected zone boundary point is located within said selected region, then selecting another one of said plurality of zone boundary points as a selected zone boundary point and making a second determination as to whether said selected zone boundary point is located within said selected region;
• and
• F. if at least a predetermined percentage of said plurality of zone boundary points is located within said selected region, then identifying said selected region.

In a geographic area divided into a plurality of non-overlapping geographic regions, each of said geographic regions being defined by a region boundary of a plurality of region boundary points, and a plurality of non-overlapping geographic zones, each of said geographic zones being defined by a zone boundary of a plurality of zone boundary points, a method for identifying the geographic region which contains a geographic zone, comprising the steps of:

• A. estimating said geographic zone with an estimated zone;
• B. selecting one of said plurality of non-overlapping geographic regions as a selected region;
• C. estimating said selected region with a selected estimated region;
• D. making a first determination as to whether said estimated zone is located within said selected estimated region;
• E. if said estimated zone is located within said selected estimated region, selecting one of said plurality of zone boundary points of said geographic zone as a selected zone boundary point;
• F. making a second determination as to whether said selected zone boundary point is located within said selected region by
• drawing a line of predetermined slope through said selected zone boundary point and through said selected region so that said line intersects a first boundary point of said selected region and a second boundary point of said selected region,
• checking whether said selected zone boundary point lies on said line between said first boundary point and said second boundary point, and
• if said selected zone boundary point lies on said line between said first boundary point and said second boundary point, then defining said second determination to be that said selected zone boundary point is located within said selected region;
• G. if said second determination in said step F is that said selected zone boundary point is located within said selected region, then repeating said step F with another one of said plurality of zone boundary points as a selected zone boundary point;
• and
• H. if at least a predetermined percentage of said plurality of zone boundary points is located within said selected region, then identifying said selected region.

In a geographic area divided into a plurality of non-overlapping geographic regions, each of said geographic regions being defined by a region boundary of a plurality of region boundary points, and a plurality of non-overlapping geographic zones, each of said geographic zones being defined by a zone boundary of a plurality of zone boundary points, a method for identifying the geographic region which contains a geographic zone, comprising the steps of:

• A. estimating said geographic zone with an estimated zone;
• B. selecting one of said plurality of non-overlapping geographic regions as a selected region;
• C. estimating said selected region with a selected estimated region;
• D. making a first determination as to whether said estimated zone is located within said selected estimated region;
• E. if said estimated zone is located within said selected estimated region, selecting one of said plurality of zone boundary points of said geographic zone as a selected zone boundary point;
• F. making a second determination as to whether said selected zone boundary point is located within said selected region by
• drawing a line of predetermined slope through said selected zone boundary point and through said selected region, and
• checking whether said line intersects said selected region at said selected zone boundary point, and
• if said line intersects said selected region at said selected zone boundary point, then defining said second determination to be that said selected zone boundary point is located within said selected region;
• G. if said second determination in said step F is that said selected zone boundary point is located within said selected region, then selecting another one of said plurality of zone boundary points as a selected zone boundary point and making a third determination as to whether said selected zone boundary point is located within said selected region;
• and
• H. if at least a predetermined percentage of said plurality of zone boundary points is located within said selected region, then identifying said selected region.

A computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program for identifying the geographic region of a geographic area which contains a geographic zone, said geographic area being divided into a plurality of non-overlapping geographic regions, each of said geographic regions being defined by a region boundary of a plurality of region boundary points, and a plurality of non-overlapping geographic zones, each of said geographic zones being defined by a zone boundary of a plurality of zone boundary points comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform the steps of:

• A. selecting one of said plurality of zone boundary points of said geographic zone as a selected zone boundary point;
• B. selecting one of said plurality of non-overlapping geographic regions as a selected region, said selected region being defined by a region boundary of a plurality of region boundary points;
• C. making a determination as to whether said selected zone boundary point is located within said selected region by
• drawing a line of predetermined slope through said selected zone boundary point and through said selected region so that said line intersects a first boundary point of said selected region and a second boundary point of said selected region,
• checking whether said selected zone boundary point lies on said line between said first boundary point and said second boundary point,
• if said selected zone boundary point lies on said line between said first boundary point and said second boundary point, then defining said determination to be that said selected zone boundary point is located within said selected region, and
• if said selected zone boundary point does not lie on said line between said first boundary point and said second boundary point, then defining said determination to be that said selected zone boundary point is not located within said selected region;
• D. if said determination in said step C is that said selected zone boundary point is located within said selected region, then repeating said step C with another one of said plurality of zone boundary points as said selected zone boundary point;
• and
• E. if at least a predetermined percentage of said plurality of zone boundary points is located within said selected region, identifying said selected region.