US 5,961,572 A · System and method for identifying the geographic region of a geographic area which contains a geographic point associated with a location

Abstract

A system and method for identifying the geographic region of a geographic area which contains a geographic point associated with a location. A description of a location such as an address, a nearby intersection, or a nearby landmark, is used to determine geographic coordinates for a geographic point associated with the location. To identify the geographic region which contains the geographic point, one of the plurality of geographic regions in a geographic area is selected as a selected region and a determination is made as to whether the geographic point is located within the selected region. If the geographic point is located within the selected region, then the geographic region is identified. Different preferred methods correspond to different methods for making a determination as to whether the geographic point is located within the selected region. In the preferred methods, the determination is made by drawing a line of predetermined slope through the geographic point and through the selected region and comparing the geographic point to the intersection points between the line and the boundary of the selected region. Some of the preferred methods use estimated geographic regions.

Claims51

Dependent claims

A method for identifying geographic coordinates for a geographic point associated with a location, comprising the steps of:

A. receiving an address for said location, said address having a zip code;
B. receiving an address match candidate, said address match candidate corresponding to a first geographic point;
C. making an address determination as to whether said address match candidate is associated with said location;
D. if said address determination determines that said address match candidate is not associated with said location, then receiving an intersection near said location;
E. receiving an intersection match candidate, said intersection match candidate corresponding to a second geographic point;
F. making an intersection determination as to whether said intersection match candidate is associated with said location;
G. if said intersection determination determines that said intersection match candidate is not associated with said location, then receiving a landmark near said location;
H. receiving a landmark match candidate, said landmark match candidate corresponding to a third geographic point;
I. making a landmark determination as to whether said landmark match candidate is associated with said location;
J. if said landmark determination determines that said landmark match candidate is not associated with said location, then receiving a fourth geographic point associated with said zip code, said fourth geographic point having geographic coordinates associated with said location;
and
K. identifying the geographic coordinates for the fourth geographic point.

9 more elements

A computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program for identifying geographic coordinates for a geographic point associated with a location, comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform the steps of:

A. receiving an address for said location, said address including a street number and a zip code;
B. making an address match candidate determination as to whether there is an address match candidate associated with said address, said address match candidate corresponding to a first geographic point;
C. if said address match candidate determination determines that there is no address match candidate associated with said address, then deleting said street number from said address to create a modified address;
D. receiving a modified address match candidate, said modified address match candidate corresponding to a second geographic point;
E. making a modified address determination as to whether said modified address match candidate is associated with said location;
F. if said modified address determination determines that said modified address match candidate is not associated with said location, then receiving an intersection near the location;
G. receiving an intersection match candidate, said intersection match candidate corresponding to a third geographic point;
H. making an intersection determination as to whether said intersection match candidate is associated with said location;
I. if said intersection determination determines that said intersection match candidate is not associated with said location, then receiving a landmark near the location;
J. receiving a landmark match candidate, said landmark match candidate corresponding to a fourth geographic point;
K. making a landmark determination as to whether said landmark match candidate is associated with said location;
and
L. if said landmark determination determines that said landmark match candidate is not associated with said location, then identifying geographic coordinates for a fifth geographic point associated with said zip code.

10 more elements

In a geographic area divided into a plurality of non-overlapping geographic regions, a method for identifying the geographic region which contains a geographic point, comprising the steps of:

A. selecting one of said plurality of non-overlapping geographic regions as a selected region, said selected region being defined by a boundary of a plurality of boundary points;
B. making a determination as to whether said geographic point is located within said selected region by
drawing a line of predetermined slope through said geographic 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 geographic point lies on said line between said first boundary point and said second boundary point, and if said geographic point lies on said line between said first boundary point and said second boundary point, then defining said determination to be that said geographic point is located within said selected region;
and
C. if said determination determines that said geographic point is located within said selected region, then identifying said selected region.

3 more elements

A method for identifying the geographic region of a geographic area which contains a geographic point, comprising the steps of:

A. dividing said geographic area into a plurality of non-overlapping geographic regions, each of said non-overlapping geographic regions corresponding to a respective estimated geographic region so as to provide a plurality of estimated geographic regions;
B. selecting one of said plurality of estimated geographic regions as a selected estimated region;
C. making a first determination as to whether said geographic point is located within said selected estimated region;
D. if said geographic point is located within said selected estimated region, then selecting a selected region, said selected region being the geographic region of said plurality of non-overlapping geographic regions that corresponds to said selected estimated region, and said selected region being defined by a boundary of a plurality of boundary points;
E. making a second determination as to whether said geographic point is located within said selected region by drawing a line of predetermined slope through said geographic 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 geographic point lies on said line between said first boundary point and said second boundary point, and if said geographic point lies on said line between said first boundary point and said second boundary point, then defining said second determination to be that said geographic point is located within said selected region;
and
F. if said second determination determines that said geographic point is located within said selected region, then identifying said selected region.

4 more elements

A method for identifying the geographic region of a geographic area which contains a geographic point, comprising the steps of:

A. dividing said geographic area into a plurality of non-overlapping geographic regions, each of said non-overlapping geographic regions corresponding to a respective estimated geographic region so as to provide a plurality of estimated geographic regions;
B. selecting one of said plurality of estimated geographic regions as a selected estimated region;
C. making a first determination as to whether said geographic point is located within said selected estimated region;
D. if said geographic point is located within said selected estimated region, then selecting a selected region, said selected region being the geographic region of said plurality of non-overlapping geographic regions that corresponds to said selected estimated region, and said selected region being defined by a boundary of a plurality of boundary points;
E. making a second determination as to whether said geographic point is located within said selected region by drawing a line of predetermined slope through said geographic point, checking whether said line intersects said selected region at said geographic point, and if said line intersects said selected region at said geographic point, then defining said second determination to be that said geographic point is located within said selected region;
and
F. if said second determination determines that said geographic point is located within said selected region, then identifying said selected region.

4 more elements

A computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program for identifying the geographic region of a geographic area which contains a geographic point comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform the steps of:

A. dividing said geographic area into a plurality of non-overlapping geographic regions;
B. selecting one of said plurality of non-overlapping geographic regions as a selected region, said selected region being defined by a boundary of a plurality of boundary points;
C. making a determination as to whether said geographic point is located within said selected region by
drawing a line of predetermined slope through said geographic 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 geographic point lies on said line between said first boundary point and said second boundary point,
if said geographic point lies on said line between said first boundary point and said second boundary point, then defining said determination to be that said geographic point is located within said selected region, and
if said geographic 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 geographic point is not located within said selected region;
and
D. if said determination determines that said geographic point located within said selected region, then identifying said selected region.

6 more elements

A computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program for identifying the geographic region of a geographic area which contains a geographic point associated with a location, said geographic area being divided into a plurality of geographic regions, comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform the steps of:

A. receiving an address for said location;
B. making an address determination as to whether said address is associated with an address match candidate, said address match candidate corresponding to a first geographic point;
C. if said address determination determines that said address is associated with said address match candidate, then selecting said first geographic point as said selected geographic point;
D. selecting one of said plurality of non-overlapping geographic regions as a selected region, said selected region being defined by a boundary of a plurality of boundary points;
E. making a determination as to whether said selected geographic point is located within said selected region by
drawing a line of predetermined slope through said selected geographic 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, and
checking whether said selected geographic point lies on said line between said first boundary point and said second boundary point;
F. if said selected geographic point lies on said line between said first boundary point and said second boundary point, then defining said determination to be that said selected geographic point is located within said selected region;
and
G. if said determination determines that said selected geographic point is located within said selected region, then identifying said selected region.

7 more elements

In a coordinate system having a plurality of points, each point defined by an x-coordinate and a y-coordinate, a method for identifying which of a plurality of non-overlapping regions of an area contains one of the points, comprising the steps of:

A. selecting one of the plurality of points as a selected point;
B. selecting one of the plurality of regions as a selected region, the selected region being defined by a plurality of region boundary points;
and
C. determining whether the selected point is located within the selected region by:
(1) determining whether a straight line drawn through the selected point intersects the selected region at a first boundary point and a second boundary point;
(2) if the straight line intersects the selected region at the first boundary point and the second boundary point, then determining whether the selected point is located between the first boundary point and the second boundary point;
and
(3) if the selected point is located between the first boundary point and the second boundary point, then determining that the selected point is located within the selected region.

5 more elements

A. selecting one of the plurality of points as a selected point;
B. selecting one of the plurality of regions as a selected region, the selected region being defined by a plurality of region boundary points;
and
C. determining whether the selected point is located within the selected region by:
(1) determining whether a straight line drawn through the selected point intersects the selected region only at the selected point;
and
(2) if the straight line intersects the selected region only at the selected point, then determining that the selected point is located within the selected region.

4 more elements

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

A. selecting one of the plurality of non-overlapping geographic regions as a selected region;
B. estimating the selected region with a selected estimated region;
C. making a first determination as to whether the geographic point is located within the selected estimated region;
D. if the geographic point is located within the selected estimated region, making a second determination as to whether the geographic point is located within the selected region;
and
E. if the second determination in step D is that the geographic point is located within the selected region, then identifying the selected region.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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

Life of this patent

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

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims51