Method and apparatus for an accelerated radius search
AssigneeMyWay.com Corporation
InventorsElon Musk, King-Sun Wai, Leo Chan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for performing an accelerated radius search. A search category is built having a density value corresponding to a geographic area. A first search radius is generated based upon the category, and the first search radius is used to perform a first search. If the first search returns an insufficient number of results, a second search radius is generated by using an heuristic to increase the first search radius, and the second search radius is used to perform a second search. The search is repeated until a desired results set is returned.
Claims21
A computer implemented method for performing an accelerated radius search comprising:
- building a category having a density value corresponding to a geographic area;
- generating a first search radius based upon the category;
- using the first search radius to perform a first search;
- and
- if the first search returns an insufficient number of results,
- generating a second search radius by using an heuristic to increase the first search radius;
- and
- using the second search radius to perform a second search.
An apparatus for performing an accelerated radius search comprising:
- a data receiver for receiving data representing geographic locations;
- a processor coupled to the data receiver;
- a category builder coupled to the processor to build a category having a density value corresponding to a geographic area;
- a search radius generator coupled to the processor to generate a first search radius based upon the category;
- a storage device coupled to the processor and having stored therein a routine, which when executing by the processor, causes the processor to at least,
- use the first search radius to perform a first search;
- and
- if the first search returns an insufficient number of results,
- generate a second search radius by using an heuristic to increase the first search radius;
- and
- use the second search radius to perform a second search.
An article of manufacture for use in a computer system, the article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the program code means including:
- computer readable program code means embodied in the computer usable medium for causing a computer to build a category having a density value corresponding to a geographic area;
- computer readable program code means embodied in the computer usable medium for causing a computer to generate a first search radius based upon the category;
- computer readable program code means embodied in the computer usable medium for causing a computer to use the first search radius to perform a first search;
- and
- computer readable program code means embodied in the computer usable medium for causing a computer to, if the first search returns an insufficient number of results,
- generate a second search radius by using an heuristic to increase the first search radius;
- and
- use the second search radius to perform a second search.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.