# US 8,543,617 B2 · Method and system for forming a keyword database for referencing physical locations > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,543,617 B2 - Document ID: US8543617B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/185,950 - Filed: 2008-08-05 - Published: 2008-11-20 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2003-08-07 - Assignees: Navteq B.V. - Applicants: Ildiko Hegedus; Matthias Thorner; William Gale; Lawrence M. Kaplan - Inventors: Ildiko Hegedus; Matthias Thorner; William Gale; Lawrence M. Kaplan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543617B2 ## CPC - G01C 21/343: {Calculating itineraries (travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047)} - G01C 21/3626: {Details of the output of route guidance instructions (traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968)} - G06F 16/29: Geographical information databases - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract An improved method and system for specifying physical locations when using applications run on navigation systems or other computer platforms that provide navigation- or map-related functions. When requesting a navigation- or map-related function from such an application, a user specifies a physical location using a keyword instead of specifying the physical location conventionally, such as by street address. A keyword database relates keywords to physical locations. The application uses the keyword database, or a copy thereof, to find data indicating the physical location associated with the keyword specified by the user. Preferably, physical locations are defined in the keyword database in terms of data in a corresponding geographic database. The application then performs the requested navigation- or map-related function using the data indicating the physical location associated with the keyword. The keyword database is built using input from users. An on-line system is provided that users can access to associate keywords with physical locations. A user accessing the on-line system is presented with a map from which a physical location can be selected. A keyword, which may be selected by the user, is associated with the selected physical location. The keyword is stored in the keyword database along with data indicating the associated physical location. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A location referencing system for geographic databases that represent roads in a geographic region, wherein the location referencing system facilitates identification of corresponding locations in multiple different geographic databases that represent roads, the system comprising: a keyword database of unique location identifiers, wherein each unique location identifier is a keyword associated with a physical location in said geographic region, wherein the physical location associated with a unique location identifier is accessible from a road that is navigable by motorized vehicles, wherein the road that is navigable by motorized vehicles is represented by road segment data in a first geographic database that represents roads, wherein the unique location identifier includes data indicating the road segment data in said first geographic database that represents the road from which the physical location associated with the unique location identifier is accessible, and wherein the unique location identifier is also associated with road segment data in a second geographic database, wherein the road segment data in the second geographic database represents the road that is navigable by motorized vehicles from which the physical location associated with the unique identifier is accessible, wherein the second geographic database is different from the first geographic database, wherein the first geographic database is a different version or provided by a different vendor than the second geographic database, wherein at least one of the unique location identifiers includes data indicating a position along the road segment from which the physical location associated with the unique location identifier is accessible, whereby a physical location and the navigable road by which the physical location is accessible can be identified in multiple geographic databases. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the unique identifiers are randomly-generated as an alphanumeric word or phrase. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the unique identifiers are assigned by a provider of at least one of the first and second geographic databases. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first geographic database and the second geographic database are provided by different geographic database vendors. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first geographic database and the second geographic database have different version numbers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first geographic database and the second geographic database have different release dates. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The location referencing system of claim 1 wherein the position is expressed relative to an end point of the road segment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The location referencing system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the unique location identifiers include data indicating a side along the road segment represented by the road segment data from which the physical location associated with the unique location identifier is accessible. ### Claim 9 A method for facilitating identification of corresponding locations in multiple different geographic databases that represent roads in a geographic region, the method comprising: assigning a unique location identifier to each of a plurality of physical locations in a geographic region in a keyword database, associating each unique location identifier with data contained in a first of said multiple geographic databases that represent roads, wherein the step of associating comprises associating with each unique location identifier data that indicates a location along a road which is represented in said first of said multiple geographic databases, and further wherein said road is navigable by motorized vehicles from which the physical location associated with the unique location identifier is accessible; and providing the unique location identifier for use with a second of said multiple geographic databases that represents roads in the geographic region, wherein said unique location identifier is used to identify the same location along the road from which the physical location associated with said unique location identifier is accessible as represented by data in the second of said multiple geographic databases wherein the first of said multiple geographic databases is a different version or provided by a different vendor than the second of said multiple geographic databases, wherein at least one of the unique location identifiers include data indicating a position along the road segment represented by the road segment data from which the physical location associated with the unique location identifier is accessible. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising randomly generating the unique identifiers as alphanumeric keywords or keyphrases. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising assigning the unique identifier to the location by a provider of at least one of the first and second geographic databases. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the first geographic database is from a first geographic database vendor and the second geographic database is from a second geographic database vendor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the first geographic database has a first version number and the second geographic database has a second version number. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the first geographic database has a first release date and the second geographic database has a second release date. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 further comprising: associating a unique identifier with an off-road location in the geographic region; and associating the unique identifier with access instructions for traveling from a location accessible by a vehicle to the off-road location, wherein an end user can enter the unique identifier into a navigation system to obtain the access instructions. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the off-road location is a location within an interior of a building. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the off-road location is a location located away from the road network. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the off-road location is a location located along a road not represented in one of said multiple different geographic databases. ### Claim 19 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the position is expressed relative to an end point of the road segment. ### Claim 20 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein at least one of the unique location identifiers include data indicating a side along the road segment represented by the road segment data from which the physical location associated with the unique location identifier is accessible.