EP1160694A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method and system for forming a keyword database for referencing physical locations
Assignee: Here Global BV
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Filing: 2001-05-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2021-05-30
Abstract
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. Keywords can be related to each other in order to facilitate navigation applications that involve routing through multiple locations.
Inventors
- 👤 Ildiko Hegedus
- 👤 Matthias Thorner
- 👤 William Gale
- 👤 Lawrence M. Kaplan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 12:40
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01C; G01C21/00; G01C21/26; G01C21/34; G01C21/36; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/20; G06F16/29
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
88 words
In combination: a keyword database comprised of keywords formed of unique alphanumeric
words and wherein each of said keywords is associated with data indicating a specific
location defined with respect to a geographic database; and an on-line keyword registration program accessible to users and that allows each
of said users to add new keywords to said keyword database by selecting any specific
location defined with respect to said geographic database and associating the specific
location defined with respect to said geographic database with a new unique
alphanumeric word.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
33 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein said on-line keyword registration
program allows each of said users to define a relationship between multiple keywords
and wherein said keyword database includes data indicating said relationship.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein said specific location refers to a road
segment represented by a data record in said geographic database.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein a subject matter category is associated
with said specific location defined with respect to said geographic database.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein at least some of said keywords are
associated with off-road locations.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein at least some of said keywords are
associated with off-road locations defined with respect to said geographic database.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein at least some of said keywords are
associated with special routing instructions associated therewith by said users.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein said on-line keyword registration
program allows each of said users to modify the data indicating a specific location
defined with respect to said geographic database to indicate a different specific location.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein at least some of said keywords are
associated with data indicating multiple locations defined with respect to said geographic
database.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein at least some of said keywords are
temporary keywords that expire after a period of time.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein said keyword database stores data
indicating said specific location with respect to geographic databases from multiple map
vendors.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
68 words
A method of building a database for navigation comprising: providing a server on a computer network wherein said server is accessible by
users; providing a program on said server that allows each of said users to associate a
specific map location with a unique keyword; and storing said unique keyword in a keyword database along with data from which
said specific map location associated therewith can be determined.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of Claim 12 wherein said program further allows said specific
map location to be associated with a subject matter category.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of Claim 12 wherein said program presents a graphical map
display image to a user that allows the user to point-and-click on a location on said
graphical map display image to select said specific map location.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
96 words
A method whereby users can register keywords that are associated with
physical locations comprising: providing a server on a computer network wherein said server is accessible by
said users; and providing a program on said server that allows each of said users to register
keywords wherein said registering includes: accepting an identification by a user of a specific map location; associating the specific map location identified by the user with a unique
keyword; and storing said unique keyword in a keyword database along with data from which
said specific map location associated therewith can be determined.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of Claim 15 wherein said registering further comprises: accepting a street address from the user; and geo-coding the street address to said specific map location.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of Claim 15 wherein said registering further comprises: presenting the user with a list of subject matter categories when allowing said user
to identify a specific map location; accepting a response to the presentation of the list of categories; and storing data with said keyword indicating the response.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of Claim 17 wherein said list of subject matter categories
includes a hierarchy of categories.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
103 words
In combination: an application on a computer platform, wherein the application provides a
navigation-related or map-related function to a user; and a keyword database that associates keywords with data indicating physical
locations with respect to a geographic database; wherein said application accepts a keyword as specifying a physical location in
connection with providing said navigation-related or map-related function, accesses said
keyword database to obtain data associated with the keyword indicating a physical
location with respect to said geographic database, and performs the navigation-related or
map-related function using said data associated with the keyword indicating the physical
location with respect to said geographic database.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
54 words
The invention of Claim 19 wherein said computer platform on which said
application is located is a server and wherein said invention further comprises: a remote device through which said navigation-related or map-related function is
provided to said user; and a communications link providing for data exchange between said server and said
remote device.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
The invention of Claim 19 wherein said computer platform on which said
application is located is a client system that accesses a server to which said keyword
database is associated.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
61 words
The invention of Claim 19 wherein said computer platform on which said
application is located is a client system that provides said navigation-related or map-related
function to said user and that accesses a server with which said keyword database
is associated, and wherein said invention further comprises a communications link
providing for data exchange between said server and said client system.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
66 words
A method of providing a navigation-related or map-related function with
an application installed on a computer platform, the method comprising the steps of: accepting a keyword as specifying a physical location; using a keyword database to find data indicating a location associated with said
keyword; and performing the navigation-related or map-related function using said data
indicating a location associated with said keyword as the physical location.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of Claim 23 wherein said data indicating a location associated
with said keyword are defined with respect to a geographic database.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
56 words
In combination: a keyword database that contains a plurality of user-selected keywords associated
with a corresponding plurality of data indicating user-selected physical locations defined
with respect to a geographic database; and a search engine that finds keywords based upon a spatial proximity to a given
location of the physical locations indicated by the data associated therewith.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
73 words
In combination: a keyword database that contains a plurality of user-selected keywords associated
with data indicating a corresponding plurality of user-selected physical locations defined
with respect to a geographic database; wherein at least some of said plurality of user-selected keywords are associated
with data indicating at least one subject matter category of a plurality of subject matter
categories; and a search engine that finds keywords based upon the subject matter category
associated therewith.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
122 words
A method of scheduling deliveries comprising: registering a keyword for a delivery driver wherein the keyword comprises a
unique alphanumeric word; for each delivery, registering a keyword for the delivery including associating a unique alphanumeric word for said delivery; and associating data indicating a location with respect to a geographic map database to the unique alphanumeric word associated with the delivery; associating the keyword for the delivery driver with the keywords registered for
each of the deliveries; providing a route calculation application with the data indicating a location with
respect to a geographic map database from each of the keywords associated with each of
the deliveries; and calculating a delivery route with said route calculation application that visits each
of the locations.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of Claim 27 wherein said data indicating a location with
respect to a navigable map database identify a data entity in said navigable map database
that represents a road segment.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of Claim 27 wherein said data indicating a location with
respect to a navigable map database identify a data entity in said navigable map database
that represents a road segment and a position along the road segment.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of Claim 27 wherein each keyword for a delivery is also
associated with a time during which the delivery is to be made and wherein the route
calculated by the route calculation application visits each delivery location within the
time during which the delivery is to be made.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of Claim 27 wherein each keyword for a delivery is also
associated with an indication of when the delivery was ordered and wherein the route
calculated by the route calculation application visits each delivery location according to
when the delivery was ordered.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
134 words
A method of scheduling real estate showings comprising: registering a keyword on a server for each of a plurality of real estate listings,
wherein the keyword for each real estate listing comprises a unique alphanumeric word; associating map reference data with each keyword registered for a real estate
listing, wherein said map reference data identify a location of the listed real estate
property with respect to data contained in a navigable map database; selecting a subset of said plurality of real estate listings for visiting within a
period of time; providing the keywords associated with the subset of said plurality of real estate
listings to a route calculation application; and obtaining a route from said route calculation application wherein the route
includes visits to the locations of each real estate property of the subset.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of Claim 32 further comprising the steps of: associating a unique keyword with the subset; and wherein said step of providing the keywords associated with the subset of said
plurality of real estate listings to a route calculation application comprises providing the
unique keyword for the subset to the route calculation application.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
107 words
An application that allows a person to follow another person's route
comprising: traveling in a vehicle with a positioning system that determines a current location
of said vehicle; registering keywords periodically while traveling, wherein each keyword
comprises a unique alphanumeric word and wherein each keyword is associated with data
indicating the location of the vehicle at a time the keyword was registered; registering a container keyword that refers to each of the keywords registered
while traveling; and providing the container keyword to a route calculation application to calculate a
route, wherein the route travels through each location associated with a keyword referred
to by the container keyword.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of Claim 34 wherein said data indicating a location associated
with each of said keywords includes geographic coordinates.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of Claim 34 wherein said data indicating a location associated
with each of said keywords includes a map reference that identifies a data entity in a
navigable map database that represents a road segment.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5471392A
Cited
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