Abstract: A request may be received that includes an indicator associated with a geographic location and scope. A database search may be initiated, based on the geographic location and scope. A list of one or more tags may be received, the tags associated with the geographic location, ordered based on relevance within the geographic scope, based on tag locale rankings associated with each of the tags included in the list of tags, the tag locale rankings based on comparisons of relative frequencies of occurrence of the tags, based on first bounded geographic areas, compared with second relative frequencies of occurrence of the tags based on second bounded geographic areas that are respectively larger than the first bounded geographic areas, the request geographic scope indicating one of a plurality of hierarchical geographic analysis levels associated with a plurality of geographic locations.

Abstract: A method of generating a human-readable data synopsis involves a computer receiving data comprising demographic and/or consumer behavioural data attributes; and forming data aggregations by querying the received data with at least a first query and a second query. At least one of the data sources comprises geographic data associated with the data attributes. The queries each include a common data attribute criterion that queries the data attributes, and a respective geographic criterion that queries the geographic data. The geographic criterion of the first query defines a different geographic region than that of the second query. The computer performs an analysis of the data aggregations by applying the results of the queries as inputs to a pre-defined logic function, and evaluating the logic function. On a display device, the computer generates the human-readable synopsis by applying a result of the data aggregation analysis as input to a pre-defined report template.

Abstract: A recommender system for recommending items to a user based on geo-Tagged information related to him, in which items associated with a GeoTag are stored in a database. Feedback regarding the various items is obtained from the user and the provided rating of items is propagated to closely located items based on their associated GeoTags. A user-to-user similarity matrix is calculated and a predicted score is assigned for each user and item, using a recommendation server. All the items in the catalog of items are sorted according to their predicted scores as calculated for the user, and all items that have been already rated by the user are filtered out. Then, items from the catalog of items are presented to the user, according to their scores.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to enabling the management of survey data. One embodiment includes providing an upload description that describes characteristics of survey data to be uploaded, assigning a thread to process a group of files that store aspects of the survey data, dividing the file into data chunks, deriving from a given data chunk a corresponding data-integrity value and respectively associating the same with the given data chunk, communicating the data chunks to a remote storage device, utilizing the corresponding data-integrity values to ensure successful communication of the data chunk, and spatially storing the survey data such that it is retrievable upon a request that describes a geographic area of interest.

Abstract: A proprietary website is maintained on which merchants can access their account, in order to add, delete, and amend digital coupons available. Consumers can download a mobile application to their mobile device and geographical co-ordinates selectively receive digital discount coupons displayed on the consumers mobile device when the consumer physically approaches or enters the participating merchant's place of business.

Abstract: Computer-readable media, computer systems, and computing methods are provided for implicitly discovering applications that have a corresponding location. Initially, an application manifest is constructed that maintains a mapping between apps and their respective geographic boundaries. In operation, upon detecting a location signal being transmitted from a mobile device, the location signal is employed to identify a set of valid applications. Generally, the location signal represents location-based information entered to or received from the mobile device. Identifying the set of valid applications involves comparing the location signal against the application manifest and, based on the comparison, designating those apps that are mapped to geographic boundaries that meet the location signal as the set of valid applications.

Abstract: A system for generating a string based upon a plurality of places and a relationship between two or more of those places and for searching among the strings. Crosslinked databases contain information related to the strings, places within the strings, and users and creators of the strings. The strings represent an authentic user experience of a quality, character, and/or feel intended by the string author. The user experience can be further enhanced or guided through a narrative accompanying the string or places, written by the string author, that describes or invokes the quality, character or feel of the experience intended by the author.

Abstract: Provided are a method for attaching a geographical tag to digital data and a method for providing geographical name information for geotagging. When a digital device periodically provides its position information, the server creates a position database. When the digital device requests geographical name information associated with the digital data, the server estimates the position of the digital device at a time when the digital data was created and transmits geographical name information corresponding to the estimated position to the digital device. The digital device attaches the geographical name information to the digital data.

Abstract: A method for assisted map extrapolation computing establishing a database of geographic images and establishing a database of geospatial datasets extracted from the database of geographic images The method provides an unskilled user interface hosted remotely or self contained within a computing device loaded with imagery and analysis software wherein an unskilled user may select a geographic area The method superimposes any existing data from the geospatial datasets onto the geographic images for a geographic area and displays it to the unskilled user A set of algorithm parameter controls are provided wherein the individual may teach image analysis software how to pick transportation network features such as roads or other objects such as building footprints from the imagery The geospatial datasets are then updated with the features identified by the unskilled user assisted software

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, can be used to dynamically generate electronic maps with highlighted entity boundaries. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a request for an electronic map segment for a geographic region, with the request identifying a geographic entity to be highlighted in the requested electronic map segment. A plurality of layers of map data associated with the geographic region and data defining a boundary of the identified geographic entity are retrieved in response to the request. The electronic map segment is rendered based on the retrieved plurality of layers of map data and the data defining the boundary of the geographic entity, with one or more of the retrieved layers are rendered over a rendering of a highlighted boundary of the geographic entity. The rendered electronic map segment is transmitted in response to the request.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving (i) a request for ratable content, and (ii) information specifying a geographic location of a computing device; accessing a data repository configured to store items of ratable content, with an item of ratable content associated with a geographic location; obtaining a plurality of items of ratable content related to the geographic location of the computing device; sending, from the obtained items of ratable content, an item of ratable content to the computing device; receiving a request for ratable content associated with a level of granularity relative that is higher than the level of granularity of the sent item of ratable content; sending, to the computing device, another item of ratable content, from the obtained items of ratable content, that is associated with a level of granularity that is higher than the level of granularity of the previously sent item of ratable content.

Abstract: A hybrid search method may be used to identify information responsive to a query. A search may be performed utilizing a neighborhood graph and a partitioning tree. The partitioning tree may be searched to select one or more pivots that may be used to guide a subsequent search in the neighborhood graph. Once the search in the neighborhood graph is unable to identify nearest neighbors in closer proximity to the query, the search may be switched to the partitioning tree. The partitioning tree may then be searched to select pivots that may be used to guide subsequent searches in the neighborhood graph. The searches performed in the partitioning tree and/or the neighborhood graph may be conducted utilizing an iterative algorithm.

Abstract: Various embodiments of systems and methods for fuzzy searching in a geocoding application are described herein. A lexical analysis is performed on an input address whose geocoding information is to be obtained to obtain portions of the input address. In one aspect, the lexical analysis may include at least one of a parsing operation, an abstraction operation, and a stretch operation. Next, a fuzzy searching is performed on a knot-sequence tree, using the portions of the input address, to identify a plurality of partial addresses which match with the input address. Next, a transposition and matching score is computed for each of the identified plurality of partial address to determine the best matching candidate for the input address. Finally, the geocoding database is queried with the best matching candidate to obtain the geocoding information of the input address.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and a system of providing assistance to a user to identify at least one context of a received content. In one embodiment, this is accomplished by receiving at least one content location as input from the user, extracting the content from the received content location and displaying a plurality of contexts relevant to the content from the received content location, wherein the contexts include one or more topics, and wherein the topics are part of one or more ontologies. In second embodiment, this is accomplished by receiving at least one search result of a search query and providing the contexts relevant to the search results, wherein the contexts include one or more topics, and wherein the topics are part of one or more ontologies.

Abstract: When searching for accommodations, although one or more accommodations may satisfy factors or criteria set by a traveler (e.g., a user), the traveler may desire to locate an accommodation that is also in a convenient area. A convenient area may be an area in which a concentration of points of interest (POIs) is high. For example, a traveler on a leisure trip may desire to stay at a hotel that is in an area with a relatively high concentration of restaurants or tourist attractions, or as a traveler on a business trip may desire to stay at a hotel near an airport or convention hall. Thus, some example embodiments provide accommodation search results to one or more users based on a concentration of points of interest. The accommodation search results may be provided graphically, textually, or any suitable combination thereof.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for real time demographic or population data collection is provided. The invention accesses various social networks, mine and consolidate the data from theses sources into a common usable format. The data is sorted and aggregated for a geographic location. The data is then weighted from the first, second and third data sets based on the age of the data. A customer is provided with the real time interactive report including demographic data within the specified geographic location. The demographic data includes a confidence interval indicating the degree of likelihood that the demographic data is correct.

Abstract: At least one computing device can store and combine data for a geographic region in a voxel database from a plurality of different source products. The voxel database can be a volumetric storage space of different volumetric storage units referred to as voxels. The voxel database can receive requests from different applications. For each of the requests, one of a set of filters can be determined. For each of the requests, the determined one of the filters can be applied to conditionally exclude data of the voxel database. For each of the requests, voxel database data resulting from applying the determined filter can be provided to one of the applications from which the corresponding one of the requests was issued.

Abstract: A navigation system utilizes a testing package tailor made for an incremental update to a map database. An incorrect incremental update may corrupt a navigation database. Testing an incrementally updated database after updating allows a corrupted database to be detected before the corrupted database is used by the map database system. Map tiles associated with a list of recompiled objects are used to populate a table. A test script is created from the list map tiles and, when executed, checks the validity of references in the map database associated with the map tiles. The test script generates a return value that indicates whether errors occurred, the type of the errors, the quantity of errors, or any combination thereof. The navigation system analyzes the errors and determines whether to finalize or roll back the update.

Abstract: A method of operation of a navigation system includes: generating a point of interest term from an uncategorized point of interest; applying a statistical rule to the point of interest term to generate a category score for the point of interest term; determining a normalized category score based on the category score and on matching the point of interest term and the uncategorized point of interest; and generating a category identifier for the uncategorized point of interest based on the normalized category score being highly ranked for displaying on a device.

Abstract: Resolving a query term includes receiving at least one query term from a requestor and determining a geographic location of the requestor. The geographic location of the requestor may be determined by accessing an electronic information store containing a requestor profile including geographic information about the requestor, where the requestor profile is used by more than one program. The query term is resolved against electronic information within at least one electronic information store to determine whether one or more matches exist and a result is generated that accounts for the geographic location of the requestor.

Abstract: A hybrid database can receive a hybrid query for an object having a real world analog. A feature of a set of feature records can be determined that corresponds to the object. Feature-level attribute values of the feature can be extracted from the feature records. A set of uniquely indexed voxels can be determined. Each voxel can be a volumetric unit of the volumetric storage space that represents the volume of real-world geography. Voxel-level semantic values can be extracted from the set of uniquely indexed voxels from voxel records. Extracted voxel-level semantic values and extracted feature-level attribute values can be combined to generate a hybrid result. The hybrid result can be conveyed to a requestor from which the hybrid query was received.

Abstract: A genealogy registry system includes a central server database and a central server. The central server database includes surname workspaces for storing genealogical data in lineage-linked form, a submission link space for making and storing links between data in the data spaces, and a third-party link space for making and storing links between the data spaces. The central server includes a surname cooperation manager to manage cooperation between researchers researching genealogy for the same surname, a unique ID generator to generate a unique ID for any individual being researched, a visible data selector to allow access to a subgroup of data on the central server database, and a workstation manager to manage transmission of data to the central server database from workstations where data are assembled relating to a particular surname. The workstations may assemble data by extracting, indexing, sorting and linking information from source documents for the surname.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method, apparatus and a computer code to maintain databases. In the method a first database containing information of a usage of a frequency spectrum is maintained for a first geographical area by the apparatus. Information is received from a second database apparatus on a second geographical area. The first database apparatus determines whether said first geographical area and said second geographical area are at least partly overlapping. A linkage table is maintained to provide an indication on the result of the determination, wherein said indication is indicative of whether said first geographical area and said second geographical area are at least partly overlapping.

Abstract: Existing video surveillance security approaches enhanced with suitable functionality of the telecommunications wireless network are provided. Security personnel are equipped with hand-held devices capable of recording video, photos, audio, and text. This data is geo-tagged and time-stamped by the application and uploaded to the telecommunications network and stored in the network. As such, the geo-tagged, time-stamped information is immediately available to other investigators who are in the same geographic vicinity through access controls administered by a secure social network. The information may also be accessible from remote locations via the internet. All wireless and Internet communications may be protected using end-to-end secure transport layer communications protocols.

Abstract: A system and method for distributing information (collectively the “system”) is disclosed. The system includes category-based, geography-based, and ratings-based attributes to better “focus” the information distributed by the system. In the processing of listing-based attributes (e.g. attributes limited to a particular listing), the system can also be influenced by relationship-based attributes (e.g. attributes between the administrator of the system and the advertisers, and even potentially users).

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates searching through content which is accessible though web-based forms. During operation, the system receives a query containing keywords. Next, the system analyzes the query to create a structured query. The system then performs a lookup based on the structured query in a database containing entries describing the web-based forms. Next, the system ranks forms returned by the lookup, and uses the rankings and associated database entries to facilitate a search through content which is accessible through the forms.

Abstract: A method of sorting and displaying data on a portable electronic device includes: determining geographical coordinates of the portable electronic device, providing search criteria to the portable electronic device, performing a search in a database based on the search criteria resulting in a list of database records, determining a search area of the portable electronic device and displaying selected records from the list of database records on a display screen of the portable electronic device. Each of the selected records is located within a search radius, which originates at the geographical coordinates of the portable electronic device, and within the search area, which is determined based on a pointing direction of the portable electronic device.

Abstract: A data structure comprises a clump header table and an inline tree data structure. The inline tree, representing filterable data fields of hierarchically organized data records, comprises an alternating sequence of first-level binary string segments, each followed by one or more corresponding second-level binary string segments. Each clump header record includes an indicator of a location in the inline tree of corresponding binary string segments. A dedicated, specifically adapted conversion program generates the clump header file and the inline tree for storage on any computer-readable medium, and the inline tree can be read entirely into RAM to be searched or filtered. A dedicated, specifically adapted search and filter program is employed to list or enumerate retrieved data records. Run-time computer code generation can reduce time required for searching and filtering. One example includes spatial searching and filtering of data records that include spatial coordinates as data fields.

Abstract: A system determines documents that are associated with a location, identifies a group of signals associated with each of the documents, and determines authoritativeness of the documents for the location based on the signals.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention relate generally to ranking geographic locations based on perceived user interest. More specifically, a database of three-dimensional models of buildings or other architectural features may be used to determine the level of user interest in a particular location and accordingly rank, for example, geographic locations or web or map search results with local intent. For example, various signals such as the number of models created by users for a particular location, the number of clicks or requests for the models of the particular location, the number of POIs contained within or associated with the models associated with the particular geographic location, number of categories associated with a model associated with the geographic location, number of embedded views or views of the models associated with the particular location on other web sites, and the age of the models associated with the particular geographic location.

Abstract: An approach is provided for determining and utilizing geographical locations contextually relevant to a user. A contextually relevant location platform determines location-based data associated with a user and/or user device. The contextually relevant location platform determines stationary points based, at least in part, on the location-based data. The contextually relevant location platform determines context data associated with the stationary points. The contextually relevant location platform determines at least one location anchor based, at least in part, on the stationary points and the associated context data, wherein the at least one location anchor represents a bounded geographical area of contextual relevance to the user.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and instructions encoded in a computer-readable medium can perform operations related to evaluating surface data. Geodetic data for a plurality of surface locations are received. The geodetic data may include surface gradient information and/or surface elevation information for multiple surface locations. A set of constraining relationships is generated based on the geodetic data. The set of constraining relationships relates undetermined values of surface elevation movement and/or undetermined values of surface gradient movement to measured surface elevation changes and/or measured surface gradient changes. Some or all of the constraining relationships include multiple undetermined values. Particular values for surface elevation movements and/or particular values for surface gradient movements are calculated for multiple surface locations based on determining a solution to the set of constraining relationships.

Abstract: A system and method of generating a contact list based on a geographic definition and, in certain embodiments, other screening criteria. In an embodiment, a geographic definition, specifying a geographic area, is received. The geographic definition is translated into at least one linkage key. A contact list, comprising a plurality of records associated with the geographic area, is then generated from one or more databases using the at least one linkage key as an index into the one or more databases.

Abstract: Location information is used to build a database of locations having associated audio, video, image or text data. In some implementations, a device includes a touch-sensitive display and collects data associated with a geographic location of interest. The geographic location of interest can be displayed on a map using an indicator. A touch selection of the indicator provides access to the data through an interface displayed on the touch-sensitive display. One or more locations of interest can be displayed and grouped together by an attribute.

Abstract: A method, a system, and a computer program product are provided for determining points of interest using intelligent agents and semantic data. The method is implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium having programming instructions operable for receiving a media data comprising a location data comprising where media was captured. The instructions are also operable for determining at least one point of interest based on the media data, tying the media data to the at least one point of interest, and providing the media data tied to the at least one point of interest to an end user.

Abstract: A system and method of automatically naming files on a mobile device can include determining at least one of a current geographical location data of a mobile device, a current time data, and a current date data. The current geographical location data, the current time data, and the current date data can be made can be compared to at least one of a personal information manager database and a geographical location database. A filename can be automatically-generated based on the comparison, and the filename can be applied to camera data received on the mobile device. The automatically-generated filename can include information relevant to the content of the camera data, thereby enhancing the efficiency and ease of identifying and organizing camera data stored on a memory of the mobile device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and a system of providing assistance to a user to identify at least one context while forming a search query. In one embodiment, this is accomplished by receiving one or more inputs related to the search query, and providing a plurality of contexts related to the received input, wherein the contexts include one or more topics, and wherein the topics are part of one or more ontologies.

Abstract: Systems and methods that improve search rankings for a search query by using data associated with queries related to the search query are described. In one aspect, a search query is received, a population associated with the search query is determined, an article (such as a webpage) associated with the search query is determined, and a ranking score for the article based at least in part on data associated with the population is determined. Algorithms and types of data associated with a population useful in carrying out such systems and methods are described.

Abstract: Delivering targeted content includes collecting, via at least one tangible processor, user activity data for users during a specified time period. questions asked by the users during the specified time period are extracted from the user activity data, via the at least one tangible processor, and stored in user profiles for the users. The user profiles are clustered, via the at least one tangible processor, based on the questions asked. Targeted content is delivered, via the at least one tangible processor, to a subset of the users based on the clustering.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a scout agent with network connectivity is configured to build a source database by learning address information, port information and protocol information of certain traffic sources. The scout agent is configured to learn application traffic profile information of these traffic sources, and instruct storage of the address information, port information, protocol information and application traffic profile information in a source database.

Abstract: System, methods, apparatus and media for the geo-spatial capture and transcription of family trees, vital records, census records, land transfer records, cemetery records, and organizational membership records; for assigning deterministic and probabilistic relationships between people in geographic proximity; and for visualizing known, probable, and potential relationships in a geo-spatial context over time. Also disclosed are systems, methods, apparatus and media for organizing and analyzing genealogical information for searching and visualizing individuals and entities and their relationships to each other within a geo-spatial and temporal context. Further disclosed are systems, methods, apparatus and media for identifying a social networking site based on geo-spatial and temporal context data relating to individuals and entities and their relationships to each other.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing representative information for a geographic area of interest are disclosed. In one embodiment, a media service tracks media interaction histories (e.g., play histories) for a number of users registered with the media service, where each media interaction history identifies media items interacted with by the corresponding user as well as the locations at which at least a subset of the media items were interacted with by the corresponding user. The media service receives a request from a requesting user for representative information for a geographic area of interest. In response to receiving the request, the media service determines representative information for the geographic area of interest based on at least a subset of the media interaction histories of the users and effects presentation of the representative information to the requesting user.

Abstract: A data processing system including one or more geographic information systems (GISs) and one or more application programs, in which a common interface supports communication between multiple application programs and multiple GISs. The application programs and GISs may be implemented in different programming languages. Communication may occur in the same physical computer, or locally, or over an Internet.

Abstract: An object-oriented system provides a comprehensive and integrated tool to manage, operate, analyze and inspect structures by providing 3-D visualization of the structures, a database interface, connectivity with one or more databases, a data display and analysis capabilities. The structural model is stored as an object-oriented, serialized file as a series of objects, including primitives, coordinates, object names, group names and other object identifiers. The system integrates various types of data, including tabulated textual data, annotated engineering drawings, photographic records, graphical plots, audio and videotaped records, from different tables and databases. Data are displayed to the user based on queries that the user submits to the system, which queries are evaluated at run-time. As a result, the user achieves unparalleled flexibility in data analysis and evaluation.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating geocoded user information is disclosed. The method comprises searching user data across multiple different data corpuses for entries having location-related information and determining locations for the location-related information. The method further comprises generating a map showing a current location of a mobile device along with representations of the entries having location-related information, at the determined locations, for entries from the multiple different data corpuses.

Abstract: Implementing intelligent agent services includes generating an ontological domain for an individual based upon sets of information elements. A set of the information elements represents aspects of a detectable behavior of the individual at a point in time. The detectable behavior is one of a number of detectable behaviors of the individual occurring within a physical and virtual geography and in relation to time. The detectable behaviors include an activity conducted by the individual at a computer and a presence of the individual at a function. Implementing the intelligent agent services also includes determining relevance of relationships among the sets of the information elements in the ontological domain, and searching sources of information using the sets of the information elements having a relationship determined to be relevant, and identifying a solution for satisfying an interest based on the search.

Abstract: A navigation database comprises a first set of elements comprising airports, beacons and waypoints; a second set of elements comprising procedures; and a third set of elements comprising routes. The method comprises a step of creating a pair of indices comprising an index comprising the elements of the three sets; identifier, a type and a functional identifier; a first list of pointers to the memory address where the elements are stored; a pre-index comprising a list of code, each code corresponding to the first characters of each element, the codes being indexed by a family of attributes of elements; a second list of pointers to the identifier of the first element in the first index.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving at a computer server system, from a computing device that is remote from the server system, a string of text that comprises a search query. The method also includes identifying one or more search results that are responsive to the search query, parsing a document that is a target of one of the one or more results, identifying geographical address information from the parsing, generating a specific geographical indicator corresponding to the one search result, and transmitting for use by the computing device, data for automatically generating a navigational application having a destination at the specific geographical indicator.

Abstract: There are provided a map information processing apparatus, a map information processing method, a map information processing program and a recording medium, which provide house-contour data with valuable information such as address information and the like in an effective manner and with a high degree of accuracy, while remarkably minimizing time and cost as required.

Abstract: A paleogeographic search system is provided for locating geoscience data relevant to a geographic search aperture. The paleogeographic search system comprises a geodatabase, an interface, a paleogeographic reconstruction engine, and a host processor. The paleogeographic engine is configured to transform the geographic search aperture according to tectonic plate movements to a transformed search aperture that the geographic search aperture occupied in a geological age of interest. The host processor is configured to apply a paleoaugmented geographic search aperture to a geodatabase for additional oil exploration data relevant to the geographic search aperture today.