Method for indicating a geographic location to a user

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for indicating a geographic location to a user. The technical result consists in simplifying the process of providing mapping information. The proposed computer-implemented method comprises: recognizing, within textual content, an address expression beginning with at least one special character; generating a geo-link based on the recognized address expression; highlighting the recognized address expression during display of the textual content; launching a mapping information display application through the geo-link in response to selection of the highlighted address expression; obtaining the address expression through the geo-link; transmitting the address expression to a geocoding service; receiving geographic latitude and longitude coordinates corresponding to the address expression from the geocoding service; and displaying on a map a geographic location corresponding to the received coordinates.

Description

Full specificationMETHOD FOR INDICATING A GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION TO A USERTECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates to the field of interaction between users and applications for displaying textual content and mapping information and, more particularly, to a method for indicating a geographic location to a user. BACKGROUND ARTThe development and widespread adoption of information technologies provide users with various possibilities for locating desired places using different mapping services. Typically, a user enters an address into a search field, and a mapping service displays on a map an object corresponding to the entered address.In the context of the present invention, a mapping service includes either an installed mapping application (such as a navigation application or map application) or a server-based service configured to receive address search requests and return mapping information identifying a requested geographic object for display through a web browser via a data communication network.In addition, modern users encounter large volumes of electronic textual information on a daily basis, including electronic documents, web pages, electronic mail messages, social networks, and messaging applications.When a geographic address is present within textual content, a user wishing to determine the corresponding geographic location is generally required to:locate the address within the text;select the address;copy the address;open a mapping application; andpaste the address into a search field. These actions consume time and reduce usability.International patent publication WO 2018 / 071127 discloses a method and system for interaction between a restaurant or hotel search application and a mapping application. A user selects a restaurant or hotel from a predefined list and activates an address associated with the selected object. The address is transmitted through an Application Programming Interface (API) to a mapping application, which displays the corresponding location or generates a route thereto.A disadvantage of the known solution is that the geographic address is processed as a predefined location parameter associated with a predetermined object contained in the application’s database.The present invention differs from the known solution in that it provides recognition of a geographic address designated within arbitrary textual content by one or more special characters, generation of a geo-link based on the recognized address, and automatic launching of a mapping information display application in response to user activation of the geo-link. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe technical problem addressed by the present invention is the automation of displaying on a map a geographic location corresponding to an address designated within textual content of arbitrary format by one or more special characters.The technical result achieved by the invention is simplification of the process of providing mapping information by reducing the number of actions required from a user to locate a desired geographic object within mapping services.The stated technical result is achieved by recognizing, within textual content, a geographic address designated by one or more special characters, generating a geo-link corresponding to the recognized geographic address, and launching a mapping information display application upon activation of the geo-link.According to one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for indicating a geographic location to a user is provided.The method comprises, by means of software for displaying textual content executed on a user computing device:recognizing within textual content an address expression beginning with at least one special character;generating a geo-link based on the recognized address expression;highlighting the recognized address expression during display of the textual content; andlaunching a mapping information display application through the geo-link in response to selection of the highlighted address expression. The method further comprises, by means of the mapping information display application:obtaining the address expression through the geo-link;transmitting the address expression to a geocoding service;receiving geographic latitude and longitude coordinates corresponding to the address expression from the geocoding service; anddisplaying on a map a geographic location corresponding to the received coordinates. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTIONThe following detailed description is provided to enable a complete understanding of the invention. However, a person skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be practiced without certain specific details described herein. In other instances, known structures, methods, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the subject matter of the invention.The invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Various modifications, substitutions, and alternative implementations that preserve the essence of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. General OverviewThe proposed computer-implemented method is intended to simplify user access to mapping information contained within textual content.In the context of the present invention, textual content may comprise:electronic documents;web pages;electronic mail messages;social network publications;instant messaging messages;comments;notes;text files; andany other content containing textual information.The method is implemented using software for displaying textual content executed on a user computing device. Examples of such software include:text editors;web browsers;electronic mail applications;messaging applications;social networking applications; andother applications configured to display textual information.Examples of software for displaying textual content include messaging applications, electronic mail applications, social networking applications, collaborative communication platforms, and web-based communication services. In particular embodiments, the invention may be implemented in messaging services, social networking systems, electronic mail systems, or other applications configured to exchange textual content between users. Address ExpressionIn the context of the present invention, an address expression represents a textual sequence identifying a geographic location.The address expression begins with at least one special character.Examples include: / Moscow,Tverskaya,1>Dubai,Marina!NewYork,5th Avenue,10In various embodiments, the special character may comprise one of: / ><?!§|&In certain embodiments, two or more consecutive special characters may be used.Examples include: / / Moscow,Tverskaya,1>>Dubai,Marina!!London,BakerStreetThe address expression may contain:a complete postal address;a partial postal address;a street name;a building number;a city name;a region name;a country name; orany combination thereof,provided that the information is sufficient for a geocoding service to determine corresponding geographic coordinates.In one embodiment, the address expression terminates with at least one special character.For example: / Moscow,Tverskaya,1 / or!Dubai,Marina!In another embodiment, the address expression comprises two or more words immediately following one or more special characters and separated by delimiters without spaces.Examples of delimiters include:.,;For example:  / Moscow,Tverskaya,1 / Dubai;Marina;TowerAIn a particular embodiment, the number of special characters corresponds to the number of address components contained within the address expression.In one embodiment, the address expression may comprise a coded geographic identifier generated according to a geographic coding system. For example, the Earth’s surface may be divided into small geographic areas, each area being assigned a unique combination of words. One example of such a system is a coding system in which the Earth’s surface is divided into square areas and each area is assigned a unique combination of words identifying a geographic location. In such an embodiment, the coded identifier may be used as the address expression and processed in the same manner as a conventional postal address. Recognition of Address ExpressionsDuring display of textual content, the software continuously or periodically analyzes displayed text to identify address expressions.The analysis may be performed by:lexical analysis;pattern matching;regular expressions;token recognition algorithms; orcombinations thereof.When a sequence beginning with one or more special characters is detected, the software identifies the sequence as an address expression.The recognized address expression is then extracted from the surrounding textual content.For example, in the message:Let's meet tomorrow at / Dubai,Marina,TowerAthe sequence: / Dubai,Marina,TowerAis recognized as an address expression. Generation of a Geo-LinkAfter recognition of the address expression, the software generates a geo-link.In the context of the invention, a geo-link represents a data structure containing:the recognized address expression; andan instruction for launching a mapping information display application.The geo-link may be generated locally on the user computing device or remotely by a server.The geo-link may be represented by:a hyperlink;a URI;a deep link;an application-specific command;an API request; oranother machine-readable reference.Once generated, the address expression is visually highlighted within the displayed textual content.Highlighting may include:underlining;color modification;font modification;insertion of a graphical element;insertion of an icon; orany combination thereof.As a result, the user perceives the address expression as an interactive element. Launching the Mapping Information Display ApplicationWhen the user selects, activates, clicks, taps, or otherwise interacts with the highlighted address expression, the geo-link is executed.Execution of the geo-link causes a mapping information display application to be launched.In various embodiments, the mapping information display application may comprise:a navigation application;a digital map application;a geographic information system (GIS) application;a web-based mapping service;a new browser tab displaying mapping information; orany combination thereof.The mapping information display application receives the address expression associated with the geo-link. Geocoding of the Address ExpressionAfter receiving the address expression, the mapping information display application transmits the address expression to a geocoding service.In the context of the present invention, a geocoding service is a software component configured to convert textual address information into geographic coordinates.The geocoding service may be:integrated into the mapping information display application;executed on a remote server;implemented as a cloud service;implemented as a web service accessible through an Application Programming Interface (API); orimplemented in any other suitable manner.The geocoding service processes the received address expression and determines geographic coordinates corresponding to the geographic location represented by the address expression. The geographic coordinates preferably comprise:latitude coordinates; andlongitude coordinates.In certain embodiments, additional geographic information may also be obtained, including:address normalization data;administrative region information;postal code information;object identifiers;altitude information; orroute calculation parameters.In various embodiments, the address expression may represent a conventional postal address, a coded geographic identifier, or a partially coded address expression. The coding may be arbitrary, partially associative, or fully associative. In a partially associative coding scheme, at least a portion of the coded address expression retains a semantic relationship with the corresponding geographic location. In a fully associative coding scheme, all components of the coded address expression are selected so as to facilitate recognition and memorization of the corresponding geographic location by users. Display of Geographic LocationAfter receiving the geographic coordinates from the geocoding service, the mapping information display application displays the geographic location on a map.The geographic location may be displayed as:a marker;a pin;a highlighted area;a route destination point;a navigation target; oranother visual geographic indicator.In one embodiment, the map is automatically centered on the obtained geographic coordinates.In another embodiment, the map is automatically scaled to an appropriate zoom level.In a further embodiment, route generation to the displayed geographic location is automatically initiated.As a result, the user obtains immediate access to mapping information without manually copying the address expression into a mapping application. Example of OperationConsider the following message displayed in a messaging application:Meet me at / Dubai,Marina,TowerA tomorrow at 10:00. The messaging application performs recognition of the address expression: / Dubai,Marina,TowerAThe recognized address expression is highlighted and associated with a geo-link.Upon user activation of the highlighted expression:the geo-link is executed;a mapping information display application is launched;the address expression is transmitted to a geocoding service;geographic coordinates corresponding to the address are obtained; andthe geographic location is displayed on a map.Thus, the user reaches the desired geographic location in a single interaction with the highlighted address expression. Server ArchitectureIn one embodiment, one or more servers participate in implementation of the method.A server may comprise an electronic computing device configured to process, store, and transmit data through a communication network.The server may perform one or more of the following functions:storage of geo-links;storage of address expressions;execution of geocoding functions;provision of mapping information;user authentication;access control;logging;synchronization of data; andmanagement of application services.The server may communicate with user computing devices through:the Internet;local area networks;wireless networks;mobile communication networks; orother communication networks. User Computing DeviceThe user computing device may comprise:a smartphone;a tablet computer;a notebook computer;a desktop computer;a wearable computing device; oranother electronic computing device.The user computing device generally comprises:one or more processors;memory;data storage means;input / output interfaces;user input means;communication interfaces; anda display device.The processor executes software instructions stored in memory.The display device is configured to present textual content and mapping information to the user.User input may be provided through:a keyboard;a touchscreen;a mouse;a touchpad;a stylus;a voice interface; orother user input devices. Software ArchitectureThe software implementing the present invention may be organized according to a monolithic architecture, a client-server architecture, or a microservice architecture.In a microservice implementation, separate services may perform:address-expression recognition;geo-link generation;geocoding;map rendering;user management; andcommunication with external services.Communication between services may be performed through APIs using standard communication protocols. Advantages of the InventionThe invention provides several advantages over conventional approaches, including:elimination of manual copying of addresses;reduction in the number of user actions required to obtain mapping information;improved usability of textual communication systems;simplified exchange of geographic locations;compatibility with existing mapping services; andcompatibility with various types of textual content and software applications.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for indicating a geographic location to a user, comprising:by means of software for displaying textual content executed on a user computing device:- recognizing, within textual content, an address expression beginning with at least one special character;- generating a geo-link based on the recognized address expression;- highlighting the recognized address expression during display of the textual content;launching, in response to selection of the highlighted recognized address expression, a mapping information display application through the geo-link;and, by means of the mapping information display application executed on the user computing device:- obtaining the address expression through the geo-link;- transmitting the address expression to a geocoding service;- receiving from the geocoding service geographic latitude and longitude coordinates corresponding to the address expression; and- displaying on a map a geographic location corresponding to the received coordinates. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the software for displaying textual content comprises a text editor and the textual content is contained in a text file. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the software for displaying textual content comprises a web browser and the textual content is contained in a web page. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the software for displaying textual content comprises a messaging application and the textual content is contained in a text message. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein:- when a single special character is used, the special character is selected from the group consisting of: / , >, <, ?, !, §, |, and &;and- when two or more consecutive special characters are used, each special character is selected from the group consisting of: / , >, ?, !, \, |, and g. 6. The method of claim 1 or claim 5, wherein the address expression comprises at least a portion of a postal address sufficient for the geocoding service to determine geographic coordinates and terminates with at least one special character. 7. The method of claim 1 or claim 5, wherein the address expression comprises two or more words immediately following the at least one special character and separated from one another by a delimiter without spaces, the delimiter being selected from the group consisting of:".", "," and ";". 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the number of special characters corresponds to the number of words contained in the address expression. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the geo-link comprises:- the address expression; and- an instruction for launching the mapping information display application. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping information display application comprises one of:- navigation software;- mapping software; or- a browser tab configured to display mapping information. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the geocoding service is located on a geocoding server or is integrated into the mapping information display application. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the geographic location on the map comprises:- obtaining mapping information from a map server; or- using mapping information previously obtained from the map server.