223 results about "Geographic feature" patented technology

An interactive visitor self-registration system for visitors to museums or other public sites using a digital computer or internet appliance device and a touchscreen monitor, which accesses a dedicated website, through a global computer network such as the Internet. It focuses on gathering information regarding residence of visitors as well as the information gathered by a traditional paper guest book. The system is searchable by visitors and by site staff. The information gathered by the system is stored on a dedicated website. A second, administration website, also password protected with an unpublished web address can be used by Site Administrators to customize the looks and options of their specific visitor self-registration system. Additionally, there is a public website which is accessible via the Internet which stores travel information for every signer to the system who logs on with his or her email address. These visitors can track their own travel via a map displayed on the website and be linked to the website for the sites they visit.

Methods, systems and processor-readable media for extracting and classifying location information utilizing social media messages and/or data thereof. The social media messages can be sampled from a social media database and the messages filtered based on a heuristic rule. A geolocation entity from the unstructured social media messages can be extracted utilizing a geolocation entity extracting module. The messages with the geoentities can be uploaded onto a crowd sourcing platform to manually annotate the messages with a label. A text classification model can be built and learned from the label utilizing a machine learning algorithm and the messages can be classified by a location classifier in order to extract the user location. The user location can then be transformed into a geocode so that a spatial search can be enabled and the distance between the locations can be easily calculated.

Interactive geographic information systems (GIS) and techniques are disclosed that provide users with a greater degree of flexibility, utility, and information. A markup language is provided that facilitates communication between servers and clients of the interactive GIS, which enables a number of GIS features, such as network links (time-based and view-dependent dynamic data layers), ground overlays, screen overlays, placemarks, 3D models, and stylized GIS elements, such as geometry, icons, description balloons, polygons, and labels in the viewer by which the user sees the target area. The markup language is used to describe a virtual camera view of a geographic feature. A compressed file format holds multiple files utilized to display a geographic feature in a single file.

A graphic output device for generating a mixed graphic-textual depiction having at least one text object consisting of multiple letters for identifying a geographic feature, the output device comprising a processor unit, which is set up to reshape the text object in such a manner that the reshaped text object comprises, in addition to a normal text area having letters in the original size, a compressed text area having letters shrunken and/or compressed in relation to the original size, the boundary between the normal text area and the compressed text area running along a semantic jump point of the text object. A method for preparing a text object consisting of multiple letters using a processor unit, for the purpose of depicting the text object using a graphic output device.

An improved method and system for storage of data that represent geographic features in a region. The data are organized into parcels each of which contains data that represent those geographic features that are located within a separate one of a plurality of rectangular areas into the region is divided. The method identifies linearly extending features that extend across multiple rectangular areas so that data representing the linearly extending feature can be included in each parcel that contains data that represents a rectangular area in which the linearly extending feature extends at least in part.

A method of collecting data for a geographic database for use with a navigation system is disclosed. An image of a geographic area is obtained. A plurality of geographic features visible in the image are identified. For each of the identified geographic features, locations on the image corresponding to the geographic feature in the image are identified. Data is stored in the geographic database that associates each of the identified geographic features with the identified location on the image.

Locality indexes are presented for use with electronic maps and databases. Each geographic feature in a geographic database is associated with locality names from various locality name sources. Context-sensitive tokenizing, normalizing, optimizing and matching of locality names eliminate duplicate and variant locality names, while preserving meaningfully different names. A locality names table includes the parsed representation of each locality name and other associated information, and a primary token for indexing is identified. A main source mask is created by allocating a bit for each locality name source used in the method. A separate source mask is stored for each geographic feature associated with a locality, a bit set for each source in which the locality can be found. Locality names associated with each geographic feature are indexed in a table of geographic features in order of prevalence for use in a given application.

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention relate to the design of inexpensive mounting and pointing apparatuses for linear arrays of solar energy collectors and converters. Particular embodiments in accordance with the present invention disclose a rigging system comprising at least one, and preferably a plurality of, tensile cables onto which a plurality of solar modules are fastened. Such an arrangement provides a way of suspending solar modules over land, vegetation, bodies of water, and other geographic features without substantial perturbation of the underlying terrain. Certain embodiments comprise additional tensile cables fastened to the solar modules, such that differential axial motion of the cables produces a rotational motion component of the individual solar modules of the array. This rotational motion component effects an orientation control along one rotational axis.

A system and method are disclosed that allow a navigation system that uses a geographic database to also use the data in traffic messages broadcast by a traffic broadcast system. One aspect of a present system and method includes the formation, storage, and use of location reference data records in a geographic database used by a navigation system. These location reference data records identify certain other kinds of data records that represent physical geographic features, such as data records that represent segments of roads, as being associated with certain location reference numbers. These location reference records may be included in a geographic database installed in the vehicle or may be provided to vehicles via a wireless communication link. Another aspect of a present system and method includes the formation, storage, and use of one or more indices that relate location reference numbers used by a traffic broadcast system to location reference records in a geographic database used by the navigation system. Another aspect of a present system and method is the formation, storage, and use of data that identify, for each location reference number, the immediately previous and the immediately next location reference number. Still another aspect of a present system and method includes the programming, and methods of use thereof, that query the geographic database and return the data entities associated with certain identified location reference numbers.

The invention facilitates a loyalty system which is associated with pre-determined geographic locations and/or services and goods offered in a specific geographic area. The system is configured with one product platform with a modularized approach to facilitate the development of market specific rewards and communication materials. The loyalty points may be earned within a specific geographic location, then redeemed in one geographic location, a subset of locations or without restrictions. Similarly, the loyalty points may be earned in one geographic location, a subset of locations or without restrictions, then redeemed only in a specific geographic location. The geographic features of the system may be implemented using existing data that is associated with geographic areas such as, for example, zip codes, retailer identification codes, service establishment codes and/or the like. The geographic area information may be associated with the consumer, merchant, processing system and/or any other part of the overall system.

A method of collecting market research information is disclosed. A geographic database contains data entities that represent geographic features, such as roads, located in a geographic region. Advertising zones are defined within the geographic region. Users of mobile computing platforms are provided with geographically-related services that use the geographic database. As users of the mobile computing platforms travel in the geographic region, the locations of the mobile computing platforms are determined. Demographic information of the mobile computing platform is associated with the position of the mobile computing platform. A market research record identifies which of the mobile computing platforms are located within or passing through one of the advertising zones.

A method of organizing map data on a physical storage medium is disclosed. The map data represents geographic features located in a geographic region. The method identifies at least one dense area in the geographic region. The map data representing the geographic features within the dense area have a data size exceeding a predetermined maximum size for a predetermined sized geographic area of the region. The method subdivides the map data representing the geographic features within the dense area into parcels so that the portion of map data contained in the parcel is close to a predetermined parcel size. The method subdivides the map data less the map data representing the dense area into parcels so that the portion of map data contained in the parcel is close to the predetermined parcel size. Additionally, the method locates the map data in each parcel together on the physical storage medium.

Systems, devices, features, and methods for determining geographic features corresponding to a travel path to develop a map database, such as a navigation database, are disclosed. For example, one method comprises emitting light from a light source, such as a LIDAR device, while on the travel path. Returning light is received based on the emitted light. The returning light is used to generate data points representing an area about the travel path. The data points are filtered as a function of a return intensity value to identify a feature associated with the travel path, in which the feature is treated with a retroreflective substance.

A system and method are disclosed for facilitating development of computer games that depict or represent actual, real world geographic areas as part of the play scenarios of the games. A source database contains data that represent geographic features in a region including roads in the region. The data in the source database includes attributes suitable for use for providing navigation-related functions. In addition to providing data from the source database for navigation-related functions, data from the source database are also used to form a template database, wherein the template database represents an imaginary locale. The template database is provided for computer game development.

Systems, devices, features, and methods for determining a geometric parameter from an image are disclosed. For example, one method for determining the geometric parameter is used to develop a navigation database. The method comprises determining calibration values corresponding to a camera mounted on a vehicle or a pedestrian. A plurality of images of geographic features are captured by the camera. A single image from the plurality of images is identified or selected. A geometric parameter of a region in the single image is determined based on the determined calibration values. For example, the geometric parameter is a real-world distance, such as a real-world length or width.

The disclosed technology provides systems and methods for estimating the risk of loss for a location. A computer implemented method in accordance with the disclosed technology accesses one or more geographical characteristics associated with a geographical address, considers a plurality of perils and for each peril, computes a corresponding measure of peril that indicates a risk of loss at the geographical address from that peril. The corresponding measure of peril is computed based on the geographical characteristic(s) associated with the geographical address. The individual measures of peril are combined to form a combined measure that indicates a combined risk of loss at the geographical address from the plurality of perils. In one embodiment, the combined measure is used to compute an insurance premium for property at the geographical address. The disclosed technology also includes a computer executing software, wherein the executed software causes the computer to perform the steps above.

A system and method are disclosed for facilitating development of computer games that depict or represent actual, real world geographic areas as part of the play scenarios of the games. A source database contains data that represent geographic features in a region including roads in the region. The data in the source database includes attributes suitable for use for providing navigation-related functions. In addition to providing data from the source database for navigation-related functions, data from the source database are also provided for computer game development. An application programming interface, as well as other tools for handling geographic data, is provided for accessing and processing of the geographic data.

A communications link for a cellular communications system (10) includes a first airplane (35) for flying in a first pattern (86) and including a first antenna for transmitting RF beams (92) to form a first footprint (96) on a first target geographic area (98) to provide cellular phone users (18) within the footprint with a first communications link. A second airplane (35′) flies in a second pattern (86) and includes a second antenna for transmitting RF beams (92) to form a second footprint (96) on a second target geographic area (98) to provide cellular phone users (18) within the second footprint with a second communications link. The first and second airplanes each fly at an altitude that is below a high altitude level and that is varied to enable continuous uninterrupted coverage to be provided to a service area below in a weather pattern-independent and geographic feature-independent manner.

Cartographic data is represented using polynomial splines. To improve representation accuracy and reduce storage requirements, a database storing data points (shape points and nodes) is converted into a database of spline control points. The spline control points are computed by fitting a polynomial spline to the geographic features using a least squares approximation. The control points associated with each geographic feature are stored in a computer-usable database. The geographic features can be displayed by computing the spline functions using the stored control points.

A method of paging a mobile terminal in a radio access network wherein the last known location of a mobile terminal is stored. A location message (also called a Route Update message) is sent from a terminal and received at a sector in the network, identifying the location of the terminal. The network determines a paging zone for that terminal based on configuration information for that sector. The configuration information for each sector typically includes a Route Update radius, and then one or both of a paging zone radius offset, and statically configured sectors. When the terminal needs to be paged, the network then broadcasts a page to the terminal in each sector in the paging zone. Such a system adjusts the paging zone to include sectors which the terminal has a reasonable likelihood of moving to before the network learns that the terminal has moved out of the previously established paging zone. Aspects of the invention provide two complementary methods of adjusting the paging zone: adjusting using a paging zone offset, and adjusting based on a sector list. The paging zone offset adjusts the radius of the paging zone, thereby maintaining a generally circular shape. The sector list adjusts the generally circular paging zone by adding or deleting any sector in any direction, thereby allowing any arbitrary shape to be used for the paging zone. The adjustments to the paging zone achieved by these methods account for such factors as RF coverage, geographic features, congestion, population density and expected rate of movement of terminals between sectors.

Modeling comparable properties and rendering map images with automatic valuation of properties bordering specified geographic features. A valuation model identifies and accounts for the proximity of properties to geographic features. For example, estimating property value includes accessing property data corresponding to a geographic area and performing a regression based upon the property data. The regression models the relationship between price and explanatory variables, with the explanatory variables including proximity to geographic features. Proximity may be a categorical variable wherein properties bordering the geographic feature are determined to possess the proximity characteristic. Alternative explanatory variables may incorporate different degrees of proximity.

Collecting traffic data regarding a plurality of wireless terminals includes periodically receiving Global Positioning System (GPS) location information from each of the plurality of wireless terminals by a location tracking server. For each of the plurality of wireless terminals, the location tracking server accumulates GPS location information. The location tracking server receives information regarding a geographic feature, processes the received GPS location information, and generates a traffic pattern report regarding the geographic feature based upon the accumulated GPS location information.

The invention belongs to the technical field of overhead transmission lines of a power system, in particular to a method for paying off an overhead transmission line by an unmanned helicopter. In the method, the unmanned helicopter carries an aramid cord messenger and takes off, and throws the aramid cord to a designated tower; by adopting a manual direct traction or small tractor drawing mode, the aramid cord messenger draws a dyneema cord, and then the dyneema cord draws a pilot rope; and after the pilot rope is drawn to a small traction station, two sides of the pilot rope are connected and hoisted to draw a large haulage rope to complete the wiring work. The unmanned helicopter is easy and flexible to control, and has the advantages of high construction efficiency, stable operation and high safety when being used for spanning lead wires of the overhead transmission line. By utiliziing the method, trees and other construction passages are not needed to cut down, residents are not disturbed, and local geographic features and other natural resources are not damaged.

The invention provides an Internet-enabled, auto-networking, wireless, sensor-capable, specific geographic location marker based communications network system which broadly and economically deploys a wired and wireless, geographic position specific marker based, communications network technology to form a framework or infrastructure through which a multitude of these marker systems can communicate globally. The invention gathers and transmits or receives: wireless bioinformatics data from living organisms in real time; route and environmental data for real time autonomous systems control; plat data for automating tax assessment; topographic and survey control point data for automating photogrammetry; intelligent survey monument deployment for Internet based land surveying; and environmental, industrial, commercial, residential, medical and security sensor based data in real time. The invention utilizes necessary sensor and position (GPS) electronics and units are deployed along natural and man-made geographic features. Deployment is via field survey or through attachment to a present survey boundary marker or roadside pole.

A computer game depicts or represents actual or imaginary geographic locales as part of the play scenarios of the games. The computer game uses a map database that contains data that represent geographic features, such as roads, in a locale. A game engine program presents a game play scenario to a user via a user interface of the game. An application programming interface program accepts requests for data from the game engine program, accesses data from the map database, and provides the data in a suitable format to the game engine program for use in presenting the game scenario to the user.