Mobile Address Book Geo-coding via Preliminary Action
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing method of geo-coding geographic addresses in mobile devices is inefficient as it requires repeated requests to a location server every time a user wants to view a location on a map, consuming time and network resources.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method to automatically geo-code addresses upon entry or in batches, storing the latitude and longitude coordinates on the mobile device, and using these stored coordinates to display locations without real-time server requests, with options for correcting invalid addresses and integrating with map applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If geo-coding requests are sent to the location server every time a user wants to view a location on a map, then the location information can be obtained, but the network resources are consumed and the response time is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by geo-coding addresses when they are first entered or imported into the address book, rather than waiting for each map view request. The system proactively converts addresses to coordinates in advance and stores them locally, so that subsequent map displays can use the pre-computed coordinates without additional server requests, eliminating the time delay while maintaining location accuracy
2Measurement precision
If geo-coding requests are sent to the location server every time a user wants to view a location on a map, then the location information can be obtained, but the network resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs geo-coding in advance when addresses are entered or imported, storing the resulting coordinates locally in the address book record. This preliminary conversion eliminates the need for repeated network requests to the location server, significantly reducing network resource consumption while maintaining access to accurate location information through the stored coordinates
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a local copy of the geo-coded coordinates and stores them in the address book database alongside the address information. This local copy serves as a substitute for repeated server requests, allowing the map application to access location data without consuming additional network resources, while maintaining the same location accuracy as server-based geo-coding
3Productivity
If addresses are geo-coded upon entry or in batches, then the need for repeated server requests is reduced, but additional processing time and resources are required during address import
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs geo-coding as a preliminary step during address entry or batch import operations. By converting addresses to coordinates at this initial stage and storing them locally, the system reduces the complexity of subsequent map display operations, as they can directly use the stored coordinates without triggering additional geo-coding processes or server communications
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for determining latitude and longitude coordinates for geographic addresses input into an address book on a mobile device is provided. For each geographic address received for storing in a contact record, latitude and longitude coordinates are automatically determined and associated with the geographic address in a database of contact records. In some embodiments, for each geographic address to be input, the method first searches existing contact records for the geographic address and if the latitude and longitude coordinates for the geographic address are in an existing contact record, the contact record for the contact is cross-referenced to the existing record for accessing the latitude and longitude coordinates.