Recursive Geographic Tile Population for Mapping Data Completeness

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mapping services face challenges in efficiently populating geographic tiles with entities from third-party servers, leading to incomplete data sets due to the complexity of social graphs and varying data granularity from different servers.

Innovation Solution

A method is implemented to recursively divide and populate geographic tiles by calculating a center point, requesting information from third-party servers, and determining bounding perimeters to ensure comprehensive data retrieval, with the option to subdivide tiles if initial perimeters do not encompass the entire area.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If geographic tiles are populated using traditional methods from third-party servers, then data retrieval is performed, but data completeness is insufficient due to complex social graphs and varying data granularity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata completenessVSAvoidcomplexity of populating geographic tiles

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides a geographic tile into multiple sub-tiles and processes them recursively. This segmentation allows the system to systematically cover the entire geographic area by breaking it down into manageable units, ensuring complete data retrieval without missing entities at tile boundaries

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a nested structure where geographic tiles are divided into sub-tiles, which can further be divided into smaller sub-tiles. This nested subdivision approach enables exhaustive population of geographic tiles by recursively processing each level of division, ensuring no area is overlooked

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Quantity of substance

If traditional data retrieval methods are used from third-party servers, then some entities are retrieved, but many relevant entities are missed due to varying data granularity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of entities retrievedVSAvoidprecision of geographic coverage

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent calculates the center point of geographic tiles and sub-tiles before initiating data retrieval requests. This preliminary action establishes precise reference points for querying third-party servers, ensuring that data retrieval is targeted accurately at the correct geographic locations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent calculates bounding perimeters around retrieved entities and compares them against the geographic tile boundaries. This feedback mechanism determines whether further subdivision is needed, allowing the system to adaptively refine its search coverage until complete population is achieved

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10509777B2Exhaustive places fetching

Publication Date: 2019.12.17 META PLATFORMS INC

AI summary

In one embodiment, a method includes identifying and recursively populating a geographic tile with entities. Recursively populating a geographic tile with entities includes: sending a request to a third-party server for entities located near a representative point of the geographic tile; calculating a maximum distance from the representative point among the entities received; and determining whether a bounding perimeter based on the maximum distance encompasses the geographic tile. If the bounding perimeter encompasses the geographic tile, the retrieved entities located within the geographic tile are stored in association with an identifier for the geographic tile. If the bounding perimeter does not encompass the geographic tile, the geographic tile is divided and the subdivision tiles are recursively populated.