Spatial Hierarchy Identifiers for Distributed Geospatial Indexing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing location-based applications face inefficiencies due to computationally expensive geo-coding processes and limitations in scaling geospatial indexes across multiple computers, leading to poor performance and inability to handle large data sets and user volumes effectively.
Innovation Solution
The method involves associating user-related data with spatial hierarchy identifiers, which allows for efficient, distributed, and load-balanced location-based processing by preprocessing data to generate spatial hierarchy identifiers that specify paths through a spatial hierarchy, enabling efficient distribution and partitioning across multiple computers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If geospatial indexes are replicated across multiple computers to improve scalability, then system capacity increases, but performance deteriorates because each replicated index has the same poor performance and uses disk storage which is much slower than memory access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the geospatial index into multiple partitions that can be distributed across different computers. Each partition is stored in memory rather than on disk, enabling parallel processing while maintaining high performance. The index structure is segmented into manageable units that can be independently processed and loaded into memory.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension to the indexing approach by using a hierarchical spatial structure that organizes data in a tree-like format. This allows the index to be distributed across multiple computers while maintaining efficient query performance through the hierarchical organization, transforming the flat replication model into a structured distributed model.
2Quantity of substance
If disk storage is used to handle large amounts of data in existing indexes, then data capacity increases, but processing speed decreases because disk access is a thousand times or more slower than memory access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-loads index partitions into memory before they are needed for processing. By anticipating data access patterns and loading required index partitions into memory in advance, the system eliminates the need for slow disk access during actual query processing, thus maintaining high processing speed while handling large data capacities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces memory as an intermediary layer between disk storage and processing operations. Data is transferred from disk to memory partitions, where it resides during active processing. This intermediary memory layer buffers the speed difference between slow disk access and fast processing, enabling high-speed operations on large datasets.
3Productivity
If the entire index and all its data are replicated across multiple computers to handle large numbers of users, then user capacity increases, but system complexity and storage requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the index into distributed partitions that can be independently managed across multiple computers. Each computer handles a specific partition, eliminating the need to replicate the entire index on every node. This segmentation reduces storage requirements and system complexity while maintaining the ability to handle large numbers of users through parallel processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A program storing computer-readable instructions therein for instructing a computer to perform analytical steps for associating user related data with a spatial hierarchy identifier, the program comprising a recording medium readable by the computer and the computer instructions stored on said recording medium instructing the computer to perform the processes including receiving user related data, determining the user that is associated with the user related data, determining the at least one location associated with the user, associating the at least one location with at least one first spatial hierarchy identifier, and associating the user related data with the at least one first spatial hierarchy identifier.