Patent · US Active

System and method for identifying geographical areas that significantly overlap a map view

US7595725B1 · kind B1 · utility

30Cited by
4References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 7, 2006
Grant dateSep 29, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 13, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06Q30/0251
  • WIPO fieldIT methods for management
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method for identifying, from a set of geographical areas, a set of target areas that overlap a map view or view port of a map. Target areas are defined as circles having centers and radii, as sets of geographic cells overlaying the areas, or as other polygons of geographic data. Within a view port served or to be served to a user, multiple points are defined and substantially equally spaced within the view port, such that any target area that may significantly overlap the view port (e.g., at least a threshold percentage of the view port) is likely to overlap a minimum number of the points (e.g., one). Some or all target areas are then tested for intersection with some or all of the points, and calculations may be made to determine how much the intersecting areas actually overlap the view port.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.