Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Navigation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-27
2003-08-12
Black, Thomas G. (Department: 3663)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Navigation
C342S357490, C342S457000, C340S995190, C340S988000, C382S232000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06606554
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for defining location coordinates using a string of characters and, more particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, means, apparatus, and computer program code for expressing geographic location coordinates to a desired level of accuracy using a single string of characters.
Many geographic location or positioning formats exist for expressing the location of an entity (e.g., building, person, street intersection). For example, Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM), Universal Polar Stereographic (UPS), and the World Geodetic System of 1984 (WGS84) latitude and longitude format each provide techniques for defining or expressing the location of an entity. Unfortunately, such location positioning formats often require a cumbersome string of digits, letters, symbols, etc. For example, to express a location to within ten feet of accuracy using latitude and longitude, a string such as “18 degrees, 35 minutes, 17.8 seconds north; 75 degrees, 6 minutes, 57.3 seconds west” is required. As another example, in UTM, the same position would be expressed as “zone 18, 2055302 north, 487770 east”. Such formulations increase the complexity of storage, recall and transfer of location information and are likely to lead to errors.
It would be advantageous to provide a method and apparatus that overcame the drawbacks of the prior art. In particular, it would be desirable to provide a method for expressing geographic location or position in either two or three dimensions using a single string of characters and with any desired level of accuracy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to embodiments of the present invention, a method for expressing a geographic location may include determining a plurality of coordinates associated with a geographic location; converting the plurality of coordinates into a respective plurality of strings of at least one character; and forming a single string of characters based on the plurality of strings of at least one character. In another embodiment, a method for expressing a geographic location may include determining a geographic location expressed using at least a first coordinate and a second coordinate; determining at least one attribute of the first coordinate; determining at least one attribute of the second coordinate; determining an attribute string based, at least in part, on the at least one attribute of the first coordinate and the at least one attribute of the second coordinate; creating a first string of at least one character representative of the first coordinate; creating a second string of at least one character representative of the second coordinate; and creating a single string of at least one character based, at least in part, on the first string, the second string, and the attribute string. In a further embodiment, a method for determining a geographic location may include determining a string of characters indicative of a geographic location; determining a plurality of strings from the string of characters, each of the plurality of strings being indicative of a coordinate associated with the geographic location; and converting each of the plurality of strings into data indicative of its respective coordinate in a universal coordinate system.
According to embodiments of the present invention, a system for creating a string expressing a geographic location, may include a memory; a communication port; and a processor connected to the memory and the communication port, the processor being operative to determine a plurality of coordinates associated with a geographic location; convert the plurality of coordinates into a respective plurality of strings of at least one character; and form a single string of characters based on the plurality of strings of at least one character. In another embodiment, a system for creating a string expressing a geographic location may include a memory; a communication port; and a processor connected to the memory and the communication port, the processor being operative to determine a geographic location expressed using at least a first coordinate and a second coordinate; determine at least one attribute of the first coordinate; determine at least one attribute of the second coordinate; determine an attribute string based, at least in part, on the at least one attribute of the first coordinate and the at least one attribute of the second coordinate; create a first string of at least one character representative of the first coordinate; create a second string of at least one character representative of the second coordinate; and create a single string of at least one character based, at least in part, on the first string, the second string, and the attribute string. In a further embodiment, a system for creating a string expressing a geographic location may include a memory; a communication port; and a processor connected to the memory and the communication port, the processor being operative to determine a string of characters indicative of a geographic location; determine a plurality of strings from the string of characters, each of the plurality of strings being indicative of a coordinate associated with the geographic location; and convert each of the plurality of strings into data indicative of its respective coordinate in a universal coordinate system.
According to embodiments of the present invention, a computer program product in a computer readable medium for creating a string expressing a geographic location may include first instructions for identifying a plurality of coordinates associated with a geographic location; second instructions for generating a plurality of strings of at least one character for the plurality of coordinates; and third instructions for generating a single string of characters based on the plurality of strings of at least one character. In another embodiment, a computer program product in a computer readable medium for creating a string expressing a geographic location may include first instructions for identifying a geographic location expressed using at least a first coordinate and a second coordinate; second instructions for identifying at least one attribute of the first coordinate; third instructions for identifying at least one attribute of the second coordinate; fourth instructions for identifying an attribute string based, at least in part, on the at least one attribute of the first coordinate and the at least one attribute of the second coordinate; fifth instructions for generating a first string of at least one character representative of the first coordinate; sixth instructions for generating a second string of at least one character representative of the second coordinate; and seventh instructions for generating a single string of at least one character based, at least in part, on the first string, the second string, and the attribute string. In a further embodiment, a computer program product in a computer readable medium for determining a geographic location may include first instructions for identifying a string of characters indicative of a geographic location; second instructions for identifying a plurality of strings from the string of characters, each of the plurality of strings being indicative of a coordinate associated with the geographic location; and third instructions for associating each of the plurality of strings into data indicative of a respective coordinate in a universal coordinate system.
According to embodiments of the present invention, an apparatus for creating a string expressing a geographic location may include means for identifying a plurality of coordinates associated with a geographic location; means for generating a plurality of strings of at least one character for the plurality of coordinates; and means for generating a single string of characters based on the plurality of strings of at least one character. In another embodiment, an apparatus for creating a string expressing a geographic location may include means for identifying a geo
Black Thomas G.
Siemens Information & Communication Mobile LLC
To Tuan C
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