System and method of geospatially mapping topological regions and displaying their attributes

Abstract

A geographical information system and a method are disclosed for geospatially mapping at least one parcel polygon within a geographical region and for displaying at least one specific attribute of each parcel polygon, i.e. a topological area within the given geographical region, as an attached attribute of latitude and longitude coordinates. The centroid or center point of each of the parcel polygons is determined and stored into conventional computer storage means. The latitude and longitude point feature at the centroid of each parcel polygon is established and similarly stored. A unique tax identification number, e.g. the Assessor Parcel Number (APN) or Parcel Identifier Number (PIN), is assigned to each of the point features. A correlation is then made between the unique tax identification number of the point feature to a text list of at least one attribute, e.g., the physical address of the parcel polygon, of each of the point features. This attribute becomes attached to each point feature. The resulting parcel polygon map and point features with one or more of the attached attributes can then be displayed within a GIS or CAD system to provide the user, for example, accurate locations of street addresses for use in environments that require pinpoint accuracy, such as emergency response.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for geospatially mapping at least one parcel polygon within a geographical region and for displaying at least one specific attribute of each parcel polygon as an attached attribute of latitude and longitude coordinates comprising the steps of: 
 (a) determining the centroid of each parcel polygon;    (b) establishing a latitude and longitude point feature at the centroid of each parcel polygon;    (c) assigning a unique tax identification number to each of the point features;    (d) correlating the unique tax identification number of the point feature to a text list of at least one attribute of the point feature and thereby attaching said attribute to each point feature; and    (e) displaying a geospatial map of the geographical region and point features with the attached attribute within a GIS or CAD system.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the unique tax identification number is the APN or PIN of the parcel polygon.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one attribute attached to the point feature is the physical address of the parcel polygon.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein other specific attributes are attached to the point feature.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one digitally rectifiable orthophotograph is used in step (b) to geospatially verify the latitude and longitude coordinates.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the digitally rectifiable orthophotograph is also used to determine if any structure is on the parcel polygon.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (a) is performed by applying a geometrical algorithm to polygon vectors derived from parcel maps.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein step (a) is performed for all parcel polygons in the geographic region.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (b) is performed by correlating the location of the point feature on an original map using map latitude/longitude data.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the map latitude/longitude data is manually verified and corrected by correlation with at least one digitally rectifiable orthophotograph.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (d) is performed by electronically matching the unique tax identification number associated with each point feature to text lists that associate the tax identification number with a physical address of the parcel polygon.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the physical address established by tax identification number becomes an attribute of the point feature.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (d) includes assigning land-use code attributes to each point feature of a parcel polygon where there is no structure.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the determination that there is no structure in a parcel polygon is verified by correlation with at least one digitally rectifiable orthophotograph.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (d) is performed by electronically matching the unique tax identification number associated with each point feature to text lists that associate the tax identification number with an owner's name.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the owner's name established by the tax identification number is then linked back to become another attribute of the point feature.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (d) is performed by electronically matching the unique tax identification number associated with each point feature to purchased text lists that associate the tax identification number with an owner's gender.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the owner's gender established by the tax identification number is then linked back to become another attribute of the point feature.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (d) is performed by electronically matching the unique tax identification number associated with each point feature to purchased text lists that associate the tax identification number with a phone number.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the phone number established by the tax identification number is then linked back to become another attribute of the point feature  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (d) is performed by electronically matching the unique tax identification number associated with each point feature to purchased text lists that associate the tax identification number with a building use code.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the building use code established by the tax identification number is then linked back to become another attribute of the point feature.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (d) is performed by electronically matching the unique tax identification number associated with each point feature to purchased text lists that associate the tax identification number with SIC code.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the SIC code established by the tax identification number is then linked back to become another attribute of the point feature.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (d) is performed by electronically matching the unique tax identification number associated with each point feature to purchased text lists that associate the tax identification number with assessed value.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the assessed value established by the tax identification number is then linked back to become another attribute of the point feature.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (d) is performed by electronically matching the unique tax identification number associated with each point feature to purchased text lists that associate the tax identification number with number of employees.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the number of employees established by the tax identification number is then linked back to become another attribute of the point feature.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (d) is performed by electronically matching the unique tax identification number associated with each point feature to purchased text lists that associate the tax identification number with total sales volume.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the total sales volume established by the tax identification number is then linked back to become another attribute of the point feature.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (d) is performed by electronically matching the unique tax identification number associated with each point feature to purchased text lists that associate the tax identification number with household income.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the household income established by the tax identification number is then linked back to become another attribute of the point feature.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the point features are rendered for display and analysis in standardized, off-the-shelf data formats and customized data format.  
     
     
         34 . A geographic information system for geospatially mapping at least one parcel polygon within a geographical region and for displaying at least one specific attribute of each parcel polygon as an attached attribute of latitude and longitude coordinates comprising: 
 (a) means for digitizing and storing surveyed parcel polygon data for the geographical region and for displaying a digital map of said region;    (b) means for overlaying each of the resulting parcel polygons onto said digital map with reference to the latitude and longitude coordinates of said region to form a parcel polygon map;    (c) means for determining the geometric centroid of each parcel polygon having a unique tax identification number on said parcel polygon map from means (b) and for establishing the latitude and longitude point feature for each centroid;    (d) means for removing the parcel polygon lines from the parcel polygon map from means (c) and for displaying a parcel polygon map showing a single latitude and longitude point feature for each parcel polygon; and    (e) means for correlating the unique tax identification number for each point feature with at least one attribute of the point feature from a text list, for attaching said attribute to each point feature, and for displaying said parcel polygon map from means (d) with the attached attribute.    
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein means for digitizing and storing an orthophotograph of the geographical region and means for overlaying the digital orthophotograph onto said parcel polygon map from means (d) to check its accuracy.  
     
     
         36 . A geographic information system for geospatially mapping at least one parcel polygon within a geographical region and for displaying at least one specific attribute of each parcel polygon as an attached attribute of latitude and longitude coordinates comprising: 
 (a) a parcel polygon database stored in a computer memory comprising digitally scanned paper records of surveyed parcel polygon data of at least the geographical region and the latitude and longitude coordinates of that region;    (b) a map database stored in a computer memory comprising a digital map of at least the geographical region and the latitude and longitude coordinates of that region;    (c) at least one output device for displaying images of the lines of the parcel polygons of database (a) and the digital map of database (b);    (d) overlay means for overlaying an image of a digital map corresponding to the lines of at least one parcel polygon onto the image of said polygon to form a parcel polygon map using as a reference the latitude and longitude coordinates for the region;    (e) geometric algorithmic means for determining the geometric centroid of the at least one parcel polygon on said parcel polygon map that has an assigned unique tax identification number and for establishing the latitude and longitude for the derived centroid point feature;    (f) attaching means for removing the parcel polygon lines from said parcel polygon map and for attaching a single latitude and longitude point feature to each parcel polygon;    (g) storage means for a text list of attributes for each parcel polygon according to its assigned unique tax identification number;    (h) correlation means for correlating and attaching the unique tax identification number for each derived centroid point feature of said parcel polygon map to at least one attribute of that point feature from said text list stored in storage means (g);-   wherein said at least one output device is capable of displaying the resulting parcel polygon map from correlation means (h) with the attached attribute.    
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein said overlay means is also for overlaying a digitized georeferenced orthophotograph of the geographical region containing latitude and longitude markers onto the resulting parcel polygon map of attaching means (f) to verify the accuracy the accuracy of said parcel polygon map.  
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the resulting overlaid orthophotograph and polygon map are used to verify if a structure exists on each of the parcel polygons.  
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the resulting overlaid orthophotograph and polygon map are also used to verify of that the location of the derived centroid point feature is within any existing structure.  
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 36 , further comprising an attribute database for the text list of attributes for each parcel polygon within the geographical region and a search engine for matching the resulting parcel polygon map based on any of a plurality of attributes from the text list.