Indexing geographic data

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system provides access to geographic information. The system generates an index including information and one or more identifiers each indicating a corresponding geographic area pertaining to the information. The system processes a query against the index to provide information aggregated for corresponding geographic areas. Embodiments of the present invention further include a method and computer program product for providing access to geographic information in substantially the same manners described above.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method of retrieving geographic related information comprising:
 generating an index including information and one or more identifiers each indicating a corresponding geographic area pertaining to the information; and   processing a query against the index to provide information aggregated for one or more of the corresponding geographic areas.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more identifiers include geohashes. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein processing the query includes:
 performing a facet search of the index to determine counts of information for the one or more of the corresponding geographic areas.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the index includes hierarchical levels of information and links between those hierarchical levels. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the index includes first and second identifiers for an information element, wherein the second identifier indicates a portion of the geographic area of the first identifier. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further including:
 color coding the aggregated information and presenting the color-coded information on a user interface.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein the color-coded information is presented for the one or more of the corresponding geographic areas on a geographic map of the user interface.