Location-based data service apparatus and method

Abstract

One aspect of the invention provides a method including: receiving shape information describing a shape of a first space of interest (SOI); receiving location information describing a location of the first SOI; associating the shape information with the location information and a first unique ID to form a first SOI object; receiving second information describing at least one of a shape or a location of a second SOI; associating the second information and a second unique ID to form a second SOI object; and associating the first SOI object with the second SOI object.

1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving shape information describing a shape of a first space of interest (SOI);   receiving location information describing a location of the first SOI;   associating the shape information with the location information and a first unique ID to form a first SOI object;   receiving second information describing at least one of a shape or a location of a second SOI;   associating the second information and a second unique ID to form a second SOI object;   generating association information data to associate the first SOI object with the second SOI object; and   managing and storing the first SOI object, the second SOI object and the association information data in the storage unit, respectively.   
     
     
         2 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein associating the first SOI object with the second SOI object comprises:
 associating the first SOI object and second SOI object in a vertical structure in which at least one of the first or second SOI object is located within the other of the first or second SOI object.   
     
     
         3 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein associating the first SOI object with the second SOI object comprises:
 associating the first SOI object and second SOI object in a horizontal structure in which the first and second SOI objects are located horizontally to one another.   
     
     
         4 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein associating the first SOI object with the second SOI object comprises:
 associating the first SOI object and second SOI object in a layered structure in which the first and second SOI object form layers within a third SOI object.   
     
     
         5 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein associating the first SOI object with the second SOI object comprises:
 associating the first SOI object and second SOI object in combination of at least two of, a unit structure, a vertical structure, a horizontal structure, and a layered structure.   
     
     
         6 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the shape information comprises at least one of: a point, a line, an area, and a building. 
     
     
         7 . The method as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 accepting changes to the shape information or the location information of the first SOI object.   
     
     
         8 . The method as in  claim 7 , wherein the changes are user-initiated. 
     
     
         9 . The method as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 managing a history of changes of the shape information or the location information of the first SOI object.   
     
     
         10 . The method as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 associating one or both of the first SOI object and the second SOI object with location-based data information selected from a group consisting of: local information, building information, business information, phone number information, direction information, universal resource locator (URL) information, website information, personal information, and uniform commercial code (UCC) information.   
     
     
         11 . A method, comprising:
 receiving first information describing at least one of a shape or a location of a first space of interest (SOI);   associating the first information and a first unique ID to form a first SOI object;   receiving second information describing at least one of a shape or a location of a second SOI;   associating the second information and a second unique ID to form a second SOI object;   associating the first SOI object with the second SOI object by forming a relationship between the first unique ID and the second unique ID, the relationship being at least one of vertical, horizontal, and layered;   managing relationship information representing to the relationship, separatively from the first SOI object or the second SOI object.   
     
     
         12 . The method as in  claim 11 , wherein the shape information comprises at least one of, a point, a line, an area, and a building. 
     
     
         13 . The method as in  claim 11 , further comprising:
 accepting user-initiated changes to the first information of the first SOI object.   
     
     
         14 . The method as in  claim 11 , further comprising:
 managing a history of changes of the first information of the first SOI object.   
     
     
         15 . The method as in  claim 11 , further comprising:
 associating one or both of the first SOI object and the second SOI object with location-based data information selected from a group consisting of: local information, building information, business information, phone number information, direction information, universal resource locator (URL) information, website information, personal information, and uniform commercial code (UCC) information.   
     
     
         16 . A method, comprising:
 receiving information describing at least one of a shape or a location of a space of interest (SOI);   associating the information with a unique ID to form an SOI object;   receiving location-based data information;   determining a relationship between the location-based data information and the SOI object; and   associating the SOI object with the location-based data information based on the relationship.   
     
     
         17 . The method as in  claim 16 , wherein the location-based data information comprises at least one of: local information, building information, business information, phone number information, direction information, universal resource locator (URL) information, website information, personal information, and uniform commercial code (UCC) information. 
     
     
         18 . The method as in  claim 16 , wherein associating the SOI object with the location-based data information based on the relationship comprises:
 providing access to the SOI object and corresponding location-based data information based on one or both of the location-based data information and the SOI object.   
     
     
         19 . The method as in  claim 16 , further comprising:
 determining a selected SOI or selected location-based data information;   searching for particular SOI information corresponding to the selected SOI or selected location-based data information;   extracting location-based data information according to the particular SOI information; and   providing the extracted location-based data information.   
     
     
         20 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a processing unit; and   a computer-readable medium configured to store program   commands that when executed by the processing unit are operable to:   receive shape information describing a shape of a   first space of interest (SOI);   receive location information describing a location of the first SOI;   associate the shape information with the location information and a first unique ID to form a first SOI object;   receive second information describing at least one of a shape or a location of a second SOI;   associate the second information and a second unique ID to form a second SOI object; and   associate the first SOI object with the second SOI object.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus as in  claim 20 , further comprising:
 a user interface configured to display the SOI object and location-based data information.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus as in  claim 20 , wherein the program commands, when executed by the processing unit to associate the first SOI object with the second SOI object, are further operable to: associate the first SOI object and second SOI object in a vertical structure in which at least one of the first or second SOI object is located within the other of the first or second SOI object. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus as in  claim 20 , wherein the program commands, when executed by the processing unit to associate the first SOI object with the second SOI object, are further operable to: associating the first SOI object and second SOI object in a horizontal structure in which the first and second SOI objects are located horizontally to one another. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus as in  claim 20 , wherein the program commands, when executed by the processing unit to associate the first SOI object with the second SOI object, are further operable to: associating the first SOI object and second SOI object in a layered structure in which the first and second SOI object form layers within a third SOI object. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus as in  claim 20 , wherein the program commands, when executed by the processing unit to associate the first SOI object with the second SOI object, are further operable to: associate the first SOI object and second SOI object in combination of at least two of, a unit structure, a vertical structure, a horizontal structure, and a layered structure. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus as in  claim 20 , wherein the shape information comprises at least one of: a point, a line, an area, and a building. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus as in  claim 20 , wherein the program commands, when executed by the processing unit, are further operable to:
 accept changes to the shape information or the location information of the first SOI object.   
     
     
         28 . The apparatus as in  claim 27 , wherein the changes are user-initiated. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus as in  claim 20 , wherein the program commands, when executed by the processing unit, are further operable to:
 manage a history of changes of the shape information or the location information of the first SOI object.   
     
     
         30 . The apparatus as in  claim 20 , wherein the program commands, when executed by the processing unit, are further operable to:
 associate one or both of the first SOI object and the second SOI object with location-based data information selected from a group consisting of: local information, building information, business information, phone number information, direction information, universal resource locator (URL) information, website information, personal information, and uniform commercial code (UCC) information.   
     
     
         31 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a processing unit; and   a computer-readable medium configured to store program commands that when executed by the processing unit are operable to:   receive first information describing at least one of a shape or a location of a first space of interest (SOI);   associate the first information and a first unique ID to form a first SOI object;   receive second information describing at least one of a shape or a location of a second SOI;   associate the second information and a second unique ID to form a second SOI object; and   associate the first SOI object with the second SOI object by forming a relationship between the first unique ID and the second unique ID, the relationship being at least one of vertical, horizontal, and layered.   
     
     
         32 . The apparatus as in  claim 31 , wherein the shape information comprises at least one of, a point, a line, an area, and a building. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus as in  claim 31 , wherein the program commands, when executed by the processing unit, are further operable to:
 accept user-initiated changes to the first information of the first SOI object.   
     
     
         34 . The apparatus as in  claim 31 , wherein the program commands, when executed by the processing unit, are further operable to:
 manage a history of changes of the first information of the first SOI object.   
     
     
         35 . The apparatus as in  claim 31 , wherein the program commands, when executed by the processing unit, are further operable to:
 associate one or both of the first SOI object and the second SOI object with location-based data information selected from a group consisting of: local information, building information, business information, phone number information, direction information, universal resource locator (URL) information, website information, personal information, and uniform commercial code (UCC) information.   
     
     
         36 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a processing unit; and   a computer-readable medium configured to store program commands that when executed by the processing unit are operable to:   receive information describing at least one of a shape or a location of a space of interest (SOI);   associate the information with a unique ID to form an SOI object;   receive location-based data information;   determine a relationship between the location-based data information and the SOI object; and   associate the SOI object with the location-based data information based on the relationship.   
     
     
         37 . The apparatus as in  claim 36 , wherein the location-based data information comprises at least one of: local information, building information, business information, phone number information, direction information, universal resource locator (URL) information, website information, personal information, and uniform commercial code (UCC) information. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus as in  claim 36 , wherein the program commands, when executed by the processing unit to associate the SOI object with the location-based data information based on the relationship, are further operable to:
 provide access to the SOI object and corresponding location-based data information based on one or both of the location-based data information and the SOI object.   
     
     
         39 . The apparatus as in  claim 36 , wherein the program commands, when executed by the processing unit, are further operable to:
 determine a selected SOI or selected location-based data information;   search for particular SOI information corresponding to the selected SOI or selected location-based data information; extract location-based data information according to the particular SOI information; and   provide the extracted location-based data information.   
     
     
         40 . The apparatus as in  claim 36 , further comprising:
 a user interface configured to display the SOI object and location-based data information.