WO2008110693A2

WO2008110693A2 - Method for indexing and searching information including a geographical location component for locating information relative to a public transport network

Info

Publication number: WO2008110693A2
Application number: PCT/FR2008/000124
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean-Baptiste Dumont
Original assignee: Jean-Baptiste Dumont
Priority date: 2007-02-02
Filing date: 2008-02-01
Publication date: 2008-09-18
Also published as: EP2115643A2; WO2008110693A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for indexing and searching information in the vicinity of a public transport network, that comprises the following operations: inputting on a terminal (5) at least one piece of information to be indexed including a geographical location component corresponding to one or more geographical locations E0 j, where j is an integer between 1 and N, N being an integer equal to or higher than 1, and each location E0 j being associated with a maximum allowed distance d jmax; transmitting the information to be indexed via a communication network to a server (2); storing by the server (2) the information in a database; inputting on a terminal (6) search criteria including at least one geographical location component; transmitting the request via the network to the server (2); comparing, by the server (2), the search criteria with each stored information; and in a public transport network, making explicit each geographical location component for the information to be indexed or for the search criteria.

Description

A method of indexing and retrieving information comprising a geographic location component for locating information in relation to a public transport network

The invention relates to the field of research systems.

More specifically, it concerns the search for resources stored in a database based on at least one geographical location criterion, via a public transport network. The invention finds an application for the search for real estate or services on the Internet.

Search systems allow a user to enter different search criteria to query a resource database whose characteristics match, in whole or in part, the search criteria. In the case of the search for real estate or services, these criteria often include a geographical location component.

By geographical location component, we mean here any characteristic allowing to locate a good or a service in its environment.

Research systems typically include:

- a database containing all the goods or services and their associated characteristics;

an interface with a user allowing him to enter one or more criteria for the search and to read the result of the search;

means, generally including a search engine, for comparing the search criteria with the characteristics of the goods or services of the database.

The document US Pat. No. 6,397,208 describes such a system enabling a user to enter a particular geographical point and to choose a real estate property in a database in order to return to him the location of the real estate chosen with respect to the particular point. This search engine is also configured to calculate the shortest path between the data of the base and the particular point.

US 6,240,425 discloses a method and system for locating real estate assets including a list of centers of attraction around the properties. A user can then base his research on the centers of attraction available around a property by considering ranges of distance and directions.

However, even though these documents offer methods for locating a property, they are not suitable for finding goods or information in large cities.

Indeed, in large cities with developed public transport networks, such as the metro, the bus or the tramway, public transport is part of the daily lives of their inhabitants. The inhabitants are led to easily use these public transport to move.

It is therefore interesting for an inhabitant of such a city to be able to locate a good or information in relation to a public transport network, and not only geographically. The invention aims in particular to remedy this problem by proposing to integrate, in the criteria associated with a resource, a location with respect to a public transport network.

This location is explained by comparing the geographical location components of a resource in a database with those of the criteria of a search, by determining at least one point of entry of the network in common between the components.

According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a method for indexing and retrieving information in the vicinity of a public transport network, characterized in that it comprises the following operations:

- Entering, on a terminal, at least one information to index with a geographical location component, corresponding to one or more geographic locations associated with a maximum allowable distance; - transmission of information to be indexed via a communication network to a server;

- recording, by the server, information in a database; - entering, on a terminal, search criteria including at least one geographical location component;

- transmission of the request via the network, to the server;

- comparison by the server, criteria of the search with each recorded information; - explanations in a public transport network of each geographic location component, for the information to be indexed or for the search criteria.

According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a multi-criteria information search system, including at least one geographical location component, comprising means for:

- record multicriterion information in a database; - receive a multicriteria search request from a user;

- compare the criteria of the search with those of the information in the database;

- sort the information and transmit it to the user; - Explain the geographical location components of the information and search criteria by implementing the method according to the invention.

According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a computer program product intended to be stored in memory of a processing unit, this program comprising the instructions for implementing the method described above.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the light of the description given hereinafter with reference to the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a diagram showing in a synthetic manner a search system according to the invention; FIG. 2 illustrates a first step of a method for indexing and retrieving information in the vicinity of a public transport network, according to one embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 illustrates a second process step; Figure 4 illustrates a third process step; Figure 5 illustrates a fourth process step; FIG. 6 illustrates a fifth step of the method;

Figure 7 illustrates a sixth process step; Figure 8 illustrates a seventh process step; Figure 9 is a schematic illustration of the location component explained by the method illustrated in Figures 2 to 8;

FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows a search system 1 comprising a server 2 including a database 3, in which the information is recorded, and a search engine 4. By information, a resource such as a property is designated here. real estate or service.

The search system further contains at least one terminal 5, 6. In practice, it includes at least two, five and six.

A first terminal 5, for example placed in a real estate agency or services, makes it possible to enter information comprising one or more components, such as a price, a surface or a function.

The information further includes a geographic location component. The information and its components are stored in the database 3 of the server 2.

The geographic location component is defined as a set of N geographical locations, denoted E _j where j is an integer between 1 and N and N is an integer greater than or equal to one. Geographical location means any point or zone that can be located in space by means of a geographical datum, for example an address, a station of a public transport network or geographical coordinates ( longitude - latitude, GPS for example).

A geographical location E _} - is associated with a distance

maximum allowable of ^x .

By distance is meant here any temporal or spatial evaluation of the distance between two locations. Thus, a distance may be, for example, a length, a travel time or a number of stations of a transit network crossed.

A second terminal 6, which can be confused with the first terminal 5, allows a user to enter one or more search criteria.

At least one of these search criteria corresponds to a geographic location component, this component being defined in the same way as that associated with the information and described above. The criteria of the search are transmitted to the server 2, where they are compared to the criteria of the information stored in the database.

The search system further comprises means for performing an operation of explicitation in a public transport network of the geographical location components.

The operation of explaining a geographic location component includes determining, for each geographical location E _j}, all the geographical locations located at a distance less than the maximum allowable distance ^ ^{x x} associated, passing through to least one entry point of a public transport network, according to a method described below. From locations E _j and maximum distances

Eligible associated ™ d ^x _t search engine 4 calculates the achievable pitches, that is to say, those located at a distance of tj. lower ad _j . These locations include at least one transit point of entry, noted

S _jk where k is an integer between one and P, where P is the number of entry points of the public transport network that can be reached.

From a point S _} - _tk , the search engine 4 calculates the

remaining distance dJ ^ΑX - d _jki corresponding to the difference between

the distance d * * and the distance d _{j / c} traveled to reach S _jk .

If this difference is either positive or non-zero, then the search engine 4 calculates the set V (S _jk , d ^ _A ) of the locations

attainable from S _] - _Jk , that is to say at a distance

d _jk less than the remaining distance. In the case where these locations include a new entry point of the public transport network, the search engine 4 continues the calculation until the remaining distance is negative or zero or P is equal to zero.

Figures 2 to 9 illustrate an embodiment of the method in the case where N is equal to 1. In this case, the geographic location component corresponds to a single geographic location E ₁ and a maximum allowable distance of ™ ^X .

In FIG. 2, the dashed circle represents the sector in which all the locations reachable from E ₁ and situated at a distance smaller than the distance d ^a * are located.

In Figure 3, we see that five points of entry of the public transport network are included in this set. They are denoted SiJ _c1 , where k _x is an integer between 1 and 5.

points S _{l kι} are located at a distance d _{l kι} from E ₁ . The process having calculated the remaining distance d _x ^ma ~ d _{x ki} , it

determines the set V (S ₁ ^, d _lk ) of locations located at a

distance d _x ^ S ^ ₁ _χ less than d ^max - d _x ^ (Figure 4).

Again, in FIG. 5, it can be seen that four entry points S ^ ₂ of the public transport network are reachable from a point S ₁ ^, where Jc ₂ is an integer between 1

and 4. A point S _x ^ is located at a distance d _x ^ from a point S _x ^.

The search engine 4 calculates the new distance remaining d _x ^max - d _x ^ - d _x ^, d _xk ^ = d _x ^ + d _{X k} ^ being the distance

traveled between E _x and S ₁ ^ ₂ , and determines the set ViS ^^^ d ^)

locations at a distance d _x ^ of S ₁ ^ less than

αi "u ₂ -

The search engine repeats the calculation, as shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8, until no entry point of the network is no longer reachable.

The sets thus determined are brought together with each other, as shown in FIG. 9, according to the following expression:

U k H M)). Exploitation operation of the localization component

CLG ₁ then consists in assembling the locations JtL _j :

CLG _x ≈ (j {v ( _SjA , _djJc )) jl

We can give as an example that where information relates to a child care service in Paris whose location component is to admit to send a baby sitter to places located either within 5 minutes of a given metro station less than 10 minutes from a specific address. The search engine 4 will thus calculate, as explained above, the two sets of dwellings, the first around the given metro station, the second around the address, and will consider the meeting of the two sets as the explicit component. for this information.

A second possibility is that the component is the intersection of the locations E _j . The explicit component can then be expressed by:

For example, it may be a search for a dwelling located less than 20 minutes from the workplace of a first person and the workplace of a second person. The search engine 4 calculates the two sets of dwellings located around the two addresses of the workplaces, and considers the intersection of the two sets as the explicit component for this search.

Obviously, the search engine 4 does not exclude from the result of the geographical location component the locations located at a distance d. less than the distance

to ^X from a location E _j without passing through an entry point of the public transport network, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 9. These locations, denoted E _jk, constitute a

set noted V (E _j , d _j ) and added to the previous set according to the following expression:

The explicit localization component can then be expressed by: when

realizes the meeting of locations E _j ; or by :

^CLG ₄ , when

makes the intersection of the locations ϋ _; -.

For example, a Paris resident who works at "10 rue de la Paix", and who uses public transport, seeks housing close to his job. He enters the search criteria specific to his apartment (rent, surface, ...) and indicates as a location component a single geographical location

"10 rue de la Paix", and a maximum allowable distance of 35 minutes. The system will then explain the component for the search, namely the meeting of the following sets:

- All locations within 35 minutes of "10 rue de la Paix" and calculated via a public transit system;

- All locations within 35 minutes without transit. There may be a case where certain geographical locations E _j are associated with a maximum distance

qualifying d - ^a nil. They are noted E _j . In practice, the maximum permissible distance can either be explicitly indicated as zero in the search system 1, or not be indicated. In the latter case, the system implicitly incorporates that the maximum allowable distance is zero.

This is the case, for example, when information is real estate whose location component consists of an address, or when a search has in its locating component a location consisting of a center of interest such as a center of information. 'activity. In this case, these locations Uy are gathered and added in a meeting to one of the explicit location components explained previously, according to one of the following expressions:

Alternatively, an intersection may be made to obtain the explicit location component according to one of the following expressions:

The explicitation step for the search is carried out independently of that of an information. Thus, for example, the search can use the expression CLG ₃ for the explanation of its geographic location component, while the information will have its component explained using one of the CLG ₅ expressions. _{. .}

11

The search engine 4 compares the search with each piece of information in the database and returns to the terminal 6 as a result the information from the database 3 whose explicit geographical location component includes locations in common with those of the database. explicit localization component for search.

Then the search engine 4 performs a sorting according to the distance between the locations in common and the geographical locations E _{j 1} before explanation, of the localization component for the search. This distance is the one calculated during the explicitation stage.

Thus, for example, information located spatially several kilometers away from the user's location but close to a metro station can be reached more quickly, and is therefore temporally closer to the user than another information spatially closer to the user but reachable only on foot and therefore temporally further away.

The search system 1 according to the invention is particularly intended for the consultation of real estate advertisements on the Internet and can find information by locating it in relation to a public transport network.

It also makes it possible to manage the distances between the search criteria and the information, and allows a sorting of the information according to the result of this calculation.

A user can then choose a good or a service according to its location with respect to a point of entry of the public transport network or according to the trip, by public transport or not. The invention does not prevent sorting results on other criteria, such as price, function, surface, environment or any other criterion that may interest a user of a search system.

Claims

1. A method for indexing and retrieving information in the vicinity of a public transport network, characterized in that it comprises the following operations: input, on a terminal (5), of at least one information to be indexed having a geographical location component, corresponding to one or more geographical locations denoted E °, where j is an integer between 1 and N ₁ N being an integer greater than or equal to 1, each location E ° being associated with a maximum admissible distance rf ™; transmitting the information to be indexed via a communication network to a server (2); recording, by the server (2), information in a database (3); entering, on a terminal (6), search criteria including at least one geographical location component; transmission of the request via the network to said server (2); comparison by the server (2), criteria of the search with each recorded information; the method being characterized in that it comprises an operation of explicitation in a public transport network of each geographic location component, for the information to be indexed or for the search criteria, this explanation comprising a calculation operation of 'together :

U k MwJ ⁾ . ^OR

- k is an integer between 1 and P, and P is an integer greater than or equal to 0;

- S _jΛ represents an entry point to a transit system;

- V (S _jJc , d _jk ) are the sets of geographical locations located at a distance d _jk from at least one input point S _j of a transit network, such that d _jk is less than or equal to d ^{x x} - d _j ' _k , where d _J ^' _k is a distance traveled between S _jjc and

E _r

2. Method according to claim 1 wherein the geographical location component is the meeting geographical locations E °, the geographical location component thus expressed being expressed by:

CLG _x ≈ [} ty ( _Sjtk , d _h, _k )).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the geographical location component is the intersection of the geographical locations E _j °, the geographical location component thus expressed being expressed by:

CLG ₂ = ηf \ j {v (S _jtk , d _hk ))).

4. The method of claim 2 which comprises an operation of determining a second group of sets F (E °, d _; ^max ) comprising locations E _j ^' _k located at a distance d _j from a location E _j less than df ™, without passing through an entry point of the public transport network, and performing the meeting of the second group of sets with the explicit geographic location component, the explicit geographic location component being expressed by:

V (E _J ⁰ , dj ™) is the set of locations _{λ jλ} checking d]

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the explicit geographical location component is the intersection of geographical locations E °, the geographical location component thus expressed being expressed by:

6. Method according to one of claims 2 to 5 wherein certain locations Ef are associated with a maximum allowable distance zero, constituting a third group of sets, and realizing the meeting of the third group of sets to the geographical location component. explicit, the explicit geographical location component then being expressed by one of the following expressions:

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the explicit geographical location component is the intersection of geographical locations E °, the geographical location component thus explained being expressed by one of the following expressions:

8. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7 wherein is carried out a sorting according to the result of the comparison between the component explicit geographic location of each piece of information in the database and each geographic location component made explicit for the search.

9. Method according to one of claims 1 to 8 wherein are determined the locations in common between the locations of the explicit geographic location component of each information and the locations of the geographic location component explained for the search.

The method of claim 9 wherein the sorting is performed according to the distance between the common locations and the geographical locations E _}; , before explanation, of the localization component for research.

1 1. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 10, comprising a sorting operation carried out on one or more criteria other than the geographical location component, such that the price, the area, the function or the 'environment.

12. Method according to one of claims 1 to 1 1 wherein geographic locations are points of entry into the public transport network.

13. A multi-criteria information search system (1), including at least one geographic location component, comprising means for: recording multicriteria information in a database (3); - receive a multicriteria search request from a user; compare the criteria of the search with those of the information in the database (3); sort the information and transmit it to the user; characterized in that it furthermore has means for carrying out the explanation of the geographic location components of the information and the search criteria by the implementation of the method according to one of claims 1 to 12.

1 4. Computer program product intended to be stored in memory of a processing unit, this program comprising instructions for carrying out the method according to claims 1 to 12.