| 摘要 |
<p>The present inveiton invloves a Universal Geographic Database ('UGD'). The UGD is an automated, central or distributed, registry of real-world locations and locations-related information for business and other entities, analogous to the registry of domain manes for Internet and web sites. By this central registry, businesses and other entities are facilitated ot post their location and location-related information in a single place, for all users who need or want it; and usees can refer to this single place, via the Internet, Web, and other telecommunicaitons devices, to obtain accurage, complete and timely location and location-based information about the registered businesses and other entities. Each record of the UGD is keyed by a proprietary location address (PLA) based o teh World Geographic Referencing System (WGRS), and optionally may have one or more proprietary location addreses (PLAs), which alos may serve as keys. Associated with the PLA keys, each UGD record generally includes the full name for the business other entity, its street address, and miscellaneous contact information (e.g., telephone number, facsimile number, e-mail address, internet website addres, wireless website address). Other more dynamic, customized information (e.g., store hours, credit cards accepted, inventory, prices, specials, hours, parking) also may be available in the UGD record or linked the UGD record. Users of any device or service can access to the UGD or other location-based information linked to the UGD records, a user-friendly notation for location naming in the real-world and on all types of location-sensitive electronic devices, from web phones to in-car navigation systems. Given the UGD, these ULA/PLAs are as important to real-world businesses as their domain names because these WGRS addresses drive real-world commerce to physical business locations just as domain names drive e-commerce Internet or web site.</p> |
