Site Locating
NABC Proposal
Jan. 27, 2011
v1.01
Background:
Traditional Geocoding API services, such as Google Map API and Yahoo Map API, restrict the use of
their services. Generally, these restrictions limit 3rd party developers to use their service solely for
showing locations on a map, calculating distance and determining driving instructions between two
points.
Need:
Third party developers need the ability to use a comprehensive national geocoded database for
location-aware mobile applications in manners that exceed the restrictions of the major mapping API
services. Such as:
Real-Time Reverse Geocoding - GPS to street address and place.
Triggering an (non-map) activity based on a GPS location.
Caching geocoded data.
Creating derivative works from the geocoded data.
For example, a 3rd party developer might desire to develop a single mobile application for shopping at
plural big box retailers. To achieve this, the developer may desire to use the current GPS reading from
the mobile phone for a reverse geocoding lookup to determine the address and consequently the
business at that location. By knowing in real-time which business the consumer is at, the application
can trigger a business location specific activity, such as displaying sale-specials-of-the-week.
An application such as the above cannot be developed using the Google, Yahoo or Microsoft mapping
APIs due to license restrictions.
Approach:
The NWS site locator and in-site tracking and positioning service is an open database project,
consisting of geocoded data aggregated from public domain sources. The NWS API is a single-source
(i.e., one-stop) database of public domain geocoded data from US Census Tiger Line/Shapefiles, USGS
Geonames database, National Geological-Intelligence Agency GEONet name server, Canada Census
Statistics, and other national, state, county, local agencies, and institutional public domain sources.
The aggregated geocoded data is available to 3rd party developers in a variety of standarized formats
(e.g., CSV, RDF/XML). The geocoded data can be queried in real-time or bulk imported, without
restriction to use and without crediting requirements.
The NWS site locator and in-site tracking and positioning service is built on a highly scalable
geospatial related database. The database consists of tables for representing relationships between
geocoded coordinates and complexes, buildings, addresses, places, entities and geographic and political
boundaries.
Figure 1 shows one example relationship ('store locater') supported through the NWS API. At the top
level is a store chain (entity). A store chain consists of plural store outlets (place), with each store outlet
having a street address (addr).
Figure 2 shows another example relationship ('site complex') supported through the NWS API. At the
top level is a site complex (complex). A site complex consists of plural buildings (bldg), with each
building having one or more street addresses (addr).
Fig. 1 – Store Locator Fig. 2 – Site Complex
Entit Com
y e.g., Store Chain
plex
Store Outlet Store Address
Bldg Addr Addr
Place Addr
Bldg Addr Addr
Place Addr
Place Bldg Addr Addr
Addr
Figure 3 shows another example relationship ('geolocator') supported through the NWS API. At the
top level is a hierarchical geographic (i.e., political) boundary (geo). The geography boundary leafs
consists of plural street addresses (addr), with each access having one or more residences (place).
Fig. 3 - Geolocating
Geo
Geo
Addr Place
Addr Place
Addr Place
Geo
Addr Place
Figure 4 shows augmentation ('metadata') of geocoded objects supported through the NWS API.
Augmentation supports performing operations based on an object and its relationship. For example, the
augmentation can be used as a filter (e.g., industry type on entiries and places), as a description (e.g.,
historical), or activity (e.g., checkin).
Fig. 4
Metadata
Geo
Metadata Metadata
Addr Place
The NWS site locator and in-site tracking and positioning service supports hosting of private geocoded
data and metadata, as well as other non-public domain sources of geocoded data. Non-public domain
data is segmented off and accessed according to licensed conditions.
Benefits:
There are a number of benefits to 3rd party developers to a national open geocoded database:
Single source (one-stop) access to all public domain geocoded data.
Use of public domain data without restrictions.
Real-time querying and bulk caching of geocoded data.
Creating derivative works.
There are a number of benefits to 3rd party developers to private hosting of geocoded data and
metadata:
No management of geocoded/metadata (i.e., cloud service).
A common exchange format between public and proprietary geocoded/metadata.
Creating workflows independent of the collection and storage of geocoded data.
Competitors:
PUBLIC DOMAIN
US Census 2000
Tabular data for centroids down to neighborhoods
Manual download of tables: fixed column spaced
US Census 2008 Tiger/Line
Tabular data down to street intersections
Manual download of tables: format not inspected
US Census 2010 Tiger/Shapefiles
Shapefile data down to street intersections
Manual download of tables: Shapefiles
Release start 11/2010 will complete 5/2011
USGS Data
2 million points of interest (centroids) - populated places, geographic features, schools,
hospitals, airports, cemetaries
Manual download of tables: | separated values.
Geomena
Lat/Lng coords of WiFi Access Points
Crowd Source database
Manual download of tables
API geocoding
NASA Observatories
Lat/Lng of Observatories
Manual download of database: tabular format
(NEAR) PUBLIC DOMAIN - Creative Common Attribution License (must cite them)
MaxMind City of The World Data
Centroids for Cities of the World
300,000 Cities
Manual download of database: tabular CSV format
webgis.usc.edu
Manual form entry
Bulk geocoding by file upload
API geocoding
Data Source: US Census 2000/2010
Research Site
License: Cite them in your work, link to their website
2500 unpaid lookup allotments
Contact: Dr. Daniel W. Goldberg
USC GIS Research Lab
(213) 740-0521
geonames.org
8 million points of interest
Data Sources: public and near public domain sources around the world.
Manual download of entire database
API geocoding
Large support organization
Public Release - Common Create Works License (must cite them)
Paid: 1,000,000 per 250 Euro
Question/Issues: OpenStreetMap says they are violating terms of use of some of their data
sources (not free to use).
OpenStreetMap
Crowd Source API geocoder to compete with Google, Yahoo etc.
Public Release - Common Create Works License (must cite them)
API geocoding
Questions/Issues: Accuracy and irrgularities from being crowd sourced.
University of Indiana - Geocoder
Looks like a professor's project
Single downloadable (800 Mb) database and scripts for geocoding from US Census Tiger/Line
data through ?2006.
Public Use license vaque
COMMERCIAL - BIG PLAYERS
Google MAP API
API geocoding
Beta Release of Places API - returns information about an establishment based on a GPS coord.
License restrictions - e., must display Google Map - no caching
Yahoo MAP API
API geocoding
License restrictions - e.g., must display Yahoo Map - 6 hr limit on cached values
Microsoft MAP API
API geocoding
License restrictions - e.g., limits on caching, prohibits asset tracking
Facebook Places API
early version of Places API - returns information about an establishment based on a GPS coord.
Facebook's own Venue Database
License Restrictions -
COMMERCIAL - OTHERS
www.gpsvisualizer.com [Portland, OR]
Free forward/reverse geocoding
Manual form entry OR bulk entry via CSV formatted file
Data Source: Google, Yahoo APIs
Revenue: Community Donations
Contact: Adam Schneider, adam#gpsvisualizer.com
Questions/Issues: Bulk address geocoder may violate Google/Yahoo terms
Does not do reverse geocoding
geocoder.us
Free (one request per 15 seconds) using API for non-commerical purposes
Paid: 20,000 lookups for $50
Data Source: US 2010 Census data?
travelgis.com
Free forward/reverse geocoding
Manual form entry
Data source: Google Maps, MS MapPoint
Revenue: commercial service - nacgeo.com
Paid: 20,000 lookups is 490 euros
batchgeo.com
Interactive bulk geocoder
Data Source: Google Maps/API
Revenue - commercial service - maptive
- additional map features, large # address handling, proximity search
freegeocoder.com
Manual Entry
Uses Google API, displays site on Google Map
bulkgeocoder.com
Paid bulk address geocoding.
Questions: data sources unclear, licensing
Paid: 20,000 lookups is $100
ZipMgr
Manual Entry
Street Address geocoding
Data Source: unknown
Limits 10 queries a day