Maryland Patent of the Month – October 2022
Maps are a unique tool, able to convey a range of information to us. They can provide directions, help you to orient yourself, or even convey information through heat maps and thematic maps. They have an ancient history, with early tribes using maps to share where food, resources, and safety may be. YouMap, Inc. has set out to bring this personalization back to maps. Their mission isn’t about all the places on earth – it’s about the people, places, and moments that matter to you.
Their personalized map solution requires extensive development and innovation. The company’s development focuses on taking full advantage of the point of experience and immediacy that smartphones enable. YouMap believes the current social media landscape does not even begin to scratch the surface of this potential. By combining mapping and social media, users can engage in a point of experience more thoroughly, sharing and relating to the experiences their friends and family had in the same place.
YouMap has been awarded a patent for their real time geo-social visualization platform. The mapping system enables the visualization of data by combining geolocational context to experiences such as goals, feelings, observations and more. By connecting geolocational context, these experiences can be mapped, creating a spatial replication of your life.
A structured framework allows users to share data by selection or by guided data entry. This structure also keeps the focus on the location, and the people in the locations, rather than through an arbitrary scoring system. For instance, a more recent addition from somebody physically at the location would take precedence over an older addition or one from somebody who had previously been at the location. This ensures a user can zoom to an exact location and find the people who are “on the ground” and therefore best suited to have up-to-date knowledge. With that being said, the structure also allows the formation of subcommittee groups to achieve a more personalized experience.
Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.
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