The "geo" URI Scheme Uniform Resource Identifier Scheme for Geographic Locations http://geouri.org/

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The "geo" URI SchemeUniform Resource Identifier
Scheme for Geographic Locationshttp//geouri.or
g/

• Alexander Mayrhofer, Christian Spanring
• IETF 68, Praha, CZ

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Motivation

• Location information is everywhere
• Protocols, data formats adding location fields
• Location info goes mainstream
• Some formats have unclear definitions
• Reference system, esp. elevation datum.
• Sometimes even no definition
• No scheme which just identifies a location
• All tied to a protocol, a data format, or a
  specific representation of the location (map)

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Requirements

• Not tied to a specific protocol/data format
• But usable in most of them
• Just identify location, not it's
  use/representation
• User's choice, Context
• Clear definition of reference system / semantics
• As simple as possible
• Easy authoring from GPS data
• Readable short able to jot it down
• Easy to parse
• Distinguishable from "plain data"
• ? came up with the idea of an URI scheme

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The "geo" URI Scheme

• Geo URIs identify a geographic location by the
  textual representation of the locations spatial
  coordinates in either two or 3 dimensions
  (latitude, longitude, and optionally altitude).
  An optional query string contains additional
  parameters.
• ("ahh, URIs addressing geo locations")

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Example
geo50.09318,14.43892,203?typebuilding
geo URI Scheme Name ("geo") and Separator
(req.) 50.09318 Latitude (WGS 84, decimal
degrees, required) 14.43892 Longitude (WGS 84,
decimal degrees, required) 203 Altitude (WGS 84
MSL, decimal meters, optional) typebuilding Query
parameters (optional)
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Use cases

• HyperlinkltpgtIETF 68 is taking place in the lta
  href'geo50.09318,14.43892,203?typebuilding'gtHil
  ton Hotel, Praguelt/agtlt/pgt
• (Protocol handler quickly hacked Firefox
  Extension plus examples available at
  http//geouri.org)
• Alternative JavaScript implmentation to
  automatically embed maps at http//www.spanring.eu
  /geouri/
• Header FieldContact ltgeo50.09318,14.43892,203?t
  ypebuildinggt
• Simple NoteJoe, meet you at IETF 68
  (geo50.09318,14.43892,203) ?
• Whereever URIs go!QR code on business cards and
  in newspapers..?

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What this is not about

• NOT touching PIDF-LO
• NOT a LoST URI replacement
• NOT a description of more complicated spatial
  objects (GML)
• NOT just simple data (semantics behind!)

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Feedback received

• Received comments from about 10 people (from
  "GIS" as well as "IETF" world)
• Appreciation of the idea as well as sceptisism
• Privacy considerations
• Relation to / distinction from other GEOPRIV
  topics
• Query parameters underspecified
• Semantics unclear
• Other options than a URI scheme?
• Isn't that just data?

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Planned work

• Draft/URI scheme
• Revamp of "Query string" probably URI
  parameters with registry?
• Clarification of semantics
• More sensible examples
• Please provide feedback!
• Early Implementations
• Update to Firefox extension (configurable choice
  of maps)