Patent ID: 7225207

Claim:
A method of merging a first packet of geospatial data with a second packet of geospatial data, comprising: a) creating a first list of node descriptors from the first packet of geospatial data; b) creating a second list of node descriptors from the second packet of geospatial data; c) if at least one node descriptor remains in the first list: c.1) obtaining a next node descriptor in the first list; c.2) determining a first position associated with the node descriptor in the first list, the first position having a first level; d) if at least one node descriptor remains in the first list and at least one node descriptor remains in the second list: d.1) obtaining the next node descriptor in the second list; d.2) determining a second position associated with the node descriptor in the second list, the second position having a second level; d.3) if the first level is less than the second level, adding the node descriptor in the first list to a merged list of node descriptors; and d.4) if the first level is greater than the second level, adding the node descriptor in the second list to the merged list of node descriptors; e) if at least one node descriptor remains in the first list and no node descriptors remain in the second list: e.1) adding the node descriptor in the first list to the merged list of node descriptors; f) if no node descriptors remain in the first list and at least one node descriptor remains in the second list: f.1) adding the node descriptor in the second list to the merged list of node descriptors; and g) creating a merged packet from the merged list.