Spatial identification of assets using n-dimensional asset identifiers

1. A method of assigning an n-dimensional asset identifier to an asset comprising:

determining a position of the asset in n dimensions (n≥3), wherein the position is based at least on the center of mass of the asset's modeled geometry;

determining an extent for each of the n dimensions, wherein each extent is measured from the center of mass to a surface of an n-dimensional bounding polytope containing the asset;

encoding the position and the extents of the asset into a single, non-opaque, code string capable of being stored on computer-readable media

referencing the position and extents to a grid reference system having n-dimensions, wherein the grid reference system comprises uniform, non-overlapping grid cells and overlays at least a portion of Earth's surface wherein each position within the portion of the Earth's surface is within exactly one grid cell and the n dimension of the grid system is height;

defining a stratum as a span between a fixed minimum height and a fixed maximum height at a higher altitude than the minimum height, wherein no polytope extends outside the stratum; and

sub-dividing the stratum into nested layers, wherein increasingly nested layers correspond to finer resolutions.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the asset is a building, a floor of a building, a room in a building, building HVAC equipment, building electrical equipment, building mechanical equipment, valuable inventory, an art artifact, a monument, a landmark, a buildable area or volume, a vehicle, a telecommunications installation, a basic infrastructure installation, a person, or a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising contributing one symbol to the non-opaque code string for each nested layer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polytope is a hyperrectangle.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the n dimension further comprises length and width.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the n dimension further comprises time.

7. A method of assigning an n-dimensional asset identifier to an asset comprising:

defining a stratum as a span between a fixed minimum height and a fixed maximum height at a higher altitude than the minimum height;

sub-dividing the stratum into nested layers, wherein increasingly nested layers correspond to finer resolutions;

determining from a map, a position of the asset in n dimensions (n≥3) comprising length, width, and height, wherein the position is based on the center of mass of the asset's geometry;

determining an extent for each of the dimensions, wherein each extent is measured from the center of mass to a surface of an n-dimensional bounding hyperrectangle containing the asset, wherein no bounding hyperrectangle extends outside the stratum;

referencing the position and extents to a grid system having n-dimensions, wherein the grid system comprises uniform, non-overlapping grid cells and overlays at least a portion of Earth's surface; and

encoding the position and the extents of the asset into a single, non-opaque, code string that can be stored on computer-readable media, wherein the code string does not encode the asset's geometry and wherein two non-opaque, code strings are directly comparable for functional equivalence.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device cause the device to:

determine a position of an asset in n dimensions (n≥3), wherein the position is based at least on the center of mass of the asset's geometry;

determine an extent for each of the n dimensions, wherein each extent is measured from the center of mass to a surface of an n-dimensional bounding polytope containing the asset;

encode the position and the extents of the asset into a single, non-opaque, code string that is a computer-readable, n-dimensional identifier of the asset;

store programs comprising instructions, which when executed further cause the electronic device to reference the position and extents to a grid reference system having n-dimensions, wherein the grid system comprises uniform, non-overlapping grid cells and overlays at least a portion of Earth's surface, wherein one of the n dimensions of the grid system is height which defines a stratum as a span between a fixed minimum height and a fixed maximum height at a higher altitude than the minimum height, wherein no polytope extends outside the stratum; and

sub-divide the stratum into nested layers, wherein increasingly nested layers correspond to finer resolutions.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the n dimensions further comprise length, width, and time.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, which when executed cause the electronic device to encode the position and the extents of the asset into a single, non-opaque, code string do not encode the asset's geometry into the non-opaque, code string.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed further cause the electronic device to concatenate the non-opaque code string by removing any symbol not associated with dimensions of length and width.