Shared image database with geographic navigation

• US 10,235,390 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2016
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Friedmann, Michael Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria, Sharad
• Application Number:
  US15/361,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20170075926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/48 adapted for combination with other photographic or optical apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/53 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

There is disclosed a method and device for operating an image database shared by a plurality of users. In an embodiment, each image captured by a user and stored in a shared image database is associating with the geographic coordinates of the location at which the image was captured. A search engine for the image database is configured to accept geographic coordinates as a search criterion for locating at least one captured image stored in the shared image database. The images having location coordinates within a predefined range of geographic coordinates is displayed to the user.

Claims

1. A method at a server comprising:

maintaining, in memory of the server, a shared image database, the shared image database comprising images stored in association with a geographic location;

receiving a request from a client device, the request comprising a requested geographic location;

searching records in the shared image database for any images corresponding to the requested geographic location;

transmitting the images corresponding to the requested geographic location to the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested geographic location comprises geographic coordinates.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested geographic location comprises a place name.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the searching comprises identifying one or more images within a predetermined range of the geographic coordinates.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the geographic coordinates define a region and the searching comprises identifying images within the region.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a new image, the new image being associated with a new geographic location; and

storing the new image and the new geographic location in the shared image database.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the new image is received in an attachment to an email.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the new geographic location is specified in a field of the email.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the new geographic location is embedded in the new image.

10. A server, comprising:

a telecommunications subsystem;

memory; and

a processor;

wherein the telecommunications subsystem and the processor cooperate to;

maintain, in the memory, a shared image database, the shared image database comprising images stored in association with a geographic location;

receive a request from a client device, the request comprising a requested geographic location;

search records in the shared image database for any images corresponding to the requested geographic location;

transmit the images corresponding to the requested geographic location to the client device.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein the requested geographic location comprises geographic coordinates.

12. The server of claim 10, wherein the requested geographic location comprises a place name.

13. The server of claim 11, wherein the searching comprises identifying one or more images within a predetermined range of the geographic coordinates.

14. The server of claim 11, wherein the geographic coordinates define a region and the searching comprises identifying images within the region.

15. The server of claim 10, wherein the processor and telecommunications subsystem further cooperate to:

receive a new image, the new image being associated with a new geographic location; and

store the new image and the new geographic location in the shared image database.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein the new image is received in an attachment to an email.

17. The server of claim 16, wherein the new geographic location is specified in a field of the email.

18. The server of claim 16, wherein the new geographic location is embedded in the new image.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable code for execution by a processor of a server, the executable code comprising instructions for:

maintaining, in memory of the server, a shared image database, the shared image database comprising images stored in association with a geographic location;

receiving a request from a client device, the request comprising a requested geographic location;

searching records in the shared image database for any images corresponding to the requested geographic location;

transmitting the images corresponding to the requested geographic location to the client device.