Landmark-based location of users
First Claim
1. A method for determining a location of a user, the method comprising:
- receiving a user input comprising a first landmark description of a first landmark visible to the user;
comparing the first landmark description to a database of known landmarks;
deriving, from the database of known landmarks, a first candidate landmark for the first landmark as a function of the first landmark description;
calculating a first visibility region for the first candidate landmark; and
determining the location of the user as a function of the first visibility region.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Humans identify location and directions based on visual cues, such as landmarks, rather than a precise coordinate grid. A database of landmarks can be used to determine the location of a user who can merely describe their location in the same manner they would to any human contact. The location of the user can be determined based on the landmarks described in the input, and the areas from which all of those landmarks are visible. Various databases can be used, including text-based and three-dimensional. Similarly, various mechanisms can be used to determine the user'"'"'s location, including hierarchical approaches, query optimization approaches, and visibility percentage approaches. Ultimately, the user'"'"'s location can be determined without the need for expensive, dedicated infrastructure, without compromising the user'"'"'s security, and without subjecting the user to system outages.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A method for determining a location of a user, the method comprising:
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receiving a user input comprising a first landmark description of a first landmark visible to the user;
comparing the first landmark description to a database of known landmarks;
deriving, from the database of known landmarks, a first candidate landmark for the first landmark as a function of the first landmark description;
calculating a first visibility region for the first candidate landmark; and
determining the location of the user as a function of the first visibility region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for determining a location of a user, the method comprising:
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receiving a user input comprising a first landmark description of a first landmark, and a second landmark description of a second landmark;
deriving at least one first candidate landmark for the first landmark and at least one second candidate landmark for the second landmark by comparing the first landmark description and the second landmark description to a database of known landmarks;
calculating a visibility region for each of the at least one first candidate landmark and the at least one second candidate landmark; and
determining the location of the user as a function of an intersection of the calculated visibility regions. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for determining a location of a user, the computer-executable instructions performing steps comprising:
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receiving a user input comprising a first landmark description of a first landmark visible to the user;
comparing the first landmark description to a database of known landmarks;
deriving, from the database of known landmarks, a first candidate landmark for the first landmark as a function of the first landmark description;
calculating a first visibility region for the first candidate landmark; and
determining the location of the user as a function of the first visibility region. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for determining a location of a user, the computer-executable instructions performing steps comprising:
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receiving a user input comprising a first landmark description of a first landmark, and a second landmark description of a second landmark;
deriving at least one first candidate landmark for the first landmark and at least one second candidate landmark for the second landmark by comparing the first landmark description and the second landmark description to a database of known landmarks;
calculating a visibility region for each of the at least one first candidate landmark and the at least one second candidate landmark; and
determining the location of the user as a function of an intersection of the calculated visibility regions. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A portable computing device for determining a location of a user, the portable computing device comprising:
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a user input device for receiving a user input comprising a first landmark description of a first landmark visible to the user;
a memory storage device having stored thereon information comprising a database of known landmarks; and
a processing unit for performing steps comprising;
comparing the first landmark description to a database of known landmarks;
deriving, from the database of known landmarks, a first candidate landmark for the first landmark as a function of the first landmark description;
calculating a first visibility region for the first candidate landmark; and
determining the location of the user as a function of the first visibility region. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A system for determining a location of a user, the system comprising:
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a portable computing device comprising;
a user input device for receiving a user input comprising a first landmark description of a first landmark visible to the user; and
a processing unit for performing steps comprising;
determining the location of the user as a function of the first landmark description and a database of known landmarks; and
an infrastructure device comprising;
a memory storage device having stored thereon at least a part of the database of known landmarks; and
a communication device for performing steps comprising;
connecting to the portable computing device and transmitting a section of the database of known landmarks. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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37. A portable computing device for determining a location of a user, the portable computing device comprising:
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a user input device for receiving a user input comprising a first landmark description of a first landmark, and a second landmark description of a second landmark;
a memory storage device having stored thereon information comprising a database of known landmarks; and
a processing unit for performing steps comprising;
deriving at least one first candidate landmark for the first landmark and at least one second candidate landmark for the second landmark by comparing the first landmark description and the second landmark description to a database of known landmarks;
calculating a visibility region for each of the at least one first candidate landmark and the at least one second candidate landmark; and
determining the location of the user as a function of an intersection of the calculated visibility regions. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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39. A system for determining a location of a user, the system comprising:
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a portable computing device comprising;
a user input device for receiving a user input comprising a first landmark description of a first landmark visible to the user;
a first communication device for communicating with a server computing device; and
a first processing unit for performing steps comprising;
determining the location of the user as a fiction of the first landmark description and a database of known landmarks; and
the server computing device comprising;
a second communication device for communicating with the portable computing device;
a memory storage device having stored thereon at least a part of the database of known landmarks; and
a second processing unit for performing steps comprising;
determining the location of the user as a function of the first landmark description and the database of known landmarks. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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43. A portable computing device for determining a location of a user, the portable computing device comprising:
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means for receiving a user input comprising a first landmark description of a first landmark visible to the user;
means for storing information comprising a database of known landmarks;
means for comparing the first landmark description to a database of known landmarks;
means for deriving, from the database of known landmarks, a first candidate landmark for the first landmark as a function of the first landmark description;
means for calculating a first visibility region for the first candidate landmark; and
means for determining the location of the user as a function of the first visibility region. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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45. A method for determining a location of a user, the method comprising:
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a step of receiving a user input comprising a first landmark description of a first landmark visible to the user;
a step of comparing the first landmark description to a database of known landmarks;
a step of deriving, from the database of known landmarks, a first candidate landmark for the first landmark as a function of the first landmark description;
a step of calculating a first visibility region for the first candidate landmark; and
a step of determining the location of the user as a function of the first visibility region.
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Specification