Method of collecting information for a geographic database for use with a navigation system

• US 20060002590A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Borak, Jason M.
• Application Number:
  US10/880,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20060002590A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3811 Point data, e.g. Point of Interest [POI]
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

A method of collecting data for a geographic database for use with a navigation system is disclosed. An image of a geographic area is obtained. A plurality of geographic features visible in the image are identified. For each of the identified geographic features, locations on the image corresponding to the geographic feature in the image are identified. Data is stored in the geographic database that associates each of the identified geographic features with the identified location on the image.

Claims

1. A method of collecting data for a geographic database for use with a navigation system, said method comprising:

obtaining an image of a geographic area;

identifying plurality of geographic features visible in said image;

for each of said identified geographic features, identifying locations on said image corresponding to said geographic feature in said image; and

storing data in said geographic database that associates each of said identified geographic features with said identified location on said image.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said identified location on said image corresponds to a pixel of said image.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said geographic feature is a path.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

associating a guidance information overlay with said location on said image corresponding to said path.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the guidance information overlay is a route highlight.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said geographic feature is a point of interest.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

associating a text label overlay with said location on said image corresponding to said point of interest.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said steps of identifying said geographic features and identifying locations on said image corresponding to said geographic features comprise overlaying vector data representing path geometry for said geographic area onto said image.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a control point in said image.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a distance visible in said image.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating a location in the geographic area with said image.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing said geographic database for use with navigation features.

13. A method of obtaining data for a geographic database, said method comprising:

obtaining an image of a geographic area;

identifying locations on said image appropriate for placement of a plurality of guidance information overlays; and

storing data identifying said locations on said image in said geographic database.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said locations on said image are guide points.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

associating said guide point with a geographic feature visible in said image.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

associating said guide point with a guidance information overlay.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein said location on said image are label points.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

associating said label point with a geographic feature visible in said image.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

associating said label point with a text.

20. A geographic database for use with a navigation system, said database comprising:

data representing an image of a geographic area; and

data indicating locations of a plurality of geographic features on said image.

21. The database of claim 20 wherein said data indicating locations of said geographic features is a vector data clip representing path geometry of the geographic area.

22. The database of claim 20 wherein said data indicating said location of said geographic feature indicates a pixel of said image corresponding to said location.

23. The database of claim 20 wherein said data indicating said locations of said geographic features are locations on said image appropriate for guidance information overlays.

24. The database of claim 20 wherein said data indicating said locations of said geographic features are locations on said image appropriate for text overlays.