Method of operating a navigation system using images

• US 20060004512A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navteq North America LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Herbst, James M., Borak, Jason M., McGrath, Suzanne M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,460,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3638 including 3D objects and buildings three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects G06T17/00; geographic models G06T17/05
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

A method of operating a navigation system comprises providing an image of a geographic area through which a portion of a route between an origin and destination passes. The image is an approximate 360-degree image. The method provides a guidance information overlay on the image. The guidance information overlay may be a route highlight, a maneuver arrow, an indication of a path that has been traveled, an identification of a main route and an alternative route, and a label.

Claims

1. A method of operating a navigation system comprising:

providing an image of a geographic area through which a portion of a route between an origin and destination passes;

wherein said image is an approximate 360-degree image.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a guidance information overlay on the image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the guidance information overlay is a route highlight.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the guidance information overlay indicates a path that has been traveled.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the guidance information overlay identifies a main route and at least one alternative route.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the guidance information overlay includes a symbol indicating a feature of one of said routes.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the guidance information overlay is a maneuver arrow.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the guidance information overlay is a label identifying a point of interest.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the guidance information overlay is a label identifying a direction in the image.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the guidance information overlay is a route highlight or a maneuver arrow and a label identifying a point of interest along the route.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing at least one navigation instruction indicating how to follow said portion of said route.

12. A method of operating a navigation system comprising:

providing an image of a geographic area corresponding to a portion of a route between an origin and a destination;

overlaying a route highlight or a maneuver arrow on said image indicating how to follow said solution route; and

overlaying a label on said image identifying a point of interest in said geographic area along said solution route.

13. A method of operating a navigation system comprising:

providing an image of a geographic area;

overlaying a next route highlight on said image identifying a path to be traveled; and

overlaying a past route highlight on said image identifying a path already traveled.

14. A method of operating a navigation system comprising:

providing an image of a geographic area;

overlaying a first route highlight in said image identifying a path available for traveling to a destination; and

overlaying a second route highlight in said image identifying an alternative path available for traveling to said destination.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein one of said route highlights includes a symbol indicating a feature of said corresponding path.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said image is a single view photographic image.

17. A navigation system comprising:

a route guidance application capable of providing a series of images of a geographic region, said series of images depicting a continuous visual representation of a route between an origin and a destination, each of said images include a guidance information overlay.

18. The navigation system of claim 17, wherein the images are single view images.

19. A method of operating a navigation system comprising:

providing an image of a geographic region;

overlaying said image with labels identifying a plurality of locations in the image; and

enabling a user of said navigation system to enter one of said locations; and

providing a navigation feature for said entered location.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the image is a single-view photograph.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the image is a panoramic photograph.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the locations are points of interest.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein said navigation feature is calculation of a route to said entered location.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein said navigation feature is route guidance to said entered location.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein the navigation feature is information about said entered location.