Interactive key frame image mapping system and method

• US 20060181546A1
• Filed: 02/15/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Location Based Services, LLC (Leigh M. Rothschild)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,311,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• 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: G09B 19/0046 History
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/00 Maps; Plans; Charts; Diagrams, e.g. route diagram star maps G09B27/04; devices for holding or supporting maps A47B97/02; for computing purposes G06G1/14, G09B1/16; display boards G09F

Abstract

Provided is a computer system and method for providing key frame image mapping. A method includes collecting one or more images of a predetermined area on the map; and organizing the one or more images on the map as a function of a time, location, and/or image history parameter.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a map, the method comprising:

collecting one or more images of a predetermined area on the map; and

organizing the one or more images on the map as a function of a time, a location, and/or an image history parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the organizing the one or more images on the map as a function of a time, a location, and/or an image history parameter includes:

causing the one or more images to be organized by time and location; and

enabling the one or more images to be accessed via a time line.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the organizing the one or more images on the map as a function of a time, a location, and/or an image history parameter includes:

causing the one or more images to be organized by time and location; and

enabling the map to be highlighted and/or panned via the time line.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the enabling the map to be highlighted and/or panned via the time line includes:

accepting input directing access of the map via panning.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the organizing the one or more images on the map as a function of a time, a location, and/or an image history parameter includes:

organizing the one or more images as one or more icons displayed on the map.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the collecting one or more images of a predetermined area on the map includes:

collecting the one or more images from one or more public and/or one or more private cameras.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the organizing the one or more images on the map as a function of a time, a location, and/or an image history parameter includes:

designating at least one of the one or more images as an at least one key frame associated with at least one location on the map.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a key frame associated with a location on the map, the key frame providing access to at least one of the one or more images.

9. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

correlating the time line with the map and the one or more images, the time line enabling display of at least one of the one or more images.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the correlating the time line with the map and the one or more images, the time line enabling display of at least one of the one or more images includes:

causing the one or more images to be organized by time and location; and

enabling the map to be highlighted and/or panned via the time line.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein the enabling the one or more images to be accessed via a time line includes:

providing accessibility to the one or more images via metadata, the metadata providing at least a time association for the one or more images.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the correlating the time line with the map and the one or more images, the time line enabling display of at least one of the one or more images includes:

instantiating a display upon clicking and/or scrolling over the time line via a user interface.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the instantiating the display upon clicking and/or scrolling over the time line via the user interface includes:

instantiating the display of one or more of an image and/or at least a portion of the map.

14. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

a mapping module coupled to the memory, the mapping module including;

a data store configurable to organize one or more images according to one or more locations on a map, and

a table coupled to the data store, the table configurable to associate metadata for the one or more images with one or more of a time line, an image history, and/or a location, the association to enable an instantiation of a time-related image from the one or more images at the one or more locations on the map.

15. The computer system of claim 14 wherein the memory is configurable to receive the one or more images via a wireless connection to a public resource.

16. The computer system of claim 14 wherein the mapping module is configurable to cause a display of the one or more images on the map via one or more icons.

17. The computer system of claim 16 wherein the mapping module is configurable to instantiate one or more key frame images via the one or more icons in, the one or more key frame images representative of at least one of the one or more locations on the map.

18. The computer system of claim 16 wherein the mapping module is configurable to provide access to the one or more images via the one or more icons, the one or more icons configurable to be represented by one or more key frame images.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium configured to perform one or more acts for displaying a map, the acts comprising:

collecting one or more images of a predetermined area on the map;

organizing the one or more images to be accessible via the map, the organizing being a function of a time, location, and/or image history parameter associated with a time line and a location on the map; and

displaying a key frame image representative of the location on the map, the key frame providing access to the one or more images.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the collecting one or more images of a predetermined area on the map includes collecting the one or more images from one or more of private and/or public resources.

21. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the displaying a key frame image representative of the location on the map, the key frame providing access to the one or more images includes:

providing accessibility to the one or more images via metadata, the metadata providing at least a time association for the one or more images.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the providing accessibility to the one or more images via metadata, the metadata providing at least a time association for the one or more images includes:

enabling display of the one or more images upon designating a position on the time line.

23. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein displaying a key frame image representative of the location on the map, the key frame providing access to the one or more images includes:

displaying the key frame at the location on the map.

24. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium configured to perform one or more acts for displaying a map, the acts comprising:

collecting one or more images of a predetermined area on the map; and

organizing the one or more images on the map as a function of a time, location and/or image history.

25. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

a mapping module coupled to the memory, the mapping module including a data store configurable to collect one or more images of a predetermined area on a map, the data store configurable to store the one or more images as a function of a time, a location, and/or an image history parameter.

26. The computer system of claim 25 further comprising a table coupled to the data store, the table configurable to associate metadata for the one or more images with one or more of the time line, the image history, and/or the location, the association to enable an instantiation of a time-related image from the one or more images at the location on the map.