Image mapping to provide visual geographic path

• US 20090076720A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2005
• 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: Rinaldo, John D. JR., Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/16 using multiple overlapping images; Image stitching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/24 Aligning, centring, orientation detection or correction of the image
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence

Abstract

Provided is a computer system and method for mapping a visual path. The method includes receiving one or more images included in a predefined area; receiving one or more parameters associated with the image; and integrating the images and parameters into a map of the predefined area to enable mapping the visual path through the predefined area in response to one or more input path parameters.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A method for a display device to receive a mapped visual path, the method comprising:

transmitting a request for the mapped visual path, the request including one or more input path parameters associated with the mapped visual image path;

receiving from a processing device the mapped visual image path, wherein the mapped visual path including one or more images of a predefined area identified by the one or more input path parameters, the mapped visual path being an integration of the one or more images and the one or more input path parameters.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

sequentially displaying the mapped visual path of the one or more images according to a time parameter.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the transmitting a request for the mapped visual path, the request including one or more input path parameters associated with the mapped visual path includes:

transmitting a location parameter as one of the one or more input path parameters;

transmitting a time parameter as one of the one or more input path parameters, the time parameter identifying a periodicity for the one or more images; and

transmitting an identification of a user of the mobile device as one or the one or more input path parameters.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the receiving from a processing device a mapped visual path, the mapped visual path including one or more images of a predefined area identified by the one or more input path parameters, the mapped visual path being an integration of the one or more images and the one or more input path parameters includes receiving the mapped visual path, the mapped visual path including an integration of an image history taken from one or more public cameras and/or one or more private cameras and the one or more input path parameters.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the receiving from a processing device a mapped visual path, the mapped visual path including one or more images of a predefined area identified by the one or more input path parameters, the mapped visual path being an integration of the one or more images and the one or more input path parameters includes:

connecting to a server operably couplable to a mobile device to wirelessly receive the one or more images.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the receiving from a processing device a mapped visual path, the mapped visual path including one or more images of a predefined area identified by the one or more input path parameters, the mapped visual path being an integration of the one or more images and the one or more input path parameters includes:

transmitting an identifier associated with an object on one or more of the one or more images, the identifier indicative of an action to be taken with respect to the object.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the transmitting an identifier associated with an object on one or more of the one or more images, the identifier indicative of an action to be taken with respect to the object includes:

transmitting the identifier, the identifier indicative of one or more of highlighting the object, removing the object, and/or altering the object.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the transmitting an identifier associated with an object on one or more of the one or more images, the identifier indicative of an action to be taken with respect to the object includes:

transmitting the identifier to enable matching the object to a person and/or a class of persons, the object acted upon according to an association with the person and/or the class of persons.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein the receiving from a processing device a mapped visual path, the mapped visual path including one or more images of a predefined area identified by the one or more input path parameters, the mapped visual path being an integration of the one or more images and the one or more input path parameters includes:

displaying the mapped visual path, the mapped visual path including the one or more images after a stitching operation is performed on the one or more images.

26. The method of claim 17 wherein the receiving from a processing device a mapped visual path, the mapped visual path including one or more images of a predefined area identified by the one or more input path parameters, the mapped visual path being an integration of the one or more images and the one or more input path parameters includes:

displaying the mapped visual path, the mapped visual path being scrollable with respect to the predefined area.

27-41. -41. (canceled)

44. A computer program product comprising:

computer readable media bearing computer executable instructions including;

one or more instructions for transmitting a request for the mapped visual path, the request including one or more input path parameters associated with the mapped visual path; and

one or more instructions for receiving from a processing device a mapped visual path, the mapped visual path including one or more images of a predefined area identified by the one or more input path parameters, the mapped visual path being an integration of the one or more images and the one or more input path parameters.

42. The computer program product of claim 44 further comprising:

one or more instructions for combining the one or more images through an image stitching operation.

43. The computer program product of claim 44 further comprising:

one or more instructions for correlating a time parameter with the visual path to provide an interval for displaying and/or retrieving the one or more images for the visual path.

45. The computer program product of claim 44 further comprising:

one or more instructions for sequentially displaying the mapped visual path of the one or more images according to a time parameter.

46. The computer program product of claim 44 wherein the one or more instructions for transmitting a request for the mapped visual path, the request including one or more input path parameters associated with the mapped visual path includes:

one or more instructions for transmitting a location parameter as one of the one or more input path parameters;

one or more instructions for transmitting a time parameter as one of the one or more input path parameters, the time parameter identifying a periodicity for the one or more images; and

one or more instructions for transmitting an identification of a user of the mobile device as one or the one or more input path parameters.

47. The computer program product of claim 44 wherein the one or more instructions for receiving from a processing device a mapped visual path, the mapped visual path including one or more images of a predefined area identified by the one or more input path parameters, the mapped visual path being an integration of the one or more images and the one or more input path parameters includes one or more instructions for receiving the mapped visual path, the mapped visual path including an integration of an image history taken from one or more public cameras and/or one or more private cameras and the one or more input path parameters.

48. The computer program product of claim 44 wherein the one or more instructions for receiving from a processing device a mapped visual path, the mapped visual path including one or more images of a predefined area identified by the one or more input path parameters, the mapped visual path being an integration of the one or more images and the one or more input path parameters includes:

one or more instructions for connecting to a server operably couplable to a mobile device to wirelessly receive the one or more images.

49. The computer program product of claim 44 wherein the one or more instructions for receiving from a processing device a mapped visual path, the mapped visual path including one or more images of a predefined area identified by the one or more input path parameters, the mapped visual path being an integration of the one or more images and the one or more input path parameters includes:

one or more instructions for transmitting an identifier associated with an object on one or more of the one or more images, the identifier indicative of an action to be taken with respect to the object.

50. The computer program product of claim 49 wherein the transmitting an identifier associated with an object on one or more of the one or more images, the identifier indicative of an action to be taken with respect to the object includes:

one or more instructions for transmitting the identifier, the identifier indicative of one or more of highlighting the object, removing the object, and/or altering the object.

51. The computer program product of claim 49 wherein the one or more instructions for transmitting an identifier associated with an object on one or more of the one or more images, the identifier indicative of an action to be taken with respect to the object includes:

one or more instructions for transmitting the identifier to enable matching the object to a person and/or a class of persons, the object acted upon according to an association with the person and/or the class of persons.

52. The computer program product of claim 44 wherein the one or more instructions for receiving from a processing device a mapped visual path, the mapped visual path including one or more images of a predefined area identified by the one or more input path parameters, the mapped visual path being an integration of the one or more images and the one or more input path parameters includes:

one or more instructions for displaying the mapped visual path, the mapped visual path including the one or more images after a stitching operation is performed on the one or more images.

53. The computer program product of claim 44 wherein the one or more instructions for receiving from a processing device a mapped visual path, the mapped visual path including one or more images of a predefined area identified by the one or more input path parameters, the mapped visual path being an integration of the one or more images and the one or more input path parameters includes:

one or more instructions for displaying the mapped visual path, the mapped visual path being scrollable with respect to the predefined area.

54. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

an image module coupled to the memory, the image module including;

a data store configurable to hold one or more images of a predefined area; and

an integration module configurable to integrate the images and generate a visual path through the predefined area.

55. The computer system of claim 54 further comprising:

a transmitter coupled to the processor, the transmitter configurable to transmit the visual path to a mobile device wirelessly connected to the computer system.

56. The computer system of claim 54 wherein the integration module is configurable to correlate a time parameter with the visual path to provide an interval for displaying and/or retrieving images for the visual path.

57. The computer system of claim 54 wherein the integration module is configurable to operate with an image stitching application.