View-Independent Tagging of Geospatial Entities in Images

• US 20090112474A1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mishra, Pragyana K., Chakrapani, Jai
• Granted Patent: US 7,805,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/5
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3874 Structures specially adapted for data searching and retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

In some aspects, locations of geospatial entities in a map image are identified. A record of entity model-to-tag mappings is accessed so that tag data corresponding to a geospatial entity in the map image can be identified. Both the tag data and an outline surrounding the location of the geospatial entity corresponding to the tag data is displayed on the map image. In other aspects, a user selection of a location on a map image is received. A record of entity models is accessed to identify an entity model corresponding to a geospatial entity at that location on the map image. An outline of the geospatial entity is displayed on the map image and tag data for the geospatial entity is identified. The tag data is also displayed on the map image, and a record mapping the tag data to the identified entity model is created.

Claims

1. One or more computer storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

identify locations of geospatial entities in a map image;

access a record of entity model-to-tag mappings to identify tag data corresponding to a geospatial entity in the map image;

display, on the map image, an outline surrounding the location of the geospatial entity corresponding to the tag data; and

display, on the map image, the tag data.

2. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are part of a mobile device, wherein the map image is changed to a new map image when the mobile device is moved, and wherein the identification, access, and display is repeated for the new map image.

3. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein to display the tag data is to display the tag data within the outline.

4. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, the instructions further causing the one or more processors to repeat the identification, access, and display for each of multiple different types of map images.

5. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, the instructions further causing the one or more processors to:

determine when multiple different tag data corresponds to the geospatial entity; and

determine which of the multiple different tag data is to be displayed on the map image.

6. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 5, wherein the determination of which of the multiple different tag data is to be displayed on the map image is based at least in part on votes received from multiple different users.

7. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein to display the tag data is to display tag data from a trusted source differently than tag data from an untrusted source.

8. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein to access the record is to obtain a link to the tag data from the record, and access a source identified by the link to retrieve the tag data to be displayed.

9. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the record of entity model-to-tag mappings includes a global record of mappings that are accessible to all users, and a private record of mappings that are accessible only to particular users.

10. A method comprising:

receiving a user selection of a location on a map image;

accessing a record of entity models to identify an entity model corresponding to a geospatial entity at the location on the map image;

displaying an outline of the geospatial entity on the map image;

identifying tag data for the geospatial entity;

displaying the tag data on the map image; and

creating a record mapping the tag data to the entity model.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein to identifying the tag data comprises receiving user input data that is the tag data.

12. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

identifying locations of other geospatial entities on the map image;

accessing a set of records, the set of records including the record mapping the tag data to the entity model, to identify tag data corresponding to the other geospatial entities;

displaying, on the map image, outlines surrounding the locations of the geospatial entities corresponding to the tag data; and

displaying, on the map image, the tag data.

13. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the creating comprises:

creating the record only if the record does not already exist; and

if the record does already exist then adding the tag data to the record and validating the tag data against tag data from a trusted source if the trusted source exists.

14. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein creating the record comprises creating the record as part of a global set of records.

15. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein creating the record comprises creating the record as part of a set of private records.

16. An image display device comprising:

a tag generation module configured to;

receive a user selection of a location on a map image;

display, on the map image, an outline of a geospatial entity corresponding to the location;

receive tag data for the geospatial entity;

display the tag data on the map image; and

create a record mapping the tag data to a model of the geospatial entity; and

a map display module configured to;

identify locations of geospatial entities in the map image; and

display, for each of one or more of the geospatial entities, both an outline of the geospatial entity on the map image and tag data corresponding to each of the one or more geospatial entities.

17. An image display device as recited in claim 16, wherein one of the one or more geospatial entities is the geospatial entity corresponding to the location.

18. An image display device as recited in claim 16, wherein the map display module is further configured to:

determine when multiple different tag data corresponds to a same one of the one or more geospatial entities; and

determine, based at least in part on votes received from multiple different users, which of the multiple different tag data is to be displayed on the map image for the one of the one or more geospatial entities.

19. An image display device as recited in claim 16, wherein the tag generation module is further configured to:

determine whether the record is to be created in a global record of mappings that are accessible to all users, or in a private record of mappings that is available only to particular users.

20. An image display device as recited in claim 16, wherein the tag generation module is further configured to:

display the tag data for the geospatial entity in different images that include the geospatial entity; and

allow the tag data to be transferred to a different image display device displaying the map image or a different map image.