METHODS, DEVICES, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR GEO-TAGGED PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE AUGMENTED GPS NAVIGATION

• US 20090171568A1
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McQuaide, Arnold Chester JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,019,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/206
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position

Abstract

A method of providing augmented Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation can include detecting movement of a GPS enabled mobile device along a navigational route and displaying a photographic image on a display of the GPS enabled mobile device responsive to detecting movement of the GPS enabled mobile device along the navigational route provided by the GPS enabled mobile device. Related devices and computer program products are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of providing augmented Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation comprising:

detecting movement of a GPS enabled mobile device along a navigational route; and

displaying a photographic image on a display of the GPS enabled mobile device responsive to detecting movement of the GPS enabled mobile device along the navigational route provided by the GPS enabled mobile device.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

selectively including the photographic image on the display responsive to determining proximity to a waypoint associated with the navigational route, the photographic image having a navigational route point-of-view perspective.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the navigational route point-of-view perspective comprises a view of a subject of the waypoint as seen by a user of an mobile device while traveling the navigational route on a surface.

4. A method according to claim 2 wherein selectively including comprises acquiring the photographic image associated with the waypoint via a camera operated by a user for display on the GPS enabled mobile device.

5. A method according to claim 2 wherein selectively including comprises receiving the photographic image via a wireless link to a database of photographic images on a network that is remote from a mobile device on which the photographic image is displayed.

6. A method according to claim 2 wherein selectively including comprises:

searching a database of photographic images of views of subjects of waypoints determined to be with proximity of a portion of the navigational route; and

selecting ones of the photographic images for display in response to determining proximity of a GPS enabled mobile device to respective ones of the waypoints along the navigational route.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein searching the database comprises receiving a search parameters input from a user of the GPS enabled mobile device.

8. A method according to claim 6 wherein the ones of the photographic images selected for display comprise options for detour waypoints along the navigational route offered for selection prior to leaving the navigational route.

9. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

storing the photographic image associated with a location having GPS coordinate data linked therewith on a networked server configured for access by the GPS enabled mobile device coupled to the network.

10. A Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation enabled device comprising:

a display; and

a processor circuit configured to display a photographic image on the display of the GPS navigation enabled mobile device responsive to movement of the GPS navigation enabled mobile device along a navigational route provided by the GPS navigation enabled mobile device.

11. A device according to claim 10 wherein the processor circuit is further configured to selectively include the photographic image on the display responsive to determining proximity to a waypoint associated with the navigational route, the photographic image having a navigational route point-of-view perspective.

12. A device according to claim 11 wherein the navigational route point-of-view perspective comprises a view of a subject of the waypoint as seen by a user of an mobile device while traveling the navigational route on a surface.

13. A device according to claim 11 wherein the processor circuit is configured to acquire the photographic image associated with the waypoint via a camera operated by a user for display on a GPS enabled handheld device.

14. A device according to claim 11 wherein the processor circuit is configured to receive the photographic image via a wireless link to a database of photographic images on a network that is remote from a mobile device on which the photographic image is displayed.

15. A device according to claim 11 wherein the processor circuit is configured to search a database of photographic images of views of subjects of waypoints determined to be with proximity of a portion of the navigational route and configured to select ones of the photographic images for display in response to determining proximity of the GPS navigation enabled mobile device to respective ones of the waypoints along the navigational route.

16. A device according to claim 15 wherein the processor circuit is further configured to receive a search parameter input from a user of the GPS navigation enabled mobile device.

17. A device according to claim 15 wherein the ones of the photographic images selected for display comprise options for detour waypoints along the navigational route offered for selection prior to leaving the navigational route.

18. A computer program product for providing augmented Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program product comprising:

computer readable program code configured to detect movement of a GPS enabled mobile device along a navigational route; and

computer readable program code configured to display a photographic image on a display of the GPS enabled mobile device responsive to detecting movement of the GPS enabled mobile device along the navigational route provided by the GPS enabled mobile device.

19. A computer program product according to claim 18 further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to selectively include the photographic image on the display responsive to determining proximity to a waypoint associated with the navigational route, the photographic image having a navigational route point-of-view perspective.

20. A computer program product according to claim 19 wherein the navigational route point-of-view perspective comprises a view of a subject of the waypoint as seen by a user of an mobile device while traveling the navigational route on a surface.