DISPLAYING IMAGE DATA AND GEOGRAPHIC ELEMENT DATA

• US 20100035637A1
• Filed: 08/05/2009
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Varanasi, Anantakrishna, Wong, Yoon Kean, Ho, Junius
• Granted Patent: US 9,329,052 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/457
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

A mobile computing device includes a housing, a camera, a display, a memory, and a processing circuit. The housing is configured to be carried by a user while in use. The camera is configured to output image data. The memory is configured to store geographic element data representing one or more geographic elements. The processing circuit is configured to receive the geographic element data for the plurality of geographic elements. The processing circuit is configured to determine a camera orientation. The processing circuit is configured to concurrently display the image data and geographic element data for the plurality of geographic elements on the display.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device comprising:

a housing configured to be carried by a user while in use;

a camera configured to output image data;

a display; and

a processing circuit configured to receive geographic element data for one or more geographic elements from a computer, to determine orientation of the camera, and to concurrently display the image data and geographic element data for the one or more geographic elements on the display.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to receive the geographic element data from the internet.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the computer comprises a database of the geographic element data for the one or more geographic elements.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to display geographic element data for the one or more geographic elements based on personal data of the user of the mobile computing device.

5. The mobile computing device of claim 4, further comprising a memory storing the personal data of the user.

6. The mobile computing device of claim 4, wherein the mobile computing device receives the personal data from the computer.

7. The mobile computing device of claim 1, further comprising an input device configured to receive instructions from the user, wherein the processing circuit is configured to selectively display geographic element data of the one or more geographic elements based on instructions from the user.

8. The mobile computing device of claim 1, further comprising an input device configured to receive instructions from the user, wherein the processing circuit is configured to display geographic element data of one geographic element selected by the user.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the geographic element data comprises textual, image, video and/or audio data.

10. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine the camera orientation at least in part via an image processing algorithm.

11. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to display a distinguishing indicia which distinguishes at least one of the geographic elements from another of the geographic elements.

12. A mobile computing device comprising:

a housing configured to be carried by a user while in use;

a camera configured to output image data;

a display; and

a processing circuit configured to receive geographic element data for one or more geographic elements from a computer, to detect a boundary and/or an edge of the displayed geographic element, to align corresponding geographic element data received from the computer to the displayed geographic element, and to concurrently display the image data and geographic element data for the one or more geographic elements on the display

13. The mobile computing device of claim 12, wherein the processing circuit is configured to detect the boundary and/or an edge of the displayed geographic element by detecting sharp changes in image brightness.

14. A device comprising:

a magnetic-detecting device configured to measure orientation of the device by detecting a magnetic field;

a non-magnetic-detecting device configured to measure the orientation of the device;

a processing circuit configured to determine the orientation of the device using measurement of the magnetic-detecting device and to switch to using orientation measurement of the non-magnetic-detecting device based on information from at least one of the magnetic-detecting device, the non-magnetic detecting device and another data source.

15. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

a housing configured to be carried by a user while in use;

a display; and

wherein the processing circuit is configured to receive the geographic element data for one or more geographic elements from a computer, and to concurrently display the image data and geographic element data for the one or more geographic elements on the display.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein whether the magnetic-detecting device is working accurately is determined based on the information from the non-magnetic-detecting device.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the device is a mobile computing device.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the mobile computing device is a handheld computing device.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the mobile computing device is configured to provide cellular telephone and email communications.

20. The device of claim 14, further comprising a camera, wherein the orientation of the device is the direction which the camera faces.