VENUE MAP GENERATION AND UPDATING

• US 20140347492A1
• Filed: 05/24/2013
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: FALES, Mary
• Application Number:
  US13/901,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20140347492A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/164
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/06 by comparison of two or more pictures of the same area
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

Image data from cameras can be used to detect structural components and furnishings of a venue using image processing. A venue map can be generated or updated accordingly. Image data may be obtained from existing cameras (e.g., security cameras) and/or specialized cameras (e.g., IR cameras). The updated or generated building map may then be transmitted to a mobile device and/or stored by a server for use by a positioning system.

Claims

1. A method of updating a venue map, the method comprising:

obtaining the venue map;

obtaining image data from one or more cameras located within the venue;

processing the image data to determine the presence of an object at the venue;

comparing, with a processor, the venue map with the processed image data; and

updating the venue map based on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the image data is from one or more infrared (IR) cameras.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the image data is from one or more camera images of visible light.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein processing the image data includes determining one or more patterns indicative of either or both:

an item that reflects IR radiation above a certain threshold or,

an item that reflects IR radiation below a certain threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the object includes at least one of:

a sticker,

paint,

a symbol,

an IR absorber,

an IR reflector, or

a tag.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the object is attached to a structural component or furnishing of the venue.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising identifying the object.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining an orientation of the structural component or furnishing based on an orientation of the object.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining one or more features of the structural component or furnishing based on information corresponding to the object.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a structural component or furnishing.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the venue map to a mobile device.

12. A server comprising:

a communication interface;

a memory; and

a processing unit communicatively coupled with the memory and the communication interface, and configured to perform functions including;

obtaining a venue map;

obtaining image data from one or more cameras located within the venue;

processing the image data to determine the presence of an object at the venue;

comparing the venue map with the processed image data; and

updating the venue map based on the comparison.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain the image data from one or more visible light cameras.

14. The server of claim 12, wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain the image data from one or more infrared (IR) cameras.

15. The server of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is configured to process the image data by determining one or more patterns indicative of either or both:

an item that reflects IR light above a certain threshold or,

an item that reflects IR light below a certain threshold.

16. The server of claim 12, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the presence of an object by determining the presence of at least one of:

a sticker,

paint,

a symbol,

an IR emitter, or

a tag.

17. The server of claim 12, wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine the object is attached to a structural component or furnishing of the venue.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the processing unit is further configured to identify the object.

19. The server of claim 18, wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine an orientation of the structural component or furnishing based on an orientation of the object.

20. The server of claim 18, wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine one or more features of the structural component or furnishing based on information corresponding to the object.

21. The server of claim 12, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the presence of an object by determining the presence of a structural component or furnishing.

22. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions embedded thereon for updating a venue map, the instructions including computer-executable code for:

obtaining the venue map;

obtaining image data from one or more cameras located within the venue;

processing the image data to determine the presence of an object at the venue; and

updating the venue map based on the comparison.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 wherein the code for processing the image data comprises code for processing image data from one or more visible-light cameras.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 wherein the code for processing the image data comprises code for processing image data from one or more infrared (IR) cameras.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the code for processing the image data includes code for determining one or more patterns indicative of either or both:

an item that reflects IR light above a certain threshold or,

an item that reflects IR light below a certain threshold.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the code for determining the presence of an object includes code for determining the presence of at least one of:

a sticker,

paint,

a symbol,

an IR emitter, or

a tag.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, further comprising code for determining the object is attached to a structural component or furnishing of the venue.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, further comprising code for identifying the object.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, further comprising code for determining an orientation of the structural component or furnishing based on an orientation of the object.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, further comprising code for determining one or more features of the structural component or furnishing based on information corresponding to the object.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the code for determining the presence of an object comprises code for determining the presence of a structural component or furnishing.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, further comprising code for sending the venue map to a mobile device.

33. A device comprising:

means for obtaining a venue map;

means for obtaining image data from one or more cameras located within the venue;

means for processing the image data to determine the presence of an object at the venue;

means for comparing the venue map with the processed image data; and

means for updating the venue map based on the comparison.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein the means for processing the image data comprise means for processing image data from one or more visible-light cameras.

35. The device of claim 33, wherein the means for processing the image data comprise means for processing image data from one or more infrared (IR) cameras.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein the means for processing the image data includes means for determining one or more patterns indicative of either or both:

an item that reflects IR light above a certain threshold or,

an item that reflects IR light below a certain threshold.

37. The device of claim 33, wherein the means for determining the presence of an object include means for determining the presence of at least one of:

a sticker,

paint,

an insignia,

an emblem,

an IR emitter, or

a tag.

38. The device of claim 33, further comprising means for determining the object is attached to a structural component or furnishing of the venue.

39. The device of claim 38, further comprising means for identifying the object.

40. The device of claim 39, further comprising means for determining an orientation of the structural component or furnishing based on an orientation of the object.

41. The device of claim 39, further comprising means for determining one or more features of the structural component or furnishing based on information corresponding to the object.

42. The device of claim 33, further comprising means for determining the object comprises a structural component or furnishing.

43. The device of claim 33, further comprising means for sending the venue map to a mobile device.

44. A method of generating a venue map, the method comprising:

obtaining image data from one or more cameras located within the venue;

processing the image data to determine the presence of an object at the venue; and

generating, with a processor, the venue map having a feature based on the determined presence of the object.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the image data is from one or more camera images of visible light.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the image data is from one or more infrared (IR) cameras.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein the object includes at least one of:

a sticker,

paint,

an insignia,

an emblem,

an IR emitter, or

a tag.

48. The method of claim 44, further comprising determining the object is attached to a structural component or furnishing of the venue.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising identifying the object.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising determining an orientation of the structural component or furnishing based on an orientation of the object.

51. The method of claim 49, further comprising determining one or more features of the structural component or furnishing based on information corresponding to the object.

52. The method of claim 44, wherein the object comprises a structural component or furnishing.

53. The method of claim 44, further comprising sending the venue map to a mobile device.

54. A server comprising:

a communication interface;

a memory; and

a processing unit communicatively coupled with the memory and the communication interface, and configured to perform functions including;

obtaining image data from one or more cameras located within a venue;

processing the image data to determine the presence of an object at the venue; and

generating the venue map having a feature based on the determined presence of the object.

55. The server of claim 54, the processing unit is configured to obtain the image data from one or more visible light cameras.

56. The server of claim 54, wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain the image data from one or more infrared (IR) cameras.

57. The server of claim 54, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the presence of an object by determining the presence of at least one of:

a sticker,

paint,

an insignia,

an emblem,

an IR emitter, or

a tag.

58. The server of claim 54, wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine the object is attached to a structural component or furnishing of the venue.

59. The server of claim 58, wherein the processing unit is further configured to identify the object.

60. The server of claim 59, wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine an orientation of the structural component or furnishing based on an orientation of the object.

61. The server of claim 59, wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine one or more features of the structural component or furnishing based on information corresponding to the object.

62. The server of claim 54, wherein the object comprises a structural component or furnishing.

63. The server of claim 54, wherein the processing unit is further configured to send the venue map to a mobile device via the communication interface.

64. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions embedded thereon for generating a venue map, the instructions including computer-executable code for:

obtaining image data from one or more cameras located within a venue;

processing the image data to determine the presence of an object at the venue; and

generating the venue map having a feature based on the determined presence of the object.

65. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 64, wherein the code for processing the image data comprises code for processing image data from one or more visible-light cameras.

66. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 64, wherein the code for processing the image data comprises code for processing image data from one or more infrared (IR) cameras.

67. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 64, wherein the code for determining the presence of an object comprises code for determining the presence of at least one of:

a sticker,

paint,

an insignia,

an emblem,

an IR emitter, or

a tag.

68. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 64, further comprising code for determining the object is attached to a structural component or furnishing of the venue.

69. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 68, wherein further comprising code for identifying the object.

70. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 69, further comprising code for determining an orientation of the structural component or furnishing based on an orientation of the object.

71. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 69, further comprising code for determining one or more features of the structural component or furnishing based on information corresponding to the object.

72. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 64, wherein the object comprises a structural component or furnishing.

73. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 64, further comprising code for sending the venue map to a mobile device.

74. A device comprising:

means for obtaining image data from one or more cameras located within a venue;

means for processing the image data to determine the presence of an object at the venue; and

means for generating the venue map having a feature based on the determined presence of the object.

75. The device of claim 74, wherein the means for processing the image data comprises means for processing image data from one or more visible-light cameras.

76. The device of claim 74, wherein the means for processing the image data comprises means for processing image data from one or more infrared (IR) cameras.

77. The device of claim 74, wherein the means for processing the image data to determine the presence of an object comprises means for determining the presence of at least one of:

a sticker,

paint,

an insignia,

an emblem,

an IR emitter, or

a tag.

78. The device of claim 74, further comprising means for determining the object is attached to a structural component or furnishing of the venue.

79. The device of claim 78, wherein further comprising means for identifying the object.

80. The device of claim 79, further comprising means for determining an orientation of the structural component or furnishing based on an orientation of the object.

81. The device of claim 79, further comprising means for determining one or more features of the structural component or furnishing based on information corresponding to the object.

82. The device of claim 74, wherein the object comprises a structural component or furnishing.

83. The device of claim 74, further comprising means for sending the venue map to a mobile device.