System for providing driving directions with visual cues

• US 6,199,014 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1997
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Weir-Jones, Toby, Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US08/997,677
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 701/211, 701/209, 701/208, 701/201, 701/213, 340/995, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams

Abstract

A system and method are described for providing navigational instructions including representations of photographs of geographical locations along the route to be traveled. Geographical information and photographic information are stored in databases; the photographic information includes representations of photographs of actual geographic locations. The coordinates of each location photographed are also stored. Each of the representations of photographs is matched with the geographical information, thereby associating the photograph with the geographical information regarding the location depicted therein. The starting and destination points, geographic information and photographic information are processed to determine a route for travel to the destination point. Navigational instructions for traveling the route are generated, including representations of photographs. The navigational instructions and the photographic representations of geographic locations are outputted in a sequence, thereby providing a sequence of directions and photographic representations of geographic locations along the route.

Claims

1. A system adapted to provide navigational instructions, the system comprising:

a communication port adapted to;

receive signals representing location information including a starting point and a destination point; and

transmit the navigational instructions;

a storage device having stored therein geographical information, photographic information, route processing instructions and photograph matching instructions, wherein;

the photographic information includes representations of photographs of actual geographic locations and photograph orientation information;

for each representation of a photograph, the photographic information includes coordinates of a location shown in the representation of the photograph and a direction of view of the representation of the photograph; and

the photograph matching instructions include instructions adapted to match coordinates of a representation of a particular photograph with a corresponding geographic location; and

a processor connected to the storage device and adapted to;

communicate with the storage device;

process the location information and the geographical information in accordance with the route processing instructions to obtain a route for travel to the destination point;

match geographic locations along the route with the coordinates of representations of photographs thereof in accordance with the photograph matching instructions; and

orient the representations of photographs based on the route for travel, thereby determining the navigational instructions for traveling the route including oriented representations of photographs,

wherein said processor outputs the navigational instructions using said communication port, thereby providing a user with directions for traveling the route and an oriented sequence of photographic representations of the geographic locations along the route.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said system is installed in a vehicle.

3. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a device for automatically determining the starting point.

4. A method of providing navigational instructions, the method comprising:

providing a first database having geographical information;

providing a second database having photographic information including representations of photographs of actual geographic locations, the second database also providing orientation information associated with each of the representations of photographs, for each representation of a photograph, the photographic information including coordinates of a location shown in the representation of the photograph and the orientation information including a direction of view of the representation of the photograph;

receiving location information including a starting point and a destination point;

processing the location information, the geographical information from the first database, the photographic information from the second database, and the orientation information from the second database to determine a route for travel to the destination point;

generating navigational instructions for traveling the route including representations of photographs oriented based on the route for travel; and

outputting the navigational instructions and the photographic representations of geographic locations in an oriented sequence, thereby providing a user with a sequence of navigational instructions and oriented photographic representations of geographic locations along the route.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the navigational instructions are outputted to an operator of a vehicle.

6. A method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of automatically determining the starting point using a positioning device.