System and method for effectively implementing an electronic visual map device

• US 6,621,423 B1
• Filed: 09/06/2000
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Longendyke, David G., Blasgen, Michael W., Cooper, Ted J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US09/655,608
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995, 340/990, 340/988, 340/991, 340/992, 340/993, 340/994, 340/995.1, 340/995.12, 340/995.24, 701/211, 701/213, 701/208, 701/209, 701/210, 701/212, 701/214, 701/215, 701/216
• US Class Current: 340/995.24
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/102 using electrical means

Abstract

A system and method for effectively implementing an electronic visual map device comprises a visual map application that provides selected route images for display upon a display device in an initial route mode. The visual map application may also provide selected destination images and related destination information for display upon the display device in a final destination mode. The route images and the destination images may be stored locally in a memory device, or alternately may be downloaded as needed from a distributed computer network using a network manager.

Claims

1. A system for implementing a visual map device, comprising:

a map database coupled to said visual map device, said map database including visual image information, said visual image information including at least one of route images and destination images that are each initially captured at a substantially eye-level viewpoint by utilizing a photographic imaging device;

a map application configured to provide said visual image information to a display device; and

a processor coupled to said visual map device to execute said map application, said map application and a network manager accessing and downloading said destination images from a distributed computer network when said destination images are not locally stored in a memory device coupled to said visual map device, a display manager and said map application responsively presenting and updating said destination images upon said display.

2. A system for implementing a visual map device, comprising:

a map database coupled to said visual map device, said map database including visual image information, said visual image information including at least one of route images and destination images that are each initially captured at a substantially eye-level viewpoint by utilizing a photographic imaging device;

a map application configured to provide said visual image information to a display device; and

a processor coupled to said visual map device to execute said map application, said map application and a database manager accessing and displaying destination map information from said map database when said destination images are not locally stored in a memory device coupled to said visual map device, and when a network manager additionally does not download said destination images from a distributed computer network.

3. A method for implementing a visual map device, comprising the steps of:

storing visual image information in a map database coupled to said visual map device, said visual image information including at least one of route images and destination images that are each initially captured at a substantially eye-level viewpoint by utilizing a photographic imaging device;

providing said;

visual image information to a display device using a map application; and

executing said map application with a processor coupled to said visual map device, said map application and a network manager accessing and downloading said destination images from a distributed computer network when said destination images are not locally stored in a memory device coupled to said visual map device, a display manager and said map application responsively presenting and updating said destination images upon said display.

4. A method for implementing a visual map device, comprising the steps of:

storing visual image information in a map database coupled to said visual map device, said visual image information including at least one of route images and destination images that are each initially captured at a substantially eye-level viewpoint by utilizing a photographic imaging device;

providing said visual image information to a display device using a map application; and

executing said map application with a processor coupled to said visual map device, said map application and a database manager accessing and displaying destination map information from said map database when said destination images are not locally stored in a memory device coupled to said visual map device, and when a network manager additionally does not download said destination images from a distributed computer network.

5. A method for implementing a visual map device, comprising the steps of:

storing visual image information in a map database coupled to said visual map device, said visual image information including at least one of route images and destination images that are each initially captured at a substantially eye-level viewpoint by utilizing a photographic imaging device;

providing said visual image information to a display device using a map application; and

executing said map application with a processor coupled to said visual map device, said visual map device accessing said visual image information from an Internet network.

6. A method for implementing a visual map device, comprising the steps of:

storing visual image information in a map database coupled to said visual map device, said visual image information including at least one of route images and destination images that are each initially captured at a substantially eye-level viewpoint by utilizing a photographic imaging device;

providing said visual image information to a display device using a map application; and

executing said map application with a processor coupled to said visual map device, said map database including at least one of a first database and a second database, said first database including sets of image data that each correspond to a different significant object that is viewable from a traveler'"'"'s viewpoint along a selected route, said second database including sets of image data that each correspond to a different significant location that is viewable from a traveler'"'"'s viewpoint at a selected destination.

7. A method for implementing a visual map device, comprising the steps of:

capturing visual image information in a digital format by utilizing an electronic photography device, said visual image information including route images and destination images that are captured at a substantially eye-level viewpoint,

storing said visual image information in a map database that is locally coupled to said visual map device;

providing said visual image information to a display device using a map application that synchronizes said route images along a selected route, said map application also synchronizing said destination images at a destination that corresponds to said selected route; and

executing said map application with a processor coupled to said visual map device, said map database including said route images, said destination images, map data, and detail information, said detail information including parking information, contact information, and entry access information for a particular destination.

8. A method for implementing a visual map device, comprising the steps of:

capturing visual image information in a digital format by utilizing an electronic photography device, said visual image information including. route images and destination images that are captured at a substantially eye-level viewpoint,

storing said visual image information in a map database that is locally coupled to said visual map device;

providing said visual image information to a display device using a map application that synchronizes said route images along a selected route, said map application also synchronizing said destination images at a destination that corresponds to said selected route; and

executing said map application with a processor coupled to said visual map device, said map database including said route images, said visual map device entering a route mode in which said map application initially determines a destination from destination information that is supplied by a wireless communications device.

9. A method for implementing a visual map device, comprising the steps of:

capturing visual image information in a digital format by utilizing an electronic photography device, said visual image information including route images and destination images that are captured at a substantially eye-level viewpoint,

storing said visual image information in a map database that is locally coupled to said visual map device;

providing said visual image information to a display device using a map application that synchronizes said route images along a selected route, said map application also synchronizing said destination images at a destination that corresponds to said selected route; and

executing said map application with a processor coupled to said visual map device, said map database including said route images, said map database including a first database and a second database, said first database including sets of image data that each corresponds to a different significant object that is viewable from a traveler'"'"'s viewpoint along a selected route, said second database including sets of image data that each corresponds to a different significant location that is viewable from a traveler'"'"'s viewpoint at a selected destination.

10. A method for implementing a visual map device, comprising the steps of:

capturing visual image information in a digital format by utilizing an electronic photography device, said visual image information including route images and destination images that are captured at a substantially eye-level viewpoint,

storing said visual image information in a map database that is locally coupled to said visual map device;

providing said visual image information to a display device using a map application that synchronizes said route images along a selected route, said map application also synchronizing said destination images at a destination that corresponds to said selected route; and

executing said map application with a processor coupled to said visual map device, said map database including said route images, said map database including a user-specific image database of selected images that a system user utilizes on a recurring basis, said map database further including a temporary image database that said system user utilizes on an infrequent basis.

11. A method for implementing a visual map device, comprising the steps of:

capturing visual image information in a digital format by utilizing an electronic photography device, said visual image information including route images and destination images that are captured at a substantially eye-level viewpoint,

storing said visual image information in a map database that is locally coupled to said visual map device;

providing said visual image information to a display device using a map application that synchronizes said route images along a selected route, said map application also synchronizing said destination images at a destination that corresponds to said selected route; and

executing said map application with a processor coupled to said visual map device, said map database including said route images, said visual map device having an automatic location-update mode in which said visual map device automatically determines and updates current geographic location information by utilizing location information from local information sensors, said visual map device also having a manual location-update mode in which a system user manually supplies said visual map device with appropriate geographic location information by utilizing a user interface.