Method and system for automatically creating POI by identifying geographic information on a screen of a portable navigation device

• US 8,224,565 B2
• Filed: 07/04/2009
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Chang, Chien-Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US12/497,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20100161211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,109 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/206, 701/208, 701/209, 701/212, 701/213, 340/995.19, 340/995.22
• US Class Current: 701/400
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3811 Point data, e.g. Point of Interest [POI]
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3844 Data obtained from position sensors only, e.g. from inertial navigation

Abstract

A method for automatically creating POI by identifying geographic information on a screen of a portable navigation device is disclosed. A first geographic information is retrieved from an information page shown in the screen of the portable navigation device and recognized by comparing with the first geographic information with a geographic information of landmarks stored in a map database of the portable navigation device. It is determined whether the first geographic information is in the map database. If the geographic information is in the map database, a first GPS coordinate corresponding to the first geographic information is obtained and stored as a first POI.

Claims

1. A system for automatically creating POI by identifying geographic information on a screen of a portable navigation device, comprising:

a screen;

a map database;

a GPS module;

a wireless module;

a retrieve module, retrieving a first geographic information from the information page shown on the screen;

a recognition module, retrieving the first geographic information from the retrieve module and performing a recognition operation to the first geographic information; and

a route generation module, retrieving the first geographic information from the recognition module, comparing the first geographic information to a geographic information of landmarks stored in the map database to determine whether the first geographic information is in the map database, obtaining a first GPS coordinate corresponding to the first geographic information from the map database or via the GPS module if the first geographic information is in the map database, and storing the first GPS coordinate as a first POI.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the route generation module further generates a first route according to the first GPS coordinate, displays the first route and performs a navigating operation according to the first route, thus navigating to the first POI on the screen of the portable device.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the route generation module connects to a remote database via the wireless network module if the first geographic information is not stored in the map database, searches and determines whether updated map information is in the remote database, and downloads the updated map information to update the map database of the portable navigation device if the updated map information exists, and the route generation module determines whether the first geographic information is in the updated map database, obtains the first GPS coordinate corresponding to the first geographic information if the first geographic information is in the updated map database, generates the first route according to the first GPS coordinate, performing a navigating operation according to the first route, thus navigating to the first POI on the screen of the portable device.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the route generation module adds the first geographic information to the map database if the first geographic information is not stored in the map database, updates the first geographic information to a remote database via the wireless network module, searches, in the map database, for second geographic information which is the most similar to the first geographic information, obtains a second GPS coordinate corresponding to the second geographic information, generates a second route according to the second GPS coordinate, and displays the second route and guiding messages corresponding to the second route on the screen.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first geographic information includes a geographical name, a geographical location, a point of interest, an address, a telephone number, a landmark, a scenery picture, a URL address or event description corresponding to the first geographic information.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recognition module performs the recognition operation to the first geographic information to retrieve text information corresponding to the first geographic information.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the text information includes an address, a telephone number, or a USL address corresponding to the first geographic information.

8. A method for automatically creating POI by identifying geographic information on a screen of a portable navigation device, comprising:

retrieving a scenic spot information from an information page shown in the screen of the portable navigation device;

recognizing the scenic spot information;

comparing the scenic spot information to geographic information of landmarks stored in a map database of the portable navigation device when the recognizing operation is complete;

determining whether the scenic spot information is in the map database; and

generating a link between the scenic spot information and a corresponding GPS coordinate if the first scenic spot information is in the map database.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein a route corresponding to the scenic spot information is displayed on the screen when the link is triggered.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein a navigation function of the portable navigation device is automatically activated when the link is triggered.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein a display style of the scenic spot information is changed when the link is generated.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the change of the display style comprises changing text colors of the scenic spot information, underlining the scenic spot information, enlarging or narrowing text of the scenic spot information, or displaying the scenic spot information by bold words.

13. A navigation method for automatically creating POI by identifying geographic information on a screen of a portable navigation device, comprising:

retrieving a telephone number from an information page shown on the screen of the portable navigation device;

recognizing the telephone number; and

generating a link between the telephone number and a communication module of the portable navigation device when the recognizing operation is complete.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the communication module dials the telephone number when the link is triggered.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein a display style of the telephone number is changed when the link is generated.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the change of the display style comprises changing colors of the telephone number, underlining the telephone number, enlarging or narrowing the telephone number, or displaying the telephone number by bold words.