Open area maps

• US 8,594,930 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2011
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navteq B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Mays, Joseph P., Gale, William N., Seegers, Peter A., Stroila, Matei N.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US13/338,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20120101727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 701/409, 701/461, 701/494, 701/532, 701/300, 701/23, 701/25, 701/26, 705/7, 340/995.12
• US Class Current: 701/454
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/383 Indoor data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3881 Tile-based structures
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

Systems and methods associated with an open area map are disclosed. For example, one method comprises obtaining an image of a layout. The layout represents a real-world area in which a person moves about. A grid is applied on the image. The grid may include tiles that fill in a ground area of the image. A routable map is generated as a function of the grid. The routable map is configured to provide point-to-point routing within the layout.

Claims

1. An end user device comprising:

a display configured to present an open area map;

a memory configured to store data corresponding to the open area map including an image of a layout representing a real-world area in which a person moves about, wherein the open area map further includes an underlying grid; and

circuitry configured to provide an end user associated with the end user device with point-to-point routing within the open area map displayed via the display, wherein the point-to-point routing comprises calculating a route from an origin point to a selected destination in the open area map as a function of the underlying grid, wherein the route calculation is not dependent upon one or more path segments determined prior to the route calculation,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to generate a path from the origin point to the selected destination based on the calculation, and

wherein the path is configured to be displayed within the open area map via the display of the end user device.

2. The end user device of claim 1, wherein the image of the layout comprises an image of a building floor plan.

3. The end user device of claim 1, wherein the underlying grid includes a plurality of tiles.

4. The end user device of claim 3, wherein the path is generated via adjacent tiles of the underlying grid.

5. The end user device of claim 3, wherein any tile underlying the open area map corresponding to a navigable area is configured to correspond to the selected destination in the open area map.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the plurality of contiguous tiles is designated as non-navigable.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the open area map comprises a connection point representative of a link to another map.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the another map comprises another routable open area map.

9. A method comprising:

identifying a destination selected in an open area map, the open area map including an image of a layout representing a real-world area in which a person moves about, wherein the open area map further includes an underlying grid, and wherein the open area map is configured to be displayed via an end user device;

providing, via the end user device, an end user associated with the end user device with point-to-point routing within the open area map, wherein the point-to-point routing comprises calculating a route from an origin point to a selected destination in the open area map as a function of the underlying grid, wherein calculating the route is not dependent upon one or more path segments determined prior to calculating the route;

generating a path from the origin point to the selected destination based on the calculation; and

displaying the path within the open area map on the end user device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the image of the layout comprises an image of a building floor plan.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the underlying grid includes a plurality of tiles.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the path is generated via connected tiles of the underlying grid.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the connected tiles comprise tiles that are linked via a connection point.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein calculating the route comprises using a Douglas-Peucker method.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein any point in the open area map corresponding to a navigable area associated with the underlying grid is configured to be selected to be the selected destination.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store an image of a layout, the layout representing a real-world area in which a person moves about; and

circuitry configured to apply a grid on the image,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to generate a routable map as a function of the grid,

wherein the routable map is displayed on an end user interface of an end user device, the routable map including a representation of the layout displayed on the end user interface,

wherein the routable map is configured to provide an end user associated with the end user interface with point-to-point routing within the representation of the layout as a function of the grid, and

wherein the point-to-point routing includes route calculation not dependent upon one or more path segments determined prior to the route calculation.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the image of the layout comprises an image of a building floor plan.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the grid includes a plurality of tiles.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the point-to-point routing comprises generating a path via adjacent tiles.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the path is from an origin point to a destination point, and wherein any point in the routable map corresponding to a navigable area associated with the grid is configured to be selected to be the destination point.

21. A method comprising:

obtaining an image of a layout, the layout representing a real-world area in which a person moves about;

applying a grid on the image; and

generating a routable map as a function of the grid,

wherein the routable map is configured to be displayed on an end user interface of a device,

wherein the routable map includes a representation of the layout displayed on the end user interface and is configured to provide an end user associated with the end user interface with point-to-point routing within the representation of the layout as a function of the grid, and

wherein the point-to-point routing includes route calculation not dependent upon one or more path segments determined prior to the route calculation.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the image of the layout comprises an image of a building floor plan.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein generating a routable map comprises:

designating a non-navigable area corresponding to the grid;

generating a plurality of reference regions; and

compiling the plurality of reference regions with the grid.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein generating the plurality of reference regions comprises:

identifying a plurality of reference image objects in the image; and

generating the plurality of reference regions by forming borders corresponding to the respective reference image objects.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein forming the borders comprises vectorizing a portion of a binarized image.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the borders are associated with non-navigable tiles.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the borders are associated with removed tiles.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein tiles within the plurality of reference regions are linked to the respective reference regions.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the grid and the plurality of reference regions are in separate spatial layers prior to compilation.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein the grid includes a plurality of tiles.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the point-to-point routing comprises generating a path via adjacent tiles.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the path is from an origin point to a destination point, and wherein any point in the routable map corresponding to a navigable area associated with the grid is configured to be selected to be the destination point.

33. The method of claim 21, wherein generating a routable map comprises:

generating a plurality of reference regions, each reference region representative of an object in the image; and

compiling the plurality of reference regions with the grid.