Location-to-landmark

• US 8,620,570 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Baudisch, Patrick M., Krumm, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Shelley
• Application Number:
  US13/435,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20120191336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 701/300
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence

Abstract

A mapping application that returns results for a target location as a function of at least one nearby landmark. The one or more nearby landmarks can be selected based on an expected user familiarity with the landmark, a precision of the landmark and/or a spatial relationship of the landmark with respect to the target location. Although landmarks are an integral aspect of navigation, they have rarely been used within electronic navigation devices. Electronic navigation means for a mobile device or other devices can guide the user along a route using photographs of landmarks together with audio and text instructions that reference these landmarks. This can assist older users who often find their mobility hampered by declines in sensory, cognitive and motor abilities.

Claims

1. A method implemented by at least one computing device for converting an address into a textual description based at least in part on a nearby landmark, the method comprising:

receiving, by the at least one computing device, a request to provide a target location of an address;

comparing the location request with a plurality of nearby landmarks;

selecting at least one of the plurality of nearby landmarks based at least in part on a user familiarity and a popularity as measured by a total number of users that are aware of the at least one of the plurality of nearby landmarks;

presenting the at least one nearby landmark in response to the location request; and

returning, by the at least one computing device, a description of a spatial relationship between the at least one nearby landmark and the target location.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, describing the spatial relationship between the at least one nearby landmark and a second landmark.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting at least one of the plurality of nearby landmarks comprises:

comparing at least two nearby landmarks included in the plurality of nearby landmarks; and

choosing one of the at least two nearby landmarks based at least in part on a distance between the chosen landmark and the target location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting at least one of the plurality of nearby landmarks is a function of a precision of the at least one landmark.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting at least one of the plurality of nearby landmarks is based at least in part on an impact radius.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting at least one of the plurality of nearby landmarks is further based at least in part on a precision of the landmark, a spatial relationship of the landmark compared to the target location, or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the spatial relationship is one of a proximity relationship, an imaginary intersection, an extrapolation, or combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a text entry or a speech entry, or combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user familiarity is determined at least in part by comparing information from a user profile database and information from a landmark database.

10. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory, communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, storing a component configured to;

receive a location request;

associate the location request with a plurality of nearby landmarks;

choose at least two of the plurality of nearby landmarks based at least in part on a user familiarity and a popularity as measured by a total number of users that are aware of the at least two of the plurality of nearby landmarks; and

render at least a first nearby landmark and a second nearby landmark of the at least two chosen nearby landmarks, and a description of a spatial relationship of the target location relative to at least the first nearby landmark and the second nearby landmark.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the component is further configured to:

determine nearby landmarks of the plurality of nearby landmarks of which users are aware; and

select a nearby landmark of the plurality of the landmarks of which more other users are aware than others of the plurality of nearby landmarks.

12. One or more computer-readable storage memories encoded with computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform acts comprising:

receiving a request to provide a target location of an address;

comparing the location request with a plurality of nearby landmarks;

selecting at least one of the plurality of nearby landmarks based at least in part on a user familiarity and a percentage of users that are aware of the at least one of the plurality of nearby landmarks;

presenting the at least one nearby landmark in response to the location request; and

returning a description of a spatial relationship between the at least one nearby landmark and the target location.

13. The one or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 12, wherein the acts further comprise describing the spatial relationship between the at least one nearby landmark and a second landmark.

14. The one or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 12, wherein selecting at least one of the plurality of nearby landmarks comprises:

comparing at least two nearby landmarks included in the plurality of nearby landmarks; and

choosing one of the at least two nearby landmarks based at least in part on a distance between the landmark and the target location.

15. The one or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 12, wherein selecting at least one of the plurality of nearby landmarks is a function of a precision of the at least one landmark.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 12, wherein selecting at least one of the plurality of nearby landmarks is based at least in part on an impact radius.

17. The one or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 12, wherein selecting at least one of the plurality of nearby landmarks is further based on a precision of the landmark, a spatial relationship of the landmark compared to the target location, or combinations thereof.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 12, wherein the at least one nearby landmark includes a first nearby landmark and a second nearby landmark, and the description of the spatial relationship includes at least one of a proximity relationship that expresses the target location between the first nearby landmark and the second nearby landmark, an imaginary intersection, an extrapolation that expresses the target location on a line formed between the first nearby landmark and the second nearby landmark, or combinations thereof.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 12, wherein the request comprises a text entry or a speech entry, or combinations thereof.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 12, wherein the user familiarity is further determined by comparing information from a user profile database and information from a landmark database.