Satellite navigation method and system

• US 9,146,938 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2008
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Kuo-Chen, Kao, Yih-Feng, Hsu, Chih-Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Neha
• Application Number:
  US12/343,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20090171564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,470 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures

Abstract

A satellite navigation method and system are provided. The system includes a global position system (GPS) module, an input unit, a picture database, a geographical information system (GIS) module, an integrating unit, and a display unit. The method includes the following steps. Firstly, a navigation area is determined through the input unit, so as to search out several picture batches in the navigation area from the picture database. Next, a map relating to the navigation area is provided by the GIS module. Then, the picture batches and the map are integrated by the integrating unit to produce an integrated map shown on a first frame of the display unit. Afterwards, several pictures of the picture batch chosen from the first frame displayed on a second frame and satellite navigation information of the picture chosen from the second frame are displayed on a third frame by the display unit.

Claims

1. A satellite navigation method, comprising:

obtaining a search parameter;

obtaining a current location by a (GPS) module as a user'"'"'s current location;

determining a navigation area according to the current location and the search parameter, wherein the current location is directly provided from detecting by the global position system (GPS) module of an electronic device;

searching out all picture batches in the navigation area from a picture database;

providing a map relating to the navigation area;

displaying the map on a first frame and further integrating and displaying all picture batches on corresponding locations in the map by a display unit of the electronic device, wherein the GPS module and the display unit both belong to the electronic device;

the picture batches, displayed smaller than the map in size, are integrated into the map on the corresponding locations in the map and the map displayed on the first frame is displayed as a full screen;

detecting one of the picture batches chosen from the integrated map on the first frame;

displaying all pictures of the chosen picture batch on a second frame by the display unit, wherein all pictures of the chosen picture batch displayed on the second frame are displayed as a full screen;

the first frame is replaced with the second frame, the map is not displayed when the second frame is displayed by the display unit, and the first frame and the second frame are displayed during a navigation mode;

detecting one of the pictures chosen from the second frame; and

displaying a piece of satellite navigation information of the picture chosen from the second frame on a third frame by the display unit, further comprising;

displaying, on the third frame, the piece of satellite navigation information including a path, marked on a map, from the current location to a shooting location of the chosen picture from the second frame, wherein the piece of satellite navigation information of the picture chosen from the second frame displayed on the third frame is displayed as a full screen and the second frame is replaced with the third frame.

2. The satellite navigation method according to claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the map on the first frame and displaying the picture batches on the corresponding locations in the map further comprises:

marking the user'"'"'s current location on the map.

3. The satellite navigation method according to claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the piece of satellite navigation information further comprises:

displaying a distance from the user'"'"'s current location to the shooting location of the chosen picture from the second frame.

4. The satellite navigation method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the chosen picture on the third frame after one of the pictures is chosen.

5. The satellite navigation method according to claim 1, further comprising:

establishing the picture database before the searching step, wherein the step of establishing the picture database comprises;

shooting the pictures;

obtaining the location information of the shot pictures and respectively integrating the location information of the shot pictures to each of the pictures;

storing each of the pictures; and

grouping the pictures whose location information is within a predetermined distance as the same picture batch, and naming each of the picture batches a location name.

6. The satellite navigation method according to claim 5, wherein the step of obtaining the location information comprises:

detecting the shooting location of each of the pictures;

providing a location name according to the shooting location; and

recording the shooting location or the location name in an attribute area of each of the pictures.

7. The satellite navigation method according to claim 6, wherein the step of storing each of the pictures further comprises:

determining whether there are any picture batches named the location name in the picture database.

8. The satellite navigation method according to claim 6, wherein if it is determined that there is no picture batch named the location name in the picture database, the method further comprises:

adding the picture batch named the location name; and

storing the shot picture in the added picture batch.

9. The satellite navigation method according to claim 6, wherein if it is determined that the picture database has the picture batch named the location name and the picture batch comprises another picture having another shooting data, the method further comprises:

updating an index of the picture batch; and

storing the another picture in the picture batch.

10. The satellite navigation method according to claim 9, wherein the step of updating the index comprises:

adding a first data folder to the picture batch and naming the first data folder according to the location name and the another shooting data;

moving the another picture to the first data folder; and

adding a second data folder to the picture batch and naming the second data folder according to the location name and the shooting data.

11. The satellite navigation method according to claim 10, wherein the step of storing the shot picture in the picture batch comprises:

storing the shot picture in the second data folder.

21. The satellite navigation method according to claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the piece of satellite navigation information further comprises:

displaying, on the third frame, an enlarged version of the chosen picture from the second frame.

12. A satellite navigation system, comprising:

a global position system (GPS) module for detecting and obtaining a user'"'"'s current location;

an input unit for inputting a search parameter, wherein a navigation area is determined according to the user'"'"'s current location directly provided from detecting by the GPS module and the search parameter;

a picture database for searching out all picture batches in the navigation area;

a geographical information system (GIS) module, comprising;

a GIS database used for providing a map corresponding to the navigation area;

an integrating unit for integrating the picture batches and the map to produce an integrated map, wherein the integrated map is marked with the picture batches and the user'"'"'s current location, the picture batches are displayed smaller than the map in size on the corresponding locations in the integrated map; and

a display unit for displaying the integrated map on a first frame and capable of displaying all pictures of the picture batch chosen from the first frame on a second frame and displaying a piece of satellite navigation information of the picture chosen from the second frame on a third frame, wherein the GPS module and the display unit both belong to an electronic device;

the piece of satellite navigation information includes a path, marked on a map, from the current location to a shooting location of the chosen picture from the second frame;

the map displayed on the first frame, all pictures of the chosen picture batch displayed on the second frame, and the piece of satellite navigation information of the picture chosen from the second frame displayed on the third frame are displayed as a full screen by the display unit, respectively, the first frame is replaced with the second frame;

the first frame and the second frame are displayed during a navigation mode; and

the second frame is replaced with the third; and

the map is not displayed when the second frame is displayed by the display unit.

13. The satellite navigation system according to claim 12, wherein the piece of satellite navigation information further comprises a distance from the user'"'"'s current location to the shooting location of the chosen picture from the second frame.

14. The satellite navigation system according to claim 12, wherein the system further comprises:

a shooting unit for shooting one of the pictures.

15. The satellite navigation system according to claim 14, wherein the GPS module is further used for detecting the shooting location of each shot picture.

16. The satellite navigation system according to claim 15, wherein the integrating unit is further used for recording an attribute area of each shooting location in each shot picture.

17. The satellite navigation system according to claim 15, wherein the GIS module further comprises:

a naming unit linked to the GIS database for providing a location name according to the shooting location and naming the shot picture according to the location name and a shooting data.

18. The satellite navigation system according to claim 17, wherein the system further comprises a file management unit for determining if there are any picture batches named the location name in the picture database.

19. The satellite navigation system according to claim 18, wherein if the file management unit determines that the picture database does not have such picture batch, the picture batch is added and named the location name, and the shot picture is stored in the added picture batch.

20. The satellite navigation system according to claim 12, wherein the piece of satellite navigation information further comprises an enlarged version of the chosen picture from the second frame.