Method and apparatus for crowdsourced tour creation and provision

• US 9,222,790 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Peplin, Christopher, Prasad, Krishnaswamy Venkatesh, Giuli, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alharbi, Adam
• Application Number:
  US13/547,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20140019004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047

Abstract

A system includes a processor, configured to communicate with a vehicle camera, a vehicle audio input and at least one vehicle input control. In this embodiment, the processor is configured to receive a request to being recording user audio from the audio input. The processor is also configured to record user audio and GPS coordinates to be associated with the audio and record one or more images or video files from the vehicle camera, to be associated with the audio or the GPS coordinates. Further, the processor is configured to compile and save the audio input, GPS coordinates and one or more images as a tour data file.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor, configured to;

receive a request to begin recording user audio from a vehicle audio input;

record user audio and GPS coordinates to be associated with the audio;

recognize an object of interest and record an image or video of the object from the vehicle camera, to be associated with the audio and the GPS coordinates; and

save the audio input, GPS coordinates and image or video as a tour-data file.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to pause and resume recording based on input from a vehicle input control.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to take a photograph using the vehicle camera based on input from a vehicle input control.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to start and stop video recording based on input from a vehicle input control.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to take pictures at periodic intervals using the vehicle camera.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to take one or more pictures at predetermined locations using the vehicle camera.

7. A tangible computer readable storage medium, containing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a vehicle computing system, causes the vehicle computing system to perform the process comprising:

receiving a request to begin recording user audio from an audio input;

recording user audio and GPS coordinates to be associated with the audio;

recording one or more images or video files from the vehicle camera, to be associated with the audio and the GPS coordinates; and

compiling and saving the audio input, GPS coordinates and one or more images as a tour data file.

8. The storage medium of claim 7, wherein the process further includes pausing and resuming recording based on input from a vehicle input control.

9. The storage medium of claim 7, wherein the process further includes taking a photograph using the vehicle camera based on input from a vehicle input control.

10. The storage medium of claim 7, wherein the process further includes starting and stopping video recording based on input from a vehicle input control.

11. The storage medium of claim 7, wherein the process further includes taking pictures at periodic intervals using the vehicle camera.

12. The storage medium of claim 7, wherein the process further includes recognizing an object and taking at least one picture of the object using the vehicle camera.

13. The storage medium of claim 7, wherein the process further includes taking one or more pictures at predetermined locations using the vehicle camera.

14. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a request to begin recording user audio from an audio input;

recording user audio and GPS coordinates to be associated with the audio;

recording, at predetermined locations, one or more images or video files from the vehicle camera, to be associated with the audio and the GPS coordinates; and

compiling and saving the audio input, GPS coordinates and one or more images as a tour data file.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further includes pausing and resuming recording based on input from a vehicle input control.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further includes taking a photograph using the vehicle camera based on input from a vehicle input control.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further includes starting and stopping video recording based on input from a vehicle input control.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the method includes taking pictures at periodic intervals using the vehicle camera.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the method includes recognizing an object and taking at least one picture of the object using the vehicle camera.