Navigating on images

• US 9,404,753 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2014
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Mays, Joseph P., Bach, Jeffrey R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nirav G
• Application Number:
  US14/162,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20140136108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3446 Details of route searching algorithms, e.g. Dijkstra, A*, arc-flags, using precalculated routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/462 Salient features, e.g. scale invariant feature transforms [SIFT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/75 Organisation of the matching processes, e.g. simultaneous or sequential comparisons of image or video features; Coarse-fine approaches, e.g. multi-scale approaches; using context analysis; Selection of dictionaries

Abstract

Systems, devices, features, and methods for navigating on images are disclosed. For example, one method includes identifying a point selected on an initial image. An image component, such as a pixel, of the initial image corresponding to the identified point is determined. The image component of the initial image represents an origin. A route from the origin to a destination is generated, and the destination corresponds to another image component, such as another pixel.

Claims

1. A method for a navigation system, the method comprising:

identifying, using a processor, image components in a first image, the identified image components in the first image designated as navigable;

identifying, using the processor, image components in a second image, the identified image components in the second image designated as navigable;

comparing, using the processor, the first image and the second image to determine a common geographic feature shared between the first image and the second image;

generating, using the processor, correlation data associating at least one navigable image component of the first image to at least one navigable image component of the second image, wherein generating the correlation data is based on the comparison;

storing the correlation data in a hardware medium of the navigation system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified image components of the first image and the second image correspond to a ground or floor in the respective images.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first image and the second image to determine the common geographic feature comprises using scale invariant feature transform.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image and the second image comprise street view images.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a route from an origin point associated with a navigable image component on the first image to a destination point via a navigable image component on the second image.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the route is associated with intermediate pixels and the intermediate image pixels are designated as navigable pixels.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user input of a non-navigable point in the first image; and

selecting a substitution point in the first image logically suitable to correspond to the non-navigable point, wherein the substitution point includes at least one of the identified image components in the first image designated as navigable.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the substitution point is a closest navigable point to the non-navigable point.

9. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform;

identifying image components in a first image, the identified image components in the first image designated as navigable;

identifying image components in a second image, the identified image components in the second image designated as navigable;

comparing the first image and the second image to determine a common geographic feature comprises using scale invariant feature transform;

generating correlation data associating at least one navigable image component of the first image to at least one navigable image component of the second image;

storing the correlation data in a hardware medium of the apparatus; and

generating a route from an origin in the first image to a destination in the second image based on the correlation data.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store image data comprising navigable image pixels and non-navigable image pixels; and

a processor configured to identify a first navigable pixel in a first image and a second navigable pixel in a second image and generate correlation data associating at least one navigable image pixel of the first image to at least one navigable image pixel of the second image,

wherein the processor is configured to compare the first image and the second image to determine a common geographic feature shared between the first image and the second image.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a user interface configured to display a route on the image data, wherein the route connects the at least one navigable image pixel of the first image to the at least one navigable image pixel of the second image.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the user interface is configured to receive inputs directly on images corresponding to the image data.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the correlation data is based on the comparison, and the comparison is made using scale invariant feature transform.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first image and the second image comprise street side images.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the correlation data identifies intermediate pixels and the intermediate image pixels are designated as navigable pixels.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store image data comprising navigable image pixels and non-navigable image pixels; and

a processor configured to identify a first navigable pixel in a first image and a second navigable pixel in a second image and generate correlation data associating at least one navigable image pixel of the first image to at least one navigable image pixel of the second image,

wherein the processor is configured to receive data indicative of a user input of a non-navigable point in the first image and select a substitution point in the first image logically suitable to correspond to the non-navigable point, wherein the substitution point includes the first navigable pixel.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the substitution point is a closest navigable point to the non-navigable point.

18. A method for a navigation system, the method comprising:

identifying, using a processor, image components in a first image, the identified image components in the first image designated as navigable;

identifying, using the processor, image components in a second image, the identified image components in the second image designated as navigable;

comparing, using the processor, the first image and the second image to determine a common geographic feature comprises using an invariant component generation technique;

generating, using the processor, correlation data associating at least one navigable image component of the first image to at least one navigable image component of the second image; and

storing the correlation data in a hardware medium of the navigation system.