Image mapping to provide visual geographic path

• US 9,599,486 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2016
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Location Based Services, LLC (Leigh M. Rothschild)
• Original Assignee: Location Based Services, LLC (Leigh M. Rothschild)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward K. Y., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): AZARIAN, SEYED H
• Application Number:
  US15/053,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20160252364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382103-104, 382/106, 382113-114, 382/118, 382/155, 382/18, 382180-181, 382/184, 382/189, 382/216, 382/232, 382/255, 382/274, 382/276, 382/291, 382/305, 382/284, 382/312, 707/101, 345/619.8, 379/201.3, 701/420, 701/426, 701/455, 340/946, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995.16, 370/232, 1/1
• 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 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/026 Control of mixing and/or overlay of colours in general G09G5/022 and G09G5/024 take precedence

Abstract

Provided is a computer system and method for mapping a visual path. The method includes receiving one or more images included in a predefined area; receiving one or more parameters associated with the image; and integrating the images and parameters into a map of the predefined area to enable mapping the visual path through the predefined area in response to one or more input path parameters.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

circuitry configured for receiving a path in response to one or more input path parameters, at least one input path parameter including at least a location associated with a place;

circuitry configured for providing a map, including at least stitching one or more images, at least partially based on the path;

circuitry configured for displaying the map including at least the stitched one or more images;

circuitry configured for scrolling the map at least partially based on Global Positioning System (GPS) data received from a GPS sensor internal to the system;

circuitry configured for connecting to a server coupled to at least one mobile device to obtain at least one of a picture or an image associated with the place, the at least one of a picture or an image associated with the place received by the server from the at least one mobile device subsequent to a detection of the at least one mobile device within at least one proximity of the place; and

circuitry configured for overlaying the at least one of the picture or the image associated with the place over the map at least partially based on receiving an indication from the GPS sensor internal to the system of the system arriving at the location associated with the place.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for receiving a path in response to one or more input path parameters, at least one input path parameter including at least a location associated with a place comprises:

circuitry configured for receiving one or more directions associating one or more locations in a specified order.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for receiving a path in response to one or more input path parameters, at least one input path parameter including at least a location associated with a place comprises:

circuitry configured for receiving a path in response to one or more input path parameters, at least one input path parameter including at least (a) an identification of at least one of a street address or other geographic identifier as the location or at least one of a building or landmark as the place and (b) an identification of a user of the system wirelessly transmitting a request for the path to the location associated with the place.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for receiving a path in response to one or more input path parameters, at least one input path parameter including at least a location associated with a place comprises:

circuitry configured for storing the path for later mobile use.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for receiving a path in response to one or more input path parameters, at least one input path parameter including at least a location associated with a place comprises:

circuitry configured for receiving a path in response to one or more input path parameters, at least input path parameter identifying at least one of (a) a street address or other geographic identifier as the location or (b) at least one of a building or landmark as the place.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for receiving a path in response to one or more input path parameters, at least one input path parameter including at least a location associated with a place comprises:

circuitry configured for transmitting, by a mobile device, a request for a server to provide a path to a location association with a place, the request for the server to provide the path to the location associated with the place including at least one or more input path parameters identifying at least the location associated with the place; and

circuitry configured for receiving, by the mobile device, an indication from the server of the path to the location associated with the place in response to the request transmitted to the server by the mobile device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein circuitry configured for receiving, by the mobile device, an indication from the server of the path to the location associated with the place in response to the request transmitted to the server by the mobile device comprises:

circuitry configured for receiving, by the mobile device, an indication from the server of the path to the location associated with the place, the indication including at least one traffic condition determined by the server at least partially based on monitoring the path via one or more of a cellular phone or a portable device with wireless internet access.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for providing a map, including at least stitching one or more images, at least partially based on the path comprises:

circuitry configured for stitching one or more base map tiles related to at least one layout of one or more streets at least partially based on the path to at least partially provide the map.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for providing a map, including at least stitching one or more images, at least partially based on the path comprises:

circuitry configured for integrating one or more images in a specified order associated with the one or more input path parameters into a map at least partially based on the path.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for providing a map, including at least stitching one or more images, at least partially based on the path comprises:

circuitry configured for providing a map enabling a user of a mobile device to visualize the path to the location associated with the place for travel purposes, the location including a street address or other geographic identifier of at least one of a building or a landmark as the place.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for providing a map, including at least stitching one or more images, at least partially based on the path comprises:

circuitry configured for stitching one or more symbolic representations of one or more places at least partially based on the path to at least partially provide the map.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for scrolling the map at least partially based on GPS data received from a GPS sensor internal to the system comprises:

circuitry configured for receiving data from the GPS sensor internal to the system in real-time; and

circuitry configured for updating a display of the map to indicate a current location of the system at least partially based on the data received from the GPS sensor internal to the system.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for scrolling the map at least partially based on GPS data received from a GPS sensor internal to the system comprises:

circuitry configured for scrolling the map at least partially based on a speed associated with movement of the system.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for scrolling the map at least partially based on GPS data received from a GPS sensor internal to the system comprises:

circuitry configured for displaying one or more images of one or more locations associated with the path at least partially based on a speed associated with movement of the system.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for overlaying the at least one of the picture or the image associated with the place over the map at least partially based on receiving an indication from the GPS sensor internal to the system of the system arriving at the location associated with the place comprises:

circuitry configured for overlaying the at least one of the picture or the image associated with the place over the map at least partially based on receiving GPS data indicative of the system moving within a vicinity of the location associated with the place.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for connecting to a server coupled to at least one mobile device to obtain at least one of a picture or an image associated with the place, the at least one of a picture or an image associated with the place received by the server from the at least one mobile device subsequent to a detection of the at least one mobile device within at least one proximity of the place comprises:

circuitry configured for connecting to a server coupled to at least one mobile device to obtain at least one of a picture or an image associated with the place stored in a collection of images of the place collected in near real-time.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein circuitry configured for connecting to a server coupled to at least one mobile device to obtain at least one of a picture or an image associated with the place stored in a collection of images of the place collected in near real-time comprises:

circuitry configured for connecting to a server coupled to at least one mobile device to obtain at least one of a picture or an image associated with the place stored in a collection of images of the place collected in near real-time, the collection of images of the place including at least one image of the place transmitted to the server by a user having been notified by the server that the user was near the place and having been requested to capture an image of the place.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for connecting to a server coupled to at least one mobile device to obtain at least one of a picture or an image associated with the place, the at least one of a picture or an image associated with the place received by the server from the at least one mobile device subsequent to a detection of the at least one mobile device within at least one proximity of the place comprises:

circuitry configured for connecting to a server coupled to at least one mobile device associated with at least one user other than a user of the system to obtain at least one of a picture or an image associated with the place captured by the at least one user other than the user of the system using the at least one mobile device associated with the at least one user other than a user of the system.

19. A system, comprising:

a computing device including at least one processor; and

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform one or more operations including at least;

receiving a path in response to one or more input path parameters, at least one input path parameter including at least a location associated with a place;

providing a map, including at least stitching one or more images, at least partially based on the path;

displaying the map including at least the stitched one or more images;

scrolling the map at least partially based on Global Positioning System (GPS) data received from a GPS sensor internal to the system;

connecting to a server coupled to at least one mobile device to obtain at least one of a picture or an image associated with the place, the at least one of a picture or an image associated with the place received by the server from the at least one mobile device subsequent to a detection of the at least one mobile device within at least one proximity of the place; and

overlaying the at least one of the picture or the image associated with the place over the map at least partially based on receiving an indication from the GPS sensor internal to the system of the system arriving at the location associated with the place.

20. A method for a computing device, comprising:

receiving a path in response to one or more input path parameters, at least one input path parameter including at least a location associated with a place;

providing a map, including at least stitching one or more images, at least partially based on the path;

displaying the map including at least the stitched one or more images;

scrolling the map at least partially based on Global Positioning System (GPS) data received from a GPS sensor internal to the computing device;

connecting to a server coupled to at least one mobile device to obtain at least one of a picture or an image associated with the place, the at least one of a picture or an image associated with the place received by the server from the at least one mobile device subsequent to a detection of the at least one mobile device within at least one proximity of the place; and

overlaying the at least one of the picture or the image associated with the place over the map at least partially based on receiving an indication from the GPS sensor internal to the computing device of the computing device arriving at the location associated with the place,

wherein at least one of the receiving, providing, scrolling, connecting, or overlaying is at least partially implemented using at least one processor of the computing device.