Satellite navigation method and system

• US 9,772,194 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2015
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• 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): Marc-Coleman, Marthe
• Application Number:
  US14/826,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20150345957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 701213, 340990, 34099514
• 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 module, an input unit, a picture database, a geographical information system 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 global position system (GPS) module of an electronic device;

determining a navigation area according to the current location and the search parameter;

searching out picture batches related to the navigation area from a picture database;

providing a map relating to the navigation area;

displaying the map on a first frame and further displaying the picture batches by a display unit of the electronic device, wherein the GPS module and the display unit both belong to the electronic device and the picture batches are displayed smaller than the map in size;

detecting one of the picture batches chosen from the first frame;

displaying at least one picture of the chosen picture batch on a second frame by the display unit, wherein the first frame is replaced with the second frame;

and

displaying a piece of satellite navigation information of the at least one picture 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 at least one picture from the second frame, wherein 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 further comprises:

marking the 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 current location to the shooting location of the at least one picture from the second frame.

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

displaying the at least one picture on the third frame.

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 integrated 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 with 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 integrated 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.

12. A satellite navigation method, comprising:

obtaining a search parameter;

obtaining a current location by a global position system (GPS) module of an electronic device;

determining a navigation area according to the current location and the search parameter;

searching out pictures related to the navigation area from a picture database;

providing a map relating to the navigation area;

displaying the map on a first frame and further displaying the pictures by a display unit of the electronic device, wherein the GPS module and the display unit both belong to the electronic device and

the pictures are displayed smaller than the map in size;

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

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

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

13. The satellite navigation method according to claim 12, wherein the step of displaying the map on the first frame and displaying the pictures further comprises:

marking the current location on the map.

14. The satellite navigation method according to claim 12, wherein the step of displaying the piece of satellite navigation information further comprises:

displaying a distance from the current location to the shooting location of the chosen picture from the first frame.

15. The satellite navigation method according to claim 12, further comprising:

displaying the chosen picture on the second frame.

16. The satellite navigation method according to claim 12, 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; and

storing each of the pictures.

17. The satellite navigation method according to claim 16, 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.