Visually-oriented driving directions in digital mapping system

• US 20050288859A1
• Filed: 07/13/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rasmussen, Jens Eilstrup, Golding, Andrew R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,831,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• 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 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams

Abstract

Digital mapping techniques are disclosed that provide visually-oriented information to the user, such as driving directions that include visual data points along the way of the driving route, thereby improving the user experience. The user may preview the route associated with the driving directions, where the preview is based on, for example, at least one of satellite images, storefront images, and heuristics and/or business listings.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for generating visually-oriented driving directions, comprising:

constructing a mapping between business listings and at least one of satellite images and storefront images of a target map area;

analyzing the at least one of satellite images and storefront images to identify waypoints;

evaluating distinctiveness of the identified waypoints, thereby providing a number of scored waypoints; and

incorporating one or more of the scored waypoints into requested driving directions.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

applying OCR to storefront images to identify waypoints.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing visual recognition of chain stores using the at least one of satellite images and storefront images to identify waypoints.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing non-visual recognition of chain stores using at least one of heuristics and business listings to identify waypoints.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing the scored waypoints.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the constructing, analyzing, evaluating, and storing are performed in advance of receiving requests for driving directions.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein evaluating distinctiveness of the identified waypoints includes assigning a distinctiveness score based on at least one of a difference between a waypoint and its surroundings, scope of the difference, salience of the waypoint, visibility of the waypoint, and familiarity of pattern associated with the waypoint.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adjusting a distinctiveness score of one or more of the scored waypoints based on user feedback.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein incorporating one or more of the scored waypoints into requested driving directions further includes serving those driving directions to the requestor.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a visual preview of the driving directions using at least one of satellite images, storefront images, heuristics, and business listings.

11. The method of claim 1 further wherein incorporating one or more of the scored waypoints into requested driving directions includes selecting waypoints related to a destination of the requestor.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the scored waypoints are associated with a business advertising arrangement.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein a cost-per-use of the one or more scored waypoints associated with a business advertisement is a factor that impacts waypoint distinctiveness scoring.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is implemented using a tile-based mapping system.

15. A computer implemented method for generating visually-oriented driving directions, comprising:

constructing a mapping between business listings and at least one of satellite images and storefront images of a target map area;

analyzing the at least one of satellite images and storefront images to identify waypoints;

applying OCR to storefront images to identify waypoints;

performing visual recognition of chain stores using the at least one of satellite images and storefront images to identify waypoints;

performing non-visual recognition of chain stores using at least one of heuristics and business listings to identify waypoints;

evaluating distinctiveness of the identified waypoints, thereby providing a number of scored waypoints;

storing the scored waypoints; and

incorporating one or more of the scored waypoints into requested driving directions.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the method is implemented using a tile-based mapping system.

17. A computer implemented method for generating visually-oriented driving directions, comprising:

constructing a mapping between business listings and at least one of satellite images and storefront images of a target map area;

analyzing the at least one of satellite images and storefront images to identify waypoints;

evaluating distinctiveness of the identified waypoints, thereby providing a number of scored waypoints; and

storing the scored waypoints for subsequent use in computer-generated driving directions.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising at least one of:

applying OCR to storefront images to identify waypoints;

performing visual recognition of chain stores using the at least one of satellite images and storefront images to identify waypoints; and

performing non-visual recognition of chain stores using at least one of heuristics and business listings to identify waypoints.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein evaluating distinctiveness of the identified waypoints includes assigning a distinctiveness score based on at least one of a difference between a waypoint and its surroundings, scope of the difference, salience of the waypoint, visibility of the waypoint, and familiarity of pattern associated with the waypoint.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

adjusting a distinctiveness score of one or more of the scored waypoints based on user feedback.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

incorporating one or more of the scored waypoints into requested driving directions;

providing a visual preview of the requested driving directions using at least one of satellite images, storefront images, heuristics, and business listings; and

serving the driving directions to the requestor.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

selecting one or more waypoints related to a destination of a user requesting driving directions; and

incorporating the selected scored waypoints into the requested driving directions.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein one or more of the scored waypoints are associated with a business advertising arrangement.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein a cost-per-use of the one or more of the waypoints associated with a business advertisement is a factor that impacts waypoint distinctiveness scoring.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein the method is implemented using a tile-based mapping system.

26. A computer implemented method for generating visually-oriented driving directions, comprising:

identifying distinctive waypoints associated with an area covered by a digital mapping system, wherein the waypoints are visual data points along one or more driving routes and are in addition to road names and road topology; and

incorporating one or more of the distinctive waypoints into computer-generated driving directions produced by the digital mapping system in response to a user request, thereby providing visually-oriented driving directions.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the digital mapping system is a tile-based mapping system.