Augmented navigation system

• US 20070150175A1
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Shipeng, Shen, Guo
• Granted Patent: US 7,509,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3874 Structures specially adapted for data searching and retrieval

Abstract

A method and system for providing augmented directions that include actual media collected from locations along the route and annotations is provided. An augmented navigation system includes a collection component, a direction component, and a playback component. The collection component may be used to collect actual media from various locations and augment a map with the actual media. The direction component generates augmented directions as requested by a user based on the augmented map. The playback component may output the directions in real time as the user navigates.

Claims

1. A system for providing augmented directions, comprising:

a direction database that contains an augmented map having actual media collected from actual locations and having annotations;

a direction component that inputs a start and an end location and generates augmented directions between the start and the end location that include actual media and annotations; and

an output component that provides the augmented directions to a playback device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the actual media include images collected from various actual locations.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the actual media include video collected from actual locations.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the direction component adapts the augmented directions based on user preference.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the direction component adapts the augmented directions based on constraints of the playback device.

6. The system of claim 1 including an image location component that inputs an image taken from an actual location and analyzes the actual media to identify the actual location.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the image location component outputs an indication of the actual location.

8. The system of claim 1 including a query component that receives start and end locations and requests the direction component to provide directions for the start location to the end location.

9. The system of claim 1 including a current condition store that contains current conditions and wherein the direction component adapts the augmented directions based on the current conditions.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the current conditions are selected from a group consisting of traffic conditions, weather conditions, and road maintenance conditions.

11. The system of claim 9 including an update component that updates the conditions of the condition store and updates the augmented directions as conditions change.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the direction database is generated from actual media collected at various locations.

13. A system for augmenting direction information with actual media, the system comprising:

a map store;

a collection component that receives actual media having an actual location; and

a media association component that associates actual media with the map based on a correspondence between actual locations and map locations.

14. The system of claim 13 including an annotation association component that inputs annotations and associates the annotations with map locations.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the media association component automatically associates the actual media based on actual locations collected when the actual media were collected.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the received actual media was collected with a device that also collected the actual location of the device when the media was collected.

17. A system for outputting augmented directions, the system comprising:

an augmented direction store that contains augmented directions that include actual media and annotations; and

an output component that outputs the augmented directions along with the actual media and the annotations.

18. The system of claim 17 including a location component that determines a current location and wherein the output component outputs the augmented directions along with the actual media and the annotation based on the current location.

19. The system of claim 17 including an update component that updates the augmented directions of the augmented direction store based on changing current conditions.

20. The system of claim 17 including an image location component that inputs an image taken from an actual location and identifies the actual location.