END USER IMAGE OPEN AREA MAPS

• US 20100021012A1
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navteq B.V.
• Inventors: Stroila, Matel N., Mays, Joseph P., SEEGERS, PETER A., Gale, William N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,229,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/113
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/383 Indoor data
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

Systems, devices, applications, and methods for generating an open area map are disclosed. For example, a software application is configured to run on a computing platform of an end user. The end user generates an image of a layout of a walkable area. The software application performs a method of generating an open area map based on the image. The method includes applying an array of uniformly spaced objects on the image. A routable map is generated as a function of the array. The routable map is configured to provide point-to-point routing within the layout.

Claims

1. A software application configured to run on a computing platform of an end user, wherein the end user generates an image of a layout of a walkable area, and wherein the software application performs a method of generating an open area map based on the image, the method comprising:

applying an array of uniformly spaced objects on the image; and

generating a routable map as a function of the array, wherein the routable map is configured to provide point-to-point routing within the layout.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the routable map to a separate user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the layout is not publicly available.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the layout comprises a scanned copy or a photo of a hand-drawing of the layout, and wherein the hand-drawing is on a writable medium.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the layout comprises an image of a building floor plan.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the routable map comprises:

designating a non-navigable area corresponding to the array;

generating a plurality of reference regions; and

compiling the plurality of reference regions with the array.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the plurality of reference regions comprises:

identifying a plurality of reference image objects in the image of the layout; and

generating the plurality of reference regions by forming borders corresponding to the respective reference image objects.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein forming the borders comprises vectorizing a portion of a binarized image.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the array comprises a grid, and wherein the uniformly spaced objects comprise a plurality of tiles.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the borders are associated with non-navigable tiles.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the borders are associated with removed tiles.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the point-to-point routing comprises generating a path via adjacent tiles.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the array and the plurality of reference regions are in separate spatial layers prior to compilation.

14. A method of generating an open area map, the method comprising:

receiving, by a remote device, an image of a layout representing a real-world area in which a pedestrian moves about;

applying, by the remote device, a mesh on the image, the mesh including a plurality of contiguous tiles, wherein the mesh has a shape that corresponds to a pedestrian-accessible sub-area within the real-world area, and wherein the shape has a boundary that corresponds to barriers in the layout;

forming, by the remote device, a routable map as a function of the mesh; and

providing, by the remote device, the routable map to an end user that generated the image of the layout,

wherein the routable map is configured to provide routing from an origin point to a selected destination within the layout.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the image of the layout comprises a scanned copy of a hand-drawn layout.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the remote device comprises a server.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the routable map comprises:

generating a plurality of reference regions; and

compiling the plurality of reference regions with the mesh.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein generating the plurality of reference regions comprises:

identifying a plurality of reference image objects in the image of the layout; and

generating the plurality of reference regions by forming boundaries corresponding to the respective reference image objects.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein any of the reference regions may be selected to be the selected destination.

20. An apparatus for generating an open area map, the apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store an image of a graphical representation of a pedestrian area, the graphical representation generated by an end user; and

a processor configured to apply a grid on the image of the graphical representation, the processor further configured to generate a routable map based on the grid,

wherein the routable map is adapted to provide point-to-point routing.