Location-referenced Photograph Repository

• US 20100128935A1
• Filed: 01/27/2010
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navteq North America LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Gibson, Timothy, Filley, George, Gourdine, Robert, Shutter, Jon, Kozak, Frank, Khan, M. Salahuddin, Herbst, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,116,598 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/113
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A photograph repository system includes data storage for storing photographs in the form of digital data files and a search feature that provides for searching for photographs by location and optionally by other search criteria. In one embodiment, a photograph repository service is accessible to users over a common data network, such as the Internet. In the photograph repository service, each stored photograph is associated with a location, i.e., where the photograph was taken and/or the location of an object in the photograph. Users can search for and obtain copies of their own photographs that they had stored previously with the photograph repository service. In addition, users can search for and obtain copies of photographs that had been taken by other users and stored with the photograph repository service. The photograph repository system can also be implemented as a standalone system, a hybrid system, or a peer-to-peer system.

Claims

1. A method of updating a digital map, comprising:

maintaining an online photo data storage repository accessible to a plurality of users over a data network, wherein the online photo data storage repository stores photo images uploaded by the plurality of users, wherein the online photo data storage repository also stores location data that indicates a location of where each one of the uploaded photo images were taken, and wherein the online photo data storage repository allows each one of the plurality of users to permit access to select others of the plurality of users to the photo images uploaded by the one of the plurality of users, and

providing a map developer access to the photo images stored in the online photo data storage repository in order to allow the map developer to update representations of geographic features located in a geographic area by identifying specific photo images associated with location data that indicates the location of the geographic features and then examining the geographic features in the photo images to determine how to update the representations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic features include bridges.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the geographic features include heights of the bridges.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the geographic features include lengths of the bridges.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic features include road signs.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic features include buildings.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the geographic features include heights of the buildings.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the geographic features include footprints of the buildings.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the geographic features include addresses of the buildings.

10. A method for generating map updates, comprising:

accessing a data repository containing digital photographs obtained from a plurality of users over a network, wherein each of the digital photographs is associated with location data representing physical location where the digital photograph was taken;

searching the data repository for at least one digital photograph using the associated location data;

receiving the at least one digital photograph;

obtaining a digital map of a geographic area that includes the physical location associated with the at least one digital photograph;

comparing physical features depicted in the at least one digital photograph with the digital map to identify whether the physical features are represented in the digital map; and

upon identifying at least one physical feature in the at least one digital photograph that is not represented in the digital map, updating the digital map to include data that represents the at least one physical feature.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one physical feature includes a bridge.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one physical feature includes height of the bridge.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one physical feature includes length of the bridge.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one physical feature includes a road sign.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one physical feature includes a building.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one physical feature includes height of the building.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one physical feature includes a footprint of the building.