System and Method for Producing Multi-Angle Views of an Object-of-Interest from Images in an Image Dataset

• US 20130318078A1
• Filed: 07/30/2013
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navteq B.V.
• Inventors: Lynch, James, Gale, William
• Granted Patent: US 9,251,174 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/724
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/532 Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/205 Image-based rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/32 involving image mosaicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders

Abstract

Disclosed are a system and method for creating multi-angle views of an object-of-interest from images stored in a dataset. A user specifies the location of an object-of-interest. As the user virtually navigates through the locality represented by the image dataset, his current virtual position is determined. Using the user'"'"'s virtual position and the location of the object-of-interest, images in the image dataset are selected and interpolated or stitched together, if necessary, to present to the user a view from his current virtual position looking toward the object-of-interest. The object-of-interest remains in the view no matter where the user virtually travels. From the same image dataset, another user can select a different object-of-interest and virtually navigate in a similar manner, with his own object-of-interest always in view. The object-of-interest also can be “virtual,” added by computer-animation techniques to the image dataset. For some image datasets, the user can virtually navigate through time as well as through space.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

registering an identifier for a navigation application at a map management server;

accessing an installed version, at the map management server, of a geographic database according to the identifier;

accessing a later version, at the map management server, of the geographic database, wherein the later version of the geographic database is different than the installed version of the geographic database;

receiving, at the map management server, a destination location;

querying the installed version of the geographic database for the destination location for a first map result;

querying the later version of the geographic database for the destination location for a second map result; and

performing a comparison of the first map result and the second map result.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a result of the comparison of the first map result and the second map result.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparison indicates that the destination location is included in the later version of the geographic database and omitted from the installed version of the geographic database.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

counting a number of times destination locations are omitted from the installed version of the geographic database; and

displaying the number in a message to a user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the message includes an offer to purchase the later version of the geographic database.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a location included in the installed version of the geographic database and nearby to the second map result from the later version of the geographic database.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a plurality of navigation options when the comparison of the first map result and the second map result indicates that the destination location is omitted from the installed version of the navigation database.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of options includes at least two of a printout of full directions to the destination location, a printout of partial directions to the destination location based on the installed version of the geographic database, a transmission of directions to a mobile device, and a display of longitude and latitude coordinates.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the navigation location to a navigation system including the navigation application when the first map result is substantially equivalent to the second map result.

10. An map management server comprising:

a processor configured to register a navigation application of a user at the map management server and receive a destination location entered from a website;

a first database including an installed version of a geographic database, wherein the installed version of the geographic database is installed with the navigation application of the user;

a second database including a later version of the geographic database, wherein the later version of the geographic database is newer than the installed version of the geographic database,

wherein the processor is configured to query the installed version of the geographic database for the destination location for a first map result, query the later version of the geographic database for the destination location for a second map result, and perform a comparison of the first map result and the second map result.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

generating a display message based on the comparison of the first map result and the second map result, wherein the display message indicates that the destination location is included in the later version of the geographic database and omitted from the installed version of the geographic database.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to count a number of times that destination locations are omitted from the installed version of the geographic database and generate an offer message when the number exceeds a threshold.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to generate a navigation message when the comparison of the first map result and the second map result indicates that the destination location is omitted form the installed version of the navigation database.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the navigation message includes options for a printout of full directions to the destination location, a printout of partial directions to the destination location based on the installed version of the geographic database, a transmission of directions to a mobile device, or a display of longitude and latitude coordinates.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a communication application configured to transmit the navigation location to the navigation application when the first map result is substantially equivalent to the second map result.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that when executed by a processor, instruct the processor to:

select an installed version of a geographic database installed with a navigation application from a list of compiled databases indexed by user;

select a later version of the geographic database from a map service;

receiving, at a map management server, a destination location;

compare, with respect to the destination location, the installed version of the geographic database to the later version of the geographic database; and

generate a message for a user of the navigation application based on the comparison.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the message includes maps showing differences between the installed version of the geographic database and the later version of the geographic database.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the message includes an offer to update the installed version of the geographic database to the later version of the geographic database.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the message includes options for printing directions to the destination location in response to the destination location being omitted from the installed version of the geographic database.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the message indicates that the destination is invalid when the destination location is included in the installed version of the geographic database and omitted in the later version of the geographic database.