Method and system for obtaining user feedback regarding geographic data

• US 6,718,258 B1
• Filed: 06/08/2000
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navigation Technologies Corp. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Barton, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US09/590,213
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/208, 701/210, 701/211, 701/212, 701/214, 340/995.12, 340/995.16, 340/995.22, 340/995.27, 340/991, 342/357.1, 342/357.09, 455/456.1, 455/457
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3856 Data obtained from user input
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A reporting program and system whereby end users of navigation systems, or other computing platforms that use geographic data to obtain navigation-related or map-related services, can make reports about the geographic data. The reporting program can be used by end users to report perceived errors or inaccuracies in the geographic data. The end users can use their own personal computers, or other computing devices, to access the reporting program over a network, such as the Internet. When an end user accesses the reporting program, the reporting program provides a graphical map image to the end user on the end user'"'"'s computing platform. The reporting program allows the end user to zoom and pan the graphical map image in order to display an image of the area about which the end user wishes to make a report. When the area about which the end user wishes to make a report is displayed on the end user'"'"'s display screen, the reporting program allows the end user to mark up the graphical map image to illustrate a change. The reporting program also allows the end user to include text to describe a change. The reporting program captures the end user'"'"'s graphical and text input as a report that is used to update or check the geographic database, as appropriate.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining reports from end users about perceived errors in geographic data used for providing navigation-related or map-related services from computing platforms, the method comprising:

providing an on-line program accessible to the end users;

with the on-line program, providing an end user with a graphical map image of a geographic area on a display screen of the end user;

with the on-line program, allowing the end user to mark up the graphical map image using a computer pointing device; and

with the on-line program, allowing the end user to submit a report including the mark up of the graphical map image.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

with the on-line program, allowing the end user to provide explanatory text with the report.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

updating a geographic database using the report.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing platforms include navigation systems.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing platforms include on-line providers of navigation-related services or map-related services.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the end user accesses the on-line program from a personal computer.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the end user accesses the on-line program from a navigation system.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the on-line program uses a geographic database to provide the graphical map image of a geographic area on the display screen of the end user.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the geographic database includes up-to-date changes.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the on-line program allows the end user to pan graphical map images on the display screen.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the on-line program allows the end user to zoom graphical map images on the display screen.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

updating a geographic database using the report; and

distributing copies of updated geographic databases.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the end user identifies a version of a geographic database to which the report relates.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the mark up by the end user shows new road geometry.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the mark up by the end user relates to a route.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the mark up by the end user relates to a road name.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the on-line program is accessed over the Internet.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the end user obtained navigation-related or map-related services using one computing platform and accesses the on-line program using another computing platform.

19. A system for collecting reports from end users about perceived errors in geographic data used in navigation systems and other computing platforms that provide navigation-related or map-related services, the system comprising:

a geographic database;

an on-line program accessible to the end users over a network, wherein the on-line program uses the geographic database to provide the end users with graphical images of geographic areas containing the perceived errors and further wherein the on-line program provides the end users with a drawing capability that enables the end users to indicate the perceived errors by drawing markings on the graphical images using pointing devices, and further wherein the on-line program captures the markings; and

a reports database that stores the markings captured by the on-line program.

20. A method of reporting a perceived error in geographic data used by a navigation system or other computing platform that provides navigation-related or map-related services, the method comprising:

using a computer to access an on-line reporting program;

using the on-line reporting program to obtain a graphical map image of a geographic area on a display screen of the computer, wherein the geographic area is represented by geographic data that include the perceived error;

using a drawing capability of the on-line reporting program to graphically indicate the perceived error on the graphical map image using a pointing device of the computer; and

using the on-line reporting program to submit a report including the graphically indicated perceived error.