Method of operating a navigation system using images

• US 7,460,953 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navteq North America LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Herbst, James M., Borak, Jason M., McGrath, Suzanne M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US10/880,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20060004512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/211
• 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 21/3638 including 3D objects and buildings three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects G06T17/00; geographic models G06T17/05
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

A method of operating a navigation system comprises providing an image of a geographic area through which a portion of a route between an origin and destination passes. The image is an approximate 360-degree image. The method provides a guidance information overlay on the image. The guidance information overlay may be a route highlight, a maneuver arrow, an indication of a path that has been traveled, an identification of a main route and an alternative route, and a label.

Claims

1. A method of operating a navigation system comprising:

providing an image of a geographic area through which a portion of a route between an origin and destination passes;

wherein said image provides an approximate 360-degree angle of view of the geographic area,

wherein said image is obtained from a geographic database,

wherein said image provides a land-based viewpoint of the geographic area.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a guidance information overlay on the image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the guidance information overlay is a route highlight.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the guidance information overlay indicates a path that has been traveled.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the guidance information overlay identifies a main route and at least one alternative route.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the guidance information overlay includes a symbol indicating a feature of one of said routes.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the guidance information overlay is a maneuver arrow.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the guidance information overlay is a label identifying a point of interest.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the guidance information overlay is a label identifying a direction in the image.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the guidance information overlay is a route highlight or a maneuver arrow and a label identifying a point of interest along the route.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing at least one navigation instruction indicating how to follow said portion of said route.

12. A method of operating a navigation system comprising:

providing a photographic image Of a geographic area from a geographic database, wherein said photographic image shows the geographic area from a land-based viewpoint;

overlaying a next route highlight on said photographic image identifying a path to be traveled, wherein the next route highlight extends along the path for a distance visible in the photographic image; and

overlaying a past route highlight on said photographic image identifying a path already traveled.

13. A method of operating a navigation system comprising:

providing a photographic image of a geographic area from a geographic database, wherein said photographic image shows a viewpoint corresponding to a land-based observer;

overlaying a first route highlight in said photographic image identifying a path available for traveling to a destination, wherein the first route highlight extends along the path for a distance visible in the photographic image; and

overlaying a second route highlight in said photographic image identifying an alternative path available for traveling to said destination, wherein the second route highlight extends along the alternative pat for a distance visible in the image.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein one of said route highlights includes a symbol indicating a feature of said corresponding path.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said image is a single view photographic image.

16. A navigation system comprising:

a route guidance application capable of providing a series of photographic images of a geographic region, said series of images depicting a continuous visual representation of a route between an origin and a destination, each of said photographic images include a guidance information overlay that extends along the route for a distance visible in the photographic image;

wherein said photographic images are obtained from a geographic database.

17. The navigation system of claim 16, wherein the images are single view images.