Matching camera-photographed image with map data in portable terminal and travel route guidance method

• US 7,728,869 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2006
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jung, Mun Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Algahaim; Helal A
• Application Number:
  US11/423,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20070088497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 701/209, 348/113, 348/231.1, 348/231.2
• US Class Current: 348/113
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to matching a camera-photographed image with map data in a portable terminal. Location information of objects of images photographed by a camera and location information of display objects, such as a building included in the map data are calculated based on location information of the camera, and the calculated location information is used to match the objects with the display objects. The image photographed by the camera is displayed on a screen, and text information of display objects matched to the objects is read out from the map data and is displayed on the locations of the objects displayed on the screen. If a user moves, a travel route is guided using the matching information between the objects and display objects, so the user can be guided with the travel route while personally checking objects such as a building.

Claims

1. A method for matching a camera-photographed image with map data in a portable terminal, the method comprising:

photographing at least one object with a camera;

determining first location information of the camera photographing the at least one object;

calculating second location information of the at least one object photographed using a location information calculation point located substantially at a center of the at least one object photographed;

calculating third location information of at least one display object included in the map data stored in the portable terminal based on a current location of the camera;

comparing the second location information to the third location information; and

matching the at least one display object included in the map data stored in the portable terminal to the at least one object photographed based on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first location information of the camera photographing the at least one object comprises:

determining the current location of the camera according to GPS messages received by a GPS receiver disposed on the portable terminal;

determining an azimuth angle of a central axis of the camera using an azimuth sensor disposed on the portable terminal; and

determining an inclination of the camera using an inclination sensor disposed on the portable terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second location information of the at least one object photographed and the third location information of the at least one display object are calculated from the determined first location information of the camera based on the current location of the camera and an azimuth angle of a central axis of the camera.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location information of the camera comprises the current location of the camera and an azimuth angle of a central axis of the camera.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein calculating the second location information of the at least one object photographed comprises:

extracting a contour from the at least object photographed;

establishing the location information calculation point of the at least one object photographed from the extracted contour;

calculating an azimuth angle of the location information calculation point of the at least one object photographed based on the azimuth angle of the central axis of the camera; and

calculating a distance from the current location of the camera to the location information calculation point of the at least one object photographed.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein extracting the contour from the at least one object photographed is performed by capturing the at least one object photographed.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the first location information of the camera further comprises an inclination of the camera.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein calculating the second location information of the at least one object photographed further comprises correcting the calculated distance from the current location of the camera to the location information calculation point of the at least one object photographed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the third location information of at least one display object based on the current location of the camera comprises:

matching the first location information of the camera to the map data;

establishing a location information calculation point of the at least one display object; and

calculating location information of the location information calculation point of the at least one display object based on the location of the camera matched to the map data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first location information of the camera comprises the current location of the camera and an azimuth angle of a central axis of the camera.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein calculating the location information of the location information calculation point of the at least one display object comprises:

calculating a distance from the current location of the camera to the location information calculation point of the at least one display object; and

calculating an azimuth angle of the location information calculation point of the at least one display object based on the azimuth angle of the central axis of the camera.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein matching the at least one display object to the at least one object photographed is performed when an error value between the second location information of the at least one object photographed and the third location information of the at least one display object is within a predetermined value.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading-out text information of the at least one display object matched to the at least one object photographed from the map data;

inserting the text information into relevant locations within the at least one object photographed; and

displaying the at least one object photographed having the text information inserted therein.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein inserting the text information into the relevant locations within the at least one object photographed comprises:

determining a display location of the text information at a location of the at least one object photographed matched to the at least one display object; and

mapping the text information of the at least one display object at the determined display location.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein displaying the at least one object photographed having the text information inserted therein comprises:

determining a display color; and

displaying a contour of the at least one object photographed and the text information by the determined display color.