Systems and methods for defining a geographic position of an object or event based on a geographic position of a computing device and a user gesture

• US 9,429,432 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2014
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duke University
• Original Assignee: Duke University
• Inventors: McClernon, Francis J., Choudhury, Romit Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERNS, MICHAEL ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US14/286,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20140365111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 701/409
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Systems and methods for computing a geographic position of an object or event based on a geographic position of a computing device and a user gesture are disclosed herein. According to an aspect, a method includes determining a geographic position of a computing device. The method also includes receiving a user gesture on the computing device to indicate a direction towards a location from the computing device. Further, the method includes defining a geographic position of the location based on the geographic position of the computing device and the user gesture.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a geographic position and orientation of a computing device;

receiving a touch gesture on a touchscreen display of the computing device to indicate a direction towards and distance to a location of an object or event from the computing device;

determining the direction towards and distance to the location based on the touch gesture on the touchscreen display and the orientation of the computing device; and

defining a geographic position of the location based on the geographic position of the computing device and the determined direction and distance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a geographic position of a computing device comprises using one of a satellite positioning system, a smartphone sensor, a wireless communication system, a cellular system, and radio frequency (RF) signals for determining the geographic position of the computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch gesture includes a finger swipe on a smartphone display, and

wherein the method further comprises:

determining a direction of the swipe with respect to an orientation of the computing device; and

determining the direction of the object or event based on the orientation of the computing device and the direction of the swipe.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input specifying information about the object or event.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising communicating, to another computing device, information and data associated with the user gesture and the geographic position of the computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining a time of receipt of the touch gesture; and

communicating the time to the other computing device.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the information comprises a name of one of the object and the event at the location.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a geographic map including the location; and

specifying an address of the location based on the geographic position of the computing device and the touch gesture.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising associating one of the object and the event with the location.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining information associated with the defined geographic position of the location; and

communicating the determined information to another computing device.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, from one or more computing devices, data comprising a geographic positions of the one or more computing devices and user gesture input on one or more touchscreen displays of the one or more computing devices to indicate a direction towards and distance to a location from the respective computing device; and

determining a geographic position of the location based on the data from the one or more computing devices.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the geographic position of the respective computing device is satellite positioning coordinates.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving, from each of the computing devices, user input that specifies information about the location.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the information comprises a name of one of an object and an event at the location.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving, from each of the computing devices, a time of receipt of the touch gesture.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

maintaining a geographic map including the location; and

specifying an address of the location based on the determined geographic position of the location.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising associating one of an object and an event with the location.

18. A system comprising:

at least one processor and memory configured to;

determine a geographic position and orientation of a computing device;

receive a touch gesture on a touchscreen display of the computing device to indicate a direction towards and distance to a location of an object or event from the computing device;

determine the direction towards and distance to the location based on the touch gesture on the touchscreen display and the orientation of the computing device; and

define a geographic position of the location based on the geographic position of the computing device and the determined direction and distance.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor and memory are configured to use satellite positioning coordinates for determining the geographic position of the computing device.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the touch gesture is a swipe on a display of the computing device, and

wherein the at least one processor and memory are configured to:

determine a direction of the swipe with respect to an orientation of the computing device; and

determine the direction towards the location based on the orientation of the computing device and the direction of the swipe.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor and memory are configured to receive user input specifying information about the location.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor and memory are configured to communicate, to another computing device, information and data associated with the touch gesture and the geographic position of the computing device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the at least one processor and memory are configured to:

determine a time of receipt of the touch gesture; and

communicate the time to the other computing device.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the information comprises a name of one of an object and an event at the location.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor and memory are configured to:

maintain a geographic map including the location; and

specify an address of the location based on the geographic position of the computing device and the touch gesture.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one processor and memory are configured to associate one of an object and an event with the location.

27. A system comprising:

at least one processor and memory configured to;

receive, from each of a plurality of computing devices, data comprising a geographic position of the respective computing device and a touch gesture input to indicate a direction towards and a distance to a location of an object or event from the respective computing device;

determine directions and distances toward the location based on the touch gesture on the touchscreen display and the orientation of the computing device of each of the computing devices; and

determine a geographic position of the location based on the directions and distances from each of the computing devices.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the geographic position of the respective computing device is satellite positioning coordinates.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor and memory are configured to receive, from each of the computing devices, user input that specifies information about the location.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the information comprises a name of one of an object and an event at the location.

31. The system of claim 27, further comprising receiving, from each of the computing devices, a time of receipt of the touch gesture.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor and memory are configured to:

maintain a geographic map including the location; and

specify an address of the location based on the determined geographic position of the location.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the at least one processor and memory are configured to associate one of an object and an event with the location.