Systems and methods for using visual landmarks in initial navigation
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorJoshua S. Schpok
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A route from a current location of a portable device to a destination is determined, where the route includes a sequence of directed sections. Navigation instructions to guide a user of the portable device along the route to the destination are generated. To this end, candidate navigation landmarks perceptible within a 360-degree range of the current location of the portable device are identified using (i) one or more metrics of observability, prominence, and uniqueness and (ii) a user preference related to a type of landmark, and an initial instruction in the navigation instructions is generated and provided via a user interface of the portable device. The initial instruction references the selected navigation landmark.
Claims20
A method for providing initial navigation guidance, the method comprising:
- determining, by one or more processors, a route from a current location of a portable device to a destination, the route including a sequence of directed sections;
- generating, by the one or more processors, navigation instructions to guide a user of the portable device along the route to the destination, including, in response to determining that the portable computing device is at rest at the current location:
- identifying candidate navigation landmarks perceptible within a 360-degree range of the current location of the portable device using (i) one or more metrics of observability, prominence, and uniqueness and (ii) a user preference related to a type of landmark,
- selecting, from among the candidate navigation landmarks, a navigation landmark, and
- generating an initial instruction in the navigation instructions, the initial instruction referencing the selected navigation landmark;
- and
- causing the initial navigation instruction to be provided via a user interface of the portable device.
A system comprising:
- processing hardware;
- a non-transitory memory readable by the processing hardware and storing thereon instructions that, when executed by the processing hardware, cause the system to:
- determine a route from a current location of a portable device to a destination, the route including a sequence of directed sections,
- generate navigation instructions to guide a user of the portable device along the route to the destination, including, in response to determining that the portable computing device is at rest at the current location:
- identify candidate navigation landmarks perceptible within a 360-degree range of the current location of the portable device using (i) one or more metrics of observability, prominence, and uniqueness and (ii) a user preference related to a type of landmark,
- select, from among the candidate navigation landmarks, a navigation landmark,
- generate an initial instruction in the navigation instructions, the initial instruction referencing the selected navigation landmark;
- and
- cause the initial navigation instruction to be provided via a user interface of the portable device e.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.