US 8,577,604 B1 · System and method of determining map coordinates from images

Abstract

Systems and methods provide approximations of latitude and longitude coordinates of objects, for example a business, in street level images. The images may be collected by a camera. An image of a business is collected along with GPS coordinates and direction of the camera. Depth maps of the images may be generated, for example, based on laser depth detection or displacement of the business between two images caused by a change in the position of the camera. After identifying a business in one or more images, the distance from the camera to a point or area relative to the business in the one or more images may be determined based on the depth maps. Using this distance and the direction of the camera which collected the one or more images and GPS coordinates of the camera, the approximate GPS coordinates of the business may be determined.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

accessing a plurality of images, each image of the plurality being associated with geographic location information and direction information identifying a view point of a camera that captured the image;
identifying a portal in an image of the plurality of images, wherein the portal is associated with a point of interest identified by a location of a map marker in map data;
accessing surface depth data identifying one or more distances from the geographic location of the camera that captured the image to objects of the image;
determining a distance from the camera that captured the image to the portal in the image based on the surface depth data;
determining, by a processor, an approximate geographic location of the portal based on the determined distance and the geographic location information and direction information associated with the image;
and
using the approximate geographic location of the portal to adjust the location of the map marker in the map data.

4 more elements

A device comprising:

memory storing the plurality of images, each of the plurality of images being associated with geographic location information and direction information identifying a view point of a camera that captured the image;
a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to:
identify the portal in and image of the plurality of images, wherein the portal is associated with a point of interest identified by a location of a map marker in map data;
access surface depth data identifying one or more distances from the geographic location of the camera that captured the image to objects of the image;
determine a distance from the camera that captured the image to the portal in the image based on the surface depth data;
determine an approximate geographic location of the portal based on the determined distance and the geographic location information and direction information associated with the selected image;
and
use the approximate geographic location of the portal to adjust the location of the map marker in the map data.

5 more elements

A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium on which computer readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

accessing a plurality of images, each image of the plurality being associated with geographic location information and direction information identifying a view point of a camera that captured the image;
identifying a portal in an image of the plurality of images, wherein the portal is associated with a point of interest and provides access to the point of interest, and the point of interest is identified a map marker in map data;
accessing surface depth data identifying one or more distances from the geographic location of the camera that captured the image to objects of the image;
determining a distance from the camera that captured the image to the portal in the image based on the surface depth data;
determining an approximate geographic location of the portal based on the determined distance and the geographic location information and direction information associated with the selected image;
and
using the approximate geographic location of the portal to adjust the location of the map marker in the map data.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method of determining map coordinates from images

Life of this patent

System and method of determining map coordinates from images

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20