System and method for automatically collecting images of objects at geographic locations and displaying same in online directories
US7155336B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 24, 2004 |
| Grant date | Dec 26, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 12, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG09B29/106
- WIPO fieldIT methods for management
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and system are provided for collecting images of objects at geographic locations for publication in an online directory, such as online Yellow Pages. A camera and a GPS receiver, both receiving time information from a synchronized clock, are mounted on a vehicle. Time-stamped images captured by the camera and time-stamped geographic locations (e.g., longitude and latitude coordinates) determined by the GPS receiver are recorded. Each image is then associated with a geographic location based on corresponding respective time-stamps. Thereafter, each image is correlated with a street addresses based on each image's associated geographic location, for example by referring to a lookup table that correlates addresses with geographic coordinates. The address-correlated images may then be used in an online directory, where each listing (e.g., business) can be displayed with an image of an object (e.g., store front) taken at the address in the listing.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.