Method, Device and System for Presenting Navigational Information

Abstract

A method and apparatus for presenting navigational information for a mobile device. The mobile device is configured to determine its location, for example via GPS. One or more input images and navigational information are obtained. The input images may be obtained, for example, via a camera. One or more output images are generated by processing the input images to integrate the obtained navigational information. Processing of the input images includes recognizing one or more objects in the input images. The recognized objects may be indicative of navigational instructions, for example, a navigation route.

1 . A method of presenting navigational information on a mobile device, the mobile device configured to determine its location, the method comprising:
 obtaining, by the mobile device, one or more input images;   obtaining navigational information for the mobile device;   processing the one or more input images to integrate the obtained navigational information, wherein processing the one or more input images includes recognizing one or more objects in the one or more input images and said processing the one or more input images further comprises rendering one or more objects, and wherein the one or more rendered objects comprise rendered route objects indicative of two or more navigation routes, each navigation route being assigned a ranking based on one or more route parameters and wherein the rendered route objects are further indicative of said ranking;   generating one or more output images comprising the rendered route objects integrated with the one or more input images; and   
       providing the one or more output images for presentation. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein recognizing one or more objects comprises recognizing one or more navigational objects, each navigational object indicative of one or more navigational instructions. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one recognized object is recognized based on a user specification. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ranking is based on one or more of: condition of the route, length of the route, difficulty of the route, parameters relating to terrain of the route, congestion and traffic along the route and time of day. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein modifying the one or more input images comprises modifying colour of one or more objects depicted therein. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein modifying the one or more input images comprises adding one or more objects. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein modifying the one or more input images comprises modifying one or more objects or removing one or more objects of the one or more input images. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein colour of the rendered route objects is indicative of said ranking. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the rendered objects is indicative of a destination. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said destination is determined by recognizing one or more objects in said input image. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said processing is performed, at least in part, by a communicatively linked remote server. 
     
     
         12 . A mobile device configured to present navigational information, the mobile device configured to determine its location, the mobile device comprising:
 a display control module configured to:   obtain one or more input images;   obtain navigational information for the mobile device;   process the one or more input images to integrate the obtained navigational information, wherein processing the one or more input images includes recognizing one or more objects in the one or more input images and said processing the one or more input images further comprises rendering one or more objects, and wherein the one or more rendered objects comprise rendered route objects indicative of two or more navigation routes, each navigation route being assigned a ranking based on one or more route parameters and wherein the rendered route objects are further indicative of said ranking;   generate one or more output images comprising the rendered route objects integrated with the one or more input images; and   provide the one or more output images for presentation.   
     
     
         13 . The mobile device of  claim 12 , further comprising one or more of the following:
 (i) an image capture module communicatively linked to the display control module and configured to capture the input images and provide the input images to the display control module;   (ii) an image display module communicatively linked to the display control module and configured to present the output images;   (iii) an orientation sensor module operatively linked to the image capture module and configured to sense orientation of the image capture module;   (iv) a tilt sensor module operatively linked to the image capture module and configured to sense a tilt angle of the image capture module; and   (v) a motion sensor module operatively linked to the image capture module and configured to sense motion of the image capture module.   
     
     
         14 . A computer program product for presenting navigational information for a mobile device configured to determine its location, said computer program product comprising code which, when loaded into a memory and executed on an associated processor, is adapted to perform the following:
 obtaining, by the mobile device, one or more input images;   obtaining navigational information for the mobile device;   processing the one or more input images to integrate the obtained navigational information, wherein processing the one or more input images includes recognizing one or more objects in the one or more input images and said processing the one or more input images further comprises rendering one or more objects, and wherein the one or more rendered objects comprise rendered route objects indicative of two or more navigation routes, each navigation route being assigned a ranking based on one or more route parameters and wherein the rendered route objects are further indicative of said ranking;   generating one or more output images comprising the rendered route objects integrated with the one or more input images; and   providing the one or more output images for presentation.