Systems and methods for using real-time imagery in navigation

Abstract

To generate navigation directions for a driver of a vehicle, a route for guiding the driver to a destination is obtained, visual landmarks corresponding to prominent physical objects disposed along the route are retrieved, and real-time imagery is collected at the vehicle approximately from a vantage point of the driver during navigation along the route. Using (i) the retrieved visual landmarks and (ii) the imagery collected at the vehicle, a subset of the visual landmarks that are currently visible to the driver is selected. Navigation directions describing the route are provided the driver, the navigation directions referencing the selected subset of the visual landmarks and excluding the remaining visual landmarks.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for generating navigation directions for drivers, the method comprising:
 retrieving, by one or more processors, a video feed from a camera operating in a vehicle to obtain real-time imagery of an intersection controlled by a traffic light; determining, by the one or more processors, a current state of the traffic light;   identifying, by one or more processors, at least two routing options for guiding the vehicle from the intersection to a destination;   selecting one of the first routing option or the second routing option based on the determined state of the traffic light; and   providing navigation instructions corresponding to the selected routing option via a user interface.