Navteq North America, LLC

Navteq B.v.

M Salahuddin Khan

James Herbst

Narayanan Alwar

Timothy W Gibson

Frank J Kozak

Matthew Friederich

Jon D Shutter

Robert Gourdine

George B Filley

A photograph repository system includes data storage for storing photographs in the form of digital data files and a search feature that provides for searching for photographs by location and optionally by other search criteria. In one embodiment, a photograph repository service is accessible to users over a common data network, such as the Internet. In the photograph repository service, each stored photograph is associated with a location, i.e., where the photograph was taken and/or the location of an object in the photograph. Users can search for and obtain copies of their own photographs that they had stored previously with the photograph repository service. In addition, users can search for and obtain copies of photographs that had been taken by other users and stored with the photograph repository service. The photograph repository system can also be implemented as a standalone system, a hybrid system, or a peer-to-peer system.

Location-referenced photograph repository

A method is disclosed for providing guidance to a destination with a computing system that uses geographic data indexed by affinity relationships. A user specifies a municipality of relatively greater importance that is located nearby the desired actual destination. The computing system provides guidance to the user to follow a route to the specified municipality. While the user is following the route to the specified municipality, additional routes are calculated to each of a plurality of roads that cross into an affinity domain associated with the specified municipality. Before the user reaches the point at which any of the additional routes diverge from the route to the specified municipality, input is obtained from the user, one or more times as needed, specifying either another municipality progressively closer to the desired actual destination or the actual desired destination. Guidance is provided to the user to follow the routes to the closer municipalities or the desired actual destination.

Method of using map data that has been organized for affinity relationships

An affinity relationship index and a method for using it are disclosed. The affinity relationship index captures, for any given place name, an affinity to one or more potentially more important place names. Each such more important place subtends an affinity domain within which other places are deemed to lie. The index carries this on hierarchically and has the effect of creating a relatively meaningful and minimized structure that can be rapidly searched for a user's intended destination. An application uses these affinity domains to determine the instructions necessary to embark upon a guided journey rather than determining all instructions needed to complete the journey.

Method of organizing map data for affinity relationships and application for use thereof

A system and method are disclosed for collecting data that relate addresses to map-referenced locations. A fleet of delivery trucks delivers items to locations throughout a geographic region. Each item to be delivered includes a tracking code. An electronic code reader device is used to record the tracking code of an item when the item is being delivered. A position determining device, such as a GPS unit, is used to determine a geographic position associated with the delivery of each item. Data indicating the tracking code of an item and the corresponding geographic position associated with the delivery are stored. Then, using data that indicate an address associated with each tracking code, each address is associated with a geographic position. This information is used to revise a geographic database, e.g., to relate addresses to map-referenced locations.

Method and system using delivery trucks to collect address location data

A system and method are disclosed for collecting traffic information. One or more aircraft, such as helicopters, fly predetermined flight paths above a geographic area. The flight paths are determined so that portions of roads for which traffic information are to be collected are within the ranges of remote velocity sensors located on board the aircraft during the flights of these aircraft along their respective flight paths. Each aircraft includes positioning equipment that allows the precise position (i.e., altitude, latitude, and longitude) and attitude (i.e., roll, pitch, and yaw) of the aircraft during its flight to be determined. During a flight along the predetermined flight path, the remote velocity sensor in each aircraft is operated to perform scans of locations on roadways in the geographic area. Using a precise road map database and taking into account the location, velocity and attitude of the aircraft while each scan is being made, data indicating traffic conditions along the roadways are collected.

Growing community of inventors

Lake Forest, IL, United States of America

M Salahuddin Khan