Patent ID: 6199014
Filing Date: 2001-03-06
Classification: G01C

Abstract:
A system adapted to provide navigational instructions, the system comprising:a communication port adapted to:receive signals representing location information including a starting point and a destination point; andtransmit the navigational instructions;a storage device having stored therein geographical information, photographic information, route processing instructions and photograph matching instructions, wherein:the photographic information includes representations of photographs of actual geographic locations and photograph orientation information;for each representation of a photograph, the photographic information includes coordinates of a location shown in the representation of the photograph and a direction of view of the representation of the photograph; andthe photograph matching instructions include instructions adapted to match coordinates of a representation of a particular photograph with a corresponding geographic location; anda processor connected to the storage device and adapted to:communicate with the storage device;process the location information and the geographical information in accordance with the route processing instructions to obtain a route for travel to the destination point;match geographic locations along the route with the coordinates of representations of photographs thereof in accordance with the photograph matching instructions; andorient the representations of photographs based on the route for travel, thereby determining the navigational instructions for traveling the route including oriented representations of photographs,wherein said processor outputs the navigational instructions using said communication port, thereby providing a user with directions for traveling the route and an oriented sequence of photographic representations of the geographic locations along the route.