Abstract:
A separate panel may be used to display business icons near images of business entries, if the GIS does not include a business&#39;s front door geolocation. Users may place icons that represent business entities near the entrances to the entity. Also, a concise but extensive display of business listing data (e.g., reviews, summaries, services, hours, etc.) in the display near the geolocation and the presentation of further information upon user actions such as a mouse-overs, may avoid browsing away from the viewing application in order to learn more about the business.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Computerized mapping products have simplified navigation by combining numerous data sources. For example, visual representations of areas on the earth (e.g., graphical maps, aerial, human-scale or street-side, and other image data), may be combined with geographic coordinate system data (e.g., latitude and longitude, vertical datum, Cartesian coordinates, survey data, global positioning system (GPS) data, etc.) to develop computerized maps. Further, the geographic coordinate system data itself may be used to create a computerized representation of an area. As geographic coordinate system data and image data becomes more accurate and widely available, detailed maps have become readily available for use on a variety of computerized devices. 
         [0002]    Geographic Information Systems (GIS) integrate, store, edit, analyze, share, and display geographic data, for example, street addresses or geodetic datum such as lat/long coordinates. In a more generic sense, GIS applications are tools that allow users to create interactive queries (user created searches), analyze spatial information, edit data, maps, and present the results of all these operations, often from several different views of a digitized map (e.g., a graphical image, orthorectified aerial imagery, oblique aerial imagery, or human-scale/street level imagery). The images in the GIS often use a technique generally referred to as “geocoding” to calculate geographic coordinates (e.g., lat/long) from other geographic data, such as street addresses, or zip codes. With geographic coordinates, the features can be mapped and entered into a GIS and displayed, or the coordinates can be embedded into media such as digital imagery via geotagging. 
         [0003]    Each point on the map or image includes a numeric value representing a three-dimensional point. Reverse geocoding is the opposite: finding an associated textual location such as a street address, from geographic coordinates. In a typical GIS, a user may enter a street address and the GIS will access geographic data to display an indication or “geolocation” of that address on a digital image, map, or other illustration on a display of a computing device. However, because of the errors and inaccuracies of the geographic data described above, a geocoded indication of the street address on the illustration often does not provide useful information to the user. For example, the geocoder may locate a street address to within a several meters (e.g., a half block or so), but often lacks the detailed data to accurately locate a usable location for the address, such as a business front door, a suite location, a floor location, etc. Further complicating the display of the information is that a GIS often includes much more information than can be displayed for listed businesses near the business&#39; geolocation (e.g., hours, menus, reviews, payment options, etc.). 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    In a map, street-view, or driving directions application of a GIS, business listing text data may be automatically presented in an accurate map position corresponding to the business&#39; street address. In particular, complications due to inaccuracies in geocoding, and the lack of separate addresses for businesses residing at the same address, but within different suites, units, apartments, etc., may be eliminated by allowing correction or “fine tuning” of a business geolocation by individual users. Business listing and other data may then be concisely displayed in an accurate geolocation to permit in-place browsing and walking or driving navigation to an address while minimizing browsing outside of the GIS application. 
         [0005]    In some embodiments, a separate panel may be used to display business icons near images of business entries, if the GIS does not include a business&#39;s front door geolocation, to prevent deliberate placement of a business location in an incorrect geolocation, or to prevent “stacked” icons for a single geolocation. Image depth information may also be used to enable 3D localization of businesses from user placement of icons in human-scale/streetside imagery. Also, a concise but extensive display of business listing data (e.g., reviews, summaries, services, hours, etc.) in the display near the geolocation and the presentation of further information upon user actions such as a mouse-overs, may avoid browsing away from the viewing application in order to learn more about the business. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a general purpose computing device suitable for hosting a GIS configured as described herein; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a GIS as described herein; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart of one embodiment of a method for updating the geolocation corresponding to a street address; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4   a  is street level view of a plurality of addresses; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4   b  is a street level view of an address that includes a plurality of entities; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4   c  is a street-level view of a plurality of business listings displaying selected business data corresponding to one of the business listings; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 4   d  is a detailed view of the business listing data that displays selected additional business data. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    Although the following text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the legal scope of the description is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this disclosure. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims. 
         [0014]    It should also be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined in this patent using the sentence “As used herein, the term ‘______’ is hereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence, there is no intent to limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication, beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not be interpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in any section of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To the extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning, that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader, and it is not intended that such claim term by limited, by implication or otherwise, to that single meaning. Finally, unless a claim element is defined by reciting the word “means” and a function without the recital of any structure, it is not intended that the scope of any claim element be interpreted based on the application of 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph. 
         [0015]    Much of the inventive functionality and many of the inventive principles are best implemented with or in software programs or instructions and integrated circuits (ICs) such as application specific ICs. It is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such software instructions and programs and ICs with minimal experimentation. Therefore, in the interest of brevity and minimization of any risk of obscuring the principles and concepts in accordance with the present invention, further discussion of such software and ICs, if any, will be limited to the essentials with respect to the principles and concepts of the preferred embodiments. 
         [0016]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary system for implementing the claimed method and apparatus for displaying business data in an accurate geolocation using a GIS includes a general purpose computing device in the form of a computer  110 . Components shown in dashed outline are not technically part of the computer  110 , but are used to illustrate the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1 . Components of computer  110  may include, but are not limited to, a processor  120 , a system memory  130 , a memory/graphics interface  121 , also known as a Northbridge chip, and an I/O interface  122 , also known as a Southbridge chip. The system memory  130  and a graphics processor  190  may be coupled to the memory/graphics interface  121 . A monitor  191  or other graphic output device may be coupled to the graphics processor  190 . 
         [0017]    A series of system busses may couple various system components including a high speed system bus  123  between the processor  120 , the memory/graphics interface  121  and the I/O interface  122 , a front-side bus  124  between the memory/graphics interface  121  and the system memory  130 , and an advanced graphics processing (AGP) bus  125  between the memory/graphics interface  121  and the graphics processor  190 . The system bus  123  may be any of several types of bus structures including, by way of example, and not limitation, such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus and Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus. As system architectures evolve, other bus architectures and chip sets may be used but often generally follow this pattern. For example, companies such as Intel and AMD support the Intel Hub Architecture (IHA) and the Hypertransport™ architecture, respectively. 
         [0018]    The computer  110  typically includes a variety of computer readable media. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by computer  110  and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can accessed by computer  110 . 
         [0019]    The system memory  130  includes computer storage media in the form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM)  131  and random access memory (RAM)  132 . The system ROM  131  may contain permanent system data  143 , such as identifying and manufacturing information. In some embodiments, a basic input/output system (BIOS) may also be stored in system ROM  131 . RAM  132  typically contains data and/or program modules that are immediately accessible to and/or presently being operated on by processor  120 . By way of example, and not limitation,  FIG. 1  illustrates operating system  134 , application programs  135 , other program modules  136 , and program data  137 . 
         [0020]    The I/O interface  122  may couple the system bus  123  with a number of other busses  126 ,  127  and  128  that couple a variety of internal and external devices to the computer  110 . A serial peripheral interface (SPI) bus  126  may connect to a basic input/output system (BIOS) memory  133  containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within computer  110 , such as during start-up. 
         [0021]    A super input/output chip  160  may be used to connect to a number of ‘legacy’ peripherals, such as floppy disk  152 , keyboard/mouse  162 , and printer  196 , as examples. The super I/O chip  160  may be connected to the I/O interface  122  with a bus  127 , such as a low pin count (LPC) bus, in some embodiments. Various embodiments of the super I/O chip  160  are widely available in the commercial marketplace. 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, bus  128  may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, or a variation thereof, may be used to connect higher speed peripherals to the I/O interface  122 . A PCI bus may also be known as a Mezzanine bus. Variations of the PCI bus include the Peripheral Component Interconnect-Express (PCI-E) and the Peripheral Component Interconnect-Extended (PCI-X) busses, the former having a serial interface and the latter being a backward compatible parallel interface. In other embodiments, bus  128  may be an advanced technology attachment (ATA) bus, in the form of a serial ATA bus (SATA) or parallel ATA (PATA). 
         [0023]    The computer  110  may also include other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media. By way of example only,  FIG. 1  illustrates a hard disk drive  140  that reads from or writes to non-removable, nonvolatile magnetic media. The hard disk drive  140  may be a conventional hard disk drive or may be similar to the storage media described below with respect to  FIG. 2 . 
         [0024]    Removable media, such as a universal serial bus (USB) memory  153 , firewire (IEEE 1394), or CD/DVD drive  156  may be connected to the PCI bus  128  directly or through an interface  150 . A storage media  154  similar to that described below with respect to  FIG. 2  may coupled through interface  150 . Other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media that can be used in the exemplary operating environment include, but are not limited to, magnetic tape cassettes, flash memory cards, digital versatile disks, digital video tape, solid state RAM, solid state ROM, and the like. 
         [0025]    The drives and their associated computer storage media discussed above and illustrated in  FIG. 1 , provide storage of computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules and other data for the computer  110 . In  FIG. 1 , for example, hard disk drive  140  is illustrated as storing operating system  144 , application programs  145 , other program modules  146 , and program data  147 . Note that these components can either be the same as or different from operating system  134 , application programs  135 , other program modules  136 , and program data  137 . Operating system  144 , application programs  145 , other program modules  146 , and program data  147  are given different numbers here to illustrate that, at a minimum, they are different copies. A user may enter commands and information into the computer  20  through input devices such as a mouse/keyboard  162  or other input device combination. Other input devices (not shown) may include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, or the like. These and other input devices are often connected to the processor  120  through one of the I/O interface busses, such as the SPI  126 , the LPC  127 , or the PCI  128 , but other busses may be used. In some embodiments, other devices may be coupled to parallel ports, infrared interfaces, game ports, and the like (not depicted), via the super I/O chip  160 . 
         [0026]    The computer  110  may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer  180  via a network interface controller (NIC)  170 . The remote computer  180  may be a personal computer, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or other common network node, and typically includes many or all of the elements described above relative to the computer  110 . The logical connection between the NIC  170  and the remote computer  180  depicted in  FIG. 1  may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or both, but may also include other networks. Such networking environments are commonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets, and the Internet. The remote computer  180  may also represent a web server supporting interactive sessions with the computer  110 . 
         [0027]    In some embodiments, the network interface may use a modem (not depicted) when a broadband connection is not available or is not used. It will be appreciated that the network connection shown is exemplary and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers may be used. 
         [0028]    In further embodiments, an application program  135 ,  145  may include a Geographic Information Systems (GIS), as described herein, and the program data  137 , 147  may include business listings in a data store such as a database or other storage. The computer  110  may also be in network communication with a GIS that is a remote computer  180  that may be configured substantially the same as the computer  110 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 2  is an illustration of what occurs in one embodiments of the method. block diagram  200  of one embodiment of a method of or system for adding detail to an electronic image. Data  205 , which may be business data, such as business information or location, may be stored in a memory, such as a database. The database  205  may store data on a variety of images  210 . An electronic image may be at a street level  215  (human-scale/street-level imagery), from an orthorectified aerial image  220  (a projection onto ground coordinates from images looking straight down from an airplane), or an oblique angle  225  (i.e. taken from an airplane with a camera looking down and 45 degrees forward). 
         [0030]    A user at a computer  230  may review the image  215 - 225 . Data that relates to the images  215 - 225  may be displayed in a separate window  232  of the images  215 - 225 . For example, a strip mall may have several tenants and the data may not be clear as to which location in the strip mall belongs to which business, or more specifically, which doorway belongs to which business. The user may have useful knowledge related to the image  215 - 225 , such as which doorway belongs to which business. The user may drag an icon  245   250  representing the business to the proper doorway. If the user is trusted or a significant number of other users assign the same icon to the same doorway, the location of the doorway and the related data may be stored in a memory  205  such as a database  210 . Further requests for the image  215   225  may illustrate the doorways as labeled. In addition, more data  205  may be available, such as location, contact numbers, URL, etc. In some embodiments, the method may attempt to place the icons  245   250  and the user may have the option to adjust the location to be more accurate. 
         [0031]      FIG. 3  may illustrate a method of adding detail  205  ( FIG. 2 ) to an electronic image  215 - 225 . At block  300 , an electronic image  215 - 225  illustrating a location at a known view level of to a user. As mentioned previously, the electronic image  215 - 225  may be at a street level  215  (human-scale/street-level imagery), from an orthorectified aerial image  220  (a projection onto ground coordinates from images looking straight down from an airplane), or an oblique angle  225  (i.e. taken from an airplane with a camera looking down and 45 degrees forward). The electronic image  215 - 225  may be made up of object  235 ,  240 . The objects  235   240  may be buildings such as strip malls or multi-story building. The entity  255   260  may be a business. Each of the objects  235   240  may have numerous entities  255   260  which are related to displayed movable icons  245   250 . For example, entity (Dr. Jones)  255  may use the “*” icon  245  and the entity  260  (HR Block) may use the “#” icon  250 . 
         [0032]    At block  305 , a movable icon  245   250  that represents an entity  255   260  (Dr. Jones, HR Block) that is visible at the view level may be displayed. The display may be in a separate display window  232  or it may be displayed in a different font. The icon  245   250  may be a representation of an entity  255   260 , meaning that where the icon  245   250  is dragged, the concept is that the entity  255   260  flows with the icon  245   250 . As an example, if the icon  245  is place on a doorway on building  235 , the entity  255  resides in the building  235 . 
         [0033]    At block  310 , the user is allowed to place the movable icon  245   250  to a proper location on the electronic image. The proper location may be the location that the user knows as being the location of the entity  255   260  (Dr. Jones, HR Block). In  FIG. 2 , a user may drag the icon  245  to be on the first doorway of building  235  to indicate that the entity  255  (Dr. Jones) is located in the building  235 . 
         [0034]    In some embodiments, the user is trusted and the placement is taken as accurate. In other embodiments, the user may not be known or may not be trusted and the placement of the icon may be temporary or stored until a trusted user validates the placement. In another embodiment, once a significant number of unknown or un-trusted users have validated a placement, the placement may be made permanent. Further, a trusted user may be able to correct a mistaken placement. For example, an owner of a business may be able to correct the placement of an icon  245   250  for that user&#39;s business. 
         [0035]    At block  315 , the position of the proper location in the electronic image  215 - 225  space may be determined. The user may be viewing an image  215 - 225  of the area surrounding the business  235   240  whose position he will update. Again, the view might consist of human-scale  215 , oblique  225 , or aerial imagery  220 . The image  215 - 225  may also consist of a geo-referenced image created using a synthetic world geometry. The important feature of this image  215 - 225  is that there is a mapping defined from the image space to three dimensions, taking each point in image space to a ray in 3D whose geo-coordinates are known. 
         [0036]    At block  320 , a ray may be projected from the position of the icon  245   250  toward objects in the electronic image  215 - 225  in three dimensions. For a human-scale image  215 , this ray emanates from the camera center through the specified point in the image, such as the doorway. For an oblique image  225 , the ray emanates forward from the camera center through the specified point on the ground. For the orthorectified aerial image  220 , the ray is normal to the earth&#39;s surface at the specified point in the image. The user simply moves the business icon  245   250  to the desired location in the image  215 - 225  being viewed. In application, if the object is a multi-story building  240 , the ray may point toward a floor of the multistory building and the icons may be displayed that relate to entities on or near the floors pointed to by the ray. 
         [0037]    At block  325 , the 3-d proper location of the entity may be resolved using one or more depth maps associated with the electronic image. In order to specify a single geo-coordinate for the business front door geo-location, an additional data source may be needed. For each image  215   225  view used in the system, there may be an auxiliary image with the same (synthetic or real) coordinate system as the viewing image, giving the depth of each point in the image. The method may resolve the ray to a single point in 3D space by determining the intersection of the ray with the surface of the object  235   240  defined by the depth map. 
         [0038]    If the image  215 - 225  illustration is a street level illustration  215 , at block  330  the depth map is created using LIDAR at a similar street level. The LIDAR measurements may be taken at the same time as the street level illustration. If the image  215 - 225  illustration is an aerial image  220 , an oblique image  225  or an overhead map image, the depth map may be created using digital elevation models. For example, if LIDAR indicates a building  235   240  is  40  feet from the street and the icon  245   250  is placed on the building  235   240 , assuming the street location in space is known, the location of the icon  245   250  and related entity can be placed in space. 
         [0039]    At block  340 , the proper location of the entity may be stored in a memory  205 . At block  345 , the proper location may be used to identify the proper location of the entity  245   250  in future electronic images. If the entities are displayed on images, if the placed movable icon  245   250  is selected, additional information may be displayed about the entity that is represented by the selected movable icon  245   250 . The additional information may be displayed in an additional window  232 . The additional information may be a URL for the entity, a summary review of the entity, contact information for the entity and summary information for the entity. 
         [0040]      FIGS. 4   a - 4   d  illustrate application of one embodiment of the method. In  FIG. 4   a,  a street level  215  view of a plurality of building (objects)  235   240  is shown. In the illustration, a separate window  232  displays icons  245   250  and icon descriptions. The icon descriptions are for entities thought to be in the illustration, somewhere. A user can drag the icon  245   250  to known proper locations for the entities, such as a doorway, a window on an upper floor, etc.  FIG. 4   b  illustrates an icon  245  that has been paced on a doorway of a building  235 . The icon  250  is for Fifth Avenue Nails and it can be seen from the awning that Fifth Avenue Nails is in the building  235 . The icon has been placed in the doorway into Fifth Avenue Nails. The location of Fifth Avenue Nails may then be stored in a database  205  to be presented on future maps or illustrations. 
         [0041]      FIG. 4   c  illustrates an embodiment with a further extension of the method. By hovering or selecting a placed icon  250 , additional information  410  about the icon  250  and the related entity may be displayed. The displayed information includes what credit card are accepted, the URL for the business, how to contact the business, etc. In use, the user can find most, if not all, desired information by simply selecting or hovering over a placed icon  245   250 . If more information is desired about a particular topic covered in the summary description in  FIG. 4   c,  hovering or selecting a topic  420  in the summary description (such as Reviews) will result in additional detail  430  regarding the selected topic. 
         [0042]    Although the foregoing text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that the scope of the invention is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possibly embodiment of the invention because describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims defining the invention. 
         [0043]    Thus, many modifications and variations may be made in the techniques and structures described and illustrated herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that the methods and apparatus described herein are illustrative only and are not limiting upon the scope of the invention.