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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8099237 | Open area maps Systems and methods associated with an open area map are disclosed. For example, one method comprises obtaining an image of a layout. The layout represents a real-world area in which a person moves about. A grid is applied on the image. The grid includes tiles that ... | 01/17/2012 |
| 8086071 | System and method for revealing occluded objects in an image dataset Disclosed are a system and method for identifying objects in an image dataset that occlude other objects and for transforming the image dataset to reveal the occluded objects. In some cases, occluding objects are identified by processing the image dataset to determi... | 12/27/2011 |
| 8078572 | System and method for updating a geographic database using satellite imagery A reporting program and system for updating a master copy of a geographic database is disclosed. According to the method and system, reports are obtained that relate to data contained in a geographic database. Satellite images of the geographic locations represented... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8070608 | Geographic data collection using game play A method is disclosed for collecting geographic data during game play. A game scenario includes an activity for the game player to perform. The game player may be given an incentive within the context of the game for performing the activity. The incentive may be of ... | 12/06/2011 |
| 8026835 | Data mining in a digital map database to identify traffic signals, stop signs and yield signs at bottoms of hills and enabling precautionary actions in a vehicle Disclosed is a feature for a vehicle that enables taking precautionary actions in response to conditions on the road network around or ahead of the vehicle, in particular, a traffic light, stop sign or yield sign located at the bottom of a hill. A database that repr... | 09/27/2011 |
| 8019537 | Method of collecting information for a geographic database for use with a navigation system A method for operating a navigation system computes a pedestrian route for travel by a pedestrian. A request to calculate the pedestrian route from an origin to a destination and a walking preference for the pedestrian route identifying a feature of the pedestrian r... | 09/13/2011 |
| 8010284 | Geographic database including data indicating wireless coverage and method and system for use thereof Wireless coverage data are associated with a geographic database that contains data that represent a road network in a geographic region. The wireless coverage data indicate areas within the geographic region in which navigation-related services or data from a navig... | 08/30/2011 |
| 8010227 | Navigation system with downloadable map data A system and method are disclosed for providing geographic data to end users' mobile units from a remotely located navigation services provider so that navigation functions can be provided locally on the mobile units. The navigation services provider determines one ... | 08/30/2011 |
| 8009061 | Data mining for traffic signals or signs along road curves and enabling precautionary actions in a vehicle Disclosed is a feature for a vehicle that enables taking precautionary actions in response to conditions on the road network around or ahead of the vehicle, in particular, a traffic light or stop sign located along a curved section of road. A database that represent... | 08/30/2011 |
| 7990284 | Providing sponsorship information alongside traffic messages A method and system for providing sponsorship information to a user of a traffic message receiver is disclosed. Sponsorship messages are sent to the traffic message receiver and include data to be stored in the memory of the receiver. The transmission of the sponsor... | 08/02/2011 |
| 7987186 | Method and system for wavelet-based representation and use of cartographic data Cartographic data is represented using wavelet coefficients. Specifically, a cartographic shape point database consisting of shape points and nodes stored on a per geographic feature basis is converted to a cartographic wavelet database consisting of wavelet and sca... | 07/26/2011 |
| 7978232 | Photograph location stamp A camera includes a feature that associates meaningful information with a photograph to indicate where the photograph was taken. The camera includes equipment that determines a physical position associated with an image. An application uses geographic data to determ... | 07/12/2011 |
| 7970749 | Method and system for using geographic data in computer game development A system and method are disclosed for facilitating development of computer games that depict or represent actual, real world geographic areas as part of the play scenarios of the games. A source database contains data that represent geographic features in a region i... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7967678 | Computer game development factory system and method A system and method are disclosed for facilitating development of computer games that depict or represent actual geographic locales or imaginary locales as part of the play scenarios of the games. A computer game factory system includes inventories of map data produ... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7949464 | Method of operating a navigation system to provide parking availability information A method of operating a navigation system includes obtaining a destination location and identifying a parking facility proximate said destination location. The method further includes transmitting a parking message including a determined parking availability. The de... | 05/24/2011 |
| 7924173 | Electronic navigation system and method The invention provides a system for providing geographic information. The system includes a mobile unit having a first geographic database and a base unit having a second geographic database that is more up-to-date than the first geographic database. The base unit r... | 04/12/2011 |
| 7921136 | Method and system for using geographic data for developing scenes for entertainment features A system and method are disclosed for facilitating development of scenes for entertainment features, such as motion pictures or television shows, that depict or represent actual, real world (or imaginary) geographic areas. A source database contains data that repres... | 04/05/2011 |
| 7912638 | Method of collecting information for a geographic database for use with a navigation system A method for operating a navigation system computes a pedestrian route for travel by a pedestrian. A request to calculate the pedestrian route from an origin to a destination and a walking preference for the pedestrian route identifying a feature of the pedestrian r... | 03/22/2011 |
| 7894986 | Method and system for forming a keyword database for referencing physical locations An improved method and system for specifying physical locations when using applications run on navigation systems or other computer platforms that provide navigation- or map-related functions. When requesting a navigation- or map-related function from such an applic... | 02/22/2011 |
| 7856310 | Method of developing traffic messages A method is disclosed for developing traffic messages. The method obtains traffic data indicating collected traffic speeds at various locations on a road network. Traffic messages are developed from the traffic data. The method obtains ground truth data indicating g... | 12/21/2010 |
| 7855659 | Providing sponsorship information alongside traffic messages A method and system for providing sponsorship information to a user of a traffic message receiver is disclosed. Sponsorship messages are sent to the traffic message receiver and include data to be stored in the memory of the receiver. The transmission of the sponsor... | 12/21/2010 |
| 7828655 | Application programming interface for geographic data in computer games A computer game depicts or represents actual or imaginary geographic locales as part of the play scenarios of the games. The computer game uses a map database that contains data that represent geographic features, such as roads, in a locale. A game engine program pr... | 11/09/2010 |
| 7818124 | Method of operating a navigation system using images A method of operating a navigation system determines a route between an origin and a destination and provides a photographic image showing a geographic area through which the route passes. The photographic image is obtained from a geographic database, and the photog... | 10/19/2010 |
| 7814106 | Geographic database organization that facilitates location-based advertising A method of facilitating delivery of advertising to users of mobile computing platforms is disclosed. A geographic database contains data entities that represent geographic features, such as roads, located in a geographic region. Advertising zones are defined within... | 10/12/2010 |
| 7805442 | Method and system for representation of geographical features in a computer-based system Cartographic data is represented using polynomial splines. To improve representation accuracy and reduce storage requirements, a database storing data points (shape points and nodes) is converted into a database of spline control points. The spline control points ar... | 09/28/2010 |
| 7805317 | Method of organizing map data for affinity relationships and application for use thereof 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 ... | 09/28/2010 |
| 7805239 | Method of operating a navigation system to provide parking availability information A method of operating a navigation system includes obtaining a destination location and identifying a parking facility proximate said destination location. The method further includes providing historic parking availability information for the identified parking fac... | 09/28/2010 |
| 7801904 | Navigation system with distributed computing architecture A system and method for providing geographic data to end users' computing platforms. A server maintains downloadable geographic data that are organized into pre-computed parcels that correspond to pre-determined sub-areas into which the entire geographic region serv... | 09/21/2010 |
| 7797104 | Geographic database with detailed local data A method is disclosed for representing locations in a geographic database in a manner that facilitates navigation and routing. A core map database includes data that represents public roads in a geographic region. Each of a plurality of location map databases includ... | 09/14/2010 |
| 7791500 | Providing sponsorship information alongside traffic messages A method and system for providing sponsorship information to a user of a traffic message receiver is disclosed. Sponsorship messages are sent to the traffic message receiver and include data to be stored in the memory of the receiver. The transmission of the sponsor... | 09/07/2010 |
| 7739044 | Method of collecting information for a geographic database for use with a navigation system A method for collecting geographic data identifies a pedestrian segment associated with a path. Location information for the pedestrian segment is collected. Additionally, lighting level attribute information is collected for the pedestrian segment. The location inf... | 06/15/2010 |
| 7737830 | Electronic navigation system and method The invention provides a system for providing tracking information. The system includes a base unit that receives a request from a first mobile unit and provides a response to the first mobile unit. The base unit obtains a current position of a second mobile unit. T... | 06/15/2010 |
| 7730049 | Method for representing the vertical component of road geometry and computing grade or slope A geographic database represents roads including an altitudinal component of the geometry of the roads. The altitudinal component of the geometry of roads is represented using data that indicate straight line segments and vertical curves, in particular parabolic ver... | 06/01/2010 |
| 7689621 | Multi-dimensional spatial index for a geographic database A multi-dimensional spatial index includes at least two dimensions that define physical boundaries of the features represented by the indexed data. In addition, the multi-dimensional spatial index includes at least one additional dimension that represents another pr... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7688229 | System and method for stitching of video for routes A system and method are disclosed for displaying video on a computing device for navigation and other purposes. A map database developer collects video data. The video data is collected by traveling along roads in a geographic area and storing the video data along w... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7672778 | Navigation system with downloaded map data A system and method are disclosed for providing geographic data to mobile units from a remotely located navigation-services provider. When a mobile unit requests route information, the navigation-services provider transmits an initial set of geographic data represen... | 03/02/2010 |
| 7660666 | Geographic database with detailed local data A method is disclosed for representing locations in a geographic database in a manner that facilitates navigation and routing. A core map database includes data that represents public roads in a geographic region. Each of a plurality of location map databases includ... | 02/09/2010 |
| 7657367 | Method of developing traffic messages A method is disclosed for developing traffic messages. The method obtains traffic data indicating collected traffic speeds at various locations on a road network. Traffic messages are developed from the traffic data. The method obtains ground truth data indicating g... | 02/02/2010 |
| 7640595 | Computing system with decryption functions and secure data product A navigation system with decryption functions. The navigation system may receive from a portable data storage medium an encrypted authentication key, an encrypted first portion of a geographic database, and an unencrypted second portion of the geographic database. T... | 12/29/2009 |
| 7634352 | Method of displaying traffic flow conditions using a 3D system A computer-implemented method of displaying traffic conditions on a road system includes creating a 3D graphical map of the road system that includes one or more segments. The status of at least one of the segments on the 3D graphical map is determined. The status o... | 12/15/2009 |
