Map Display Directions Download Facility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Travelers face challenges in navigating unfamiliar areas due to difficulties in remembering map details, especially for vision-impaired individuals, and limited functionality of mobile devices in areas with no service signal, where downloaded maps may not be effective.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that collects user input data at a map display to generate and download directions to a mobile device, allowing users to navigate from a current location to a destination, using touch screens, gestures, and voice recognition, and converting directions into text and voice formats for wireless download.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a physical street map is provided to assist visitors, then navigation assistance is available, but the visitor cannot remember every detail because of the number of streets and blocks to be crossed
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures an image of the physical map using a camera, creates a digital copy, and processes it to extract directional information. This digital copy can be stored and referenced without requiring the user to remember all map details, solving the contradiction between having comprehensive map information and remembering it all.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts only the relevant directional information from the complete physical map, separating the essential navigation data from the unnecessary details. This allows users to have access to full map information while only needing to remember or reference the specific directions needed for their journey.
2Loss of information
If a mobile device camera is used to capture the map, then digital access is achieved, but the camera cannot capture the map completely or clearly when the map is too large
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the large physical map into multiple smaller image segments captured by the mobile device camera. These segments are then stitched together or processed individually to reconstruct the complete map information, enabling full map access despite camera limitations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from capturing the map in a single two-dimensional frame to capturing it across multiple frames or dimensions. By taking multiple photos from different positions or angles and combining them, the system overcomes the single-frame resolution limitation of the camera.
3Adaptability or versatility
If Braille is indicated on a physical map, then vision impaired users can read the map, but it is still difficult to remember all the map details after reading the Braille map
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the mechanical Braille reading process with optical and digital processing. The camera captures the map (including Braille elements), and software processes the image to extract directional information, which can then be presented in multiple formats (visual, audio, or simplified text) suitable for vision-impaired users without requiring them to remember all details.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy of the Braille map information and processes it to generate simplified directional instructions. This digital representation can be stored and referenced repeatedly, allowing vision-impaired users to access complete map information without the cognitive burden of remembering all details.
4Reliability
If a local map is downloaded to a mobile device before traveling, then offline access is available, but the downloaded map may not work well or be helpful at the destination
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing and processing the physical map at the destination location itself, before the user needs the directional information. This ensures the map data is locally available and tailored to the actual destination environment, rather than relying on pre-downloaded maps that may be outdated or inappropriate.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static pre-downloaded maps to dynamic on-location map capture and processing. The map information is obtained and processed in real-time at the destination, ensuring adaptability to the actual location while maintaining offline accessibility once captured.
Data Source
AI summary
A map-display-based, computer-implemented approach is provided for providing directions to a user to assist the user in reaching a destination. The approach includes, for instance, collecting at a map display user input data, where the user input data includes the user's destination. In addition, the approach includes generating, by a directions generating facility associated with the map display, directions for the user to use in navigating from a current location to the user's destination, and downloading the directions generated by the directions generating facility to a mobile device of the user to assist the user in reaching the desired destination after leaving the map display. The downloading of directions to the user's mobile device may include downloading the directions in at least one of text data format or voice data format.