Map Services Platform with Crowdsourced Imagery and Scripting Engine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional map vendors rely on low-resolution satellite imagery that is infrequently updated, and lack mechanisms for automating the map viewing experience or providing dynamically customized maps.
Innovation Solution
A map services platform that collects and utilizes crowdsourced high-quality imagery and video, providing ultra-high-definition aerial and street-level views that are constantly updated, along with a scripting engine for programming maps and a natural language interface for user interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional map vendors use satellite imagery and street imagery, then map data is available, but the resolution is limited and updates are infrequent
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables users to autonomously contribute imagery through their own devices (smartphones, drones, vehicles), eliminating the need for dedicated professional data collection teams. Users capture and upload images themselves, creating a self-sustaining data collection ecosystem that achieves both high resolution and frequent updates
Solution Approach 2:
The platform accepts imagery from multiple diverse sources including smartphone cameras, drones, and vehicle-mounted cameras, each serving different functions. This multi-functional approach allows the system to collect high-resolution aerial imagery from drones, street-level imagery from vehicles, and user-contributed photos from smartphones, all through a single unified platform
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional map vendors provide static map views, then data collection is simpler, but the map viewing experience cannot be automated or dynamically customized
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static map displays to dynamic, programmable map experiences. Users can write scripts that automatically perform sequences of actions such as navigating to multiple locations, zooming to specific areas, and switching between different imagery layers. The maps become living, interactive experiences that can adapt to user needs through programmable automation
Solution Approach 2:
The platform introduces a scripting language and processing layer that acts as an intermediary between user intentions and map display operations. This intermediary layer enables complex customized map experiences while abstracting away the underlying system complexity, allowing users to create sophisticated automated workflows without directly managing the complex infrastructure
Data Source
AI summary
Providing map enrichment with crowdsourced imagery and programmable functionality through a map services platform is disclosed, including receiving imagery from a plurality of contributors; generating one or more map layers utilizing the imagery; and providing a map including the one or more map layers to a user interface.