Map Server Extracts Location from Multimedia Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Non-GPS enabled mobile devices lack the ability to readily determine and display contemporaneous location-based maps, requiring users to manually input address information for map access via an internet connection, which is tedious and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a map server connected to non-GPS enabled mobile devices via a network, utilizing multimedia data analysis to extract location information from captured images or audio, accessing a map database to generate and send map images back to the device for display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS technology is added to mobile devices to enable location determination, then location accuracy is improved, but device cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary that performs the complex GPS-like location determination function remotely. The mobile device captures images and sends them to the server, which then determines location and returns map information. This transfers the computational burden and hardware requirements from the mobile device to the server, enabling location-based services without GPS hardware in the device.
2Ease of operation
If manual address entry is required to obtain map information, then map information can be obtained, but user operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical process of manual keyboard entry with an automated image recognition system. The device captures an image of the address using the camera, and the server's image recognition module automatically extracts the address information from the image, eliminating the need for manual typing and significantly reducing the time and effort required.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by allowing the device to automatically capture and transmit address information through image recognition. The user simply points the camera at the address, and the system autonomously extracts the address data and retrieves the corresponding map information without requiring manual input or intervention.
3Ease of operation
If image recognition is used to determine location from captured images, then manual input is eliminated, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The server acts as an intermediary that handles the complex image recognition and location determination processing. The mobile device only needs to capture images and transmit them, while the server performs the sophisticated image analysis, address extraction, and location matching. This distributes the processing complexity from the device to the server infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary method for providing contemporaneous maps to a user at a non-GPS enabled mobile device comprises obtaining a request from the mobile device, decoding the request to obtain multimedia data, analyzing the multimedia data to obtain location information, accessing a map database using the location information, generating a map image based on data from the map database, generating a response including the map image, and sending the response to the mobile device to enable a display of the map image at the mobile device.