Navigation Using Contextual Color Texture and Structure Cues
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing navigational applications do not effectively provide directions that associate with visual cues, as they rely on distinct landmarks which are scarce in residential and rural areas, and are computationally intensive, overwhelming for humans.
Innovation Solution
A method and processing device that provide navigational directions using contextual color, texture, and structure cues, stored in a database, which can be referenced to offer navigational information as maps, text, or generated speech, including non-photographic cues extracted from images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If distinct landmarks or signs are used as vantage points for navigation, then navigational directions can be provided, but registration of detailed landmarks is computationally intensive for processing devices and overwhelming for humans
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential visual characteristics (color, texture, structure) from landmarks rather than registering complete detailed information. This extraction approach reduces computational complexity while maintaining navigational reliability by focusing on key identifiable features that suffice for wayfinding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates simplified visual copies or representations of landmarks using color, texture, and structure attributes rather than storing or processing complete landmark databases. These visual cues serve as sufficient replicas for navigation purposes, reducing computational burden while preserving navigational functionality.
2Reliability
If detailed landmarks are registered for navigation, then navigational directions can be provided, but this is overwhelming for humans to process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the most salient visual features (color, texture, structure) that humans can easily perceive and remember, eliminating excessive detailed information that would overwhelm users. This selective extraction maintains navigational accuracy while improving human usability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes color, texture, and structure as simplified visual representations that are naturally easy for humans to process and remember. These visual attributes provide intuitive navigational cues without requiring users to process complex detailed landmark information.
3Loss of information
If traditional routing schemes are used, then directions can be provided, but they do not provide sufficient content to associate directions with what a party sees while traveling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges traditional routing information with visual context information (color, texture, structure cues) into a unified navigational system. This integration provides sufficient visual content association without significantly increasing system complexity, as the visual cues are extracted from existing landmark data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds visual context information locally at relevant navigation points along the route rather than throughout the entire system. This approach provides sufficient visual association where needed while maintaining overall system simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and a processing device may provide navigational information including non-photographic cues, such as, contextual color, texture, and structure cues, corresponding to physical entities visible to a party traveling along a determined route. In one embodiment, the non-photographic cues may be previously stored in a database. In another embodiment, non-photographic cues may be extracted from at least one provided image of a geographic area. In a third embodiment, a sequence of non-photographic cues may be automatically extracted from at least one image of a geographic area and, if the sequence of non-photographic cues was not previously saved, the sequence of non-photographic cues may be saved, along with related information, for later use when the sequence of non-photographic cues corresponds to a desired location. The provided navigational information may be presented in a number of ways including a simplified map, textual instructions, or generated speech.