KR20090029129A

KR20090029129A - Path searching terminal and location coordinates providing server and method thereof

Info

Publication number: KR20090029129A
Application number: KR1020070094415A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 이성우
Original assignee: (주)케이티에프테크놀로지스
Priority date: 2007-09-17
Filing date: 2007-09-17
Publication date: 2009-03-20

Abstract

A path searching terminal, a location coordinates providing server and a method thereof are provided to obtain location information of a destination by using a destination image and search a path to the destination. A transmitter(120) transmits a stored image to a location information providing server. A receiver(110) receives destination location information including location coordinates corresponding to the image from the location information providing server. A location recognizer(140) calculates a current location of a terminal. A path generating unit(150) generates a moving path by using destination location information and the current location. The location coordinates are information extracted correspondingly to the image that the location information providing server receives from the terminal.

Description

Path searching terminal and location coordinates providing server and method

The present invention relates to a terminal for searching a route to a destination using location information of a destination and a location information providing server for providing location information, and more particularly, to an image providing server connected to a communication network. A terminal for requesting location information by receiving a destination image from a providing server and transmitting the received destination image to a location information providing server, a location information providing server for analyzing location images to calculate location information of a destination, and a location information providing method And route search method.

The present invention relates to a technology for receiving location information from a mobile terminal, and includes a Global Position System (GPS), a Network, and a Hybrid.

GPS (Global Position System) method is a method of measuring the position and speed of the mobile terminal using a satellite. The GPS method is designed to measure the position by TOA (Time of Arrival) method, which calculates the position by measuring the propagation time of the radio waves emitted from each satellite. Visual information may also be provided.

The network method is a method of obtaining a location of a mobile terminal by triangulation using signals transmitted and received by base stations. The network method can be classified into self positioning and remote positioning according to the subject who measures the position. Self positioning uses the forward link to measure the location of the user of the mobile terminal, and remote positioning uses the reverse link to receive radio waves from each base station and then to a specific location server. Send and measure the position of the mobile terminal.

The network method may be classified into an Angle of Arrival (AOA), a Time of Arrival (TOA), and a Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) according to a measurement used. An Angle of Arrival (AOA) requires an array antenna to obtain an angle at which radio waves are received and is mainly used for a remote positioning method. Time of Arrival (TOA) or Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) requires synchronization between base stations. In the CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) method, synchronization is performed between base stations using GPS.

The network method can measure the location of a mobile terminal indoors or underground because the wireless network has high transmission and reception power.

Hybrid method combines the advantages of GPS method and network method, which is as accurate as GPS method and can measure the position of mobile terminal indoors or underground like network method.

The existing methods for setting and searching a route from a mobile terminal to a destination exist in the past, but the existing methods are cases in which the user knows the destination or the location or address of the destination. However, in the present invention, when the destination information is not known and only the destination image data is included, the destination image is transmitted to the location information providing server to receive the location information of the destination including the location coordinates of the destination, and to the destination. An apparatus and method for enabling path setting and path pacing are provided.

Other objects of the present invention will be readily understood through the following description of the embodiments.

In order to achieve the object as described above, according to an aspect of the present invention, a transmission unit for transmitting the stored image to the location information providing server through a communication network and the object including a position coordinate corresponding to the image from the location information providing server A location receiving unit for receiving the current location information, a location recognizing unit for calculating a current location of the terminal, and a path generating unit for generating a moving path using the destination location information and the current location, wherein the location coordinates are provided by the location information providing server. The terminal is characterized in that the extracted information corresponding to the image received from the terminal.

Here, the image may be received and stored from an image providing server coupled through a communication network.

The apparatus may further include a screen unit displaying the generated movement path.

The position recognition unit may further include a Global Position System (GPS) module.

The location recognizer may calculate a current location of the terminal using a location based service (LBS).

The apparatus may further include a map data storage configured to store map data, wherein the map data storage may provide map data such that a map is displayed on the screen under the control of the route generator.

The map data storage unit may be a storage medium including any one of a RAM and a flash memory.

Here, the map data storage unit may be any one of a mobile storage medium fixed to or detachable from the terminal.

Here, the location coordinates may be any one of latitude-longitude coordinates using latitude or longitude or X-Y coordinates indicating an arbitrary position on the map.

In addition, the location information providing server, the image receiving unit for receiving the image from the terminal through the communication network and the destination DB including the plurality of images and the location information including the position coordinates for each image and the image received by the receiving unit and Comparing the images stored in the image DB to calculate destination location information including location coordinates corresponding to the received image and transmitting the destination location information calculated by the image analyzer to the terminal. Provided is a location information providing server comprising a transmitting unit.

Here, the location coordinates may be any one of latitude-longitude coordinates using latitude or longitude or X-Y coordinates indicating an arbitrary position on a map.

In addition, a method for providing location information by a location information server to a terminal, the method comprising: a) receiving an image from the terminal; b) calculating destination location information including destination location coordinates corresponding to the image by comparing the image with image data stored in an image DB; c) a method of providing destination location information to a terminal, comprising transmitting the destination location information to a terminal.

In addition, a method for a terminal searching a route to a destination, the method comprising: a) accessing an image providing server connected to a communication network; b) downloading an image from the image providing server; c) transmitting the image to a location information providing server; d) receiving destination location information including location coordinates of a destination extracted corresponding to the image from the location information providing server; e) setting a destination using the destination location information and obtaining a current location of the terminal; f) A method of searching for a route to a destination is provided by searching for a route to a destination using the destination position information and current position information of the terminal.

The method may further include performing the process after step c) by using the image stored in the terminal.

Here, the method of acquiring the current position information of the terminal in step e) may be characterized by using a Global Position System (GPS) or a Location Based Service (LBS).

According to the present invention, a terminal user connects to an image providing server providing destination image data using a communication network, and receives a destination image from the server. The terminal then transmits the destination image to the location information providing server. The location information providing server calculates the location coordinates of the destination by comparing and analyzing the destination image with the image data stored in the image DB. Thereafter, the location information providing server transmits the calculated location coordinates of the destination to the terminal. The terminal may set a destination using the location coordinates of the destination and search for a route to the destination.

That is, the present invention has the effect that it is possible to obtain information including the position coordinates of the destination only by the destination image even without detailed information about the destination.

In addition, there is an effect that can set the route to the destination using the location coordinates of the destination and can search for the route.

As the invention allows for various changes and numerous embodiments, particular embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the written description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, it should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be referred to as the second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as the first component. The term and / or includes a combination of a plurality of related items or any item of a plurality of related items.

In this specification, terms such as "comprising" or "consisting of" from one component to another component designate that there is a feature, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described on the specification. It is to be understood that the present invention does not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or the addition of one or more other features or steps, operations, components, components or combinations thereof. Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Terms such as those defined in the commonly used dictionaries should be construed as having meanings consistent with the meanings in the context of the related art, and shall not be construed in ideal or excessively formal meanings unless expressly defined in this application. Do not.

The configuration, features and advantages of the present invention described above will become more apparent from the detailed description through the following embodiments. First of all, in adding reference numerals to the components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components have the same number as much as possible even if displayed on different drawings.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a method for providing location coordinates to a terminal according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a block diagram of an entire system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the location coordinate providing system includes a terminal 100, an image providing server 200, an image DB 300, and a location information providing server 400.

The terminal 100 accesses the image providing server 200 through a communication network. In addition, the terminal 100 may select and receive a destination image provided by the connected image providing server 200. In addition, the terminal 100 may transmit the received destination image to the location information providing server 400 and request destination location information including the location coordinates of the destination. In addition, the terminal 100 may set the route to the destination and search for the route using the destination location information including the location coordinates of the destination provided by the location information providing server 400.

The image providing server 200 is a server connected to a communication network including the Internet or a wireless network and stores image data. The image may be an image of a specific place, for example, an image of a famous tourist destination or a tourist destination.

The image providing server 200 according to the present invention may be a server including an Internet site connected to the Internet, or may be a server 200 in which a wireless communication service provider or a separate service provider interworks with a communication network to provide image data. .

For example, the image providing server 200 may be a server providing information of a travel destination or a tourist destination on the Internet, and may be a server providing image data of a famous tourist destination provided by a wireless communication service provider.

The image providing server 200 receives a request for transmission of specific image data from the terminal 100 and transmits the image data to the terminal 100.

The image DB 300 matches image data of a travel destination or a tourist destination with location information including location coordinates of the travel destination or a tourist destination and stores the data in a table form. The image DB 300 includes a storage medium capable of storing information, and may be interlocked with the location information providing server 400 or included in the location information providing server 400.

The location information stored in the image DB 300 may include a place name, an address, a location coordinate, and the like.

The location information providing server 400 compares and analyzes the image received from the terminal 100 with the images stored in the image DB 300. As a result of the analysis, the terminal transmits the location information including the location coordinates of the place indicated by the image to the terminal 100.

The location information provided by the location information providing server 400 may include a place name, an address, a location coordinate, and the like.

2 is a block diagram of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the terminal 100 includes an image receiver 110, an image transmitter 120, a location information receiver 130, a location recognizer 140, a path generator 150, a controller 160 and a screen. The unit 170 is included. In FIG. 2, the image receiver 110 and the location information receiver 130 are shown as separate components for convenience of description, but may be integrated into a single receiver that performs a function of receiving arbitrary data from a transmitter. Is self explanatory. However, hereinafter, the image receiving unit 110 and the location information receiving unit 130 will be described.

The image receiving unit 110 receives an image (for example, an image of a destination to be visited, etc., from the image providing server 200, and is referred to as a destination image for convenience of description).

The received image is transmitted to the location information providing server 400 through the image transmitter 120 under the control of the controller 160. In addition, the image receiver 110 may include a memory unit (not shown) that stores the received image. The image stored in the memory unit may be transmitted to the location information providing server 400 through the image transmitter 120 by a user's key manipulation. In addition, the image receiving unit 110 may perform a function of A / D converting the D / A converted image data received through the wireless network.

The image transmitter 120 transmits the image received from the image providing server 200 through the image receiving unit 110 to the location information providing server 400 under the control of the controller 160.

The image transmitter 120 may also perform a function of D / A conversion of image data in order to transmit the image data through a wireless network.

The location information receiver 130 receives destination location information including location coordinates of the destination from the location information providing server 400.

The location recognizing unit 140 calculates a current location of the terminal 100 using a global position system (GPS) or a location based service (LBS). When the current position of the terminal is calculated using the global position system (GPS), a global position system (GPS) module or related configuration will be included. In addition, when calculating the current location of the terminal using the LBS (Location Based Service) will include the LBS (Location Based Service) related components.

The current position of the terminal 100 calculated using the Global Position System (GPS) or Location Based Service (LBS) is output to the path generation unit 150 under the control of the control unit 160 and then the location information receiving unit 130. It is used to generate and search the moving path to the destination along with the position coordinate of the destination received from the destination.

The route generator 150 generates a route to the destination using location information including the location coordinates of the destination and the current location of the terminal.

In addition, the path generation unit 150 receives the location information of the destination from the location information receiving unit 130 and receives the current location of the terminal 100 from the location recognizing unit 140.

In addition, the path generation unit 150 displays the location of the destination and the current location of the terminal 100 using the location information of the destination received under the control of the controller 160 and the current location of the terminal 100. ), And calculates a moving path (for example, the shortest path or the shortest time path) from the current location of the terminal 100 to the destination to be displayed on the screen unit 170.

The controller 160 controls each component of the terminal 100, controls the image receiver 110 to receive image data from the image providing server 200, and the image transmitter 120 transmits the image data to the location information providing server 400. Control to send).

In addition, the location information receiver 130 controls to receive the destination location information including the location coordinates of the destination from the location information providing server 400, and controls to transmit the location information of the destination to the path generation unit 150. It also functions.

In addition, the location recognition unit 140 controls to calculate the current location of the terminal 100 using a global position system (GPS) or a location based service (LBS), and generates a path generation unit using the current location of the terminal 100. It also performs the function of controlling to transmit to 150.

In addition, the path generation unit 150 controls to generate a moving path to the destination, and the screen unit 170 controls to display the path to the destination.

The screen unit 170 displays a route from the route generator 150 to the destination calculated by the route generator 150 and performs a display function of the other terminal 100.

3 is a view showing a removable map storage of the terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The map storage unit 180 is a storage medium for storing map data, and interlocks with the path generation unit 150 to display a moving path to a destination on the screen unit 170. The map storage unit 180 may be fixed to the terminal 100 in the form of a RAM or Flash memory, or may be detachably mounted to the terminal 100 in the form of a secure digital (SD) card. . 3 illustrates a map storage unit 180 that can be attached to or detached from the terminal 100 in the form of a secure digital (SD) card.

4 is a block diagram of a location information providing server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the location information providing server 400 includes a receiver 410, an image analyzer 420, and a transmitter 430. The image DB 300 may be included in the location information providing server 400 and may be configured independently of the location information providing server 400.

The receiver 410 receives image data transmitted by the terminal 100. When the data received through the wireless network is analog data, the receiver 410 may perform an A / D conversion function for converting the data into digital data.

The image analyzer 420 performs a function of comparing and analyzing the image data received through the receiver 410 with the image data stored in the image DB 300. The image analyzer 420 compares the received image data with image data stored in the image DB 300 and calculates location coordinates and location information of the destination. As a method of comparing and analyzing the image data and the image data stored in the image DB 300, a conventionally known content based image retrieval technique may be used. The content based image retrieval technique is a technique that compares and analyzes the similarity between images and finds that the objects or places represented by the compared images are well known to those skilled in the art, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The image analyzer 420 compares the received image with an image stored in the image DB 300 by using a content based image retrieval technique, and the like to display an image indicating a place where the two images are identical ( In other words, if it is determined that the image is the same or large in similarity, the location coordinates and location information (that is, location coordinates and location information of the place represented by the image) stored in the image DB 300 and matched with the corresponding image are located in the destination coordinates. And location information. For example, when the received image is an image of the Yeongdeungpo area, the image analyzer 420 receives the image data of the Yeongdeungpo area received through the receiving unit 410 and performs a comparative analysis with the image data stored in the image DB 300. do. As a result of the comparative analysis, if it is determined that the image of the Yeongdeungpo area stored in the image DB 300 and the destination image are the same image or the image having high similarity, the image of the Yeongdeungpo area is matched with the image of the Yeongdeungpo area in the image DB 300 and stored in a table form. The position coordinates and the position information of the station are calculated as the position coordinates and the position information of the destination.

The location coordinates of the destination may be latitude and longitude coordinates, and may be represented by other X-Y coordinates. The transmitter 430 transmits destination location information including the location coordinates of the destination calculated by the image analyzer 420 to the terminal 100. When transmitting the destination location information as analog data, the transmitter 430 may perform a D / A conversion process on the corresponding data.

Image DB 300 is a database (DB) that stores the image data for the location displayed on the map, such as tourist attractions or famous buildings. The image DB 300 may be stored in the form of a table so that the image, the position coordinates represented by the image, and the position information match each other.

The location information providing server 400 may be a server for providing a wireless communication service provider or a separate service provider to operate in conjunction with a wireless network.

5 is a diagram illustrating a latitude and longitude coordinate system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As described above, the position coordinates for the destination may be represented using latitude and longitude.

For example, as a result of comparing and analyzing the destination image with the images stored in the image DB 300, if the destination is the Yeongdeungpo station, the position coordinates of the Yeongdeungpo area are represented by latitude and longitude coordinates as follows.

Latitude (37x30'56.76 "N) and Longitude (126x54'27.71" E).

The image DB 300 is matched and stored in the image of the Yeongdeungpo area and the position coordinates represented by the latitude and longitude of the Yeongdeungpo area.

The location information providing server 400 calculates the location coordinates indicated by the latitude and longitude of the Yeongdeungpo area from the image DB 300 and transmits the location coordinates to the terminal 100. The terminal 100 sets the destination using the location coordinates indicated by the latitude and longitude of the Yeongdeungpo station provided from the location information providing server 400. Thereafter, the terminal user may calculate the current location of the terminal and search for a movement path from the current location of the terminal to the Yeongdeungpo station as the destination. The position coordinate system may use a latitude longitude coordinate system as well as other coordinate systems.

6 is a diagram illustrating an X-Y coordinate system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In the image DB 300, the coordinates of the location coordinates of the specific location on each map are matched and stored in association with the map storage unit 180. The position coordinate value may be represented as a coordinate value using X-Y coordinates. The location information providing server 400 receives the image of the destination B from the terminal and calculates the location of the destination B stored in the image DB 300. The location information providing server 300 transmits the calculated location coordinates a2 and b2 for the destination B to the terminal 100. The terminal user sets the destination on the map using the location coordinates a2 and b2 for the destination B received. Thereafter, location coordinates a1 and b1 of A, which are the current location of the terminal 100, may be obtained to set a path to a destination and search for a path.

The current location coordinates of the terminal 100 may be obtained using a global position system (GPS) or a location based service (LBS). In addition, when the user knows the current location where the terminal 100 is located, the user may directly input the current location into the terminal 100. For example, if the current location of the terminal 100 is located in Gangnam Station, the terminal user may directly input the name or coordinates of the Gangnam Station to the terminal 100 to set the current location.

Thereafter, the path from the current location A of the terminal 100 to the destination B may be searched.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a process of requesting location coordinates and receiving the requested location coordinates according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The terminal 100 is connected to the image providing server 200 through a wireless network (S700). The terminal 100 selects a specific image as a destination among the images provided by the image providing server 200 and receives the selected destination image (S710). Thereafter, the terminal 100 transmits the received image to the location information providing server 400 (S720).

Alternatively, the terminal 100 may transmit the stored image to the location information providing server 400. The stored image may be an image provided from the image providing server 200 in the past.

The location information providing server 400 compares and analyzes the destination image received from the terminal 100 with the image data stored in the image DB 300 (S730).

The above-described content based image retrieval technique or computer vision technique may be used for image analysis. For example, if the destination image is an image of the Yeongdeungpo area, the location information providing server compares the image data stored in the image DB with the image data of the destination Yeongdeungpo area. The similarity between the buildings (for example, the shape of the building) on each image and the similarity between the surrounding road and the surrounding background are compared and analyzed. As a result of analysis, the location coordinate or location information that is matched with the image of the image DB and stored as the location coordinate or location information of the destination is only when the probability that the image is the same as the image of the destination Yeongdeungpo area is above a certain level (for example, 90% or more). Calculate. Obviously, the probability value may vary depending on the setting. In addition, when there are a plurality of images having a predetermined level or more of the same image as the destination image, the location information of the plurality of images are all set as the location information of the destination and each location information is transmitted to the terminal. In this case, the terminal user may select from the plurality of location information corresponding to the received destination and determine the location information of the final destination.

The location information including the location coordinates of the destination calculated through the image comparison analysis process is transmitted to the terminal 100 through the wireless network (S740).

8 is a flowchart illustrating a process of searching for a route to a destination using location coordinates according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The terminal 100 sets a destination by using destination location information including location coordinates of the destination (S810). The terminal 100 requests a current position of the terminal 100 from a global position system (GPS) or a location based service (LBS) (S820). The GPS (Global Position System) or LBS (Location Based Service) calculates the current location of the requested terminal (S830). Thereafter, the terminal 100 receives a current location of the terminal 100 from a global position system (GPS) or a location based service (LBS) (S840). Thereafter, the terminal 100 sets and searches a path from a current location of the terminal 100 to a destination (S850).

After determining whether the path search is completed (S860), if the path search ends, a series of processes are terminated, and if the path search is not terminated, the position of the terminal 100 is periodically determined by a global position system (GPS) or a location based service. ) To set and search a route from the current location to the destination of the terminal 100.

An embodiment of the present invention for setting a destination and searching for a route to the destination using location information received from a location information providing server is disclosed for purposes of illustration, and a person skilled in the art having ordinary knowledge in the present invention will appreciate the present invention. Various modifications, changes and additions will be possible within the spirit and scope of the invention, and such modifications, changes and additions should be regarded as belonging to the following claims.

100: terminal

110: image receiving unit

120: image transmitter

130: location information receiving unit

140: location recognition unit

150: path generation unit

160: control unit

170: screen portion

180: map storage unit

200: image providing server

300: image DB

400: location information server

410: receiver

420: image analysis unit

430: transmission unit

Claims

A transmitter for transmitting the stored image to the location information providing server through a communication network;

A receiver configured to receive destination location information including location coordinates corresponding to the image from the location information providing server;

A location recognizing unit configured to calculate a current location of the terminal; And

Including a route generation unit for generating a movement route using the destination location information and the current location,

And the location coordinates are information extracted by the location information providing server corresponding to the image received from the terminal.

The method of claim 1,

And the image is received and stored from an image providing server coupled through a communication network.

The method of claim 1,

The terminal further comprises a screen unit for displaying the generated movement path.

The method of claim 1,

The position recognizing unit comprises a Global Position System (GPS) module.

The method of claim 1,

And the location recognizing unit calculates a current location of the terminal using a location based service (LBS).

The method of claim 3,

Further comprising a map data storage for storing map data,

And the map data storage unit provides map data such that a map is displayed on the screen unit under the control of the route generation unit.

The method of claim 6,

The map data storage unit, characterized in that the storage medium including any one of RAM (RAM) or Flash Memory (Flash Memory).

The method according to claim 6 or 7,

And the map data storage unit is any one of a mobile storage medium fixed to or detachable from the terminal.

The method of claim 1,

The location coordinate is a terminal, characterized in that any one of latitude-longitude coordinates using latitude or longitude or X-Y coordinates to display any position on the map.

In the location information providing server,

A receiver which receives an image from a terminal through a communication network;

An image DB for storing destination position information including a plurality of images and position coordinates for each image;

An image analyzer for comparing destination images received by the receiver with images stored in the image DB and calculating destination location information including location coordinates corresponding to the received images;

And a transmitter for transmitting the destination location information calculated by the image analyzer to a terminal.

The method of claim 8,

The location coordinates server is location information providing server, characterized in that any one of latitude-longitude coordinates using latitude or longitude or X-Y coordinates to display any position on the map.

In the method of providing the location information to the terminal location information server,

a) receiving an image from the terminal;

b) calculating destination location information including destination location coordinates corresponding to the image by comparing the image with image data stored in an image DB;

c) transmitting the destination location information to a terminal.

The method of claim 10,

The location coordinates are latitude-longitude coordinates using latitude or longitude or X-Y coordinates for displaying any position on the map, the method for providing location information to the terminal.

In the method for the terminal to search the route to the destination,

a) accessing an image providing server connected to a communication network;

b) downloading an image from the image providing server;

c) transmitting the image to a location information providing server;

d) receiving destination location information including location coordinates of a destination extracted corresponding to the image from the location information providing server;

e) setting a destination using the destination location information and obtaining a current location of the terminal;

f) searching for a route to a destination using the destination location information and current location information of the terminal.

The method of claim 14,

And performing a process after step c) by using the image stored in the terminal.

The method of claim 14,

The location coordinates are either latitude-longitude coordinates using latitude or longitude, or X-Y coordinates indicating an arbitrary position on a map.

The method of claim 14,

The method of acquiring the current location information of the terminal in step e) uses a Global Position System (GPS) or a Location Based Service (LBS).