GeoVector specializes in linking digital information with places in the real world. Based in San Francisco with an advanced development lab in New Zealand and field offices in Tokyo and Dublin, GeoVector offers applications, tools and technology which significantly change the way mobile devices are used to access location aware information.
GeoVector Corporation began conducting research into augmenting reality in 1991. The company devised a method to use sensors in a device to associate relevant digital information with places on earth.
The basic concept around which most of GeoVector’s R&D has concentrated is that knowing the position and orientation of the device allows the application to create a virtual vector which intersects with objects indexed in databases by their latitude and longitude coordinates and thus provide digital information associated with a place in the real world. GeoVector’s first patent in this domain, since issued as 5,815,411, was filed September 10, 1993.
Early GeoVector work focused on providing vertical solutions. One GeoVector augmented reality design used compass equipped binoculars along with GPS to superimpose nautical maps on the visual horizon thus improving the safety of navigation.
In 1998, the company built a handheld “pointable” information appliance independent of a visual or video element. GeoVector has worked with major device manufacturers and others in the telecommunication industry to facilitate the inclusion of sensors and technology which increase the accessibility and commercial delivery of location based services.
In early 2006, there were sufficient pointing capable handsets in Japan for GeoVector to launch its first commercial product on the KDDI network with support of local partners NEC and Mapion.
In 2008, Google released the first compass equipped Android handset in the US and GeoVector now has pointing applications available outside of Japan.
The company has continued its research and application development in directional searching and augmented reality and has been awarded numerous patents in those areas.