Method of operating a navigation system using images

1. A method of operating a navigation system comprising:

providing an image of a geographic area through which a portion of a route between an origin and destination passes;

wherein said image provides an approximate 360-degree angle of view of the geographic area,

wherein said image is obtained from a geographic database,

wherein said image provides a land-based viewpoint of the geographic area.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a guidance information overlay on the image.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the guidance information overlay is a route highlight.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the guidance information overlay indicates a path that has been traveled.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the guidance information overlay identifies a main route and at least one alternative route.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the guidance information overlay includes a symbol indicating a feature of one of said routes.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the guidance information overlay is a maneuver arrow.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the guidance information overlay is a label identifying a point of interest.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the guidance information overlay is a label identifying a direction in the image.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the guidance information overlay is a route highlight or a maneuver arrow and a label identifying a point of interest along the route.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing at least one navigation instruction indicating how to follow said portion of said route.

12. A method of operating a navigation system comprising:

providing a photographic image Of a geographic area from a geographic database, wherein said photographic image shows the geographic area from a land-based viewpoint;

overlaying a next route highlight on said photographic image identifying a path to be traveled, wherein the next route highlight extends along the path for a distance visible in the photographic image; and

overlaying a past route highlight on said photographic image identifying a path already traveled.

13. A method of operating a navigation system comprising:

providing a photographic image of a geographic area from a geographic database, wherein said photographic image shows a viewpoint corresponding to a land-based observer;

overlaying a first route highlight in said photographic image identifying a path available for traveling to a destination, wherein the first route highlight extends along the path for a distance visible in the photographic image; and

overlaying a second route highlight in said photographic image identifying an alternative path available for traveling to said destination, wherein the second route highlight extends along the alternative pat for a distance visible in the image.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein one of said route highlights includes a symbol indicating a feature of said corresponding path.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said image is a single view photographic image.

16. A navigation system comprising:

a route guidance application capable of providing a series of photographic images of a geographic region, said series of images depicting a continuous visual representation of a route between an origin and a destination, each of said photographic images include a guidance information overlay that extends along the route for a distance visible in the photographic image; wherein said photographic images are obtained from a geographic database.

17. The navigation system of claim 16 , wherein the images are single view images.