Identifying Geo-Located Objects

• US 20070282792A1
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bailly, Francois, Rohlf, John, McClendon, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,938,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

A method of providing geo-coded information to a user of a graphical computing device is disclosed. The method includes receiving information identifying a view to be displayed on the graphical computing device, querying a geo-coded database containing information associated with publicly supplied models located in a geography, for one or more models located in the view, and transmitting information identifying the one or more models located in the view.

Claims

1. A method of providing geo-coded information to a user of a graphical computing device, comprising:

receiving information identifying a view to be displayed on the graphical computing device;

querying a geo-coded database containing information associated with publicly supplied models located in a geography, for one or more models located in the view; and

transmitting information identifying the one or more models located in the view.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information identifying a view is in the form of bounding box coordinates.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the one or more models located in the view is transmitted as an XML document.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the one or more models located in the view includes a placemark that identifies the location of a model and a link directed to the model, wherein selection of the link causes the model to be downloaded to the graphical computing device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the information identifying the one or more models located in the view further includes a link to a preview image of the model.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying an image or model of geography located in the view, and transmitting the image or model from a first server that is separate from a second server that transmits information identifying the one or more models located in the view.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a model location using the information identifying the one or more models located in the view, and retrieving a model for the graphical computing device from the model location.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating advertising with the one or more models for display on the one or more models.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving a selection of a geographical location on a graphical computing device;

transmitting information identifying the geographical location to a geography server storing information associated with geographical areas and a model server storing information associated with a plurality of models located at various geographical locations; and

displaying one or more models overlaid on an area of geography associated with a view on the graphical computing device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying one or more images of the one or more models, and displaying the one or more models in response to selection of the one or more images.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the geographical location represents a portion of a whole earth representation.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the model server includes an interface to receive public submissions associated with geo-correlated models and make the submitted models publicly available.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving a search request and displaying images of one or more models associated with the model server in response to the search request.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving a selection of one of the displayed images and displaying a model associated with the selected image on the graphical computing device in response to the selection.

15. A computer-implemented system, comprising:

a geography server storing visual information of geographical areas;

a model server storing information associated with one or more models for display with the geographical areas; and

a correlation structure associating the geographical areas with the one or more models, and configured to receive geo-coded submissions from users submitting models to the system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the models include three-dimensional models of man-made structures.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a publicly accessible model submission interface configured to received models submitted by members of the public and to make the models available for display to members of the public.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the model submission interface is configured to receive modifications to models and to associate unmodified models with corresponding modified models.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the correlation structure comprises a database table.