Integrating Maps and Street Views

• US 20140053077A1
• Filed: 04/10/2012
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Unnikrishnan, Sreejit, De, Arijit, Katragadda, Lalitesh Kumar, Komaragiri, Vihari
• Granted Patent: US 9,280,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/747
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/00 Geometric image transformations in the plane of the image
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods

Abstract

Methods and systems for improved integration of an overhead representation (e.g., a map) with a street view representation. A user interface with at least two regions is output for display to a user. One region includes an overhead representation of an area and an interactive control overlaid onto the overhead representation. Another region includes a street view perspective that has a point of view corresponding to a position and directional orientation of the interactive control. Information about a user input that adjusts the interactive control is received and the street view perspective is updated to track the control as it is adjusted. The field of view of the street view perspective may be reflected in the appearance of the interactive control. Additionally, the street view perspective may follow the location of a marker as it is moved around the overhead representation.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

outputting, for display in a first region of a user interface, an overhead representation of an area;

outputting an interactive control for display on the overhead representation, the interactive control having a position and a directional orientation;

outputting, for display in a second region of the user interface, a street view perspective of the area, the street view perspective having a point of view that corresponds to the position and directional orientation of the interactive control;

receiving information about a first user input that adjusts the directional orientation of the interactive control by rotating the interactive control; and

updating the street view perspective to track the directional orientation of the interactive control as the interactive control is rotated.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information about a second user input that changes the position of the interactive control by dragging the interactive control around the overhead representation; and

updating the street view perspective to track the position of the interactive control as the control is dragged around the overhead representation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information about a second user input that tilts the interactive control; and

updating the street view perspective to track the directional orientation of the interactive control as the interactive control is tilted.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the street view perspective has a field of view, and the interactive control has an appearance that corresponds to a size of the field of view.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more features that are visible in the street view perspective are highlighted in the overhead representation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the area is an area of a map.

7. A computer implemented method, comprising:

outputting, for display in a first region of a user interface, an overhead representation of an area;

outputting a visual indicator for display on the overhead representation, the visual indicator having a position and a directional orientation; and

outputting, for display in a second region of the user interface, a street view perspective of the area, the street view perspective having a point of view that corresponds to the position and directional orientation of the interactive control,

wherein the street view perspective also has a field of view, and the visual indicator has an appearance that indicates a size of the field of view.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the visual indicator is an interactive control.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the visual indicator comprises a cone, and the angular size of the cone corresponds to the size of the field of view.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the visual indicator is partially transparent.

11. A computer implemented method comprising:

outputting, for display in a first region of a user interface, an overhead representation of an area;

outputting a first visual marker for display on the overhead representation, the first visual marker representing a map feature;

outputting for display in a second region of the user interface, a street view perspective of the area, the street view perspective having a point of view that faces a position denoted by the first visual marker;

receiving information about a user input that adjusts the position of the first visual marker by dragging the first visual marker around the overhead representation; and

updating the street view perspective to track the position of the first visual marker as the first visual marker is dragged around the first region of the interface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second region of the interface includes a second visual marker that corresponds to the first visual marker.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein updating the first region perspective to track the first marker comprises updating the street view perspective with a point of view that faces the first marker from a street that is closest to the first marker.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the feature comprises at least one of a restaurant, business, building and park.

15. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer code, the code when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform steps comprising;

outputting, for display in a first region of a user interface, an overhead representation of an area;

outputting an interactive control for display on the overhead representation, the interactive control having a position and a directional orientation;

outputting, for display in a second region of the user interface, a street view perspective of the area, the street view perspective having a point of view that corresponds to the position and directional orientation of the interactive control;

receiving information about a first user input that adjusts the directional orientation of the interactive control by rotating the interactive control; and

updating the street view perspective to track the directional orientation of the interactive control as the interactive control is rotated.

16. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer code, the code when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform steps comprising;

outputting, for display in a first region of a user interface, an overhead representation of an area;

outputting a visual indicator for display on the overhead representation, the visual indicator having a position and a directional orientation; and

outputting, for display in a second region of the user interface, a street view perspective of the area, the street view perspective having a point of view that corresponds to the position and directional orientation of the interactive control,

wherein the street view perspective also has a field of view, and the visual indicator has an appearance that indicates a size of the field of view.

17. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer code, the code when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform steps comprising;

outputting, for display in a first region of a user interface, an overhead representation of an area;

outputting a first visual marker for display on the overhead representation, the first visual marker representing a map feature;

outputting for display in a second region of the user interface, a street view perspective of the area, the street view perspective having a point of view that faces a position denoted by the first visual marker;

receiving information about a user input that adjusts the position of the first visual marker by dragging the first visual marker around the overhead representation; and

updating the street view perspective to track the position of the first visual marker as the first visual marker is dragged around the first region of the interface.

18. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing computer program code for controlling a processor to perform the steps comprising:

outputting, for display in a first region of a user interface, an overhead representation of an area;

outputting an interactive control for display on the overhead representation, the interactive control having a position and a directional orientation;

outputting, for display in a second region of the user interface, a street view perspective of the area, the street view perspective having a point of view that corresponds to the position and directional orientation of the interactive control;

receiving information about a first user input that adjusts the directional orientation of the interactive control by rotating the interactive control; and

updating the street view perspective to track the directional orientation of the interactive control as the interactive control is rotated.

19. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing computer program code for controlling a processor to perform steps comprising:

outputting, for display in a first region of a user interface, an overhead representation of an area;

outputting a visual indicator for display on the overhead representation, the visual indicator having a position and a directional orientation; and

outputting, for display in a second region of the user interface, a street view perspective of the area, the street view perspective having a point of view that corresponds to the position and directional orientation of the interactive control,

wherein the street view perspective also has a field of view, and the visual indicator has an appearance that indicates a size of the field of view.

20. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing computer program code for controlling a processor to perform steps comprising:

outputting, for display in a first region of a user interface, an overhead representation of an area;

outputting a first visual marker for display on the overhead representation, the first visual marker representing a map feature;

outputting for display in a second region of the user interface, a street view perspective of the area, the street view perspective having a point of view that faces a position denoted by the first visual marker;

receiving information about a user input that adjusts the position of the first visual marker by dragging the first visual marker around the overhead representation; and

updating the street view perspective to track the position of the first visual marker as the first visual marker is dragged around the first region of the interface.