Sending three-dimensional images over a network

• US 7,551,172 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Skyline Software Systems Incorporated (Aecom Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Skyline Software Systems Incorporated (Aecom Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shor, Ofer, Yaron, Ronnie
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kimbinh T
• Application Number:
  US11/445,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20070094094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 345/428, 345/419, 345/421, 345/597, 345/465, 705/26, 715/760, 715/848, 382/190
• US Class Current: 345/428
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0247 Calculate past, present or future revenues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/16 involving adaptation to the client's capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4092 Image resolution transcoding, e.g. by using client-server architectures

Abstract

A benefit is obtained for sending digital information over a network. The digital information is representative of three-dimensional images which include photographic images. The receiving computer renders the images from the received digital information, and a viewer at the receiving computer can interactively choose a viewpoint or perspective to view the images on a display of the receiving computer. The benefit to the sender can be monetary compensation and/or increased recognition of the sender, for example.

Claims

1. A method of providing information representing physical features of a portion of a three-dimensional surface, the information having a hierarchical structure which includes sets of information at a plurality of different resolution levels, the method comprising:

generating a request associated with the portion of the three dimensional surface including a resolution level parameter;

receiving a first set of information from a memory of a local computer, the first set of information including data corresponding to at least some of the portion of the three dimensional surface associated with the request; and

downloading from a remote server one or more additional sets of information at a resolution level higher than the resolution level of the first set of information when the provided first set of information from the memory is at a resolution level lower than a desired resolution level, the one or more additional sets of information including data corresponding to the portion of the three dimensional surface associated with the request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises elevation attributes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises color attributes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more additional sets of information includes compressed data corresponding to the portion of the three dimensional surface associated with the request.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more additional sets of information is downloaded over the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more additional sets of information is downloaded over the Internet.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

downloading from the remote server one or more further sets of information at a resolution level higher than the resolution level of the one or more additional sets of information, the one or more further sets of information including data corresponding to the portion of the three dimensional surface, when the downloaded one or more additional sets of information is at a resolution level lower than the desired-resolution level.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each successive one or more further sets of information are at a next higher resolution level than the resolution level of the preceding sets of information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sets of information include a description of pixels required to produce a display of the portion of the three dimensional surface.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein downloading the one or more additional sets of information comprises downloading the sets of information from a succession of resolution levels, beginning from a level immediately higher than the resolution level of the first set of information up to the maximal existent resolution level on the remote server not above the desired resolution level.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

downloading from a remote server excess sets of information not currently needed, to store in the local memory when not downloading the one or more additional sets of information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the excess sets of information relates to a location on a predetermined course of a path of a vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein downloading the sets of information comprises downloading the sets of information over the Internet.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying a view from a current viewpoint, wherein downloading the excess sets of information comprises storing in the memory substantially all of the sets of information surrounding a point on the surface seen from the current viewpoint within a predetermined distance range.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein storing in the memory comprises storing in the memory substantially all of the sets of information within the range from a lower resolution level before downloading sets of information of higher resolution levels.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the request includes generating a plurality of requests associated with the portion of the three dimensional surface, an identification of each of the plurality of requests being included in respective distinct sets of information, and wherein the one or more additional sets of information includes information corresponding to the respective distinct sets of information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein sets of information of lower resolution levels are downloaded before sets of information of higher resolution levels.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired resolution is the resolution level associated with the resolution level parameter.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the sets of information are downloaded according to the order in which the plurality of requests were generated.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired resolution level is the resolution level associated with an equipment capacity.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired resolution level is predetermined resolution level.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired resolution level is a function of the available resolution levels.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired resolution level is a function of the rate of transmission of information.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired resolution level is a function of the selected portion of a three-dimensional surface.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired resolution level is a function of user perspective.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired resolution level is a function of perceived distance.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the equipment capacity comprises performance characteristics.

28. An apparatus for providing information representing physical features of a portion of a three dimensional surface, the information having a hierarchical structure which includes sets of information at a plurality of different resolution levels, the apparatus comprising:

a memory of a local computer which stores sets of information representing physical features of the portion of the three dimensional surface associated with a current viewpoint;

a communication link through which the memory receives the information from a remote server; and

a processor which generates a request associated with the portion of the three dimensional surface and a resolution level parameter, retrieves a first set of information from a memory of a local computer, the first set of information including data corresponding to at least some of the portion of the three dimensional surface, and downloads over the communication link one or more additional sets of information at a resolution level higher than the resolution level of the first set of information when the provided first set of information is at a resolution level lower than a desired resolution level, the one or more additional sets of information including data corresponding to the portion of the three dimensional surface associated with the request.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the information comprises elevation attributes.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the information comprises color attributes.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the sets of information include a description of pixels required to produce a display of the portion of the three dimensional surface.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein generating includes generating a plurality of requests associated with the portion of the three dimensional surface, an identification of each of the plurality of requests being included in respective distinct sets of information, the one or more additional sets of information including information corresponding to the distinct sets of information, and the one or more additional sets of information being downloaded according to the order in which the plurality of requests were generated.

33. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein excess sets of information not currently needed are downloaded when the processor is not downloading sets of required information.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the communication link comprises a connection to the Internet.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the excess sets of information relate to a location on a course of vehicle.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the processor stores in the memory substantially all the sets of information surrounding a point in the terrain seen from a current viewpoint in a predetermined range.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the processor stores in the memory substantially all the sets of information from a lower level before downloading sets of information of higher resolution levels.

38. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the one or more additional sets of information includes compressed data corresponding to the portion of the three dimensional surface associated with the request.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the one or more additional sets of information is downloaded over the Internet.

40. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the one or more additional sets of information is downloaded over the Internet.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the one or more additional sets of information includes compressed data corresponding to the portion of the three dimensional surface associated with the request.

42. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor downloads one or more further sets of information at a resolution level higher than the resolution level of the one or more additional sets of information when the downloaded one or more additional sets of information is at a resolution level lower than the desired resolution level, the one or more further sets of information including data corresponding to the portion of the three dimensional surface.

43. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the desired resolution is the resolution level associated with the resolution level parameter.

44. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor comprises a cache manager.

45. A method of obtaining data representing physical features of a portion of a three-dimensional surface, the data arranged according to a hierarchical structure at a plurality of resolution levels, the method comprising:

retrieving locally stored data corresponding to the portion of the three-dimensional surface from a local memory;

determining whether the stored data is at a resolution level lower than a desired resolution; and

when the stored data is at a resolution level lower than the desired resolution, requesting data corresponding to the portion of the three-dimensional surface at a requested resolution over a network, wherein the requested resolution is less than or equal to the desired resolution.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein requesting data comprises providing one or more coordinates corresponding to the portion of the three-dimensional surface.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the stored data comprises a first set of information including data corresponding to the one or more coordinates.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the stored data comprises one or more additional sets of information at a resolution level higher than the resolution level of the first set of information.

49. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

downloading over the Internet excess data not currently needed, to store in the local memory when not downloading additional data.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising:

displaying a view from a current viewpoint, wherein downloading the excess data includes storing in the local memory with substantially all data surrounding a point on the surface seen from the current viewpoint within a predetermined distance range.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein storing in the local memory includes storing in the local memory substantially all data within the predetermined distance range of a lower resolution level before downloading data of higher resolution levels.

52. The method of claim 45, wherein the network is the Internet and the additional data includes compressed data.

53. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of iteratively requesting, over the network, additional data at a resolution level higher than the resolution level of the locally stored data until the resolution of the additional data is higher than the desired resolution.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the requested resolution indicates the desired resolution.

55. The method of claim 45, wherein the step of requesting data consists of a single request.

56. A method of providing information representing physical features of a portion of a three-dimensional surface, the information having a hierarchical structure which includes sets of information at a plurality of different resolution levels, the method comprising:

generating a request associated with the portion of the three dimensional surface including a resolution level parameter;

receiving a first set of information from a memory of a local computer, the first set of information including data corresponding to at least some of the portion of the three dimensional surface associated with the request; and

,

downloading from the remote server one or more additional sets of information at a resolution level higher than the resolution level of the first set of information when the provided first set of information from the memory is at a resolution level lower than or equal to a desired resolution level.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the one or more additional sets of information is downloaded over the Internet.

58. The method of claim 56, wherein the one or more additional sets of information includes compressed data corresponding to the portion of the three dimensional surface associated with the request.

59. The method of claim 56, wherein the sets of information include description of pixels required to produce a display of the portion of the three dimensional surface.

60. The method of claim 56, further comprising:

downloading from the remote server one or more further sets of information at a resolution level higher than the resolution level of the one or more additional sets of information, the one or more further sets of information including data corresponding to the portion of the three dimensional surface, when the downloaded one or more additional sets of information is at a resolution level lower than or equal to the desired-resolution level.

61. An apparatus for providing information representing physical features of a portion of a three dimensional surface, the information having a hierarchical structure which includes sets of information at a plurality of different resolution levels, the apparatus comprising:

a memory of a local computer which stores sets of information representing physical features of the portion of the three dimensional surface associated with a current viewpoint;

a communication link through which the memory receives the information from a remote server; and

a processor which generates a request associated with the portion of the three dimensional surface and a resolution level parameter, retrieves a first set of information from a memory of a local computer, the first set of information including data corresponding to at least some of the portion of the three dimensional surface, and downloads over the communication link one or more additional sets of information at a resolution level higher than the resolution level of the first set of information when the provided first set of information is at a resolution level lower than or equal to a desired resolution level, the one or more additional sets of information including data corresponding to the portion of the three dimensional surface associated with the request.

62. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the processor downloads one or more further sets of information at a resolution level higher than the resolution level of the one or more additional sets of information when the downloaded one or more additional sets of information is at a resolution level lower than or equal to the desired resolution level, the one or more further sets of information including data corresponding to the portion of the three dimensional surface.

63. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the communication link over which one or more additional sets of information is downloaded comprises the Internet.

64. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the one or more additional sets of information includes compressed data corresponding to the portion of the three dimensional surface associated with the request.

65. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the sets of information include description of pixels required to produce a display of the portion of the three dimensional surface.

66. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the processor comprises a cache manager.

67. A method of obtaining data representing physical features of a portion of a three-dimensional surface, the data arranged according to a hierarchical structure at a plurality of resolution levels, the method comprising:

retrieving locally stored data corresponding to the portion of the three-dimensional surface from a memory;

determining whether the stored data is at a resolution level lower than a desired resolution; and

when the stored data is at a resolution level lower than or equal to the desired resolution;

requesting data corresponding to the portion of the three-dimensional surface at a requested resolution from a server, wherein the requested resolution is less than or equal to the desired resolution.

68. The method of claim 67, comprising the step of receiving over the network additional data.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein the requested additional data is received over the Internet.

70. The method of claim 68, wherein the additional data includes compressed data corresponding to the portion of the three dimensional surface associated with the request.

71. The method of claim 67, wherein the additional data include description of pixels required to produce a display of the portion of the three dimensional surface.

72. A method of providing information representing physical features of a portion of a three-dimensional surface, the information having a hierarchical structure which includes sets of information at a plurality of different resolution levels, the method comprising:

generating a request associated with the portion of the three dimensional surface including a resolution level parameter;

receiving a first set of information from a memory of a local computer, the first set of information including data corresponding to at least some of the portion of the three dimensional surface associated with the request; and

downloading from a remote server one or more additional sets of information at a resolution level higher than the resolution level of the first set of information based on a test performed upon the first set of information, the one or more additional sets of information including data corresponding to the portion of the three dimensional surface associated with the request.

73. The method of claim 72, wherein the test is whether the first set of information is at a resolution level less than or equal to a desired resolution level.

74. The method of claim 73, wherein the desired resolution is indicated by the resolution level parameter.

75. The method of claim 72, wherein the test is whether the first set of information is at a resolution level less than a desired resolution level.

76. The method of claim 75, wherein the desired resolution is indicated by the resolution level parameter.

77. The method of claim 72, wherein the test is whether a desired resolution level is greater than the resolution level of the first set of information.