Methods for automated and semiautomated composition of visual sequences, flows, and flyovers based on content and context

• US 7,610,560 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Horvitz, Eric J., Sarin, Raman K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton; Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dasgupta; Soumya
• Application Number:
  US11/171,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20060103674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4092 Image resolution transcoding, e.g. by using client-server architectures

Abstract

A system with the ability to dynamically compose a sequence of visual views or flows allowing a single object or region, or multiple objects or regions, to be viewed from different perspectives and visual distances is described. The sequence of views can provide smooth flyovers over positions and details on objects that are deemed to be of interest, with changes in zoom level and/or velocity that are functions of the estimated complexity and/or unfamiliarity with features of the object. In an example, a flyover displaying different views on a map of a city arterial system on a small-screened mobile device is composed based on current traffic conditions, swooping up and down with parabolic trajectories, based on distances being traversed, and pausing at times over key traffic jams and other findings of interest based on the estimated visual complexity and predicted atypicality of situations.

Claims

1. A system that dynamically composes a sequence of visual views comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein computer executable instructions to implement the system, including;

a user interface engine component that receives display content for the sequence of views;

a rendering component that automatically renders the sequence of visual views on a display component by connecting each view of the sequence of views in a conceptual or geometrical manner per angels and transitions to create a seamless graphical depiction of traversal of the sequence of visual views, wherein connecting each view of the sequence of views includes determining an amount of time to display each view within the sequence of visual views based at least in part on a determined complexity or a user'"'"'s familiarity with the rendered views, and wherein connecting each view includes altering a zoom level of the sequence of visual views from a first point of interest in the sequence of visual views to a second point of interest in the sequence of visual views.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising the display component that outputs the sequence of visual views.

3. The system of claim 1, the sequence of visual views automatically rendered by the rendering component relates to a contiguous two dimensional object.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the rendering component connecting each view of the sequence of views includes determining an amount of time to display each view is based at least in part upon existence and location of at least one point of interest in at least one of the one or more views.

5. The system of claim 4, the first or second point of interest in the sequence of visual views automatically rendered by the rendering component is defined by way of analysis of contextual data or inferentially defined.

6. The system of claim 1, content of the sequence of visual views automatically rendered by the rendering component is explicitly selected by a user or inferred as a function of one or more of user history or user context.

7. The system of claim 1, fUrther comprising a logging component that logs contextual data associated with the system, the logged data employed in connection with selecting content of views within the sequence of visual views.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a tilt component that provides a perception of banking within the sequence of visual views as the sequence of views displays turning in a route.

9. The system of claim 1, the sequence of visual views automatically rendered by the rendering component relates to a map that comprises at least one roadway and indicates at least one traffic pattern thereon.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a predictive model that provides the rendering component with predictions that relate to content of views within the sequence of visual views.

11. The system of claim 1, content of the sequence of views automatically rendered by the rendering component is based at least in part upon one or more of a current situation or a predicted situation.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the rendering component connecting each view of the sequence of views includes determining the amount of time to display each view based at least in part upon one or more of location of the view within the sequence of visual views.

13. A computer implemented method for providing a user with a dynamically composed sequence of views, comprising:

employing a processor to execute computer executable instructions stored in memory to perform the following acts;

constructing a flyover of a representation of an object; and

rendering a seamless graphical depiction of the flyover to on a portable device by conceptually or geometrically connecting views per angles and transitions such that a magnification level of the flyover is continuously altered a function of distance from a point of interest of the flyover where a velocity of the rendering of the flyover is a function of the user'"'"'s familiarity with the flyover views.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

identifying a point of interest within the flyover; and

outputting the flyover such that a perceived altitude within the flyover and a perceived velocity of the flyover is based at least in part upon location of the point of interest.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising configuring the flyover so that it is time-dependent, the configuration is based at least in part upon goals of a user.