Virtual tour of user-defined paths in a geographic information system
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented methodology for presenting virtual tours of user-defined paths in a geographic information system (GIS), the method comprising:
- sending a plurality of user-defined locations to a server of the GIS;
receiving a route from the server including the plurality of locations, the route being decimated into a plurality of points;
providing at a first zoom level the route for display to a user; and
in response to the user selecting the route, simulating a fly-through of the route from start to stop locations, including any intermediate locations, using a virtual camera in a three-dimensional model, the virtual camera having an azimuth and the azimuth determined at each of the plurality of points in the decimated route, thereby providing the user a virtual tour of the route.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Interactive geographic information systems (GIS) and techniques provide users with a greater degree of flexibility, utility, and information. A markup language facilitates communication between servers and clients of the interactive GIS, which enables a number of GIS features, such as network links (timebased and/or view-dependent dynamic data layers), ground overlays, screen overlays, placemarks, 3D models, and stylized GIS elements, such as geometry, icons, description balloons, polygons, and labels in the viewer by which the user sees the target area. Also, “virtual tours” of user-defined paths in the context of distributed geospatial visualization is enabled. Streaming and interactive visualization of filled polygon data are also enabled thereby allowing buildings and other such features to be provided in 3d. Also, techniques for enabling ambiguous search requests in a GIS are provided.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented methodology for presenting virtual tours of user-defined paths in a geographic information system (GIS), the method comprising:
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sending a plurality of user-defined locations to a server of the GIS; receiving a route from the server including the plurality of locations, the route being decimated into a plurality of points; providing at a first zoom level the route for display to a user; and in response to the user selecting the route, simulating a fly-through of the route from start to stop locations, including any intermediate locations, using a virtual camera in a three-dimensional model, the virtual camera having an azimuth and the azimuth determined at each of the plurality of points in the decimated route, thereby providing the user a virtual tour of the route. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A machine-readable medium encoded with instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause the processor to carry out a process for presenting virtual tours of user-defined paths in a geographic information system (GIS), the process comprising:
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sending a plurality of user-defined locations to a server of the GIS; receiving a route from the server including the plurality of locations, the route being decimated into a plurality of points; providing at a first zoom level the route for display to a user; and in response to the user selecting the route, simulating a fly-through of the route from start to stop locations, including any intermediate locations, using a virtual camera in a three-dimensional model, the virtual camera having an azimuth and the azimuth determined at each of the plurality of points in the decimated route, thereby providing the user a virtual tour of the route. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A geographic information system (GIS) for presenting virtual tours of user-defined paths, the system comprising:
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means for sending a plurality of user-defined locations to a server of the GIS; means for calculating a route comprising the user-defined locations; means for decimating the route into a plurality of points; means for receiving the route from the server including the plurality of locations; means for providing at a first zoom level the route for display to a user; and in response to the user selecting the route, means for simulating a fly-through of the route from start to stop locations, including any intermediate locations, using a virtual camera in a three-dimensional model, the virtual camera having an azimuth and the azimuth determined at each of the plurality of points in the decimated route, thereby providing the user a virtual tour of the route. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A machine-readable medium encoded with instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause the processor to carry out a process for presenting virtual tours of user-defined paths in a geographic information system (GIS), the process comprising:
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receiving a user-defined path from a user; providing the path for display to the user; and in response to the user selecting the path, decimating the path into a plurality of points, simulating a fly-through of the path from start to stop locations, including any intermediate locations, using a virtual camera in a three-dimensional model, the virtual camera having an azimuth and the azimuth determined at each of the plurality of points in the decimated route, thereby providing the user a virtual tour of the path.
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Specification