Floor selection on an interactive digital map

• US 8,464,181 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2012
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bailiang, Zhou, Jones, Jonah
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDUL-ALI, OMAR R
• Application Number:
  US13/541,292
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: 715/848, 715/850, 715/852
• US Class Current: 715/848
• 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: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A digital map of a geographic area is displayed via a user interface, and a 3D representation of a multi-story building located in the geographic area is displayed on the digital map. The 3D representation includes multiple stacked, individually selectable floor maps corresponding to the floors of the multi-story building. A scrolling gesture that includes a motion in a direction substantially along a vertical axis of the 3D representation of the building is received. In response, the floor maps are consecutively activated, and visual attributes of the activated floor map are changed relative to every other floor maps in the 3D representation, so that no more than one of floor maps is activated at one time.

Claims

1. A method in a computing device for providing a digital map of outdoor and indoor locations via a user interface, the method comprising:

displaying a digital map of a geographic area within a viewport on the user interface,

wherein the digital map includes a plurality of map elements representing outdoor physical

entities;

displaying an external representation of a multi-story building located in the geographic

area within the viewport;

receiving a selection of a point on the digital map via the user interface;

in response to determining that the selected point is within the external representation of

the multi-story building;

generating an expanded three-dimensional (3D) representation of the multi-story building, including simultaneously displaying a plurality of floor maps corresponding to different floors of the multi-story building, and

in response to detecting a swipe gesture over a point within the 3D representation of the multi-story building, activating a scrolling function for inspecting the plurality of floor maps, including changing visual attributes of the activated floor map relative to every other one of the plurality of floor maps;

and

in response to determining that the selected point is outside the external representation of

the multi-story building;

providing a plurality of functions for changing the display of the plurality of map elements representing outdoor physical entities, and

activating a pan function in response to a detecting a swipe gesture.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the visual attributes of the activated floor map relative to every other one of the plurality of floor maps is in response to detecting that the point within the 3D representation of the multi-story building is within the activated one of the plurality of floor maps and outside the remaining ones of the plurality of floor maps.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of floor maps are displayed as a stack in partially overlapping manner, and wherein activating the display of one of the plurality of floor maps includes bringing the activated floor map to a foreground whereby no part of the activated floor map is occluded by any other one of the plurality of floor maps.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the expanded representation of the multi-story building includes displaying the plurality of floor maps on a plurality of respective planes arranged in a stack and displayed in a perspective view.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the plurality of floor maps includes displaying a respective contour for each of the plurality of floor maps without displaying internal features of the corresponding floor when none of the floors of the multi-story building is selected.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a tapping gesture indicative of a confirmation of selection of the activated floor map; and

displaying internal floor features for the selected floor map, including not displaying

internal floor features for any other one of the plurality of floor maps.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the outdoor map elements include roads.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of map elements are represented with a one-point perspective.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein plurality of functions for changing the display of the plurality of map elements include at least one of zoom and rotate.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the swipe gesture over the point within the 3D representation of the multi-story building includes a motion along a vertical axis of the 3D representation of the multi-story building.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the visual attributes of the activated floor map include:

displaying internal floor features for the activated floor map, including displaying one or more of (i) internal wall layout, (ii) names of businesses or individuals occupying portions of the activated floor, and (iii) indication of location of building facilities; and

displaying respective floor contours free of internal floor features for the remaining ones

of the plurality of floor maps.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the external representation of the multi-story building includes displaying a low-detail representation of the multi-story building free of individually selectable floor maps.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein displaying the low-detail representation of the multi-story building includes displaying a 3D outline view of external facets the multi-story building.