Displaying and navigating within photo placemarks in a geographic information system, and applications thereof

• US 8,487,957 B1
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bailly, Francois, Rohlf, John, Szybalski, Andrew Timothy, McClendon, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, M Good
• Application Number:
  US12/129,520
• Time in Patent Office: 1,874 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• 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: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to displaying and navigating within photo placemarks in a geographic information system. In one embodiment, a computer implemented method displays a photographic image within geographic information in a geographic information system. The photographic image is displayed at a location within the geographic information when the photographic image is located within a field of view of a virtual camera of the geographic information system. In response to a computer input event, the photographic image is displayed in greater detail.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for displaying one or more photographic images at a location within a three-dimensional (3D) geographic environment of a geographic information system, comprising:

(a) displaying a three-dimensional geographic environment from data received from a geographic information system, wherein the three-dimensional geographic environment represents a planetary body, and wherein the data received from the geographic information system includes the one or more photographic images and location data associated with each photographic image, the location data identifying a location in the three-dimensional environment that corresponds to a geolocation where the associated photographic image was captured;

(b) when a location identified by the location data associated with a particular photographic image of the one or more photographic images is within a field of view of, and at a first distance from, a virtual camera of the three-dimensional geographic environment, displaying the particular photographic image on a photo placemark object represented as a billboard at the location within the three-dimensional geographic environment, wherein the first distance is determined, at least in part, based on whether the particular photographic image, if displayed on the photo placemark object, occupies more than five percent of an image plane derived from the virtual camera; and

(c) when the location identified by the location data associated with the particular photographic image is within a field of view of, and at a second distance from, the virtual camera of the three-dimensional geographic environment, displaying an icon representing the particular photographic image on the photo placemark object at the location, the second distance being greater than the first distance, wherein the second distance is determined, at least in part, based on whether the particular photographic image, if displayed on the photo placemark object, occupies five percent or less of the image plane derived from the virtual camera; and

(d) displaying the photographic image in greater detail, in response to a computer input event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying (b) comprises displaying the photographic image rendered onto a shape.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the displaying (b) comprises displaying the photographic image rendered onto a rectangle, cylinder, or sphere.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying (d) comprises zooming the photographic image in response to a computer input event.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the zooming comprises displaying a different resolution tile of an image pyramid constructed from the photographic image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying (d) comprises adjusting a field of view of the virtual camera to match a field of view of the photographic image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the location data includes a position, and the displaying (b) comprises displaying the photographic image at a position corresponding to geographic coordinates associated with the photographic image.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the location data further includes orientation, and the photographic image includes orientation data and the displaying (b) comprises displaying the photographic image at a location corresponding to the orientation data associated with the photographic image.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the orientation data includes heading, tilt and roll values, and the displaying (b) comprises displaying the photographic image at a location corresponding to the heading, tilt and roll values associated with the photographic image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the photographic image includes an EXIF header and displaying the photographic image in greater detail includes (i) positioning the virtual camera normal to a surface of the photographic image at a distance corresponding to a focal length, the focal length determined according to the EXIF header of the photographic image.

11. A geographic information system for displaying one or more photographic images at a location within a three-dimensional (3D) geographic environment of the geographic information system, comprising:

a graphical user interface module configured to display a three-dimensional geographic environment from data received from a geographic information system, wherein the three-dimensional geographic environment represents a planetary body, and wherein, the data received, from the geographic information system includes the one or more photographic images and location data associated with each photographic image, the location data identifying a location in the three-dimensional environment that corresponds to a geolocation where the associated photographic image was captured;

a placemark processor configured to;

when a location identified by the location data associated with a particular photographic image of the one or more photographic images is within a field of view of, and at a first distance from, a virtual camera of the three-dimensional geographic environment, send a signal to display the photographic image on a photo placemark object represented as a billboard at the location, wherein the first distance is determined, at least in part, based on whether the particular photographic image, if displayed on the photo placemark object, occupies more than five percent of an image plane derived from the virtual camera; and

when the location identified by the location data associated with the particular photographic image is within a field of view of, and at a second distance from, the virtual camera of the three-dimensional geographic environment, send a signal to display an icon representing the photographic image on the photo placemark object at the location, the second distance being greater than the first distance, wherein the second distance is determined, at least in part, based on whether the particular photographic image, if displayed on the photo placemark object, occupies five percent or less of the image plane derived from the virtual camera; and

a photo navigator that, in response to a user input, is configured to send a signal to display the photographic image in greater detail.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the photographic image is rendered on a shape.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the shape is a rectangle, a cylinder, or a sphere.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the location data includes orientation data associated with the photographic image.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the orientation data includes heading, tilt, and roll values.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the photo navigator zooms within the photographic image in response to a computer input event.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the photo navigator displays a different resolution tile of an image pyramid constructed from the photographic image to zoom within the photographic image.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the photo navigator adjusts a field of view of the virtual camera to match a field of view of the photographic image.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the placemark processor sends a signal to display the photographic image at a location corresponding to geographic coordinates associated with the photographic image.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the photo navigator positions the virtual camera normal to a surface of the photographic image at a distance corresponding to a focal length, the focal length determined according to an EXIF header of the photographic image.