Computer system for continuous oblique panning

• US 8,593,518 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (EagleView Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (EagleView Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schultz, Stephen, Schnaufer, Chris, Giuffrida, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Emdadi, Keyvan
• Application Number:
  US12/023,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20080231700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,126 Days
• Field of Search: 348/144
• US Class Current: 348/144
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10032 Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30184 Infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/20 Linear translation of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/337 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A computer system for continuously panningoblique images. More particularly, the computer system uses a methodology whereby separate oblique images are presented in a manner that allows a user to maintain an understanding of the relationship of specific features between different oblique images when panning.

Claims

1. A sequence of instructions stored on at least one non-transitory computer readable medium for running on a computer system capable of displaying and navigating oblique imagery, comprising:

instructions for displaying a pixel representation of a primary oblique image depicting a first area, the primary oblique image being part of a set of adjacent oblique images that partially, but not completely, overlap and represent an area of interest;

instructions for panning within the primary oblique image, the primary oblique image including overlapping data;

instructions for detecting a transition event, triggered by a user, of the displayed primary oblique image;

instructions for selecting at least one adjacent secondary oblique image depicting a second area partially overlapping with the first area and from the set of oblique images corresponding to a supplied location coordinate, the second area extending beyond the first area; and

instructions for displaying the primary oblique image and the at least one adjacent secondary oblique image on a same display such that features in the adjacent primary and secondary oblique images are aligned on the same display;

wherein the primary and secondary oblique images match the perspectives from which the primary and secondary oblique images were captured.

2. The sequence of instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising instructions for translating at least the primary and secondary oblique images'"'"' pixel coordinates into location coordinates.

3. The sequence of instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions for detecting a transition event include instructions for detecting an edge of the primary oblique image.

4. The sequence of instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions for detecting a transition event include instructions for detecting an approach of an edge of the primary oblique image.

5. The sequence of instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions for detecting the transition event include instructions for detecting a pre-selected distance or number of pixels from an edge of the primary oblique image.

6. The sequence of instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein a current direction of travel or panning is used to select at least one secondary oblique image.

7. The sequence of instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein a relative position of the supplied location coordinate within a secondary oblique image is used to select at least one secondary oblique image.

8. The sequence of instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of oblique images is aerial oblique images.

9. The sequence of instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions for selecting an adjacent secondary oblique image from the set of oblique images selects multiple adjacent secondary oblique images that correspond to multiple location coordinates.

10. The sequence of instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions for displaying the primary and secondary oblique images on the same display displays multiple adjacent secondary oblique images on the same display.

11. The sequence of instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions for causing a secondary oblique image to be a primary oblique image.

12. The sequence of instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions for permitting a user to cause a secondary oblique image to be a primary oblique image.

13. A method of using a sequence of instructions for displaying and navigating oblique imagery, comprising:

displaying a pixel representation of a primary oblique image depicting a first area on a display of a computer system, the primary oblique image being part of a set of oblique images that partially, but not completely, overlap and represent an area of interest;

panning within the primary oblique image, the primary oblique image including overlapping people;

including overlapping data;

detecting a transition event, triggered by a user, and related to the displayed primary oblique image; and

displaying the primary oblique image and at least one adjacent secondary oblique image depicting a second area partially overlapping with the first area, the second area extending beyond the first area, from the set of oblique images on a same display responsive to the detection of the transition event such that features in the primary and adjacent secondary oblique images are aligned on the same display;

wherein the primary and secondary oblique images match the perspectives from which the primary and secondary oblique images were captured.

14. A method for configuring a computer system for displaying oblique images representative of adjacent areas on a display, comprising the step of:

making a set of instructions on a non-transitory computer readable medium accessible to a processor of a computer system, the set of instructions including instructions for;

displaying a pixel representation of a primary oblique image depicting a first area on a display of a computer system, the primary oblique image being part of a set of oblique images that partially, but not completely, overlap and represent an area of interest;

panning within the primary oblique image, the primary oblique image including overlapping data;

detecting a transition event, triggered by a user; and

displaying the primary oblique image and at least one adjacent secondary oblique image depicting a second area partially overlapping with the first area, the second area extending beyond the first area, from the set of oblique images on the same display responsive to the detection of the transition event such that features in the primary and at least one secondary oblique images are aligned on the display;

wherein the primary and secondary oblique images match the perspectives from which the primary and secondary oblique images were captured.

15. A method for enhancing an ability of users to display and navigate oblique imagery on a display of a computer system, comprising the step of:

distributing a set of instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium for;

displaying a pixel representation of a primary oblique image depicting a first area on the display of the computer system, the primary oblique image being part of a set of oblique images that partially, but not completely, overlap and represent an area of interest;

panning within the primary oblique image, the primary oblique image including overlapping data;

detecting a transition event, triggered by a user; and

displaying the primary oblique image and at least one adjacent secondary oblique image depicting a second area partially overlapping with the first area, the second area extending beyond the first area, from the set of oblique images on the display responsive to the detection of the transition event such that features in the primary and at least one secondary oblique images are aligned on the display;

wherein the primary and secondary oblique images match the perspectives from which the primary and secondary oblique images were captured.

16. A method for configuring a computer system having a display for displaying oblique images representative of adjacent areas, comprising the step of:

providing access to a set of instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium for installation on a non-transitory computer readable medium associated with the computer system, the set of instructions including instructions for;

displaying a pixel representation of a primary oblique image depicting a first area on the display of the computer system, the primary oblique image being part of a set of oblique images that partially, but not completely, overlap and represent an area of interest;

panning within the primary oblique image, the primary oblique image including overlapping data;

detecting an approach of an edge of the primary oblique image; and

displaying the primary oblique image and at least one adjacent secondary oblique image depicting a second area partially overlapping with the first area, the second area extending beyond the first area, from the set of oblique images on the display responsive to the detection of the approach of the edge such that features in the primary and at least one secondary oblique images are aligned on the display;

wherein the primary and secondary oblique images match the perspectives from which the primary and secondary oblique images were captured.