Displaying representative images in a visual mapping system

• US 8,606,493 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gold, Jonathan A., Caro-Bruce, Timothy, Ha, Huy T., Hjelmstad, John Alan, Volkert, Christopher Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US12/551,405
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/047 Fisheye or wide-angle transformations
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/12 Relief maps relief models G09B25/06

Abstract

Embodiments provide systems and methods for generating a street map that includes a position identifier that identifies a location on the street map. The method and system may also generate and display a plurality of images representative of the location of the position identifier. A user may interact with a position identifier or one of several scroll icons to view images of other locations on the street map and/or to obtain driving directions between two locations.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a virtual view of a region near a geographic location, comprising:

under control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,

receiving a request including information relating to a geographic location;

providing at least a portion of the information relating to the geographic location to at least one algorithm configured to dynamically select a first representative image correlated with the geographic location and a plurality of geographically adjacent images correlated with a region surrounding the geographic location, each of the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images as captured including a view of at least a portion of the region surrounding the geographic location, the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images being configured to provide a substantially continuous 360 degree view of the region surrounding the geographic location;

providing to a user a display including the first representative image correlated with the geographic location, the first representative image comprising an image captured at substantially the geographic location;

displaying a position identifier at a location on the first representative image;

displaying approximate to the position identifier, a first scroll icon and a second scroll icon, wherein the first scroll icon and the second scroll icon are oriented in a parallel direction with a thoroughfare on the display;

in response to an interaction of the user with respect to the display, causing the display to provide at least a second image of the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images,

wherein the user is able to perform at least one of sequentially viewing adjacent images of the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images within the region surrounding the geographic location using one of the first scroll icon or the second scroll icon, or viewing the substantially continuous 360 degree view of the region surrounding any one of the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images, and wherein each of the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images includes displayed thereon the position identifier including the first scroll icon and the second scroll icon.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising stitching together at least a portion of the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images to provide a substantially continuous view of the region surrounding the geographic location.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images are configured to provide at least one of a substantially continuous 360 degree view of the region surrounding the geographic location, centered near the geographic location, or a substantially continuous lateral view within the region surrounding the geographic location.

4. A computer-implemented method for providing a virtual view of a region near a geographic location, comprising:

under control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,

receiving a request including information relating to a geographic location;

providing for display to a user a first representative image of a plurality of geographically adjacent images correlated with the geographic location, the first representative image captured at substantially the geographic location, the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images being configured to provide a substantially continuous 360 degree view of a region surrounding the geographic location; and

providing to the user at least one interactive element enabling the user to cause at least a second image correlated with the region surrounding the geographic location to be displayed, the at least one interactive element including a first scroll icon and a second scroll icon, wherein the first scroll icon and the second scroll icon are oriented in a parallel direction with a thoroughfare on the display, and wherein each second image is captured at substantially the region surrounding the geographic location to include at least a portion of the region,

wherein the user is able to view at least one of geographically adjacent correlated images within the region surrounding the geographic location using one of the first scroll icon or the second scroll icon, or the substantially continuous 360 degree view of the region surrounding any one of the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images, and wherein each of the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images includes displayed thereon the position identifier including the first scroll icon and the second scroll icon.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the geographically adjacent correlated images provide a substantially continuous 360 degree view of the region surrounding the geographic location, centered near the geographic location.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the geographically adjacent correlated images provide a first substantially continuous lateral view within the region surrounding the geographic location.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the user is further able to view a second substantially continuous lateral view in an opposite direction to the first substantially continuous lateral view.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the first substantially continuous lateral view corresponds to a view along a first side of a street within the region surrounding the geographic location, the second substantially continuous lateral view corresponding to a view along an opposite side of the street within the region surrounding the geographic location.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein, when the user reaches an image corresponding to an intersection, the user is able to select a direction in which to continue any of the first substantially continuous lateral view or the second substantially continuous lateral view.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying a map including a translatable icon representative of a current geographic location being viewed by the user, the translatable icon being configured to move on the map to correspond to a location of the geographically adjacent correlated image being currently provided on a display.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the first representative image corresponds to at least one of a house, a building, or a structure.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images are stitched together to provide a substantially continuous view of the region surrounding the geographic location.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the at least one interactive element includes one or more user-selectable icons.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the at least one interactive element comprises a display region for the geographically adjacent correlated images, the user being able to interact with the geographically adjacent correlated images by dragging a cursor element with respect to the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images provided on a display.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing the information relating to the geographic location to at least one algorithm configured to dynamically select the geographically adjacent correlated images.

16. A system for providing a virtual view of a region near a geographic location, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive a request including information relating to a geographic location;

provide for display to a user a first representative image of a plurality of geographically adjacent images correlated with the geographic location, the first representative image captured at substantially the geographic location, the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images being configured to provide a substantially continuous 360 degree view of a region surrounding the geographic location; and

provide to the user at least one interactive element enabling the user to cause at least a second image correlated with the region surrounding the geographic location to be displayed, the at least one interactive element including a first scroll icon and a second scroll icon, wherein the first scroll icon and the second scroll icon are oriented in a parallel direction with a thoroughfare on the display, and wherein each second image is captured at substantially the region surrounding the geographic location to include at least a portion of the region,

wherein the user is able to view at least one of the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images within the region surrounding the geographic location using one of the first scroll icon or the second scroll icon, or the substantially continuous 360 degree view of the region surrounding any one of the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images, and wherein each of the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images includes displayed thereon the position identifier including the first scroll icon and the second scroll icon.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the geographically adjacent correlated images provide a substantially continuous 360 degree view of the region surrounding the geographic location, centered near the geographic location.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the geographically adjacent correlated images provide a first substantially continuous lateral view within the region surrounding the geographic location.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

display a map including a translatable icon representative of a current geographic location being viewed by the user, the translatable icon configured to move on the map to correspond to a location of the geographically adjacent correlated image being currently provided on a display.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

provide the information relating to the geographic location to at least one algorithm configured to dynamically select the geographically adjacent correlated images.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for providing information regarding a location, the instructions when executed by a processor causing the processor to:

receive a request including information relating to a geographic location;

provide for display to a user a first representative image of a plurality of geographically adjacent images correlated with the geographic location, the first representative image captured at substantially the geographic location, the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images being configured to provide a substantially continuous 360 degree view of a region surrounding the geographic location; and

provide to the user at least one interactive element enabling the user to cause at least a second image correlated with the region surrounding the geographic location to be displayed, the at least one interactive element including a first scroll icon and a second scroll icon, wherein the first scroll icon and the second scroll icon are oriented in a parallel direction with a thoroughfare on the display, and wherein each second image is captured at substantially the region surrounding the geographic location to include at least a portion of the region,

wherein the user is able to view at least one of the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images within the region surrounding the geographic location using one of the first scroll icon or the second scroll icon, or the substantially continuous 360 degree view of the region surrounding any one of the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images, and wherein each of the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images includes displayed thereon the position identifier including the first scroll icon and the second scroll icon.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images provide a substantially continuous 360 degree view of the region surrounding the geographic location, centered near the geographic location.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images provide a first substantially continuous lateral view within the region surrounding the geographic location.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

provide the information relating to the geographic location to at least one algorithm configured to dynamically select the plurality of geographically adjacent correlated images.