Method, apparatus and computer program product for visualizing whole streets based on imagery generated from panoramic street views

• US 8,711,174 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2011
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Fialho, Andr Tadeu Santos, Murphy, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Perromat, Carlos
• Application Number:
  US13/152,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20120306913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

A method is provided for visualizing both sides of a street based on imagery generated from panoramic street views. In particular, example methods may include directing presentation of a first panoramic view representing a first side of a street, and directing presentation of a second panoramic view representing a second side of the street. The first and second panoramic views may be presented in a street view in a perspective representation where a bottom of the first panoramic view and a bottom of the second panoramic view may be foreshortened relative to a top of each respective panoramic view, and where the bottom of each of the first panoramic view and the second panoramic view are located on either side of a representation of the street. The first panoramic view and the second panoramic view may each be formed of at least two image segments stitched together.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

directing presentation of a first panoramic view representing a first side of a street; and

directing presentation of a second panoramic view representing a second side of the street;

wherein the first panoramic view and the second panoramic view are presented in a street-view in a perspective representation wherein a bottom of the first panoramic view and a bottom of the second panoramic view are foreshortened relative to a top of each respective panoramic view, wherein the bottom of the first panoramic view and the bottom of the second panoramic view are located on either side of a representation of the street, and

wherein the street-view is presented in response to a mobile terminal operating in a portrait mode and a plan view of a panoramic view is presented in response to the mobile terminal operating in a landscape mode.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first panoramic view and the second panoramic view are each formed from at least two image segments stitched together.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a representation of the street disposed between the bottom of the first panoramic view and the bottom of the second panoramic view.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising directing presentation of a plan view of the first panoramic view in response to a request to zoom in on the street-view.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising directing presentation of a satellite view of the street in response to a request to zoom out from the street-view.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising directing presentation of interest content in first panoramic view or in the second panoramic view.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

directing presentation of a plan view of a panoramic view of the first side of the street in response to the mobile terminal being rotated to a landscape orientation in a first direction; and

directing presentation of a plan view of a panoramic view of the second side of the street in response to the mobile terminal being rotated to a landscape orientation in a second direction, opposite the first direction.

8. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform:

direct presentation of a first panoramic view representing a first side of a street; and

direct presentation of a second panoramic view representing a second side of the street;

wherein the first panoramic view and the second panoramic view are presented in a street-view in a perspective representation wherein a bottom of the first panoramic view and a bottom of the second panoramic view are foreshortened relative to the top of each respective panoramic view, wherein the bottom of the first panoramic view and the bottom of the second panoramic view are located on either side of a representation of the street, and

wherein the street-view is presented in response to a mobile terminal operating in a portrait mode and a panorama view is presented in response to the mobile terminal operating in a landscape mode.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first panoramic and the second panoramic view are each formed from at least two image segments stitched together.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the apparatus is further configured to direct presentation of the street between the bottom of the first panoramic view and the bottom of the second panoramic view.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the apparatus is further configured to direct presentation of a plan view of the first panoramic view in response to a request to zoom in on the street-view.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the apparatus is further configured to direct presentation of a satellite view of the street in response to a request to zoom out from the street-view.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the apparatus is further configured to direct presentation of interest content in the first panoramic view or in the second panoramic view.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

direct presentation of a plan view of a panoramic view of the first side of the street in response to the mobile terminal being rotated to a landscape orientation in a first direction; and

direct presentation of a plan view of a panoramic view of the second side of the street in response to the mobile terminal being rotated to a landscape orientation in a second direction, opposite the first direction.

15. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising:

program code instructions for directing presentation of a first panoramic view representing a first side of a street; and

program code instructions for directing presentation of a second panoramic view representing a second side of the street;

wherein the first panoramic view and the second panoramic view are presented in a street-view in a perspective representation wherein a bottom of the first panoramic view and a bottom of the second panoramic view are foreshortened relative to the top of each respective panoramic view, wherein the bottom of the first panoramic view and the bottom of the second panoramic view are located on either side of a representation of the street, and

wherein the street-view is presented in response to a mobile terminal operating in a portrait mode and a plan view of a panoramic view is presented in response to the mobile terminal operating in a landscape mode.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first panoramic and the second panoramic view are each formed from at least two image segments stitched together.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising program code instructions for directing presentation of a representation of the street disposed between the bottom of the first panoramic view and the bottom of the second panoramic view.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising program code instructions for directing presentation of a plan view of the first panoramic view in response to a request to zoom-in on the street-view.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising program code instructions for directing presentation of interest content in the first panoramic view or in the second panoramic view.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

program code instructions for directing presentation of a plan view of a panoramic view of the first side of the street in response to the mobile terminal being rotated to a landscape orientation in a first direction; and

program code instructions for directing presentation of a plan view of a panoramic view of the second side of the street in response to the mobile terminal being rotated to a landscape orientation in a second direction, opposite the first direction.