Motion-controlled views on mobile computing devices

• US 8,948,788 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Conway, David P., Bliss, Adam, Palevich, John H., Tseng, Erick
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gu, Andy
• Application Number:
  US12/474,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20090325607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,077 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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 3/04847 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: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/185 by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A computer-implemented visual navigation method includes providing from a wireless mobile device, over a public wireless network to a server located remotely from the wireless mobile device, information identifying a geographic location. The method also includes receiving in response, from the server, image data of digital images captured from an location at the geographic location, displaying the image data to a user of the mobile device as an image of an image space around the geographic locations, and panning the image within the image space automatically in response to user motion of the wireless mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented visual navigation method, comprising:

providing, by a wireless mobile computing device, over a wireless network to a server located remotely from the wireless mobile computing device, information that identifies a geographic location;

receiving in response, from the server by the wireless mobile computing device, image data of digital images captured by an imaging system on the ground at the geographic location viewed horizontally outward from the imaging system;

displaying, by the wireless mobile computing device, to a user of the wireless mobile device, at least a portion of a first image captured by the imaging system on the ground that presents a portion of an image space around the geographic location as viewed horizontally from the imaging system;

detecting, by the wireless mobile computing device, a change in heading of the wireless mobile device corresponding to shaking of the wireless mobile computing device; and

changing, by the wireless mobile computing device, a displayed portion of the image space by switching from the display of at least the portion of the first image to a display of a second image of the image space such that change appears to move forward in the image space from the display of at least the portion of the first image to the display of the second image automatically in coordination with the detected change in heading of the wireless mobile device corresponding to shaking of the wireless mobile computing device, wherein the first and second images are part of the digital images captured by the imaging system on the ground at the geographic location, and wherein the first and second images present different portions of the image space.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the image space is comprised of multiple joined image files that present a continuous panoramic image captured by the imaging device located near ground level at the geographic location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the image data is substantially similar to streetview image data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving address information from a user, displaying a map around the address in response to receipt of the address information, and providing the information identifying a geographic location based on a user selection on the map.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving a search query from the user, identifying the search query as corresponding to the address information, and presenting the address information to the user before receiving the address information from the user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the address information comprises data encoded in a hyperlink from a search result.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location differs from a current location of the wireless mobile computing device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically generating a pop up graphical panning control in response to the detected change in heading;

receiving a user input to the panning control; and

providing panning of the image space in response to the user input.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the at least the portion of the first image includes selecting a first orientation of the first image based on a rule for identifying an initial orientation of an image such that the first orientation of the first image is different from a current orientation of the wireless mobile device.

10. An article comprising a tangible computer-readable data storage medium storing program code operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations, the operations comprising:

providing from a wireless mobile device, to a server located remotely from the wireless mobile device, information that identifies a geographic location;

receiving in response, from the server, image data of digital images captured by an imaging system on the ground at the geographic location viewed horizontally outward from the imaging system;

displaying, to a user of the wireless mobile device, at least a portion of a first image captured by the imaging system on the ground that presents a portion of an image space around the geographic location as viewed horizontally from the imaging system;

detecting a change in heading of the wireless mobile device corresponding to shaking of the wireless mobile device; and

changing a displayed portion of the image space by switching from the display of at least the portion of the first image to a second image of the image space such that change appears to move forward in the image space from the display of the at least the portion of the first image to the display of the second image such that change appears to move forward in the image space from the display of the at least the portion of the first image to the display of the second image automatically in coordination with the detected change in heading of the wireless mobile device corresponding to shaking of the wireless mobile device, wherein the first and second images are part of the digital images captured by the imaging system on the ground at the geographic location, and wherein the first and second images present different portions of the image space.

11. The article of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise receiving address information from a user, displaying a map around the address in response to receipt of the address information, and providing the information identifying a geographic location based on a user selection on the map.

12. A computer-implemented visual navigation system, comprising:

a compass module configured to sense a change of orientation of a wireless mobile computer corresponding to shaking of the wireless mobile computer;

a wireless interface configured to provide a geographic location of the wireless mobile computer to a server located remote from the system, and to receive from the server a plurality of images corresponding to the geographic location; and

one or more processors in communication with memory storing code having instructions, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions

to determine the direction of orientation of the wireless mobile computer using the compass module,

to obtain from the server image data showing images around the geographic locations,

to display a first image that presents a portion of an image space around a geographic location identified by a user of the system in an orientation corresponding to the direction of orientation for the wireless mobile computer,

to detect a change in direction of orientation of the wireless mobile computer using the compass module corresponding to shaking of the wireless mobile computer,

and to switch from the display of at least the portion of the first image to a display of a second image of the image space that presents a portion of the image space around the geographic location such that change appears to move forward in the image space from the display of the first image to the display of the second image automatically in coordination with the detected change in direction of orientation corresponding to shaking of the wireless mobile computing device, the first and second images having been captured by an imaging system on the ground aimed horizontally at the geographic location, and wherein the first and second images present different portions of the image space.

13. The computer-implemented system of claim 12, further comprising an accelerometer to sense motion of the wireless mobile computer, and wherein the code further has instructions to change a display of images on the wireless mobile computer.