Non-static 3D map views

• US 9,147,286 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Piemonte, Patrick S., Adlers, Erik Anders Mikael, Blumenberg, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K
• Application Number:
  US13/783,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20130328871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/581, 345/582, 382/113, 382/154, 701/533
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3638 including 3D objects and buildings three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects G06T17/00; geographic models G06T17/05
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 Animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/80 Shading
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a mapping application for generating views of a three-dimensional (3D) map. The mapping application includes a geographic data module for identifying a set of geographic data that represents a portion of the 3D map. The set of geographic data includes a set of camera captured images that correspond to the portion of the 3D map. The mapping application includes an image processing module for rendering the view of the 3D map based on the geographic data by animating a type of map element in the view of the 3D map.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium of a device storing a mapping application for generating views of a three-dimensional (3D) map, the mapping application comprising:

a geographic data module for defining a plurality of geographic objects in a portion of the 3D map, the geographic objects comprising a set geographic objects that are textured by a set of camera captured images (CCI) of a portion of the world that corresponds to the portion of the 3D map;

an input module for receiving an input; and

an image processing module for rendering the view of the 3D map portion based on the plurality of defined geographic objects by animating, in response to the input, at least a first geographic object to appear to move with respect to at least a second geographic object.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first geographic object is a CCI-textured geographic object of the set of geographic objects in the portion of the 3D map.

3. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the image processing module renders the view of the 3D map portion based on the plurality of defined geographic objects by mapping the plurality of geographic objects to the portion of the 3D map.

4. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the image processing module animates the first geographic object by applying a shader to the first geographic object.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the shader is a texture shader.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the geographic data module defines the plurality of geographic objects by accessing a map service that provides map data.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first geographic object comprises a body of water.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a set of motion sensors, wherein the input module receives different types of input through different motion sensors of the set.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the image processing module renders the view of the 3D map portion further based on a type of received input.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the image processing module animates the first geographic object by applying different shaders to the first geographic object based on different types of received input.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first geographic object is a none-CCI-textured geographic object in the plurality of geographic objects.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first and second geographic objects are CCI-textured geographic objects in the set of geographic objects.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a mapping application for execution by at least one processing unit of a device, the mapping application comprising sets of instructions for:

displaying a first selectable user interface (UI) control for identifying a portion of a three-dimensional (3D) presentation of a map for display, said portion comprising a set of objects that are textured by a set of camera captured images (CCI) of a portion of the world that corresponds to the portion of the 3D map; and

displaying a second selectable UI control for directing the mapping application to render a presentation of the portion of the map, by animating at least a first object to appear to move with respect to at least a second object,

wherein the first object is defined by reference to a plurality of vertices in a mesh that is used to define objects for rendering,

wherein the mapping application animates moving one set of the vertices used to define the first object while not moving another set of vertices used to define the first object.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the device includes an input sensor, wherein the mapping application further comprises a set of instructions for receiving an input through the input sensor,

wherein the set of instructions for animating the first object comprises a set of instructions for animating the first object based on the received input.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first object comprises a tree and the second object comprises a building.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the input sensor is an audio sensor.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the input sensor is a motion sensor.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the input sensor is a touch sensor.

19. For a mapping application, a method, performed by a computer, of generating views of a map, the method comprising:

receiving a request to render a three-dimensional (3D) view of the map based on a set of camera captured images corresponding to the 3D view of the map;

identifying map elements of a defined type in the 3D view of the map; and

rendering the 3D view of the map using a set of shaders specified for animating map elements of the defined type.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the map elements of the defined type comprises bodies of water.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the set of shaders animates the bodies of water by ignoring surface normals of polygons that represent the bodies of water.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the map elements of the defined type comprises buildings.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the set of shaders animates the buildings based on surface normals of polygons that represent the buildings.