Automatically generating panorama tours

• US 9,189,839 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2014
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Sheridan, Alan, Donsbach, Aaron Michael, Filip, Daniel Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Harandi, Siamak
• Application Number:
  US14/260,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20150310596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20221 Image fusion; Image merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/60 Rotation of whole images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/16 using multiple overlapping images; Image stitching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/422 Technical drawings; Geographical maps

Abstract

In one aspect, a request to generate an automated tour based on a set of panoramic images is received. Each particular panoramic image is associated with geographic location information and linking information linking the particular panoramic image with one or more other panoramic images in the set. A starting panoramic image and a second panoramic image are determined based at least in part on the starting panoramic image and the linking information associated with the starting and second panoramic images. A first transition between the starting panoramic image and the second panoramic image is also determined based at least in part on the linking information for these panoramic images. Additional panoramic images as well as a second transition for between the additional panoramic images are also determined. The determined panoramic images and transitions are added to the tour according to an order of the tour.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating automated tours using images, the method comprising:

receiving a request, by one or more computing devices, to generate an automated tour based on a set of images, each particular image in the set of images being associated with geographic location information and linking information linking the particular image with one or more other images in the set of images;

identifying, by the one or more computing devices, a starting image of the set of images;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, a second image of the set of images based at least in part on the starting image and the linking information associated with the starting and second images;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, a first transition of a first transition mode between the starting image and the second image based at least in part on the linking information associated with the starting image and the second image;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, additional images from the set of images for the tour based at least in part on the linking information associated with the additional images and whether a minimum image quantity constraint has been met;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, a second transition of a second transition mode, different from the first transition mode, for between ones of the additional images; and

adding to the automated tour, by the one or more computing devices;

an identifier for the first image,

the first transition,

a second identifier for the second image,

the second transition, and

the additional images according to an order of the automated tour

wherein the second transition of the second transition mode is not added to the automated tour according to the order of the tour until a second image constraint has been met for the tour, and the second image constraint includes a fixed number of images that have been added with transitions of the first transition mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the starting image is based on an image-type identifier associated with the starting image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second transition of the second transition mode is not added to the automated tour according to the order of the tour until a second image constraint has been met for the tour, and

the second image constraint includes adding a given image of the set of images having linking information indicating that the given image is linked to at least three other images of the set of images.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second transition is determined based on a set of parameters that includes a transition turn percent parameter that identifies a percentage of transitions in the automated tour that will include at least some degree of rotation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second transition is determined based on a set of parameters that includes a skip rotate percentage parameter that identifies a percentage of transitions in the automated tour that will not be followed by a panning rotation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second transition is determined based on a set of parameters that includes a minimum degree of rotation parameter that identifies a minimum required degree of rotation for transitions between images.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second transition is determined based on a set of parameters that includes an overlap threshold parameter that identifies a minimum degree of overlap in the fields of view between two images at a particular orientation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the additional images from the set of images for the tour is further based on whether the automated tour includes a particular image of the set of images.

9. A system for generating automated tours using images, the system comprising one or more computing devices configured to:

receive a request to generate an automated tour based on a set of images, each particular image in the set of images being associated with geographic location information and linking information linking the particular image with one or more other images in the set of images;

identify a starting image of the set of images;

determine a second image of the set of images based at least in part on the starting image and the linking information associated with the starting and second images;

determine a first transition of a first transition mode between the starting image and the second image based at least in part on the linking information associated with the starting image and the second image;

determine additional images from the set of images for the tour based at least in part on the linking information associated with the additional images and whether a minimum image quantity constraint has been met;

determine a second transition of a second transition mode, different from the first transition mode, for between ones of the additional images; and

add to the automated tour;

an identifier for the first image,

the first transition,

a second identifier for the second image, the second transition, and

the additional images according to an order of the automated tour

wherein the second transition of the second transition mode is not added to the automated tour according to the order of the tour until a second image constraint has been met for the tour, and the second image constraint includes a fixed number of images that have been added with transitions of the first transition mode.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to determine the starting image based on an image-type identifier associated with the starting image.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the one or more computing devices are configured to add the second transition of the second transition mode only when a second image constraint has been met for the automated tour, and

the second image constraint includes adding a given image of the set of images having linking information indicating that the given image is linked to at least three other images of the set of images.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to determine the second transition based on a set of parameters that includes a transition turn percent parameter that identifies a percentage of transitions in the automated tour that will include at least some degree of rotation.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to determine the second transition based on a set of parameters that includes a skip rotate percentage parameter that identifies a percentage of transitions in the automated tour that will not be followed by a panning rotation.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to determine the second transition based on a set of parameters that includes a minimum degree of rotation parameter that identifies a minimum required degree of rotation for transitions between images.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which computer readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform a method of generating automated tours using images, the method comprising:

identifying a set of images, each particular image in the set of images being associated with geographic location information and linking information linking that image with one or more other images;

identifying a starting image of the set of images; and

generating—

an automated tour based on at least the starting image and a second image, the linking information associated with the set of images, and a set of requirements, the set of requirements including;

a first requirement that the automated tour begin by displaying the starting image,

a second requirement that the automated tour include a first transition of a first transition mode between the starting image and the second image of the set based at least in part on the linking information associated with the starting image and the second image,

a third requirement that additional images of the set of images are added to the automated tour based on the linking information associated with the additional images until a minimum image quantity constraint has been met, and

a fourth requirement that the automated tour include a second transition of a second transition mode, different from the first transition mode, between two of the additional images, and that the second transition mode is determined according to a set of parameters including that the second transition mode is not added to the tour according to the order of the tour until a second image constraint has been met for the tour, the second image constraint including a fixed number of images that have been added with transitions of the first transition mode.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein identifying the starting image is based on an image-type identifier associated with the starting image.

17. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises identifying the particular image based on a second image-type identifier associated with the starting image, the second image-type identifier being different from the image-type identifier.

18. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the third requirement further includes that additional images of the set of images are added to the automated tour based on the linking information associated with the additional images when at least one of (a) the minimum image quantity constraint has been met or (b) the automated tour includes a particular image of the set of images.