System and method for displaying transitions between map views

• US 9,269,190 B1
• Filed: 09/10/2014
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Chau, Stephen, Szybalski, Andrew Timothy, Lafon, Stephane, Lookingbill, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Troost, Aaron L
• Application Number:
  US14/482,555
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 701/212, 345/646, 345/648, 345/649, 345/653
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/36 Level of detail
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2215/12 Shadow map, environment map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system and method is provided for displaying a transition between a map and a street level image. In one aspect, the display on a mobile device transitions from a top-down view of a map to a street-level view of an image, such as a panoramic image, such that the mobile device uses the currently stored map image to perform a tilt and zoom transition.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a display,

a user input, and

one or more processors capable of processing instructions, the instructions comprising;

displaying a map image, from a substantially top-down perspective, of a location on the display;

accessing, based on the location, a street level image in response to a user'"'"'s activation of the user input, wherein the street level image displays a perspective-view image captured by a camera;

displaying a transition between the map image and the street level image, the transition including

displaying a horizon line wherein the position of the horizon line on the screen is selected so as to coincide with the position of the street level image'"'"'s horizon on the screen, and

iteratively stretching the map image to the horizon line so as to make the map appear to be tilted; and

after displaying the transition, displaying the street level image.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a server storing maps and street level images, and wherein the instructions comprise obtaining the street level image from the server via a network.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the instructions further comprise receiving the map image from a server via the network.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the network is wireless.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the map image and street level image are associated with geographic locations.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a component for determining the location of the system and wherein the map image is selected for display based on a geographic location provided by a GPS receiver.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the component comprises a GPS receiver.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the system is a phone.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the instructions further comprise adding objects that are displayed above the horizon.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the orientation of the street level image matches the orientation of the map prior to the display of the street level image.

11. A system comprising:

a display,

a user input, and

one or more processors capable of processing instructions, the instructions comprising;

displaying a map image of a location on the display;

obtaining, via a wireless network and based on the location, a street level image in response to a user'"'"'s activation of the user input, wherein the street level image displays a perspective-view image captured by a camera;

prior to displaying the street level image, displaying a transition between the map image and the street level image, the transition including;

displaying a horizon line, and

iteratively stretching the map image to the horizon line so as to make the map appear to be tilted; and

after displaying the transition, displaying the street level image.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the user input is a microphone.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the display is touch-sensitive and the user input is the touch-sensitive display.

14. A method comprising

displaying, by one or more processors, a map image of a location on a display from a substantially top-down perspective;

accessing, by one or more processors, based on the location, a street level image in response to a user'"'"'s activation of the user input, wherein the street level image displays a perspective-view image captured by a camera;

displaying, by one or more processors, a transition between the map image and the street level image, the transition including displaying a horizon line wherein the position of the horizon line on the screen is selected so as to coincide with the position of the street level image'"'"'s horizon on the screen, and iteratively stretching the map image to the horizon line so as to make the map appear to be tilted; and

after displaying the transition, displaying, by one or more processors, the street level image.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the map image and the street level image are associated with geographic locations.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising displaying objects above the horizon.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the orientation of the street level image matches the orientation of the map prior to the display of the street level image.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the street level image is accessed from a server via a wireless network.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein a portion of the received map is displayed from a substantially top-down perspective without displaying another portion of the map image, and wherein the map portion that was not displayed is displayed during the iterative tilting.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the iterative tilting comprises stretching and displaying both the portion of the map that was displayed from a substantially top-down perspective, and the map portion that was not displayed.