Displaying and navigating within photo placemarks in a geographic information system and applications thereof
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for displaying one or more photographic images at a location within a three-dimensional geographic environment of a geographic information system, comprising:
- (a) displaying, by one or more computing devices, a three-dimensional geographic environment from a perspective of a virtual camera, the three-dimensional environment including a photographic image having an associated first position and orientation corresponding to a respective first geographic location and direction where the photographic image was captured, and wherein the photographic image has a focal length;
(b) determining, by the one or more computing devices, whether a distance in the three-dimensional environment between the virtual camera and the first position of the photographic image exceeds a threshold;
(c) when the distance in the three-dimensional environment between the virtual camera and the first position of the photographic image is determined to exceed the threshold in (b), displaying, by the one or more computing devices, an icon representing the photographic image at the first position;
when the distance in the three-dimensional environment between the virtual camera and the first position of the photographic image is determined not to exceed the threshold in (b);
(d) rendering, by the one or more computing devices, the photographic image onto a shape to determine a photo billboard; and
(e) displaying, by the one or more computing devices, the photo billboard in the three-dimensional environment at the first position and according to the orientation, such that a surface of the photo billboard onto which the photographic image has been rendered is depicted in the three-dimensional environment as having the orientation at which the photographic image was captured;
(f) receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a user input selecting the icon or the photo billboard that represents the photographic image; and
in response to receipt of the user input selecting the icon or the photo billboard;
(g) moving, by the one or more computing devices, the virtual camera to a natural origin of the photographic image, wherein the natural origin of the photographic image comprises a second position that is in front of the surface of the photo billboard onto which the photographic image has been rendered, the second position spaced from the first position by a distance that corresponds to the focal length of the photographic image; and
(h) orienting, by the one or more computing devices, the virtual camera to be normal to the surface of the photo billboard onto which photographic image has been rendered, such that the virtual camera is looking into the surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention relate to displaying and navigating within photo placemarks in a geographic information system. In one embodiment, a computer implemented method displays a photographic image within geographic information in a geographic information system. The photographic image is displayed at a location within the geographic information when the photographic image is located within a field of view of a virtual camera of the geographic information system. In response to a computer input event, the photographic image is displayed in greater detail.
91 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for displaying one or more photographic images at a location within a three-dimensional geographic environment of a geographic information system, comprising:
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(a) displaying, by one or more computing devices, a three-dimensional geographic environment from a perspective of a virtual camera, the three-dimensional environment including a photographic image having an associated first position and orientation corresponding to a respective first geographic location and direction where the photographic image was captured, and wherein the photographic image has a focal length; (b) determining, by the one or more computing devices, whether a distance in the three-dimensional environment between the virtual camera and the first position of the photographic image exceeds a threshold; (c) when the distance in the three-dimensional environment between the virtual camera and the first position of the photographic image is determined to exceed the threshold in (b), displaying, by the one or more computing devices, an icon representing the photographic image at the first position; when the distance in the three-dimensional environment between the virtual camera and the first position of the photographic image is determined not to exceed the threshold in (b); (d) rendering, by the one or more computing devices, the photographic image onto a shape to determine a photo billboard; and (e) displaying, by the one or more computing devices, the photo billboard in the three-dimensional environment at the first position and according to the orientation, such that a surface of the photo billboard onto which the photographic image has been rendered is depicted in the three-dimensional environment as having the orientation at which the photographic image was captured; (f) receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a user input selecting the icon or the photo billboard that represents the photographic image; and in response to receipt of the user input selecting the icon or the photo billboard; (g) moving, by the one or more computing devices, the virtual camera to a natural origin of the photographic image, wherein the natural origin of the photographic image comprises a second position that is in front of the surface of the photo billboard onto which the photographic image has been rendered, the second position spaced from the first position by a distance that corresponds to the focal length of the photographic image; and (h) orienting, by the one or more computing devices, the virtual camera to be normal to the surface of the photo billboard onto which photographic image has been rendered, such that the virtual camera is looking into the surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for displaying one or more photographic images at a location within a three-dimensional geographic environment of a geographic information system, comprising:
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a computing device; a graphical user interface module, implemented on the computing device, that displays a three-dimensional geographic environment from a perspective of a virtual camera, the three-dimensional environment including a photographic image having an associated position and orientation corresponding to a respective geographic location and direction where the photographic image was captured, wherein the photographic image also has a focal length; a placemark module, implemented on the computing device, that; (i) determines whether a distance in the three-dimensional environment between the virtual camera and the position of the photographic image exceeds a threshold, (ii) when the distance in the three-dimensional environment between the virtual camera and the position of the photographic image is determined to exceed the threshold, displaying an icon representing the photographic image at the position, and (iii) when the distance in the three-dimensional environment between the virtual camera and the position of the photographic image is determined not to exceed the threshold, renders the photographic image onto a shape to determine a photo billboard, and displays the photo billboard at the position and according to the orientation; a user interaction module, implemented on the computing device, that receives a user input selecting the icon or the photo billboard that represents the photographic image; and a photo navigator module, implemented on the computing device, that, in response to receipt of the user input selecting the icon or the photo billboard; (iv) moves the virtual camera to a natural origin of the photographic image, wherein the natural origin of the photographic image comprises a second position that is in front of a surface of the photographic image, the second position spaced from the surface of the photographic image by a distance that corresponds to the focal length of the photographic image; (v) orients the virtual camera to be normal to the surface of the photographic image, such that the virtual camera is looking into the surface of the photographic image; and (vi) adjusts a field of view of the virtual camera to match a field of view of the photographic image. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A nontransitory program storage device embodying a program of instructions executable by at least one machine to perform a method for displaying one or more photographic images at a location within a three-dimensional geographic environment of a geographic information system, the method comprising:
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(a) displaying a three-dimensional geographic environment from a perspective of a virtual camera, the three-dimensional environment including a photographic image having an associated first position and orientation corresponding to a respective first geographic location and direction where the photographic image was captured, and wherein the photographic image has a focal length; (b) determining whether a distance in the three-dimensional environment between the virtual camera and the first position of the photographic image exceeds a threshold; (c) when the distance in the three-dimensional environment between the virtual camera and the first position of the photographic image is determined to exceed the threshold in (b), displaying an icon representing the photographic image at the first position; when the distance in the three-dimensional environment between the virtual camera and the first position of the photographic image is determined not to exceed the threshold in (b); (d) rendering the photographic image onto a shape to determine a photo billboard; and (e) displaying the photo billboard in the three-dimensional environment at the first position and according to the orientation, such that a surface of the photo billboard onto which the photographic image has been rendered is depicted in the three-dimensional environment as having the orientation at which the photographic image was captured; (f) receiving a user input selecting the icon or the photo billboard that represents the photographic image; and in response to receipt of the user input selecting the icon or the photo billboard; (g) moving, by the one or more computing devices, the virtual camera to a natural origin of the photographic image, wherein the natural origin of the photographic image comprises a second position that is in front of the surface of the photo billboard onto which the photographic image has been rendered, the second position spaced from the first position by a distance that corresponds to the focal length of the photographic image; and (h) orienting, by the one or more computing devices, the virtual camera to be normal to the surface of the photo billboard onto which photographic image has been rendered, such that the virtual camera is looking into the surface. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification