Block view for geographic navigation

• US 9,298,345 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2009
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Ofek, Eyal, Aguera y Arcas, Blaise H., DeMaio, Pasquale, Wexler, Yonatan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Xiao, Di
• Application Number:
  US12/490,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20100325589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,471 Days
• Field of Search: 715/851, 701/200, 701/208
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• 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

Abstract

Various embodiments provide techniques for geographic navigation via one or more block views. According to some embodiments, a block view can include a visual image of a geographic location that is visually similar to a panoramic image. In some example implementations, a block view can be scrolled to navigate images of a geographic location. In one or more embodiments, a bubble view can be displayed of one or more locations within the block view. The bubble view can include a zoomed image of one or more aspects of a block view. Further to some embodiments, a map view can be utilized along with the block view and/or the bubble view. The map view can include a two-dimensional representation of the geographic location from an aerial perspective, and can include a more general level of detail concerning the geographic location, such as streets, cities, states, bodies of water, and so on.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

causing, with a computing device, a block view of a geographic location to be displayed as part of a user interface, the block view displaying a first side of a travel route through the geographic location;

receiving, with the computing device, an indication of navigation within the block view;

causing, responsive to receiving the indication of navigation within the block view, a first bubble view to be displayed at an end of the block view that corresponds to a direction of the navigation within the block view, the first bubble view displaying the first side of the travel route and a second side of the travel route from a perspective of a traveler along the travel route in the direction of the navigation within the block view;

causing, with the computing device and responsive to the navigation within the block view, navigation within the first bubble view in the direction of the navigation within the block view;

receiving an indication of a navigation within the block view in a different direction;

causing, responsive to the indication of the navigation within the block view in the different direction, the first bubble view to be removed from the user interface; and

causing, responsive to the indication of the navigation within the block view in the different direction, a second bubble view to be displayed at another end of the block view, the second bubble view displaying one or more other geographic areas that are adjacent to the geographic location displayed in the block view and in the different direction.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, with the computing device and responsive to a navigation within one or more of the first bubble view or the second bubble view, navigation within the block view.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the block view comprises a plurality of images of the geographic location that are stitched together.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the block view comprises an abstracted image of the geographic location.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the block view comprises one or more annotations of geographic features included in the block view.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first bubble view or the second bubble view is configured to display a location included in the block view.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the block view comprises a block icon that indicates an orientation of one or more of the first bubble view or the second bubble view with respect to the geographic location.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first bubble view or the second bubble view displays one or more geographic areas that are adjacent to the geographic location displayed in the block view.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, with the computing device, the indication of navigation within the block view in response to a user manipulation of a block icon displayed as part of the block view; and

causing, with the computing device and responsive to the user manipulation of the block icon, navigation within one or more of the first bubble view or the second bubble view.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:

causing, with a computing device, a first block view, a second block view, and a bubble view of a travel route to be displayed in a user interface, the bubble view including a view from a perspective of an entity traveling along the travel route and visual aspects of two sides of the travel route, the first block view including a view of a first side of the two sides of the travel route, and the second block view including a view of a second side of the two sides of the travel route;

receiving, with the computing device, an indication of navigation along the travel route;

dynamically updating, with the computing device and responsive to the navigation along the travel route, the bubble view and the first block view;

causing the second block view to be displayed as a single static image responsive to an indication that a portion of the second side of the travel route represents a repetitive landscape that appears to change little during a section of the navigation along the travel route, while the bubble view and the first block view are dynamically updated during the navigation along the travel route; and

causing the second block view to be displayed as a dynamically updating image in place of the static image responsive to an indication that a different portion of the second side of the travel route represents a dynamically changing landscape.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the static image includes at least one photograph captured along the travel route.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

causing, with the computing device, a map view of the travel route to be displayed; and

dynamically updating, with the computing device and responsive to the further navigation along the travel route, the map view.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the indication of navigation along the travel route occurs responsive to user input to the bubble view.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

causing a map view that includes the travel route to be displayed, wherein the navigation along the travel route occurs responsive to user input to the map view.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a storage device having instructions stored thereon that responsive to execution by the one or more processors on a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations including;

causing, a block view of a geographic location to be displayed as part of a user interface, the block view displaying a first side of a travel route through the geographic location;

receiving, an indication of navigation within the block view;

causing, responsive to receiving the indication of navigation within the block view, a first bubble view to be displayed at an end of the block view that corresponds to a direction of the navigation within the block view, the first bubble view displaying the first side of the travel route and a second side of the travel route from a perspective of a traveler along the travel route in the direction of the navigation within the block view;

causing, responsive to the navigation within the block view, navigation within the first bubble view in the direction of the navigation within the block view;

receiving an indication of a navigation within the block view in a different direction;

causing, responsive to the indication of the navigation within the block view in the different direction, the first bubble view to be removed from the user interface; and

causing, responsive to the indication of the navigation within the block view in the different direction, a second bubble view to be displayed at another end of the block view, the second bubble view displaying one or more other geographic areas that are adjacent to the geographic location displayed in the block view and in the different direction.

16. The storage device of claim 15, wherein operations further comprise:

causing, responsive to a navigation within one or more of the first bubble view or the second bubble view, navigation within the block view.

17. The storage device of claim 15, wherein one or more of the first bubble view or the second bubble view is configured to display a location included in the block view.

18. The storage device of claim 15, wherein the block view comprises a block icon that indicates an orientation of one or more of the first bubble view or the second bubble view with respect to the geographic location.

19. The storage device of claim 15, wherein one or more of the first bubble view or the second bubble view displays one or more geographic areas that are adjacent to the geographic location displayed in the block view.

20. The storage device of claim 15, wherein operations further comprise:

receiving, the indication of navigation within the block view in response to a user manipulation of a block icon displayed as part of the block view; and

causing, responsive to the user manipulation of the block icon, navigation within one or more of the first bubble view or the second bubble view.