System for viewing image frames based on geographical location

• US 9,507,499 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2013
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Figueroa, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Tan, Alvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUERTAS TORRES, AYESHA E
• Application Number:
  US13/943,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20130305157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/745 the internal structure of a single video sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computing devices are provided for viewing scene-granular video based on geographical location. The computing device may include a memory configured to store video and geographical coordinates at which the video was captured. The computing device may further include, a processor that is configured to execute a video path viewing program, and a display that is configured to display a graphical user interface of the video path viewing program. The graphical user interface may be configured to display a path graphic spatially representing the geographical coordinates along which the video was captured, a location selector that is selectively movable along the path graphic to a selected path location, and a video icon that is configured to display a preview of a portion of the video corresponding to the selected path location.

Claims

1. A computing device for viewing image frames based on geographical location, the computing device comprising:

memory configured to store the image frames and geographical coordinates at which the image frames were captured;

a processor configured to execute a path viewing program; and

a display configured to display a graphical user interface of the path viewing program, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to display;

a path graphic spatially representing a path linking the geographical coordinates along which the image frames were captured, the path graphic including first and second spatially offset portions, the first and second spatially offset portions being displayed as offset despite representing overlapping geographic coordinates to represent a first subset of the image frames that were captured on the first spatially offset portion and a second subset of image frames that were captured on the second spatially offset portion, wherein the first and second spatially offset portions are connected with a switchback indicator indicating that the path graphic is continuous.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first and second spatially offset portions were captured at different points in time.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the path graphic comprises a line that includes a line characteristic graphically distinguishing a temporal start from a temporal end of the path graphic, the line characteristic being selected from color, thickness, pattern, textual identifier, and arrows.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the geographical coordinates include latitude and longitude, and the path graphic is a two dimensional graphical representation of the latitude and longitude.

5. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a location selector being selectively movable along the path graphic to a selected path location; and

an icon configured to display one of the image frames corresponding to the selected path location, wherein the icon and the location selector are linked by a graphical linking element.

6. The computing device of claim 5, wherein the icon is configured to scroll through the image frames as the location selector is moved along the path graphic.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first spatially offset portion is displayed on a first plane, and the second spatially offset portion is displayed on a second plane that is spatially offset from the first plane.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first and second spatially offset portions are displayed in a continuous spiral.

9. A method for viewing image frames based on geographical location comprising:

displaying, in a graphical user interface of a computing device, a path graphic spatially representing a path linking geographical coordinates along which the image frames were captured, the path graphic including first and second spatially offset portions, the first and second spatially offset portions being displayed as offset despite representing overlapping geographic coordinates to represent a first subset of the image frames that were captured on the first spatially offset portion and a second subset of image frames that were captured on the second spatially offset portion, wherein the first and second spatially offset portions are connected with a switchback indicator indicating that the path graphic is continuous;

receiving an input of a movement of a movable location selector along the path graphic; and

previewing the image frames within an icon corresponding to the movement of a movable location selector along the path graphic.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second spatially offset portions were captured at different points in time.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the path graphic comprises a line that includes a line characteristic graphically distinguishing a temporal start from a temporal end of the path graphic, the line characteristic being selected from color, thickness, pattern, textual identifier, and arrows.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the geographical coordinates include latitude and longitude, and the path graphic is a two dimensional graphical representation of the latitude and longitude.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving an input of a movement of a movable location selector along the path graphic to a selected path location; and

displaying via an icon one of the image frames corresponding to the selected path location, wherein the icon and the location selector are linked by a graphical linking element.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the icon is configured to scroll through the image frames as the location selector is moved along the path graphic.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying the first spatially offset portion on a first plane; and

displaying the second spatially offset portion on a second plane that is spatially offset from the first plane.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying the first and second spatially offset portions in a continuous spiral.

17. A system for viewing image frames based on geographical location, the system comprising:

memory configured to store the image frames and geographical coordinates at which the image frames were captured;

a processor configured to execute a path viewing program; and

a display configured to display a graphical user interface of the path viewing program, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to display;

a path graphic spatially representing a path linking the geographical coordinates along which the image frames were captured, the path graphic including first and second spatially offset portions, the first and second spatially offset portions being displayed as offset despite representing overlapping geographic coordinates to represent a first subset of the image frames that were captured on the first spatially offset portion and a second subset of image frames that were captured on the second spatially offset portion, wherein the first and second spatially offset portions are connected with a switchback indicator indicating that the path graphic is continuous; and

an icon being selectively movable within the graphical user interface and configured to scroll through the image frames as the icon is moved within the graphical user interface.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first spatially offset portion is displayed on a first plane, and the second spatially offset portion is displayed on a second plane that is spatially offset from the first plane.