Displaying representative images in a visual mapping system

• US 9,818,173 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2016
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gold, Jonathan A., Caro-Bruce, Timothy, Ha, Huy T., Hjelmstad, John Alan, Volkert, Christopher Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US15/282,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20170024853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• 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: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/047 Fisheye or wide-angle transformations
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/12 Relief maps relief models G09B25/06

Abstract

Embodiments provide systems and methods for generating a street map that includes a position identifier that identifies a location on the street map. The method and system may also generate and display a plurality of images representative of the location of the position identifier. A user may interact with a position identifier or one of several scroll icons to view images of other locations on the street map and/or to obtain driving directions between two locations.

Claims

1. A computing system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing system to;

receive a search request from a computing device to display a location of a point of interest, the point of interest associated with a geographic location;

receive location coordinates associated with a current geographic location of the computing device;

provide for display a map, the map including a viewable area that includes an icon displayed at the current geographic location of the computing device and a graphical representation of the point of interest, the map orientated with respect to a reference axis;

receive a selection of an orientation element to cause the icon to include a visual representation of a direction of orientation of the computing device with respect to the reference axis; and

orient the viewable area of the map to substantially match the direction of orientation of the computing device.

2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the reference axis is aligned with respect to magnetic North.

3. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the viewable area of the map is updated based at least in part on the direction of orientation of the computing device with respect to magnetic North.

4. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the visual representation of the direction of orientation includes a graphical element that points in substantially a same direction as the computing device.

5. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computing system to:

display a graphical element on the display indicating the direction of orientation of the computing device with respect to the reference axis.

6. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the map includes a graphical element that displays a direction corresponding to an orientation of the device with respect to magnetic North.

7. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computing system to:

determine a plurality of geographically adjacent images corresponding to the geographic location; and

generate a three-hundred and sixty degree view of a region surrounding the geographic location using at least a portion of the plurality of geographically adjacent images.

8. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computing system to:

receive a selection of at least one interactive element; and

provide a map including a translatable icon representative of a current geographic location being viewed, the translatable icon being configured to move on the map to correspond to a location of the plurality of geographically adjacent images.

9. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computing system to:

receive selection of one of a first icon or a second icon, the first icon being configured to zoom in on a display of the three-hundred and sixty degree view of the region surrounding the geographic location and the second icon being configured to zoom out on the display of the three-hundred and sixty degree view of the region surrounding the geographic location.

10. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the instructions when executed to generate the three-hundred and sixty degree view further cause the computing system to:

stitch together the plurality of geographically adjacent images to provide a view of the region surrounding the geographic location.

11. The computing system of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of geographically adjacent images includes a view of at least a portion of the region surrounding the geographic location.

12. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computing system to:

cause to be displayed proximate to the plurality of geographically adjacent images, a first movement icon and a second movement icon, wherein the first movement icon and the second movement icon are oriented in a direction approximating a direction of movement; and

receive an interaction with one of the first movement icon or the second movement icon to view adjacent images of the plurality of geographically adjacent images within the region surrounding the geographic location using.

13. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a search request from a computing device to display a location of a point of interest, the point of interest associated with a geographic location;

receiving location coordinates associated with a current geographic location of the computing device;

providing for display a map, the map including a viewable area that includes an icon displayed at the current geographic location of the computing device and a graphical representation of the point of interest, the map orientated with respect to a reference axis;

receiving a selection of an orientation element to cause the icon to include a visual representation of a direction of orientation of the computing device with respect to the reference axis; and

orienting the viewable area of the map to substantially match the direction of orientation of the computing device.

14. The computer-implement method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a plurality of geographically adjacent images corresponding to the geographic location; and

generating a three-hundred and sixty degree view of a region surrounding the geographic location using at least a portion of the plurality of geographically adjacent images.

15. The computer-implement method of claim 14, wherein generating the three-hundred and sixty degree view includes:

stitching together at least a portion of the plurality of geographically adjacent images to provide a three-hundred and sixty degree view of a region surrounding the geographic location, wherein the region being centered proximate the geographic location.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving selection of one of a first icon or a second icon, the first icon being configured to zoom in on a display of the three-hundred and sixty degree view of the region surrounding the geographic location and the second icon being configured to zoom out on the display of the three-hundred and sixty degree view of the region surrounding the geographic location.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions executable by one or more processors to perform a set of operations comprising:

receiving a search request from a computing device to display a location of a point of interest, the point of interest associated with a geographic location;

receiving location coordinates associated with a current geographic location of the computing device;

providing for display a map, the map including a viewable area that includes an icon displayed at the current geographic location of the computing device and a graphical representation of the point of interest, the map orientated with respect to a reference axis;

receiving a selection of an orientation element to cause the icon to include a visual representation of a direction of orientation of the computing device with respect to the reference axis; and

orienting the viewable area of the map to substantially match the direction of orientation of the computing device.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions executed by the one or more processors to perform the set of operations of:

determining a plurality of geographically adjacent images corresponding to the geographic location; and

generating a three-hundred and sixty degree view of a region surrounding the geographic location using at least a portion of the plurality of geographically adjacent images.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions executed by the one or more processors to perform the set of operations of:

stitching together at least a portion of the plurality of geographically adjacent images to provide a three-hundred and sixty degree view of a region surrounding the geographic location, wherein the region being centered proximate the geographic location.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions executed by the one or more processors to perform the set of operations of:

providing information relating to the geographic location to at least one algorithm configured to determine content relating to the geographic location; and

causing to be displayed the content.