MOTION-CONTROLLED VIEWS ON MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICES

• US 20090325607A1
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Palevich, John H., Bliss, Adam, Tseng, Erick, Conway, David P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,948,788 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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 3/04847 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: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/185 by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A computer-implemented visual navigation method includes providing from a wireless mobile device, over a public wireless network to a server located remotely from the wireless mobile device, information identifying a geographic location. The method also includes receiving in response, from the server, image data of digital images captured from an location at the geographic location, displaying the image data to a user of the mobile device as an image of an image space around the geographic locations, and panning the image within the image space automatically in response to user motion of the wireless mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented visual navigation method, comprising:

providing from a wireless mobile device, over a public wireless network to a server located remotely from the wireless mobile device, information identifying a geographic location;

receiving in response, from the server, image data of digital images captured from a location at the geographic location;

displaying the image data to a user of the mobile device as an image of an image space around the geographic locations; and

panning the image within the image space automatically in response to user motion of the wireless mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein panning the image comprises moving forward in the image space in response to user shaking of the wireless mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein panning the image comprises panning the image laterally around the geographic location in accordance with compass readings sensed by the wireless mobile device

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising matching a compass reading sensed by the wireless mobile device to a compass direction at the geographic location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is comprised of multiple joined image files.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein panning the image comprises panning the image up and down in response to accelerometer measurements sensed by the wireless mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the image data is substantially similar to streetview image data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving address information from a user, displaying a map around the address in response to receipt of the address information, and providing the information identifying a geographic location based on a user selection on the map.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a search query from the user, identifying the search query as corresponding to the address information, and presenting the address information to the user before receiving the address information from the user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the address information comprises data encoded in a hyperlink from a search result.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location differs from a current location of the wireless mobile device.

15. The article of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving address information from a user, displaying a map around the address in response to receipt of the address information, and providing the information identifying a geographic location based on a user selection on the map.

12. An article comprising a tangible computer-readable data storage medium storing program code operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations, the operations comprising:

providing from a wireless mobile device, to a server located remotely from the wireless mobile device, information identifying a geographic location;

receiving in response from the server image data representing items around the geographic location;

displaying the image data to a user of the mobile device as an image of an image space around the geographic locations; and

panning the image within the image space automatically in response to user motion of the wireless mobile device.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein panning the image comprises panning the image laterally around the geographic location in accordance with compass readings sensed by the wireless mobile device.

14. The article of claim 13, wherein panning the image comprises matching a compass reading sensed by the wireless mobile device to a compass direction at the geographic location.

16. A computer-implemented visual navigation system, comprising:

a compass module to sense a direction of orientation for a wireless mobile computer;

a wireless interface to communicate with a server located remote from the system to receive from the server a plurality of images around geographic locations; and

a processor in communication with memory storing code having instructions to determine the direction of orientation of the device using the compass module, to obtain from the server image data showing images around the geographic locations, and to display one or more images corresponding to a geographic location identified by a user of the system in an orientation corresponding to the direction of orientation for the wireless mobile computer.

17. The computer-implemented system of claim 16, wherein the code further has instructions to sense a change in the direction of orientation for the wireless mobile computer, and to change a display of images on the wireless mobile computer so as to match, with the images, the change in direction of orientation for the wireless moil computer.

18. The computer-implemented system of claim 16, further comprising an accelerometer to sense motion of the wireless mobile computer, and wherein the code further has instructions to change a display of images on the wireless mobile computer.

19. The computer-implemented system of claim 16, wherein the code to display one or more images corresponding to a geographic location identified by a user of the system in an orientation corresponding to the direction of orientation for the wireless mobile computer, comprises code to pan a display laterally around the geographic location in accordance with compass readings sensed by the compass module.

20. A computer-implemented visual navigation system, comprising:

a compass module to sense a direction of orientation for a wireless mobile computer;

a wireless interface to communicate with a server located remote from the system to receive from the server a plurality of images around geographic locations; and

means for displaying images retrieved from the server in a direction about a geographic location that corresponds to a direction sensed by the compass module.

21. A computer-implemented visual navigation method, comprising:

providing from a wireless mobile device, over a public wireless network to a server located remotely from the wireless mobile device, information identifying a geographic location;

receiving in response, from the server, image data of digital images captured from a location at the geographic location;

displaying the image data to a user of the mobile device as an image of an image space around the geographic locations;

panning the image within the image space automatically in response to user motion of the wireless mobile device;

automatically generating a pop up graphical panning control in response to the user motion; and

receiving a user input to the panning control and providing panning of the image within the image space.