PROVIDING A THUMBNAIL IMAGE THAT FOLLOWS A MAIN IMAGE

• US 20150301695A1
• Filed: 04/22/2014
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Leong, Su Chuin, Duff, David Gordon, Siegel, Jonathan, Donsbach, Aaron Michael, Kisielius, Andrew Vytas
• Granted Patent: US 9,934,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

The technology relates to selecting and displaying images captured at different points in time. As an example, a user of a computing device may view a first street level image as viewed from a particular location and oriented in a particular direction. The user may select other time periods for which similar images are available. Upon selecting a particular time period, a second street level image may be displayed concurrently with the first street level image, wherein the second street level image was captured on or around the selected time period. If the user changes the perspective of the first image an automatic change in perspective of the second image may occur.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a thumbnail image that corresponds to a main image comprising:

receiving, by one or more computing devices, a request for a first image at a first location, wherein the first image will be displayed at a first orientation and the first image is associated with a first time, wherein each of the one or more computing devices comprises one or more processors;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, at least one other image based at least in part on the first location, wherein each of the at least one other images are associated with a different time than the first time;

providing for display, by the one or more computing devices, the first image and an indication that the at least one other images associated with a different time are available;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a request for a second image associated with a second time, wherein the second image is one of the at least one other images, wherein the second time is different from the first time; and

in response to the received request, providing for display concurrently with the first image, by the one or more computing devices, the second image associated with the second time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second image is provided for display so that the orientation of the second image corresponds to the orientation of the first image.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, input indicating a change to a second orientation of the first image; and

automatically providing for display, by the one or more computing devices, a transition in the second image so as to correspond to the second orientation of the first image.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a request for a third image associated with a third time, wherein the third image is one of the at least one other images and wherein the third time is different from the second time; and

in response to the received request for a third image, replacing, by the one or more computing devices, the second image with the third image, and wherein the third image is provided for display so that it corresponds to the first location and the first orientation of the first image.

5. The method claim 4 further comprising:

providing for display, by the one or more computing devices, a timeliness having a visual indica of a given time period being displayed; and

wherein receiving the request for the third image comprises a user moving the visual indica along the timeliness from a first position associated with the second time to a second position associated with the third time.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein replacing the second image with the third image comprises the second image fading out and the third image fading in as the user moves the visual indica along the timeline.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

determining, by the one or more computing devices, that one or more intermediate images are associated with the location of the first image and which were captured at an intermediate time period between the second time and the third time;

wherein replacing the second image with the third image further comprises replacing the second image with one of the intermediate images and replacing one of the intermediate images with the third image.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing for display concurrently with the first image, by the one or more computing devices, one or more supplementary images that relate to the first image; and

in response to receiving the request for the second image, replacing, by the one or more computing devices, one or more of the supplementary images with corresponding supplementary images that correspond to the second time.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing for display, by the one or more computing devices, a plurality of supplementary images concurrently with the first image, wherein the supplementary images are selected from the at least one other images, wherein the supplementary images are associated with different time periods, and wherein each supplementary image has an orientation that corresponds to the orientation of the first image.

10. A system for providing a thumbnail image that corresponds to a main image comprising one or more computing devices, the one or more computing devices being configured to:

receive a request for a first image at a first location, wherein the first image will be displayed at a first orientation and the first image has associated with a first time, wherein each of the one or more computing devices comprises one or more processors;

determine at least one other image based at least in part on the first location, wherein each of the at least one other images are associated with a different time than the first time;

provide for display the first image and an indication that the at least one other images associated with different time are available;

receive a request for a second image associated with a second time, wherein the second image is one of the at least one other images, wherein the second time is different from the first time; and

in response to the received request, provide for display concurrently with the first image the second image associated with the second time.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the second image is provided for display so that the orientation of the second image corresponds to the orientation of the first image.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to:

receive input indicating a change to a second orientation of the first image; and

automatically provide for display, by the one or more computing devices, a transition in the second image so as to correspond to the second orientation of the first image.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to:

receive a request for a third image associated with a third time, wherein the third image is one of the at least one other images and wherein the third time is different from the second time; and

in response to the received request for a third image, replace the second image with the third image, and wherein the third image is provided for display so that it corresponds to the first location and the first orientation of the first image.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to:

provide for display a timeliness having a visual indica of a given time period being displayed; and

wherein receiving the request for the third image comprises a user moving the visual indica along the timeliness from a first position associated with the second time to a second position associated with the third time.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to:

provide for display a plurality of supplementary images concurrently with the first image, wherein the supplementary images are selected from the at least one other images and are each associated with a different time period, and wherein each supplementary image has an orientation that corresponds to the orientation of the first image.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which computer readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a first image at a first location, wherein the first image will be displayed at a first orientation and the first image has associated with a first time, wherein each of the one or more computing devices comprises one or more processors;

determining at least one other image based at least in part on the first location, wherein each of the at least one other images are associated with a different time than the first time;

providing for display the first image and an indication that the at least one other images associated with different time are available;

receiving a request for a second image associated with a second time, wherein the second image is one of the at least one other images, wherein the second time is different from the first time; and

in response to the received request, providing for display concurrently with the first image the second image associated with the second time.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the second image is provided for display so that the orientation of the second image corresponds to the orientation of the first image.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform the method further comprising:

receiving input indicating a change to a second orientation of the first image; and

automatically providing for display, by the one or more computing devices, a transition in the second image so as to correspond to the second orientation of the first image.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to further perform the method further comprising:

receiving a request for a third image associated with a third time, wherein the third image is one of the at least one other images and wherein the third time is different from the second time; and

in response to the received request for a third image, replacing the second image with the third image, and wherein the third image is provided for display so that the third image corresponds to the first location and the first orientation of the first image.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to further perform the method further comprising:

providing for display a timeliness having a visual indica of a given time period being displayed; and

wherein receiving the request for the third image comprises a user moving the visual indica along the timeliness from a first position associated with the second time to a second position associated with the third time.