BLENDING BETWEEN STREET VIEW AND EARTH VIEW

• US 20160019713A1
• Filed: 07/17/2014
• Published: 01/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Parker, Evan Hardesty, Dillard, Scott Edward, Jones, Michael Cameron
• Granted Patent: US 9,418,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/503 Blending, e.g. for anti-aliasing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics

Abstract

In one aspect, computing device(s) may determine a plurality of fragments for a three-dimensional (3D) model of a geographical location. Each fragment of the plurality of fragments may correspond to a pixel of a blended image and each fragment has a fragment color from the 3D model. The one or more computing devices may determine geospatial location data for each fragment based at least in part on latitude information, longitude information, and altitude information associated with the 3D model. For each fragment of the plurality of fragments, the one or more computing devices may identify a pixel color and an image based at least in part on the geospatial location data, determine a blending ratio based on at least one of a position and an orientation of a virtual camera, and generate the blended image based on at least the blending ratio, the pixel color, and the fragment color.

Claims

1. A method for generating a blended image comprising:

determining, by one or more computing devices, a plurality of fragments for a three-dimensional (3D) model of a geographical location, wherein each fragment of the plurality of fragments corresponds to a pixel of the blended image and each fragment has a fragment color from the 3D model;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, geospatial location data for each fragment based at least in part on latitude information, longitude information, and altitude information associated with the 3D model;

for each fragment of the plurality of fragments, identifying, by the one or more computing devices, a pixel color and an image based at least in part on the geospatial location data;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, a blending ratio based on at least one of a position and an orientation of a virtual camera; and

generating, by the one or more computing devices, the blended image based on at least the blending ratio, the pixel color, and the fragment color.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing for display, by the one or more computing devices, the blended image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the blending ratio is based on at least one of the position and the orientation of the virtual camera relative to the image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the pixel of the blended image corresponds to a pixel of a display.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the blending ratio is a ratio of a quantity of the pixel color to a quantity of the fragment color.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the quantity of the pixel color increases as at least one of the position and the orientation of the virtual camera aligns with the image.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the quantity of the fragment color increases as the virtual camera moves away from the image or as at least one of the position and the orientation of the virtual camera misaligns with the image.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a request to transition from the image to another image.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing for display, by the one or more computing devices, a series of blended images corresponding to a path of the transition from the image to another image.

10. A system comprising:

a memory;

one or more computing devices, each of the one or more computing devices having one or more processors, the one or more computing devices being coupled to the memory;

wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to;

determine a plurality of fragments for a three-dimensional (3D) model of a geographical location, wherein each fragment of the plurality of fragments corresponds to a pixel of a blended image and each fragment has a fragment color from the 3D model;

determine geospatial location data for each fragment based at least in part on latitude information, longitude information, and altitude information associated with the 3D model;

for each fragment of the plurality of fragments, identify a pixel color and an image based at least in part on the geospatial location data;

determine a blending ratio is based on at least one of a position and an orientation of a virtual camera; and

generate the blended image based on at least the blending ratio, the pixel color, and the fragment color.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to provide for display the blended image.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the blending ratio is based on at least one of the position and the orientation of the virtual camera relative to the image.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the pixel of the blended image corresponds to a pixel of a display.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the blending ratio is a ratio of a quantity of the pixel color to a quantity of the fragment color.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the quantity of the pixel color increases as at least one of the position and the orientation of the virtual camera aligns with the image.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the quantity of the fragment color increases as the virtual camera moves away from the image or as at least one of the position and the orientation of the virtual camera misaligns with the image.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to receive a request to transition from the image to another image.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to provide for display a series of blended images corresponding to a path of the transition from the image to another image.

19. A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium on which instructions are stored, the instructions, when executed by one or more computing devices perform a method for generating a blended image, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of fragments for a three-dimensional (3D) model of a geographical location, wherein each fragment of the plurality of fragments corresponds to a pixel of the blended image and each fragment has a fragment color from the 3D model;

determining geospatial location data for each fragment based at least in part on latitude information, longitude information, and altitude information associated with the 3D model;

for each fragment of the plurality of fragments, identifying a pixel color and an image based at least in part on the geospatial location data;

determining a blending ratio based on at least one of a position and an orientation of a virtual camera; and

generating the blended image based on at least the blending ratio, the pixel color, and the fragment color.

20. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium of claim 19, the method further comprising providing for display the blended image.