Virtual earth rooftop overlay and bounding

• US 7,920,072 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Leonard, Kimchi, Gur
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/275,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20090073191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995.1, 340/995, 340/990, 340/992, 340/825.36, 340/985, 340/10.1
• US Class Current: 340/995.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0145 for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

Provided is a single repository for capturing, connecting, sharing, and visualizing information based on a geographic location, for example. Detailed information of a structure or object information can be displayed on a rooftop or over an area of interest. The detailed information can be provided for a single structure or for each structure shown on a map area. According to an embodiment is a system that facilitates surface overlay and bounding on a map. The system can include a receiver component that receives information for an object, a boundary component that ascertains a perimeter of the object, and a rendering component that selectively displays the object information and object on a map based in part on a user perspective.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates information overlay on a map, comprising:

a receiver component that receives a three-dimensional map image, the map image including one or more objects, the receiver component receives geo-coded information associated with at least one of the one or more objects;

a time-shift component that selects a time associated with the map image; and

a rendering component that displays the geo-coded information and the object on a map, the rendering component being capable of displaying the object at a historical time and at a future time, the object being displayed as a three-dimensional image of an object having a plurality of faces, wherein the object is displayed with the geo-coded information overlaid within a perimeter of one of the plurality of faces of the object based at least upon a displayed viewing angle.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a stitching component that maintains the object and the geo-coded information in a retrievable format.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an update module that updates the geo-coded information with a projection of the appearance of a geographical area associated with the object at a future point in time.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an update module that updates the geo-coded information with predicted information associated with the object at a future point in time.

5. The system of claim 1, the receiver component comprising:

an identification module that identifies the object; and

an information module that receives detailed information relating to the object, wherein portions of the detailed information are selectively provided based upon a level of trustworthiness associated with each portion of the detailed information.

6. The system of claim 1, the geo-coded information is detailed information about the occupants of a building, wherein each occupant can selectively expose portions of the geo-coded information related to the occupant.

7. The system of claim 1, the rendering component selectively alters the position of the information based on a user perspective that is determined based upon head-tracking equipment that determines where the user is looking.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the map is adjustable for a viewing angle in at least three dimensions, the geo-coded information is displayed such that it appears to be painted on a face corresponding to a side of the three-dimensional image of the object that is most exposed to a user in the displayed map based on a user selected viewing angle.

9. A method for information overlay on a map, comprising:

receiving a three-dimensional map image, the map image including one or more objects;

receiving a plurality of images from one or more users corresponding to an object from the one or more objects;

ranking the received images corresponding to the object based upon accuracy in depicting the object;

receiving time-stamped geo-coded information associated with the object;

displaying a historical view of the object or a geographical area associated with the object at a user specified past point in time according to the time stamped geo-coded information, the displayed historical view including at least one received image selected based on the accuracy ranking;

determining a perimeter of the object; and

annotating a three-dimensional image of the object on a map with geo-coded information associated with the object, the three-dimensional image of the object having at least two sides,

wherein the geo-coded information is annotated within a perimeter of a side of the object based upon a displayed viewing perspective of the map.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising selectively altering a location of the object information when the viewing perspective is altered.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying the geo-coded information within a side of the three-dimensional image of the object that is most exposed to a user based upon a viewing perspective of the user.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining the user'"'"'s viewing perspective based upon head-tracking equipment that determines where the user is looking.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying a projection of the appearance of a geographical area associated with the object at a future point in time.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising updating the geo-coded information with predicted information associated with the object at a future point in time.

15. A system for overlaying information on a map, comprising:

means for receiving a three-dimensional map image, the map image including one or more objects;

means for receiving geo-coded information associated with at least one of the one or more objects;

means for selecting one or more time-shifts for the map image or for an object included in the map image;

means for displaying an object on a map as a three-dimensional image of the object having a plurality of faces, the object being displayed at a historical time and a future time based on the selected time-shift;

means for determining a perimeter of a face of an object; and

means for annotating the three-dimensional image of the object on the map with geo-coded information associated with the object,

wherein the geo-coded information is annotated within a perimeter of a face of the object based upon a displayed viewing perspective of the map.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for selectively altering a location of the object information when the viewing perspective is altered.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for displaying the geo-coded information within a face of the three-dimensional image of the object that is most exposed based upon the displayed viewing perspective.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for determining a viewing perspective of a user looking at the map;

means for adjusting the displayed viewing perspective based upon the determined user viewing perspective.