Lightweight three-dimensional display

• US 8,355,024 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2012
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Gossweiler, Richard C. III, Limber, Mark A., Brewington, Brian E., Lowrie, Matthew W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, Ryan R
• Application Number:
  US13/367,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20120200568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 345/653
• US Class Current: 345/427
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

A computer-implemented imaging process method includes generating a progression of images of a three-dimensional model and saving the images at a determined location, generating mark-up code for displaying image manipulation controls and for permitting display of the progression of images in response to user interaction with the image manipulation controls, and providing the images and mark-up code for use by a third-party application.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for simulating interaction with a three-dimensional model of a real-world object in a web browser, the method comprising:

receiving images taken of a real-world object from different angles;

providing a base image of the real-world object for display in a web browser;

determining that a user has interacted with the base image of the real-world object in the web browser;

selecting another image of the real-world object based on the user'"'"'s interaction;

providing the other image of the real-world object for display in the web browser; and

providing code to the web browser which, when invoked by the web browser, allows the user to scan forward and backward through the received images.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the user has interacted with the base image of the real-world object by indicating an image traversal path;

selecting a progression of images along the image traversal path selected from the received images; and

providing the progression of images for display in the web browser.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing information specifying a respective imaging location of each of the received images.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising packaging (i) the received images and (ii) mark-up code for combined transmission to the web browser.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising scaling the received images before providing the received images to the web browser.

6. A computer-implemented method for simulating interaction with a three-dimensional model of a real-world object in a web browser, the method comprising:

receiving images taken of a real-world object from different angles;

providing a base image of the real-world object for display in a web browser;

determining that a user has interacted with the base image of the real-world object in the web browser;

selecting another image of the real-world object based on the user'"'"'s interaction;

providing the other image of the real-world object for display in the web browser;

determining that the user has interacted with the base image of the real-world object by indicating an axis around which a viewpoint will rotate;

selecting a progression of received images of the real-world object corresponding to the viewpoint; and

providing the progression of received images of the real-world object corresponding to the viewpoint for display in the web browser.

7. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

receiving images taken of a real-world object from different angles;

providing a base image of the real-world object for display in a web browser;

determining that a user has interacted with the base image of the real-world object in the web browser;

selecting another image of the real-world object based on the user'"'"'s interaction;

providing the other image of the real-world object for display in the web browser; and

providing code to the web browser which, when invoked by the web browser, allows the user to scan forward and backward through the received images.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that the user has interacted with the base image of the real-world object by indicating an image traversal path;

selecting a progression of images along the image traversal path selected from the received images; and

providing the progression of images for display in the web browser.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising storing information specifying a respective imaging location of each of the received images.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising packaging (i) the received images and (ii) mark-up code for combined transmission to the web browser.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising scaling the received images before providing the received images to the web browser.

12. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

receiving images taken of a real-world object from different angles;

providing a base image of the real-world object for display in a web browser;

determining that a user has interacted with the base image of the real-world object in the web browser;

selecting another image of the real-world object based on the user'"'"'s interaction;

providing the other image of the real-world object for display in the web browser;

determining that the user has interacted with the base image of the real-world object by indicating an axis around which a viewpoint will rotate;

selecting a progression of received images of the real-world object corresponding to the viewpoint; and

providing the progression of received images of the real-world object corresponding to the viewpoint for display in the web browser.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving images taken of a real-world object from different angles;

providing a base image of the real-world object for display in a web browser;

determining that a user has interacted with the base image of the real-world object in the web browser;

selecting another image of the real-world object based on the user'"'"'s interaction;

providing the other image of the real-world object for display in the web browser; and

providing code to the web browser which, when invoked by the web browser, allows the user to scan forward and backward through the received images.

14. The medium of claim 13, further comprising:

determining that the user has interacted with the base image of the real-world object by indicating an image traversal path;

selecting a progression of images along the image traversal path selected from the received images; and

providing the progression of images for display in the web browser.

15. The medium of claim 13, further comprising storing information specifying a respective imaging location of each of the received images.

16. The medium of claim 13, further comprising scaling the received images before providing the received images to the web browser.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving images taken of a real-world object from different angles;

providing a base image of the real-world object for display in a web browser;

determining that a user has interacted with the base image of the real-world object in the web browser;

selecting another image of the real-world object based on the user'"'"'s interaction; and

providing the other image of the real-world object for display in the web browser;

determining that the user has interacted with the base image of the real-world object by indicating an axis around which a viewpoint will rotate;

selecting a progression of received images of the real-world object corresponding to the viewpoint; and

providing the progression of received images of the real-world object corresponding to the viewpoint for display in the web browser.