Three-dimensional overlays within navigable panoramic images, and applications thereof

• US 8,982,154 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2014
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Vincent, Luc, Filip, Daniel Joseph, Chau, Stephen, Lafon, Stephane, Yang, Zhonghao, Szybalski, Andrew Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Chu, David H
• Application Number:
  US14/182,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20140160119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/629
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/028 Multiple view windows (top-side-front-sagittal-orthogonal)
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2004 Aligning objects, relative positioning of parts

Abstract

A panorama viewer is disclosed which facilitates navigation from within the panorama of a larger, structured system such as a map. The panorama viewer presents a viewport on a portion of a panoramic image, the viewport including a three-dimensional overlay rendered with the panoramic image. As the orientation of the viewport within the panoramic image changes, the three-dimensional overlay'"'"'s orientation in three-dimensional space also changes as it is rendered with the panoramic image in a manner that matches the change in orientation of the viewport.

Claims

1. A method for viewing panoramic images, comprising:

providing for display, by one or more computing devices, a viewport including a portion of a first panoramic image and a three-dimensional overlay rendered with the first panoramic image, wherein the three-dimensional overlay includes a navigational icon used to navigate between panoramic images;

providing for display, by the one or more computing devices, a second panoramic image in response to user input indicating a selection of the navigation icon, wherein the second panoramic image is located at a direction relative to a location of the first panoramic image, the direction corresponding to a position of the navigation icon in the three-dimensional overlay; and

providing, by the one or more computing devices, instructions to display a transition between the portion of the first panoramic image and a portion of the second panoramic image by;

zooming into the first panoramic image, and

fading between the first and second panoramic images such that the zooming and fading presents a smooth transition between the first and second panoramic images to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second panoramic images correspond to street-level imagery.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the three-dimensional overlay further includes a street line positioned to correspond to the direction of a street in the first panoramic image, and a street name positioned to identify the street in the first panoramic image.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a user orientation character at a first position on a map, the first position corresponding to a location of the first panoramic image; and

displaying the user orientation character at a second position on a map in response to the user input, wherein the second position is located at a direction relative to the first position, the direction corresponding to a position of the navigation icon in the three-dimensional overlay and to a location of the second panoramic image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigational icon is a button configured for selection by a user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the instructions to display the transition between the portion of the first panoramic image and the portion of the second panoramic image.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the user input indicating a selection of the navigation icon.

8. A system for viewing panoramic images, the system comprising one or more computing devices configured to:

provide for display a viewport including a portion of a first panoramic image and a three-dimensional overlay rendered with the first panoramic image, wherein the three-dimensional overlay includes a navigational icon used to navigate between panoramic images;

provide for display a second panoramic image in response to user input indicating a selection of the navigation icon, wherein the second panoramic image is located at a direction relative to a location of the first panoramic image, the direction corresponding to a position of the navigation icon in the three-dimensional overlay; and

provide instructions to display a transition between the portion of the first panoramic image and a portion of the second panoramic image by;

zooming into the first panoramic image, and

fading between the first and second panoramic images such that the zooming and fading presents a smooth transition between the first and second panoramic images to the user.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first and second panoramic images correspond to street-level imagery.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the three-dimensional overlay further includes a street line positioned to correspond to the direction of a street in the first panoramic image, and a street name positioned to identify the street in the first panoramic image.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

display a user orientation character at a first position on a map, the first position corresponding to a location of the first panoramic image; and

display the user orientation character at a second position on a map in response to the user input, wherein the second position is located at a direction relative to the first position, the direction corresponding to a position of the navigation icon in the three-dimensional overlay and to a location of the second panoramic image.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the navigational icon is a button configured for selection by a user.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to use the instructions to display the transition between the portion of the first panoramic image and the portion of the second panoramic image.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to receive the user input indicating a selection of the navigation icon.

15. A tangible 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 of viewing panoramic images, the method comprising:

providing for display a viewport including a portion of a first panoramic image and a three-dimensional overlay rendered with the first panoramic image, wherein the three-dimensional overlay includes a navigational icon used to navigate between panoramic images;

providing for display a second panoramic image in response to user input indicating a selection of the navigation icon, wherein the second panoramic image is located at a direction relative to a location of the first panoramic image, the direction corresponding to a position of the navigation icon in the three-dimensional overlay; and

providing instructions to display a transition between the portion of the first panoramic image and a portion of the second panoramic image by;

zooming into the first panoramic image, and

fading between the first and second panoramic images such that the zooming and fading presents a smooth transition between the first and second panoramic images to the user.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the first and second panoramic images correspond to street-level imagery.

17. The medium of claim 15, wherein the three-dimensional overlay further includes a street line positioned to correspond to the direction of a street in the first panoramic image, and a street name positioned to identify the street in the first panoramic image.

18. The medium of claim 15 wherein the method further comprises:

displaying a user orientation character at a first position on a map, the first position corresponding to a location of the first panoramic image; and

displaying the user orientation character at a second position on a map in response to the user input, wherein the second position is located at a direction relative to the first position, the direction corresponding to a position of the navigation icon in the three-dimensional overlay and to a location of the second panoramic image.

19. The medium of claim 15, wherein the navigational icon is a button configured for selection by a user.

20. The medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises using the instructions to display the transition between the portion of the first panoramic image and the portion of the second panoramic image.