Building search by contents

• US 9,171,011 B1
• Filed: 08/27/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Brewington, Brian Edmond
• Primary Examiner(s): Reyes, Mariela
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US14/010,857
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 707/743, 707/737
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2219 Large Object storage; Management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

Aspects of the invention relate generally to identifying and providing 3D models in response to a search request. More specifically, a server may access a database of 3D models, at least some of which include geolocation information such as an address, intersection, or geolocation coordinates. The server may select a particular model and identify points of interest. For example, the server may use detailed map information to identify points of interest located at or near the geolocation information associated with the particular model. Once a point of interest has been identified, a corresponding system tag may be generated and associated with the 3D model. Tags may be used to index, search, and retrieve 3D models in response to a search request. For example, when a request for a 3D model is received, the server identifies the search terms and searches the tags to identify relevant 3D models.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by one or more computing devices, a 3D model of an object from a plurality of 3D models of objects, wherein each 3D model of an object of the plurality of 3D models of objects is associated with information defining a geographic area of a base polygon of the respective object;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, whether a geographic coordinate of a point of interest is within the geographic area of the base polygon;

when the geographic coordinate of the point of interest is within the geographic area of the base polygon, creating, by the one or more computing devices, a system tag including a search term selected based on the given point of interest; and

associating, by the one or more computing devices, the system tag with the identified 3D model of the object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified 3D model of the object represents a building and the geographic area of the base polygon defined by the information associated with the identified 3D model of the object represents a boundary of the building.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of 3D models of objects are stored in a storage system that includes a search index, and the method further comprises storing the system tag in the search index.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the search term is a title of the given point of interest.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a client computing device, a request for one or more 3D models of objects including the search term;

identifying, by the one or more computing devices, the system tag based on the search term;

retrieving the identified 3D model of the object from memory based on the system tag; and

sending the selected 3D model of the object to the client computing device.

6. A system comprising:

memory storing a plurality of 3D models of objects, wherein each 3D model of an object of the plurality of 3D models of objects is associated with information defining a geographic area of a base polygon of the respective object, the memory also storing map information including a plurality of points of interest, where each point of interest of the plurality of points of interest is associated with a geographic coordinate; and

one or more computing devices configured to;

identify a 3D model of an object from a plurality of 3D models of objects, wherein each 3D model of an object of the plurality of 3D models of objects is associated with information defining a geographic area of a base polygon of that respective object;

determine whether a geographic coordinate of a point of interest is within the geographic area of the base polygon;

when the geographic coordinate of the point of interest is within the geographic area of the base polygon, create a system tag including a search term selected based on the given point of interest; and

associate the system tag with the identified 3D model of the object.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the identified 3D model of the object represents a building and the geographic perimeter represents a boundary of the building.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more computers are further configured to:

receive, from a client computing device, a request for one or more 3D models of objects including the search term;

identify, by the one or more computing devices, the system tag based on the search term;

retrieve the identified 3D model of the object from memory based on the system tag; and

send the selected 3D model of the object to the client computing device.

9. The computer of claim 6, wherein the memory further stores a search index, and the one or more computing devices are further configured to store the system tag in the search index.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the search term is a title of the given point of interest.

11. A method comprising:

sending, by a client computing device, a request for a 3D model of an object to one or more server computing devices, the request identifying a search term, wherein the 3D model is associated with information defining a geographic area of a base polygon of the object;

in response to the request, receiving by the client computing device from the one or more server computing devices, the 3D model, wherein the 3D model of the object is associated with a system tag identifying the search term and a point of interest within a geographic area of the base polygon of the object; and

displaying, by the client computing device, the system tag and the 3D model on a display of the client computing device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving user input indicating that the system tag includes an error; and

sending a notification to the one or more server computing devices indicating that the system tag includes an error.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving user input identifying an edit to the system tag; and

sending the edit to the one or more server computing devices.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the system tag identifies contents of a building represented by the 3D model of the object.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the system tag identifies a point of interest within a geographic boundary of a building represented by the 3D model of the object.