On demand image overlay

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9256983-B2
Application number	US-201213536589-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2012
Priority date	Jun 28, 2012
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

In one embodiment, a building model is presented to a user. The building model may be a three-dimensional rendering of a geographic region. A user selects a point on the three-dimensional rendering of a geographic region. Based on the selected point one or more image bubbles are chosen. The image bubbles are photographs or similar image data. The image bubbles and the three-dimensional rendering are associated with the same geographical space. The one or more image bubbles are incorporated with the building model such that at least a portion of one of the image bubbles is displayed in a window with the building model.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method comprising:
receiving data indicative of a selection of a point on a three-dimensional rendering of a geographic region;
selecting, using a processor, an image bubble based on the selection of the point on the three-dimensional rendering of the geographic region; and
associating, using the processor, at least a portion of the image bubble in a window inset with the three-dimensional rendering of the geographic region,
wherein the window inset is at a viewpoint that is different than the three-dimensional rendering, wherein the viewpoint is based on the selected point,
wherein the image bubble is collected from a single perspective and the image bubble is closest among available image bubbles to the selected point and line of sight to the selected point and wherein the available image bubbles are panoramic images.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein associating the at least the portion of the bubble in the window inset with the three-dimensional rendering of the geographic region comprises:
calculating a view angle for the at least the portion of the image bubble; and
calculating a field of view radius for the at least the portion of the image bubble.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
projecting the at least the portion of the image bubble onto a planar image.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection of the point corresponds to a navigation route or a point of interest.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a geographically referenced location from the selection of the point on the three-dimensional rendering of the geographic region; and
identifying a plurality of image bubbles based on the geographically referenced location.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein:
the plurality of image bubbles are identified based on distance from a center of each of the image bubbles to the geographically referenced location; or
the plurality of image bubbles are identified based on whether an image of each of the image bubbles corresponds to the geographically referenced location; or
the plurality of image bubbles are identified based on whether a line of sight exists between the geographically referenced location and a center of each of the plurality of image bubbles.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving data indicative of a user input of a direction; and
adjusting the window inset within the three-dimensional rendering of the geographic region to display a different portion of the image bubble according to the direction without changing the three-dimensional rendering of the geographic region.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving data indicative of a user input of a direction;
selecting a second image bubble based on the direction; and
displaying at least a portion of the second image bubble in the window inset within the three-dimensional rendering of the geographic region.

9. An apparatus comprising:
a memory storing a plurality of image bubbles, wherein the plurality of image bubbles are panoramic images; and
a processor configured to receive a selection of a point associated with a virtual rendering of a geographic region and configured to access the plurality of image bubbles and select an optimal image bubble from the plurality of image bubbles based on the selection of the point on the virtual rendering of the geographic region,
wherein the processor is configured to generate an image including at least a portion of the optimal image bubble in a window inset within the virtual rendering of the geographic region, wherein the window inset is at a viewpoint that is different than the virtual rendering of the geographic region,
wherein the image bubble has a collection point closest, as compared to the plurality of image bubbles, to the point of the virtual rendering of the geographic region and line of sight to the point.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to receive a zoom value and the processor is configured to define a size of the portion of the image bubble according to the point on the virtual rendering of the geographic region and the zoom value.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to receive data indicative of a user input of a direction, and the processor is configured to adjust the window inset within the virtual rendering of the geographic region to display a different portion of the image bubble according to the direction.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to receive data indicative of a user input of a direction, and the processor is configured to select a second image bubble based on the direction and generate a second image including at least a portion of the second image bubble in the window inset within the virtual rendering of the geographic region.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a geographically referenced location from the selection of the point on the virtual rendering of the geographic region and the plurality of image bubbles are determined according to the geographically referenced location.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of image bubbles are identified based on distance from a center of each of the image bubbles to the geographically referenced location.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of image bubbles are identified based on whether an image of each of the image bubbles is indexed to the geographically referenced location.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of image bubbles are identified based on whether a line of sight exists between the geographically referenced location and a center of each of the plurality of image bubbles.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that when executed are operable to:
receive data of a building model;
receive data indicative of a selection of a point on the building model;
identify a geographic position that corresponds to the point on the building model;
select an image from a plurality of images, wherein the selected image has a collection point closest to the geographic position among the plurality of images and a line of sight the point on the building model and wherein the plurality of images are panoramic images;
retrieve the selected image based on the geographic position of the point on the building model; and
overlay a portion of the selected image on the building model in a window inset, wherein the window inset is at a viewpoint that is different than the building model.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein a resolution of the selected image is greater than a resolution of the building model.

Assignees

• Lynch James D
• Here Global Bv

Inventors

• Lynch James D

Classifications

• G06T2219/004

  Annotating, labelling · CPC title

• G06T19/00 Primary

  Manipulating three-dimensional [3D] models or images for computer graphics · CPC title