System and method of displaying annotations on geographic object surfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9286624-B2
Application number	US-55699409-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2009
Priority date	Sep 10, 2009
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

A system and method of displaying information on images representing geographic objects captured by a camera is provided. In one aspect, the information is an advertisement and the advertisement is displayed such that its shape is based on the surface angle of the geographic object relative to the perspective from which the object is being viewed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method of displaying an image, the method comprising:
receiving, by one or more computing devices, indication of a geographic location, wherein the geographic location is capable of conversion into a latitude and longitude value;
receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a request for an image corresponding to the geographic location;
initiating access, by the one or more computing devices, to a database of captured images and corresponding object position data for surfaces of one or more geographic objects within the captured images, wherein each captured image represents a geographic object captured by a camera provided at a specific camera location and camera angle generally parallel to the ground, and wherein the object position data comprises latitude, longitude and altitude values for pixels in each captured image corresponding to surfaces of the geographic object facing the camera;
receiving from the database, by the one or more computing devices, a captured image in response to the request for an image, wherein the captured image is received based on a determined proximity of the specific camera location for the captured image relative to the latitude and longitude value corresponding to the geographic location;
providing a user interface for display in association with the captured image, the user interface comprising multiple blank spaces identified on one or more surfaces of the one or more geographic objects within the captured image for placement of annotation information, wherein the annotation information comprises information to be displayed with the captured image;
receiving user selection of one blank space from among the multiple blank spaces on the captured image;
generating, by the one or more computing devices, a second image based on the captured image, the annotation information, the object position data, and the selected blank space such that a portion of the captured image is replaced with a representation of the annotation information at a position on the surface of the geographic object corresponding to the selected blank space within the captured image defined with respect to the object position data, and the annotation information is displayed so as to conform with the geographic location of the surface based on the perspective from which the surface is being viewed;
initiating storage in the database, by the one or more computing devices, the second image including the annotation information and the location of the annotation information within the selected blank space on a surface of the geographic object as defined by object position data comprising latitude, longitude and altitude values for pixels in the second image corresponding to the surface of the geographic object on which the annotation information is to be displayed; and
providing, by the one or more computing devices, to an electronic display, the second image.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the annotation information comprises information associated with the geographic object.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the annotation information comprises information associated with a business located within the geographic object.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a request to associate the annotation information with the captured image.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a request to associate the annotation information with the geographic object.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a payment in response to providing the second image.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the payment is received from the entity that provided the annotation information.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second image is provided by a server at a node of a network to an electronic display at another node of a network.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second image is generated at a computer and the method further comprises displaying the second image on an electronic display connected to the computer.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the object position data comprises latitude, longitude and altitude values for pixels in the captured image corresponding to the surface of the geographic object on which the annotation information is to be displayed.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the object position data comprises a distance from the surface of the geographic object to the camera for pixels in the captured image corresponding to the surface of the geographic object on which the annotation information is to be displayed.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the object position data comprises a polygon defining the surface of the geographic object on which the annotation information is to be displayed, and wherein the polygon is defined by a plurality of vertices, each vertex being associated with a different geographic location and including a latitude, longitude and altitude value.

13. A computer-implemented method of displaying a geographic object, the method comprising:
transmitting, by one or more computing devices, over a network, data identifying a geographic location, wherein the geographic location is capable of conversion into a latitude and longitude value;
transmitting, by the one or more computing devices, over the network, a request for an image corresponding to the geographic location and for object position data defining surfaces of geographic objects within the image, wherein the object position data comprises latitude, longitude and altitude values for pixels corresponding to surfaces of geographic objects within the image;
receiving, by the one or more computing devices, from the network, data representing an image from a database and stored object position data defining surfaces of geographic objects within the image, wherein:
a portion of the image comprises an image of a geographic object that was taken proximate to the location at a specific camera location and camera angle generally parallel to the ground, wherein the image data is based on a determined proximity of the specific camera location for the image data relating to the latitude and longitude value corresponding to the geographic location and whereby the geographic object has a surface defined by the object position data, wherein the object position data is stored in association with the image data,
a portion of the image comprises an advertisement,
the advertisement portion of the image was determined by a processor such that the advertisement is displayed on the surface of the geographic object at a location defined by the object position data and such that the portions of the advertisement that correspond with the surfaces closer to the camera position are displayed larger than the portions of the advertisement that correspond with the surfaces that are farther from the camera position, and
the advertisement is displayed at a position on the surface corresponding to a blank space, the blank space being pre-selected, via a user interface comprising multiple blank spaces on the geographic object for placement of the advertisement, by a user corresponding to the advertisement; and

displaying, by the one or more computing devices, the image on an electronic display.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the advertisement portion was provided by another node of the network.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the advertisement portion corresponds with a business associated with the geographic object.

16. A computing system comprising:
a user input

Assignees

• Chau Stephen
• Google Inc

Inventors

• Chau Stephen

Classifications

• G06T11/00

  Two-dimensional [2D] image generation · CPC title

• G06Q30/0261

  based on user location · CPC title

• G06K9/00476

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06Q30/0259 Primary

  based on store location · CPC title

• G06V30/422

  Technical drawings; Geographical maps · CPC title