Personalized mapping with photo tours

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9488489-B2
Application number	US-201213630022-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2012
Priority date	Sep 28, 2012
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer-readable storage mediums encoded with computer programs executed by one or more processors for providing personalized mapping with photo-tours are disclosed. A mapping system provides a map of a geographic region that includes a plurality of selectable image locations within the region, with standardized images of the respective image location that accord with predefined parameters provided by the mapping system. An image location selection from the map is received and it is determined whether the selected image location is associated with one or more photo-tours of non-standardized images that do not according with the predefined parameters. A selection of a particular one of the photo-tours is received, and the set of non-standardized images corresponding to a selected photo-tour for the image location is provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for providing personalized maps with photo-tours, comprising:
receiving, by one or more processors, a selection of a geographic region, wherein the selection of the geographic location is based, at least in part, on a first user input;
providing, by the one or more processors, based on the selection of the geographic region, a map of the geographic region, including a plurality of selectable image locators and one or more selectable photo-tour indicators overlaid on the map, wherein:
each selectable image locator is associated with one or more standardized images that are of the selected geographic region and that accord with predefined parameters provided by a mapping system, and
each photo-tour indicator is associated with one or more photo-tours and each of the one or more photo-tours include a set of non-standardized images provided to the mapping system by a respective user that traversed a path to capture the set of non-standardized images that are of at least a portion of the selected geographic location and that do not accord with the predefined parameters provided by the mapping system;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a selection of one of the one or more photo-tour indicators overlaid on the map, wherein the selection of the particular one of the one or more photo-tour indicators is based, at least in part, on a second user input; and
displaying, upon receiving a selection of the one of the one or more photo-tour indicators by the one or more processors, the set of non-standardized images corresponding to the selected particular one of the one or more photo-tour indicators and an indicator representing at least a section of the path of the selected particular one of the one or more photo-tours to an end user.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the displaying the set of non-standardized images comprises providing the set of non-standardized images in an order as arranged by the respective user that provided the selected particular one of the one or more photo-tours.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the displaying the set of non-standardized images includes:
determining that the selected particular one of the one or more photo-tours includes a plurality of non-standardized images, wherein each image includes a spatial relationship to at least one or more other standardized or non-standardized images of the selected particular one of the one or more photo-tours; and
providing the non-standardized images of the selected particular one of the one or more photo-tours in a sequence based on the spatial relationships between the non-standardized images of the selected particular one of the one or more photo-tours.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , further comprising:
displaying a first one of the non-standardized images of the selected particular one of the one or more photo-tours at a user device, the first non-standardized image including a plurality of spatial indicators corresponding to the spatial relationships between the first non-standardized image and one or more other non-standardized images of the selected particular one of the one or more photo-tours.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further comprising:
receiving a selection, from the user device, of a particular spatial indicator on the first non-standardized image; and
displaying a second one of the non-standardized images of the selected particular one of the one or more photo-tours at the user device, the second non-standardized image corresponding to the spatial relationship of the selected spatial indicator.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the selected photo-tour is a first photo-tour; and
providing the set of non-standardized images of the selected particular one of the one or more photo-tours for display at a user device in a sequence that corresponds to the path the respective user traversed to capture the set of non-standardized images within the selected particular one of the one or more photo-tours.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , further comprising:
wherein the indicator is updated on the map corresponding to an image capture location of a respective one of the set of non-standardized images currently being provided for display on the user device, wherein the image capture location is along the path of the selected particular one of the one or more photo-tours.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a time indicator on the map, wherein the time indicator indicates an image capture time of at least one non-standardized image of the set of non-standardized images of the selected particular one of the one or more photo-tours.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more standardized images of the selectable image locators are panoramas of the selected geographic region as defined by the predefined parameters, and wherein at least one or more images of the set of non-standardized images of the selected particular one of the one or more photo tours are not panoramic images as defined by the predefined parameters.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more standardized images of the selectable image locators are provided by one or more other users who receive monetary compensation from an entity associated with the mapping system, and wherein the respective user who provides the set of non-standardized images of the selected particular one of the one or more photo-tours does not receive monetary compensation from the entity.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting the set of non-standardized images corresponding to the selected particular one of the one or more photo-tours comprises:
selecting the set of non-standardized images corresponding to the selected particular one of the one or more photo-tours in association with one or more of the standardized images.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined parameters include parameters indicating which portion of the geographic region to capture, when to capture the one or more standardized images, and which camera to use to capture the one or more standardized images.

13. A system comprising:
a map generator configured to generate a map of a geographic region, the map comprising a plurality of selectable image locators and one or more photo-tour indicators overlaid on the map;
a standardized image processor configured to identify the plurality of selectable image locators on the map associated with one or more standardized panoramic images that accord with predefined parameters provided by the mapping system;
a photo-tour processor configured to identify the photo-tour indicators overlaid on the map corresponding to locations for which photo-tours of non-standardized images have been provided, wherein the non-standardized images include images that do not accord with the predefined parameters as provided to the system by one or more users, and wherein each photo-tour comprises a set of the non-standardized images corresponding to a path a respective user traversed to capture at least a portion of the set of the non-standardized images;
a selection tool configured to receive a selection, from a user device, of a first photo-tour indicator from the photo-tour indicators on the map and corresponding to a first photo-tour, from the map for display at the user device; and
wherein the map generator is configured to generate for display, upon receiving a selection of the fi

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Hensel Chase
• Zhao Ze Hong
• Liu Wei
• Zhou Guiheng
• Li Shuangfeng
• Chen Liyong
• Bai Ming
• Qiao Jian
• Huang Yi
• Han Lu

Classifications

• G01C21/3647 Primary

  Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams · CPC title

• G09B29/007

  using computer methods · CPC title

• G06F3/048

  Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• G09B29/106

  using electronic means · CPC title