System and method of indicating transition between street level images

Abstract

A system and method of displaying transitions between street level images is provided. In one aspect, the system and method creates a plurality of polygons that are both textured with images from a 2D street level image and associated with 3D positions, where the 3D positions correspond with the 3D positions of the objects contained in the image. These polygons, in turn, are rendered from different perspectives to convey the appearance of moving among the objects contained in the original image.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A method of displaying an image comprising:
 receiving a first image comprised of pixels that capture, from a first geographic location, the visual characteristics of a surface of a three-dimensional (3D) geographic object, wherein each pixel is associated with a two-dimensional (2D) position within the first image;   determining, by the one or more processors and based on the 2D positions of the pixels, a plurality of vertices of a plurality of polygons wherein each vertex of each polygon is associated with a pixel, and wherein each polygon defines a 2D region of the image;   determining, by the one or more processors, a texture for each polygon based on the visual characteristics of pixels having 2D positions within the region defined by the polygon;   determining, by the one or more processors, a 3D geographic position for each vertex based on the 3D geographic position of the portion of the object's surface captured by the pixel associated with the vertex;   receiving a second geographic location different from the first geographic location;   determining, by the one or more processors, a 3D intermediate position based on the first and second geographic locations;   displaying, by the one or more processors and based on the 3D geographic positions of the polygons' vertices, the polygons from the viewpoint of the 3D intermediate position.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising receiving object position data associating each pixel with the 3D geographic position of the portion of the object's surface captured by the pixel. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein, at the time the object position data is received, the object position data provides the latitude, longitude and altitude of the portion of the object's surface captured by the pixel. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24  wherein, at the time the object position data is received, the object position data provides the 3D geographic distance from the first geographic location to the portion of the object's surface captured by the pixel. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the vertices are determined after the second geographic location is received. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising:
 before the polygons are displayed, displaying a street level image captured from the first geographic location as the first image; and 
 after the polygons are displayed, displaying a second street level image captured from the second geographic location. 
 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the second geographic location is based on input from a user and the polygons are displayed as a second street level image is downloaded from a server. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 23  wherein determining a 3D intermediate position further comprises determining a series of different intermediate positions between the first and second geographic locations, the method further comprising:
 determining, for each intermediate position, an intermediate image that displays the polygons from the viewpoint of the intermediate position; and 
 displaying the intermediate images in series. 
 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the geographic location and orientation of the viewpoint are different for each image. 
     
     
         32 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors, and   memory storing instructions and a first image comprised of pixels that capture, from a first geographic location, the visual characteristics of a surface of a three-dimensional (3D) geographic object, wherein each pixel is associated with a two-dimensional (2D) position within the first image;   wherein the instructions are executable by the one or more computing devices and comprise:   determining, based on the 2D positions of the pixels, a plurality of vertices of a plurality of polygons wherein each vertex of each polygon is associated with a pixel, and wherein each polygon defines a 2D region of the image;   determining a texture for each polygon based on the visual characteristics of pixels having 2D positions within the region defined by the polygon;   determining a 3D geographic position for each vertex based on the 3D geographic position of the portion of the object's surface captured by the pixel associated the vertex;   receiving a second geographic location different from the first geographic location;   determining a 3D intermediate position based on the first and second geographic locations;   displaying, based on the 3D geographic positions of the polygons' vertices, the polygons from the viewpoint of the 3D intermediate position.   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32  wherein the instructions further comprise receiving object position data associating each pixel with the 3D geographic position of the portion of the object's surface captured by the pixel. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33  wherein, at the time the object position data is received, the object position data provides the latitude, longitude and altitude of the portion of the object's surface captured by the pixel. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 33  wherein, at the time the object position data is received, the object position data provides the 3D geographic distance from the first geographic location to the portion of the object's surface captured by the pixel. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 32  wherein the vertices are determined after the second geographic location is received. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 32  wherein the instructions further comprise:
 before the polygons are displayed, displaying a street level image captured from the first geographic location as the first image; and 
 after the polygons are displayed, displaying a second street level image captured from the second geographic location. 
 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 32  wherein the second geographic location is based on input from a user and the polygons are displayed as a second street level image is downloaded from a server. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 32  wherein determining a 3D intermediate position further comprises determining a series of different intermediate positions between the first and second geographic locations, and wherein the instructions further comprise:
 determining, for each intermediate position, an intermediate image that displays the polygons from the viewpoint of the intermediate position; and 
 displaying the intermediate images in series. 
 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39  wherein the geographic location and orientation of the viewpoint are different for each image. 
     
     
         41 . A non-transitory computing-device readable storage medium on which computing-device readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by one or more computing devices, causing the one or more computing devices to perform a method, the method comprising:
 receiving a first street level image comprising pixels that capture, from a first geographic location, the visual characteristics of a surface of a building, wherein each pixel is associated with a two-dimensional (2D) position within the first image;   receiving object position data associating each pixel of the first street level image with the 3D geographic position of the portion of the building's surface captured by the pixel.   determining, based on the 2D positions of the pixels, a plurality of vertices of a plurality of polygons wherein each vertex of each polygon is associated with a pixel, and wherein each polygon defines a 2D region of the image;   determining a texture for each polygon based on the visual characteristics of pixels having 2D positions within the region defined by the polygon;   determining a 3D geographic position for each vertex based on the object position data;   receiving a request for another street level image of the building captured from a different geographic location;   identifying, based on said different geographic location, a second street level image of the building captured from a second geographic location different from the first geographic location;   determining a series of different 3D intermediate positions between the first and second geographic locations;   determining, for each intermediate position of the series, an intermediate image that displays the polygons based on the 3D geographic positions of the polygon's vertices relative to the intermediate position; and   displaying the second street level image after displaying the intermediate images.   
     
     
         42 . The medium of  claim 41  wherein:
 the first street level image is associated with a first orientation; 
 the second street level image is associated with a second orientation different from the first orientation; 
 determining, for each intermediate position and based on the first and second orientations, a different orientation; and 
 determining an intermediate image further comprises displaying the polygons from the orientation associated with the intermediate position.