Embedding Media Objects in Street-Level Panoramic Views
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mapping applications do not effectively integrate additional media objects, such as photographs and videos, within street-level panoramic views, limiting the immersive user experience by not providing a synchronized view of these media objects with the surrounding context.
Innovation Solution
A system that embeds additional media objects within street-level panoramic images, allowing users to view them in the context of their capture location, using a client-server architecture that generates hybrid image data by geographically associating and projecting media objects onto panoramic images, enabling seamless navigation and viewing of media objects within the panoramic scene.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If additional media objects are displayed separately from street-level views, then media objects can be viewed in detail, but the immersive user experience and contextual understanding are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges additional media objects (photos, videos, annotations) with street-level panoramic views by embedding them directly into the panoramic image at their geographic capture locations. This integration allows users to view media objects within their spatial context without leaving the street view, thereby preventing loss of contextual information while maintaining ease of operation through a unified viewing experience.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple media objects are integrated into panoramic views, then immersive experience is enhanced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses geospatial coordinates as a copying mechanism to place media objects at their capture locations within the panoramic view. Instead of complex spatial mapping algorithms, the system copies the geographic location data from media objects and uses it to position corresponding visual representations within the panoramic image, thereby enhancing immersive experience while keeping system complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces geospatial coordinates as an intermediary that bridges media objects and panoramic views. The coordinates serve as a common reference framework that automatically determines the position and orientation of media objects within the panoramic context, eliminating the need for complex manual positioning systems while maintaining high adaptability and immersive quality.
3Loss of information
If media objects are embedded within panoramic images, then contextual viewing is enabled, but processing and rendering complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary geotagging of media objects with geographic coordinates before embedding them in panoramic views. By pre-processing media objects to include location metadata, the system avoids complex real-time spatial calculations during rendering, thereby enabling contextual viewing while reducing processing complexity at the time of display.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for displaying hybrid image data produced by embedding additional media objects within street-level panoramic images includes a user interface through which a user may view, search for, and/or navigate through additional media objects in the context of browsing a virtual environment of a location at street level. In response to user input indicating a request to view a geographic location and/or an additional media object, street-level panoramic image data associated with the geographic location, in which one or more additional media objects also associated with the geographic location have been embedded, may be provided for display through the user interface. The user interface may be provided by a client device including one or more processors that receive hybrid image data produced by one or more processors of a server and display the image data to the user.