Virtual Camera Street-Level Navigation in 3D GIS
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing geographic information systems (GIS) face challenges in navigating a virtual camera through three-dimensional environments at street-level, particularly in avoiding collisions with obstacles like buildings, which can result in an awkward user experience.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that navigate a virtual camera along a street network in a three-dimensional environment by determining a target location, planning a path using a path planner module, and moving the camera along this path while orienting it to face the target, thereby avoiding obstacles and ensuring a smooth navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a virtual camera navigates directly through three-dimensional space to reach a target location, then the navigation speed is fast, but the camera may collide with obstacles like buildings resulting in an awkward user experience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a street network representation as an intermediary guide path between the camera's current location and the target location. Instead of navigating directly through three-dimensional space, the camera follows the two-dimensional street network projection, which acts as a mediator that naturally avoids buildings and obstacles. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining fast navigation through efficient pathfinding on the street network while ensuring collision-free movement by constraining the camera to follow street-level pathways.
2Reliability
If the virtual camera follows a street network path, then collision-free navigation is achieved, but the navigation path may be longer than direct space navigation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent projects the three-dimensional street network onto a two-dimensional surface, allowing the camera to navigate along the projected path while maintaining its position in the three-dimensional environment. This dimensional transformation enables the camera to follow the efficient two-dimensional street network layout without being constrained by the vertical dimension where buildings create obstacles, thus achieving collision-free navigation with optimized path length.
3Speed
If the virtual camera moves along a path in three-dimensional space, then the navigation is direct, but the camera orientation may become disoriented relative to the target
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous feedback by constantly calculating the camera's orientation relative to the target location and adjusting the camera's heading to face the target. As the camera moves along the street network path, the system monitors the vector from the camera position to the target and dynamically rotates the camera to maintain proper orientation, ensuring the target remains visible and the navigation experience remains intuitive throughout the journey.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
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AI summary
Embodiments relate to navigating along a street network in a geographic information system. In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method navigates a virtual camera in a three-dimensional environment at street-level. The virtual camera defines a perspective to display the three-dimensional environment. In the method, a target location is determined in the three-dimensional environment. A path along a representation of a street in the three- dimensional environment is determined. The path is from a first position corresponding to an initial location of the virtual camera to a second position corresponding to the target location. A virtual camera is moved in the three-dimensional environment toward the target location along the path. Finally, the virtual camera is oriented to face the target location as the virtual camera moves along the path.