Google Inc.

Evan Rapoport

Scott Ettinger

Aaron Michael Donsbach

Daniel Joseph Filip

David C Lee

Mikkel Crone Köser

Jeremy Bryant Pack

Ping Hsin Chen

Jeffrey Scott Beis

Bryan Feldman

John Isidoro

Luc Vincent

Erik Murphy-Chutorian

Nicholas Butko

Christian Robertson

Chase Hensel

Nirav Bipinchandra Mehta

Jacob Mintz

Jake Mintz

Kei Kawai

In response to a request for images of a location, a set of images depicting different conditions at the location is identified. Each image of the set of images is associated with condition information defining the conditions depicted in that image. A point in time of interest to a user is determined, and information identifying environmental conditions at the location for that point in time may be received. The set of images are ranked based on the received environmental information and the condition information for each image. An image from the set of images is selected for display based on the selected image's rank relative to other images of the set of images. The selected image depicts conditions at the location most closely matching environmental conditions expected at the point in time.

System and method for presenting condition-specific geographic imagery

Systems, methods, and computer readable mediums are provided to generate a number of targets for a panoramic image, each of the targets defining a portion of the panoramic image, monitor a position of a user device with respect to a current target, responsive to determining that the user device is properly positioned with respect to the current target, capture a first image for the current target using a camera of the user device, monitor the position of the user device with respect to a next target, responsive to determining that the user device is properly positioned with respect to the next target, capture a second image for the next target using the camera of the user device; and generate the panoramic image using the first image and the second image.

Method, system, and computer program product for gamifying the process of obtaining panoramic images

A method and system is disclosed for simulating different types of camera lens on a device by guiding a user through a set of images to be captured in connection with one or more desired lens effects. In one aspect, a wide-angle lens may be simulated by taking a plurality of images that have been taken at a particular location over a set of camera orientations that are determined based on the selection of the wide-angle lens. The mobile device may provide prompts to the user indicating the camera orientations for which images should be captured in order to generate the simulated camera lens effect.

Synthetic camera lenses

In an exemplary method, a request for images of a location is received. In response to the request, a set of images depicting different conditions at the location is identified. Each image of the set of images is associated with condition information defining the conditions depicted in that image. It may be determined when a user will be at the location at a future point in time. Information identifying current environmental conditions at the location for the future point in time may be received. The set of images are ranked based on the received environmental information and the condition information for each image. An image from the set of images is selected for display based on the selected image's rank relative to other images of the set of images. The selected image depicts current conditions at the location most closely matching environmental conditions expected at the future point in time.

Geo photo searching based on current conditions at a location

Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to allowing users to create their own image navigation experiences. As an example, a set of panoramic images may be identified using manual and/or automated methods. One or more suggested potential paths connecting ones of the panoramic images may be determined. This information may be displayed to a user with an interface that allows the user to create and change relationships between the panoramic images. For example, users may activate the suggested paths and create connections between the panoramic images of the set. Users may also draw their own connecting paths between panoramic images. The panoramic images and the connections between them may be used to provide a navigation experience.

Navigation paths for panorama

Implementations relate to detecting spherical images. In some implementations, a computer-executed method includes obtaining an image, examining at least one characteristic of the image, and determining that the image is a spherical image based on the at least one examined characteristic. The method modifies metadata associated with the image to designate the image for spherical display.

Detecting spherical images

Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to adding or correcting orientation and/or location information for panoramic images. For example, some panoramic images may be associated with inaccurate orientation (or location) information or simply no orientation information at all. In this regard, a user may be provided with the ability to add or adjust the orientation of a panoramic image. The panoramic image can be projected onto a plane using stereographic projection and displayed relative to its location (and orientation, if available) on a map. This can allow a user to quickly identify inaccuracies and to make adjustments or corrections.

Projections to fix pose of panoramic photos

Systems and methods for encoding location-based reminders are provided. Data indicative of a request for a location-based reminder can be received. The data indicative of the request can include data indicative of a user placement of a reminder in a visual representation of the geographic area, such as an image captured of the geographic area or a visual representation of the three-dimensional model of the geographic area. A selected location within a three-dimensional model of a geographic area can be identified based on the data indicative of the user placement of the reminder. Three-dimensional geographic coordinates corresponding to the selected location can be determined using the three-dimensional model and associated with the location-based reminder. The location-based reminder can then be triggered based at least in part on signals indicative of user position and/or orientation in the geographic area.

Encoding location-based reminders

Embodiments of the invention include a system, method and computer-readable medium for viewing images in a three-dimensional environment. A user is identified. A social graph of the identified user and a plurality of other users is accessed. Based on the social graph, a plurality of images associated with one or more of the other users in the social graph are determined. The plurality of images and data are provided to a client device, wherein the data enables the display of the images in the 3D environment, at the client device.

Sharing photo albums in three dimensional environments

Systems and methods facilitating the capture of contiguous images suitable for composition into a wide-angle or panoramic image. The method may include displaying smart graphical targets on an image capture graphical user interface representing target focal points to direct a camera to in order capture images with sufficient continuity or overlap for panorama creation. In one implementation, the method may include automatically capturing an image when the center of the current field of view is aligned with or within a threshold distance of a target focal point. In another implementation, the method may provide graphical targets along multiple axes. In another implementation the method may provide graphical targets for creating a panoramic image adhering to a certain aspect ratio. In another implementation, the method may suggest graphical targets on the motion of a camera after capturing a first image.

Growing community of inventors

Los Altos, CA, United States of America

Evan Rapoport