Patent ID: 9679413
Date: 2017-06-13
CPC Classifications: G06T

Claim:
1. A computer-implemented method for transitioning between viewpoints in a three-dimensional environment, the method comprising: obtaining, by one or more computing devices, data indicative of an origin position and a destination position of a virtual camera in the three-dimensional environment, wherein a viewpoint of the virtual camera defines a portion of the three-dimensional environment displayed to a user, and wherein a visible distance is associated with the viewpoint of the camera, the visible distance correlated to a size of a visible area visible from the viewpoint; determining, by the one or more computing devices, a distance between the origin position and the destination position of the virtual camera; determining, by the one or more computing devices based at least in part on the distance between the origin position and the destination position of the virtual camera, a peak visible distance that is descriptive of a size of a peak visible area; identifying, by the one or more computing devices, a peak position at which the viewpoint of the virtual camera corresponds to the peak visible distance, the peak position including a peak altitude; determining, by the one or more computing devices, a parabolic camera trajectory that traverses the origin position, the peak position, and the destination position; and transitioning, by the one or more computing devices, the virtual camera from the origin position to the destination position along the parabolic camera trajectory.