Patent ID: 8928657
Filing Date: 2015-01-06
Classification: G01C,G06T

Abstract:
1. A method in a computing device for providing an intuitive display of a building on a digital map, the method comprising: displaying a digital map of a geographic area via a user interface of the computing device from a perspective of a virtual camera; displaying, on the digital map, a three-dimensional (3D) representation of a building located in the geographic area, including displaying an external shell of the building; receiving, via the user interface, a request to change a position of the virtual camera to approach the 3D representation of the building; in response to the received request, changing the position of the virtual camera to approach the 3D representation of the building; and as the position of the virtual camera is changed to approach the 3D representation of the building, (i) when a distance between the position of the virtual camera and the 3D representation of the building meets or exceeds a threshold value, increasing transparency of the external shell of the building while the partially transparent external shell completely obscures indoor map information within the 3D representation of the building and (ii) when the distance between the position of the virtual camera and the 3D representation of the building is smaller than the threshold value: