Patent ID: 9129428
Filing Date: 2015-09-08
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
1. A method of displaying three-dimensional (3D) views of a raised-relief map positioned on a two-dimensional (2D) surface, the method comprising: receiving, at an electronic device, a selection of an area on the two-dimensional surface of the raised-relief map; retrieving, from a storage of the electronic device, a plurality of estimated elevations of the raised-relief map for one or more regions within the selected area; identifying a current position of a virtual camera relative to the 2D surface at the selected area, wherein identifying the current position includes determining a current height and a current orientation of the virtual camera relative to the 2D surface; determining, based on the current position, a field of view from the virtual camera; calculating, with a processor of the electronic device, an intersection of the field of view with one or more of the plurality of estimated elevations of the one or more regions within the selected area; using the intersection of the field of view with the one or more estimated elevations to identify map tiles of the raised-relief map for rendering a 3D image of the raised-relief map corresponding to the current position of the virtual camera; requesting the identified map tiles from a map server over a network; receiving, over the network from the map server, the identified map tiles at the electronic device; and using the received map tiles to display the 3D image of the raised-relief map corresponding to the current position of the virtual camera.