Patent ID: 7746376

Claim:
A method of providing an interactive mapping and panoramic imaging application for utilization by a user input device, the method comprising the steps of: displaying, by a computer program stored in a memory and executed by a computer, on a screen one of a plurality of panoramic images stored on a panoramic database, each panoramic image corresponding to a geographical location, the panoramic image navigable in response to input by the user input device, the panoramic image having embedded hotspots therein corresponding to selected panoramic images of geographically adjacent locations, displaying, by the computer program, on the screen, simultaneous with displaying the panoramic image, a map image corresponding with the displayed panoramic image, the map image stored on a map database, the map navigable in response to input by the user input device, the map having embedded hotspots therein corresponding to the plurality of panoramic images, displaying, by the computer program, on the screen, simultaneously with displaying the panoramic image and the map image, a text panel, the text panel displaying textual information corresponding to the displayed panoramic image, the text panel capable of receiving textual input from the user input device for activating a search of a text database having a plurality of text data corresponding to the plurality of panoramic images, and updating, by the computer program, the displayed panoramic image, the displayed map image and the displayed textual information, in response to the user input device activating a hotspot, such that each of the displayed map image and the displayed textual information correspond to the displayed panoramic image.