Patent Document ID: 9477368
Application ID: 12415102
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of displaying images comprising: receiving, by one or more computing devices, a street-level image representing a geographical object captured by a camera at a camera position; receiving, by the one or more computing devices, surface data representing a surface of the geographical object and the distance of the surface from the camera position, the surface data including data that represents the surface of the geographical object based on a three-dimensional coordinate system; displaying, by the one or more computing devices, the street-level image on an electronic display; receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a screen position, where the screen position identifies a position on the street-level image relative to the display at which to display a cursor; selecting, by the one or more computing devices, surface data depending on whether the screen position corresponds with the location of the surface of the geographic object depicted within the street-level image; determining, by the one or more computing devices, a visual characteristic of the cursor based on the selected surface data, an orientation of the surface relative to the camera, and the distance of the surface to the camera; and displaying, by the one or more computing devices, the cursor with the visual characteristic on the electronic display to provide the appearance of the cursor conforming to the surface of the geographical object within the street-level image such that the shape of the cursor appears to lie flat against the surface of the geographical object, wherein the visual characteristic of the cursor is configured to change based on changes in the received screen position and corresponding changes in the selected surface data, an orientation of the surface relative to the camera, and the distance of the surface to the camera, and wherein a shape of the cursor is dependent on the selected surface data of the geographical object.