Abstract: Interactive geographic information systems (GIS) and techniques are disclosed that provide users with a greater degree of flexibility, utility, and information. A markup language is provided that facilitates communication between servers and clients of the interactive GIS, which enables a number of GIS features, such as network links (time-based and/or view-dependent dynamic data layers), ground overlays, screen overlays, placemarks, 3D models, and stylized GIS elements, such as geometry, icons, description balloons, polygons, and labels in the viewer by which the user sees the target area. Also, “virtual tours” of user-defined paths in the context of distributed geospatial visualization is enabled. Streaming and interactive visualization of filled polygon data are also enabled thereby allowing buildings and other such features to be provided in 3D. Also, techniques for enabling ambiguous search requests in a GIS are provided.

Abstract: A navigation interface is embedded in imagery and includes various controls for manipulating the imagery. The controls provide various navigation operations, including but not limited to: rotation, tilt, zoom and 360 degree. In some implementations, one or more controls can be operated to restore the imagery to a predetermined state. Some implementations include a control for providing 360 degree movement of imagery. One or more controls can provide incremental and continuous motion of imagery.

Abstract: Data-driven guarded evaluation of conditional-data associated with data objects is used to control activation and processing of the data objects in an interactive geographic information system. Methods of evaluating conditional-data to control activation of the data objects are disclosed herein. Data structures to specify conditional data are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A navigation interface is embedded in imagery and includes various controls for manipulating the imagery. The controls provide various navigation operations, including but not limited to: rotation, tilt, zoom and 360 degree. In some implementations, one or more controls can be operated to restore the imagery to a predetermined state. Some implementations include a control for providing 360 degree movement of imagery. One or more controls can provide incremental and continuous motion of imagery. The navigation interface can fade out or otherwise be obfuscated when the user is not interacting with the navigation controls. A compass or other graphic can replace the navigation interface when it is no longer displayed.

Abstract: Data-driven guarded evaluation of conditional-data associated with data objects is used to control activation and processing of the data objects in an interactive geographic information system. Methods of evaluating conditional-data to control activation of the data objects are disclosed herein. Data-structures to specify conditional data are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: Interactive geographic information systems (GIS) and techniques are disclosed that provide users with a greater degree of flexibility, utility, and information. A markup language is provided that facilitates communication between servers and clients of the interactive GIS, which enables a number of GIS features, such as network links (time-based and view-dependent dynamic data layers), ground overlays, screen overlays, placemarks, 3D models, and stylized GIS elements, such as geometry, icons, description balloons, polygons, and labels in the viewer by which the user sees the target area. The markup language is used to describe a virtual camera view of a geographic feature. A compressed file format holds multiple files utilized to display a geographic feature in a single file.

Abstract: Data-driven guarded evaluation of conditional-data associated with data objects is used to control activation and processing of the data objects in an interactive geographic information system. Methods of evaluating conditional-data to control activation of the data objects are disclosed herein. Data-structures to specify conditional data are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A method of providing geo-coded information to a user of a graphical computing device is disclosed. The method includes receiving information identifying a view to be displayed on the graphical computing device, querying a geo-coded database containing information associated with publicly supplied models located in a geography, for one or more models located in the view, and transmitting information identifying the one or more models located in the view.

Abstract: A navigation interface is embedded in imagery and includes various controls for manipulating the imagery. The controls provide various navigation operations, including but not limited to: rotation, tilt, zoom and 360 degree. In some implementations, one or more controls can be operated to restore the imagery to a predetermined state. Some implementations include a control for providing 360 degree movement of imagery. One or more controls can provide incremental and continuous motion of imagery. The navigation interface can fade out or otherwise be obfuscated when the user is not interacting with the navigation controls. A compass or other graphic can replace the navigation interface when it is no longer displayed.

Abstract: A computer-readable medium having stored thereon an applications programming interface for causing a computer system to render a three-dimensional scene according to a downloaded file. A scene graph is constructed from a number of objects stored in memory. These objects have variables which can be changed by subroutine calls. Furthermore, one or more objects can contain one or more fields. A field is comprised of a data type which represents the state of an object. Engines are used to perform defined functions to the fields. One or more routes can be used to change one field in response to changes made to another field. A class hierarchy is defined to implement a retained mode graphics.