Caching in Map Systems for Displaying Panoramic Images

A method, comprising:

• repeatedly receiving an indication of one or both of a current geographic location and a current view direction of a user;
• receiving from a remote server a first plurality of image tiles of a first panoramic image of a predicted geographic location, wherein the predicted geographic location is located in proximity to the current geographic location;
• caching the received first plurality of image tiles;
• processing the cached first plurality of image tiles, wherein the processing includes decompressing respective ones of the cached first plurality of image tiles and storing the decompressed image tiles;
• and
• when the current geographic location is substantially at the predicted geographic location, rendering, using the stored decompressed tiles, at least a portion of the first panoramic image to a plurality of three-dimensional surfaces in the first memory, wherein each of the plurality of three-dimensional surfaces corresponds to a respective portion of a sphere.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor of a computer, causes the computer to perform operations comprising:

• repeatedly receiving an indication of one or both of a current geographic location and a current view direction for a user;
• receiving from a remote server a first plurality of image tiles of a first panoramic image of a predicted geographic location, wherein the predicted geographic location is located in proximity to the current geographic location;
• caching the received first plurality of image tiles;
• processing the cached first plurality of image tiles, wherein the processing includes decompressing respective ones of the cached first plurality of image tiles and storing the decompressed image tiles in the first memory;
• and
• when the current geographic location is substantially at the predicted geographic location, rendering, using the stored decompressed tiles, at least a portion of the first panoramic image to a plurality of three-dimensional surfaces in the first memory, wherein each of the plurality of three-dimensional surfaces corresponds to a respective portion of a sphere.