Varying map information density based on the speed of the vehicle

• US 10,030,981 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2017
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhou, Bailiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Survillo, Oleg
• Application Number:
  US15/637,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20170350709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 709203
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/387 Organisation of map data, e.g. version management or database structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

To dynamically vary map content based on the speed at which a portable device is moving, for a map in which a portable device user is following, a request for map data for a particular location is received along with an indication of the speed of the portable device. As a result, at least two versions of map data for the particular location are identified and one of the versions is selected based on the speed. The selected version is then transmitted to the portable device for display.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically varying map content based on the speed of a portable device, the method comprising:

generating, by the one or more processors, a map data request for a geographic area;

receiving, from a remotely located server, map data corresponding to the geographic area;

determining, by the one or more processors, a speed of the portable device;

when the speed is below a predetermined threshold value;

generating, by the one or more processors, a first version of the map data corresponding to the geographic area, the first version including a geographic feature; and

displaying, by the one or more processors, the first version of map data corresponding to the geographic area;

when the speed is equal to or above the predetermined threshold value;

generating, by the one or more processors, a second version of the map data corresponding to the same geographic area, the second version omitting the geographic feature, wherein the second version is for a same zoom level as the first version and includes a different amount of detail; and

displaying, by the one or more processors, the second version of the map data corresponding to the same geographic area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first and second versions of the map data includes:

receiving, from the remotely located server, map data corresponding to the geographic area including for each of a set of geographic features within the geographic area, receiving a level of importance for displaying the geographic feature,

generating, by the one or more processors, the first version of map data including a first subset of the set of geographic features having respective levels of importance ranked above a first threshold level; and

generating, by the one or more processors, the second version of map data including a second subset of the set of geographic features having respective levels of importance ranked above a second threshold level, the second threshold level higher than the first threshold level.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first and second versions of the map data includes:

generating the first version of the map data, the first version including a first font size for a set of geographic features; and

generating the second version of the map data, the second version including a second font size for a same set of geographic features, wherein the second font size is larger than the first font size.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first and second versions of the map data includes:

generating the first version of the map data, the first version including a set of geographic features at a first level of detail; and

generating the second version of the map data, the second version including the set of geographic features at a second level of detail, the second level of detail being lower than the first level of detail.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first and second first versions of the map data includes:

generating the first version of the map data, the first version including a set geographic features generated using a first set of visual styles; and

generating the second version of the map data, the second version including the set of geographic features generated using a second set of visual styles, the second set of visual styles being different than the first set of visual styles.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising invoking an application programming interface (API) to provide the map data request to the remotely located server.

7. A portable device comprising:

one or more sensors configured to determine a speed of the portable device;

a communication interface; and

processing hardware coupled to the communication interface, the processing hardware configured to;

generate a map data request for a geographic area,

receive, from a remotely located server, map data corresponding to the geographic area,

determine a speed of the portable device,

when the speed is below a predetermined threshold value,

generate a first version of the map data corresponding to the geographic area, the first version including a geographic feature, and

display the first version of map data corresponding to the geographic area,

when the speed is equal to or above the predetermined threshold value,

generate a second version of the map data corresponding to the same geographic area, the second version omitting the geographic feature, wherein the second version is for a same zoom level as the first version and includes a different amount of detail, and

display the second version of the map data corresponding to the same geographic area.

8. The portable device of claim 7, wherein to generate the first and second versions of the map data, the processing hardware is configured to:

receive map data corresponding to the geographic area including for each of a set of geographic features within the geographic area, receive a level of importance for displaying the geographic feature,

generate the first version of map data including a first subset of the set of geographic features having respective levels of importance ranked above a first threshold level; and

generate the second version of map data including a second subset of the set of geographic features having respective levels of importance ranked above a second threshold level, the second threshold level higher than the first threshold level.

9. The portable device of claim 7, wherein to generate the first and second versions of the map data, the processing hardware is configured to:

generate the first version of the map data, the first version including a first font size for a set of geographic features; and

generate the second version of the map data, the second version including a second font size for a same set of geographic features, wherein the second font size is larger than the first font size.

10. The portable device of claim 7, wherein to generate the first and second versions of the map data, the processing hardware is configured to:

generate the first version of the map data, the first version including a set of geographic features at a first level of detail; and

generate the second version of the map data, the second version including the set of geographic features at a second level of detail, the second level of detail being lower than the first level of detail.

11. The portable device of claim 7, wherein to generate the first and second versions of the map data, the processing hardware is configured to:

generate the first version of the map data, the first version including a set geographic features generated using a first set of visual styles; and

generate the second version of the map data, the second version including the set of geographic features generated using a second set of visual styles, the second set of visual styles being different than the first set of visual styles.

12. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the processing hardware is further configured to invoke an application programming interface (API) to provide the map data request to the remotely located server.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for dynamically varying map content based on the speed of a portable device that, when executed by one or more processors in the portable device, cause the one or more processors to:

generate a map data request for a geographic area,

receive, from a remotely located server, map data corresponding to the geographic area,

determine a speed of the portable device,

when the speed is below a predetermined threshold value,

generate a first version of the map data corresponding to the geographic area, the first version including a geographic feature, and

display the first version of map data corresponding to the geographic area,

when the speed is equal to or above the predetermined threshold value,

generate a second version of the map data corresponding to the same geographic area, the second version omitting the geographic feature, wherein the second version is for a same zoom level as the first version and includes a different amount of detail, and

display the second version of the map data corresponding to the same geographic area.

14. The computer-readable medium of 13, wherein to generate the first and second versions of the map data, the instructions cause the one or more processors to:

receive map data corresponding to the geographic area including for each of a set of geographic features within the geographic area, receive a level of importance for displaying the geographic feature,

generate the first version of map data including a first subset of the set of geographic features having respective levels of importance ranked above a first threshold level; and

generate the second version of map data including a second subset of the set of geographic features having respective levels of importance ranked above a second threshold level, the second threshold level higher than the first threshold level.

15. The computer-readable medium of 13, wherein to generate the first and second versions of the map data, the instructions cause the one or more processors to:

generate the first version of the map data, the first version including a first font size for a set of geographic features; and

generate the second version of the map data, the second version including a second font size for a same set of geographic features, wherein the second font size is larger than the first font size.

16. The computer-readable medium of 13, wherein to generate the first and second versions of the map data, the instructions cause the one or more processors to:

generate the first version of the map data, the first version including a set of geographic features at a first level of detail; and

generate the second version of the map data, the second version including the set of geographic features at a second level of detail, the second level of detail being lower than the first level of detail.

17. The computer-readable medium of 13, wherein to generate the first and second first versions of the map data, the instructions cause the one or more processors to:

generate the first version of the map data, the first version including a set geographic features generated using a first set of visual styles; and

generate the second version of the map data, the second version including the set of geographic features generated using a second set of visual styles, the second set of visual styles being different than the first set of visual styles.