Method, system and apparatus for dynamically generating map textures

• US 10,109,255 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2013
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Van Os, Marcel, Piemonte, Patrick S., Chen, Billy P., Blumenberg, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Drennan, Barry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Khoa
• Application Number:
  US13/780,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20130321442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,063 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

Methods, systems and apparatus are described to dynamically generate map textures. A client device may obtain map data, which may include one or more shapes described by vector graphics data. Along with the one or more shapes, embodiments may include texture indicators linked to the one or more shapes. Embodiments may render the map data. For one or more shapes, a texture definition may be obtained. Based on the texture definition, a client device may dynamically generate a texture for the shape. The texture may then be applied to the shape to render a current fill portion of the shape. In some embodiments the render map view is displayed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

performing, by a computing device remote from a server;

obtaining from the server, by a geographic mapping application implemented on the computing device, a map tile of a geographic map, wherein the map tile comprises vector graphics data describing one or more shapes for a geographic map and one or more texture identifiers for the one or shapes, but does not include respective textures for the one or more shapes; and

rendering a map view, based on the obtained map tile, for displaying at least a portion of the geographic map on the computing device, wherein said rendering the map view comprises automatically performing by the computing device;

for one or more of the one or more shapes described for the geographic map;

obtaining, from the server or another server, via a wireless network, based on a texture identifier corresponding to the shape, a texture definition for dynamically generating, at the computing device, a particular texture for the shape or obtaining, from a storage of the computing device, based on the texture identifier corresponding to the shape, a texture definition previously obtained via the wireless network for dynamically generating, at the computing device, the particular texture for the shape;

dynamically generating, by the computing device, the particular texture for the shape according to the texture definition or the previously obtained texture definition instead of downloading the particular texture via the wireless network, wherein dynamically generating the particular texture comprises combining a plurality of varying elements according to the texture definition; and

applying the generated particular texture to the shape to render a current fill portion of the shape in the map view.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said dynamically generating the particular texture for the shape according to the texture definition or the previously obtained texture definition comprises:

obtaining a base texture layer according to the texture definition or the previously obtained texture definition;

obtaining one or more noise texture elements or pattern texture elements according to the texture definition or the previously obtained texture definition; and

combining the base texture layer with the one or more noise texture elements or pattern texture elements to generate the particular texture for the shape,

wherein the plurality of varying elements in the generated particular texture comprise the one or more noise texture elements or pattern texture elements.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the base texture layer is a color value.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the one or more noise texture elements are generated according to the texture definition or the previously obtained texture definition.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing in local texture data storage the particular generated texture or one or more additional generated textures.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving an indication of a particular zoom level for the map view;

varying the current fill portion for the shape, wherein said varying comprises;

obtaining a second texture definition, based on the texture identifier corresponding to the shape, for dynamically generating another texture for the shape according to the indicated zoom level;

dynamically generating the other texture for the shape according to the second texture definition; and

applying the generated other texture to the shape to render the current fill portion of the shape.

7. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium, storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement a geographic map application configured to:

obtain from a server, by the geographic map application, a map tile of a geographic map, wherein the map tile comprises vector graphics data describing one or more shapes for a geographic map and one or more texture identifiers for the one or shapes, but does not include respective textures for the one or more shapes; and

render a map view based on the obtained map tile for display on a computing device, wherein said rendering the map view comprises automatically performing;

for one or more of the one or more shapes described for the map;

obtaining from the server or another server, via a wireless network, based on a texture identifier corresponding to the shape, a texture definition for dynamically generating, at the computing device, a particular texture for the shape or obtain, from a storage of the computing device, based on the texture identifier corresponding to the shape, a texture definition previously obtained via the wireless network for dynamically generating, at the computing device, the particular texture for the shape;

dynamically generating, by the computing device, the particular texture for the shape according to the texture definition or the previously obtained texture definition instead of downloading the particular texture via the wireless network, wherein dynamically generating the particular texture comprises combining a plurality of varying elements according to the texture definition; and

applying the generated particular texture to the shape to render a current fill portion of the shape in the map view.

8. The medium of claim 7, wherein to dynamically generate the particular texture for the shape according to the texture definition or the previously obtained texture definition, the program instructions are further computer-executable to implement a geographic map application configured to:

obtain a base texture layer according to the texture definition or the previously obtained texture definition;

obtain one or more noise texture elements or pattern texture elements according to the texture definition or the previously obtained texture definition; and

combine the base texture layer with the one or more noise texture elements or pattern texture elements to generate the particular generated texture for the shape,

wherein the plurality of varying elements in the generated particular texture comprise the one or more noise texture elements or pattern texture elements.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein at least two of the shapes described for the geographic map are linked to the same texture identifier, and wherein to dynamically generate the particular texture for the shape according to the texture definition or the previously obtained texture definition, the program instructions are further computer-executable to implement a geographic map application configured to vary at least one of the base texture layers or at least one of the one or more noise texture elements or pattern textures elements as specified in the texture definition or the previously obtained texture definition for one or more of the at least two shapes in order to generate different textures for the at least two shapes.

10. The medium of claim 7, wherein the program instructions are further computer-executable to implement a geographic map application configured to:

in response to receiving an indication of a change in the texture definition or the previously obtained texture definition;

vary the current fill portion for one of the shapes, wherein said vary comprises;

dynamically generate another texture for the shape according to the changed texture definition; and

apply the generated other texture to the shape to render the current fill portion of the shape.

11. The medium of claim 7, wherein at least one particular texture definition for dynamically generating a particular texture comprises a sequence of texture specifications, and wherein to dynamically generate a particular texture for the shape according to the texture definition or the previously obtained texture definition, the program instructions are further computer-executable to generate a sequence of particular textures for the shape in order to render a texture animation for the shape.

12. A multi-function device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

one or more processors; and

one or more memories storing a geographic map application executable on the one or more processors to;

obtain a map tile of a geographic map from a server remote from the multi-function device, wherein the map tile comprises vector graphics data describing one or more shapes for a geographic map and texture identifiers linked to the one or more shapes, but does not include respective textures for the one or more shapes; and

render a map view based on the obtained map tile for display on the touch-sensitive display, comprising automatically performing;

for one or more of the one or more shapes described for the map;

obtain, from the server or another server, via a wireless network, a particular texture definition for the shape based on a texture identifier linked to the shape, wherein the particular texture definition specifies one or more elements to be used to dynamically generate, at the multi-function device, a texture for the shape, or obtain, from a storage of the multi-function device, the particular texture definition for the shape, wherein the particular texture definition was previously obtained from the server or the other server via the wireless network;

dynamically generate, at the multi-function device, the texture for the shape according to the particular texture definition instead of downloading the particular texture via the wireless network, wherein dynamically generating the texture comprises combining a plurality of varying elements; and

apply the generated texture to the shape to render a current fill portion of the shape in the map view.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein, to dynamically generate the texture for the shape according to the particular texture definition, the geographic map application is further executable on the one or more processors to blend a base texture layer specified in the texture definition with one or more noise texture elements or pattern texture elements specified in the texture definition to generate the texture, wherein the plurality of varying elements in the generated texture comprise the one or more noise texture elements or pattern texture elements.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the geographic map application is further executable on the one or more processors to:

in response to receiving an indication of a particular map view mode;

vary the current fill portion for one of the shapes, wherein said varying comprises;

obtain a second texture definition for the shape according to the indicated map view mode;

dynamically generate another texture for the shape according to the second texture definition; and

apply the generated other texture to the shape to render the current fill portion of the shape.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the geographic map application is further executable on the one or more processors to display the rendered map view on the touch-sensitive display.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the one or more memories further store program instructions executable on the one or more processors to implement:

a geo-location component configured to determine the current location of the multi-function device;

wherein, to obtain a particular texture definition for the shape based on a texture identifier linked to the shape, the geographic map application is further executable on the one or more processors to determine the texture identifier linked to the shape based on the current location provided by the geo-location component.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the geographic map application is further executable on the one or more processors to:

in response to receiving an indication of a change in a previously obtained texture definition;

vary the current fill portion for one of the shapes, wherein said varying comprises;

dynamically generate another texture for the shape according to the changed texture definition; and

apply the generated other texture to the shape to render the current fill portion of the shape.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the one or more memories further store program instructions executable on the one or more processors to implement:

a time component configured to determine a current time of the multi-function device;

wherein the change in the particular texture definition occurs in response to the current time of the multi-function device.