METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR NAVIGATING AN IMAGE

• US 20070047101A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SeaDragon Software, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: AGUERA Y ARCAS, BLAISE
• Application Number:
  US11/537,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20070047101A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/689
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/008 Touring maps or guides to public transport networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are contemplated to perform various actions, including: zooming into or out of an image having at least one object, wherein at least some elements of the at least one object are scaled up and/or down in a way that is non-physically proportional to one or more zoom levels associated with the zooming, and wherein, for example, the non-physically proportional scaling may be expressed by the following formula: p=d′·z^a, where p is a linear size in pixels of one or more elements of the object at the zoom level, d′ is an imputed linear size of the one or more elements of the object in physical units, z is the zoom level in units of physical linear size/pixel, and a is a power law where a≠−1.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

zooming into or out of an image having at least one object, wherein at least some primitive elements of the at least one object are scaled up and/or down in a way that is non-physically proportional to one or more zoom levels associated with the zooming,

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some primitive elements of the at least one object are also scaled up and/or down in a way that is physically proportional to one or more zoom levels associated with the zooming.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the physically proportional scaling may be expressed by the following formula:

p=c·

d/z, where p is a linear size in pixels of one or more primitive elements of the object, c is a constant, d is a real or imputed linear size in physical units of the one or more primitive elements of the object, and z is the zoom level in physical linear size/pixel.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the primitive elements of the object are of varying degrees of coarseness; and

the scaling of the primitive elements at a given zoom level are physically proportional or non-physically proportional based on at least one of;

(i) a degree of coarseness of such primitive elements; and

(ii) the zoom level.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the object is a roadmap, the primitive elements of the object are lines indicative of roads, and the varying degrees of coarseness are road hierarchies; and

the scaling of a given road at a given zoom level is physically proportional or non-physically proportional based on;

(i) the road hierarchy of the given road; and

(ii) the zoom level.

2-5. -5. (canceled)

10. A storage medium containing one or more software programs that are operable to cause a processing unit to execute actions, comprising:

zooming into or out of an image having at least one object, wherein at least some primitive elements of the at least one object are scaled up and/or down in a way that is non-physically proportional to one or more zoom levels associated with the zooming.

15. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein at least some primitive elements of the at least one object are also scaled up and/or down in a way that is physically proportional to one or more zoom levels associated with the zooming.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the physically proportional scaling may be expressed by the following formula:

p=c·

d/z, where p is a linear size in pixels of one or more primitive elements of the object, c is a constant, d is a real or imputed linear size in physical units of the one or more primitive elements of the object, and z is the zoom level in physical linear size/pixel.

17. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein:

the primitive elements of the object are of varying degrees of coarseness; and

the scaling of the primitive elements at a given zoom level are physically proportional or non-physically proportional based on at least one of;

(i) a degree of coarseness of such primitive elements; and

(ii) the zoom level.

18. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein:

the object is a roadmap, the primitive elements of the object are lines indicative of roads, and the varying degrees of coarseness are road hierarchies; and

the scaling of a given road at a given zoom level is physically proportional or non-physically proportional based on;

(i) the road hierarchy of the given road; and

(ii) the zoom level.

11-14. -14. (canceled)

19. An apparatus including a processing unit operating under the control of one or more software programs that are operable to cause the processing unit to execute actions, comprising:

zooming into or out of an image having at least one object, wherein at least some primitive elements of the at least one object are scaled up and/or down in a way that is non-physically proportional to one or more zoom levels associated with the zooming.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein at least some primitive elements of the at least one object are also scaled up and/or down in a way that is physically proportional to one or more zoom levels associated with the zooming.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the physically proportional scaling may be expressed by the following formula:

p=c·

d/z, where p is a linear size in pixels of one or more primitive elements of the object, c is a constant, d is a real or imputed linear size in physical units of the one or more primitive elements of the object, and z is the zoom level in physical linear size/pixel.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein:

the primitive elements of the object are of varying degrees of coarseness; and

the scaling of the primitive elements at a given zoom level are physically proportional or non-physically proportional based on at least one of;

(i) a degree of coarseness of such primitive elements; and

(ii) the zoom level.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein:

the object is a roadmap, the primitive elements of the object are lines indicative of roads, and the varying degrees of coarseness are road hierarchies; and

the scaling of a given road at a given zoom level is physically proportional or non-physically proportional based on;

(i) the road hierarchy of the given road; and

(ii) the zoom level.

20-23. -23. (canceled)

28-85. -85. (canceled)