Map display method

• US 20100182342A1
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: De Mathan, Béatrix, Houllier, Jean-Roch, Brethereau, Alain
• Granted Patent: US 8,760,473 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/661
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/047 Fisheye or wide-angle transformations
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods

Abstract

The method is used to enlarge the display of a first portion of a map, without hiding a first peripheral portion of this map. This method includes detecting an event which appears in the first peripheral portion and defining a second portion to be enlarged, centered on the position of this event. A second peripheral zone associated with this second portion to be enlarged is defined and the second portion to be enlarged is displayed by applying respective enlargement ratios greater than 100% to at least some elements of that portion, so as to make the event more legible. The second peripheral portion is also displayed by applying at least to some elements of this portion respective enlargement ratios lower than 100% so as to save surface area to avoid hiding a portion of the map.

Claims

1. Map display method allowing the display of a portion of a map to be enlarged, without hiding another portion of this map, comprising:

displaying a first portion to be enlarged by applying respective enlargement ratios greater than 100%, with a 100% ratio corresponding to the initial display, to at least some elements of that portion,

displaying a first peripheral portion located on the periphery of the first portion to be enlarged,

applying, at least to some elements of that peripheral portion, respective enlargement ratios with values lower than 100% and such that the combination of the display surface of the peripheral portion and the display surface of the portion to be enlarged occupies, in the new image of the map, a surface equal to that of the combination of the display surface of the portion to be enlarged and the display surface of the peripheral portion in the original image of the map;

choosing the minimum value of the enlargement ratio to be applied to the elements of the peripheral zone so as to leave the essential details of the map visible;

then determining all of the values of the enlargement ratio to be applied respectively to the elements of the peripheral portion, in such a way that these values are at least equal to the minimum value chosen in this way;

and determining all of the values of the enlargement ratio, to be applied respectively to the elements of the portion to be enlarged, such that the combination of the display surface of the peripheral portion and the display surface of the portion to be enlarged occupies in the new image a surface equal to that of the combination of the display surface of the portion to be enlarged and the display surface of the peripheral portion in the original image of the map;

detecting an event which appears in said first peripheral portion, and then;

defining a second portion to be enlarged, centered on the position (BS2) of this event,

defining a second peripheral zone associated with this second portion to be enlarged,

displaying the second portion to be enlarged by applying respective enlargement ratios greater than 100% to at least some elements of that portion, so as to make the event more legible,

and displaying the second peripheral portion by applying respective enlargement ratios lower than 100% to at least some elements of that portion, determining the enlargement ratios to be applied respectively to the elements which make up the combination of the surfaces displaying the first and the second peripheral portion, through stages involving;

selecting the minimum value of the enlargement ratio to be applied to the elements of the combination of the surfaces displaying the first and the second peripheral portion;

then determining all of the values of the enlargement ratio to be applied respectively to the elements of the combination of the surfaces displaying the first and second peripheral portion, in such a way that these values are at least equal to the minimum value chosen in this way;

and determining all the values of the enlargement ratio to be applied respectively to the elements of the first and the second portion to be enlarged, in such a way that the combination of the surfaces displaying the first and the second peripheral portion, of the surface displaying the first portion to be enlarged, and of the surface displaying the second portion to be enlarged, occupies in the new image a surface equal to that of the combination of the first portion to be enlarged, the second portion to be enlarged (SPA5), the first peripheral portion and the second peripheral portion, in the original image of the map.

2. Method according to claim 1 which, to determine all of the values of the enlargement ratio to be applied respectively to the elements of a portion to be enlarged, also involves breaking down the portion to be enlarged into a plurality of zones with different enlargement ratios.

3. Method according to claim 1 which, to determine all of the values of the enlargement ratio to be applied respectively to the elements of a peripheral portion (SPP3), also involves breaking down said peripheral portion into a plurality of zones with different enlargement ratios.

4. Method according to claim 1 which, to display a peripheral portion located on the periphery of a portion to be enlarged, involves displaying the elements of this portion with respective enlargement ratios varying continuously from a ratio of 100%, applied to the elements of the peripheral portion which are furthest from the portion to be enlarged, until a ratio applied to an element, of the portion to be enlarged, which is at the boundary with the peripheral portion, passing via values of lower than 100%, such that the combination of the display surface of the peripheral portion and of the display surface of the portion to be enlarged occupies, in the new image of the map, a surface equal to that of the combination of the display surface of the portion to be enlarged and of the display surface of the peripheral portion in the original image of the map.

5. Programmable device comprising storage means on which a program is saved, this program comprising instructions which, when executed, carry out the stages of the method according to claim 1.

6. Storage means on which a program is saved comprising instructions which, when executed on a programmable device, carry out the stages of the method according to claim 1.