DIGITAL MAP HAVING USER-DEFINED ZOOM AREAS

• US 20100223577A1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cyrus, Joseph Robert JR., Merrill, Ethan Kary, Bennett, Valerie Monk, Jain, Mohit
• Granted Patent: US 8,261,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/800
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A digital geographic map affords a user the ability to selectively and simultaneously zoom in on multiple areas of the map. These zoomed areas are displayed as zoom windows, which are overlaid over the initial map.

Claims

1. A computer hardware logic for displaying a computer-generated geographic map on a video display, the computer hardware logic comprising:

a receiving logic for detecting an input signal for initiating a map zoning mode for an initial computer-generated geographic map, wherein the map zoning mode prevents zooming of all of the initial computer-generated geographic map; and

a zooming logic for zooming a user-selected area on the initial computer-generated geographic map, wherein said zooming generates a zoom window that displays and overlays an enlarged view of the user-selected area over the initial computer-generated geographic map.

2. The computer hardware logic of claim 1, wherein multiple user-selected areas are zoomed, displayed and overlaid over the initial computer-generated geographic map as multiple zoom windows, and wherein the computer hardware logic further comprises:

a persistence logic for persistently and simultaneously displaying all of the multiple zoom windows over the initial computer-generated geographic map.

3. The computer hardware logic of claim 2, further comprising:

a selective zooming logic for selectively zooming each of the multiple zoom windows to different zoom levels.

4. The computer hardware logic of claim 1, wherein the user-selected area is a singular point on the initial computer-generated geographic map, the computer hardware logic further comprising:

a cursor movement detection logic, wherein the cursor movement detection logic detects a distance between a clicked user-selected singular point on the initial computer-generated geographic map and a final resting position of a mouse cursor, wherein the distance automatically determines a size and zoom level of the zoom window.

5. The computer hardware logic of claim 1, wherein the zoom window is visually associated with the user-selected area by a set of linking lines displayed on the initial computer-generated geographic map.

6. The computer hardware logic of claim 1, further comprising:

a zoom window repositioning logic, wherein the zoom window repositioning logic;

detects a pre-defined type of information displayed on the initial computer-generated geographic map; and

automatically repositions the zoom window such that the zoom window does not overlay and obscure the pre-defined type of information displayed on the initial computer-generated geographic map.

7. The computer hardware logic of claim 6, wherein the pre-defined type of information comprises names of intersecting roads.

8. The computer hardware logic of claim 6, wherein the pre-defined type of information is a city name.

9. The computer hardware logic of claim 1, further comprising:

a zoom window visual encoding logic, wherein the zoom window visual encoding logic alters a physical appearance of the zoom window in accordance with a unique condition of roads depicted within the zoom window.

10. The computer hardware logic of claim 9, wherein the unique condition is a prohibition against transporting hazardous materials on the roads depicted within the zoom window.

11. The computer hardware logic of claim 1, further comprising:

a text box display logic, wherein the text box display logic causes a presentation of a text box to display text information about businesses located at a street intersection depicted within the zoom window.

12. A tangible computer-readable storage medium on which is encoded a computer program, the computer program comprising computer executable instructions configured for displaying a computer-generated geographic map on a video display by performing the steps of:

detecting an input signal for initiating a map zoning mode for an initial computer-generated geographic map, wherein the map zoning mode prevents zooming of the initial computer-generated geographic map; and

zooming a user-selected area on the initial computer-generated geographic map, wherein said zooming generates a zoom window that displays and overlays an enlarged view of the user-selected area over the initial computer-generated geographic map.

13. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein multiple user-selected areas are zoomed, displayed and overlaid over the initial computer-generated geographic map as multiple zoom windows, and wherein the steps further comprise:

persistently and simultaneously displaying all of the multiple zoom windows over the initial computer-generated geographic map.

14. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the steps further comprise:

selectively zooming each of the multiple zoom windows to different zoom levels.

15. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the user-selected area is a singular point on the initial computer-generated geographic map, and wherein the steps further comprise:

detecting a distance between a clicked user-selected singular point on the initial computer-generated geographic map and a final resting position of a mouse cursor, wherein the distance automatically determines a size of the zoom window.

16. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the zoom window is visually associated with the user-selected area by a set of linking lines displayed on the initial computer-generated geographic map.

17. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the steps further comprise:

detecting a pre-defined type of information displayed on the initial computer-generated geographic map; and

automatically repositioning the zoom window such that the zoom window does not overlay and obscure the pre-defined type of information displayed on the initial computer-generated geographic map.

18. A system comprising:

a specific processor;

a display coupled to the specific processor;

a tangible computer-readable storage medium on which are stored computer-executable instructions, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, perform a computer-executed method comprising;

detecting an input signal for initiating a map zoning mode for an initial computer-generated geographic map, wherein the map zoning mode prevents zooming of the initial computer-generated geographic map; and

zooming a user-selected area on the initial computer-generated geographic map, wherein said zooming generates a zoom window that displays and overlays an enlarged view of the user-selected area over the initial computer-generated geographic map.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein multiple user-selected areas are zoomed, displayed and overlaid over the initial computer-generated geographic map as multiple zoom windows, and wherein the computer-executed method further comprises:

persistently and simultaneously displaying all of the multiple zoom windows over the initial computer-generated geographic map.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the user-selected area is a singular point on the initial computer-generated geographic map, and wherein the computer-executed method further comprises:

detecting a distance between a clicked user-selected singular point on the initial computer-generated geographic map and a final resting position of a mouse cursor, wherein the distance automatically determines a size of the zoom window.