OVERLAYING TRANSPARENCY IMAGES INCLUDING PIXELS CORRESPONDING TO DIFFERENT HEIRARCHICAL LEVELS OVER A GEOGRAPHIC MAP

• US 20130257903A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Halldor Janetzko
• Inventors: Hao, Ming C., Janetzko, Halldr, Dayal, Umeshwar, Hsu, Meichun, Keim, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 9,087,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957

Abstract

Data records contain corresponding values of an attribute and are associated with location information. Hierarchical levels of transparency images are generated, where each of the transparency images includes corresponding pixels that represent the respective data records, and where the transparency images at different ones of the hierarchical levels correspond to different zoom levels of a geographic map. At least one of the transparency images at a dynamically-selected one of the hierarchical levels is overlaid over the geographic map according to which of the zoom levels is selected by a user in zooming of the geographic map, where the at least one transparency image is automatically selected without user input.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computer, data records containing corresponding values of an attribute, where the data records are associated with location information;

generating, by the computer, hierarchical levels of transparency images, where each of the transparency images includes corresponding pixels that represent the respective data records, and where the transparency images at different ones of the hierarchical levels correspond to different zoom levels of a geographic map; and

overlaying, over the geographic map, at least one of the transparency images at a dynamically selected one of the hierarchical levels according to which of the zoom levels is selected by a user in zooming of the geographic map, wherein the at least one transparency image is automatically selected without user input.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recursively dividing a data space representing a collection of the data records into progressively smaller partitions corresponding to different ones of the hierarchical levels, wherein a particular one of the transparency images contains pixels representing a respective one of the partitions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a first one of the transparency images corresponding to a first of the hierarchical levels has a larger number of pixels than a second one of the transparency images corresponding to a second of the hierarchical levels.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to user selection of a different zoom level for viewing the map, overlaying, over the geographic map, a different set of the transparency images at another one of the hierarchical levels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a first of the hierarchical levels is associated with a first transparency image, and a second of the hierarchical levels is associated with second transparency images that correspond to partitions of a space represented by the first transparency image.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

synchronizing selected ones of the transparency images with a displayed portion of the geographic map using geographic coordinates assigned to the transparency images.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data records comprises receiving the data records containing corresponding values of a sentiment attribute.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising assigning different colors to pixels in the at least one transparency image according to different colors of the sentiment attribute.

14. The article of claim 1, wherein the instructions upon execution cause the system to further:

synchronize selected ones of the transparency images with a displayed portion of the geographic map using geographic coordinates assigned to the transparency images.

9. The method of claim1, further comprising:

providing plural application programming interfaces (APIs) for different corresponding geographic maps; and

using one of the APIs to overlay the selected at least one transparency image over the geographic map.

10. An article comprising at least one machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that upon execution cause a system to:

recursively divide a data space containing data records into progressively smaller partitions corresponding to different hierarchical levels, where the data records contain corresponding values of an attribute and are associated with location information;

generate transparency images containing respective groups of pixels representing data records in the data space and the smaller partitions, wherein the transparency images are at a plurality of hierarchical levels that correspond to different zoom levels of a geographic map; and

overlay, over the geographic map, at least one of the transparency images at a dynamically-selected one of the hierarchical levels according to which of a plurality of zoom levels is selected by a user in zooming of the geographic map, wherein the at least one transparency image is automatically selected without user input.

11. The article of claim 10, wherein the instructions upon execution cause the system to further:

assign different colors to the pixels in the transparency images according to respective different values of the attribute.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein the attribute includes a sentiment attribute.

13. The article of claim 11, wherein a first of the hierarchical levels is associated with a first transparency image, and a second of the hierarchical levels is associated with second transparency images that correspond to partitions of a space represented by the first transparency image.

15. A system comprising:

at least one processor to;

receive data records containing corresponding values of an attribute and associated with location information;

generate hierarchical levels of transparency images, where each of the transparency images includes corresponding pixels that represent the respective data records, and where the transparency images at different ones of the hierarchical levels correspond to different zoom levels of a geographic map; and

overlay, over the geographic map, at least one of the transparency images at a dynamically-selected one of the hierarchical levels according to which of the zoom levels is is selected by a user in zooming of the geographic map, wherein the at least one transparency image is automatically selected without user input.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is to further:

recursively divide a data space representing a collection of the data records into progressively smaller partitions corresponding to different ones of the hierarchical levels, wherein a particular one of the transparency images contains pixels representing a respective one of the partitions.