EFFICIENT COMPOSITION AND RENDERING OF GRAPHICAL ELEMENTS
First Claim
1. A method for implementation in a computing device for generating map images, the method comprising:
- receiving, via a communications network, a plurality of base map tiles associated with a first map image for a selected geographic region, each base map tile including one or more vector descriptors that indicates a geometry of a respective map element in accordance with a vector graphics format;
preprocessing, using a processor, the vector descriptors in each base map tile to create a first set of rendering instructions for rendering the first map image as defined by the plurality of base map tiles;
receiving, via the communication network, a set of difference map tiles for rendering a second map image for the selected geographic region, each of the set of difference map tiles including one or more indications of a modification of a vector descriptor to be applied to one of the plurality of base map tiles;
preprocessing, using a processor, the one or more indications of the modifications of the vector descriptors to create a second set of rendering instructions for rendering the second map image; and
rendering, using a processor, the second map image via a user interface by implementing the first set of rendering instructions and the second set of rendering instructions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
To provide map data for rendering map images corresponding to a selected geographic region at a client device, a map server generates a set of base map tiles having vector descriptors, each of which indicates a geometry of a respective map element, in accordance with a non-raster format for rendering a first map image. The map server, at some point, provides the base map tiles to the client device. Upon receiving an indication that a specific map image for the selected geographic region is to be rendered at the client device, the map server further generates a set of difference map tiles that indicate changes to be made to the set of base map tiles and sends the difference map tiles to the client device for use, along with the set of base map tiles, in rendering the requested specific map image. The client device renders the new map view defined by the difference map tiles without needing to again pre-process all of the features or elements defined in the base map tiles, which makes the rendering of the new map view defined by the difference map tiles faster and more efficient in terms of processing power requirements.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for implementation in a computing device for generating map images, the method comprising:
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receiving, via a communications network, a plurality of base map tiles associated with a first map image for a selected geographic region, each base map tile including one or more vector descriptors that indicates a geometry of a respective map element in accordance with a vector graphics format; preprocessing, using a processor, the vector descriptors in each base map tile to create a first set of rendering instructions for rendering the first map image as defined by the plurality of base map tiles; receiving, via the communication network, a set of difference map tiles for rendering a second map image for the selected geographic region, each of the set of difference map tiles including one or more indications of a modification of a vector descriptor to be applied to one of the plurality of base map tiles; preprocessing, using a processor, the one or more indications of the modifications of the vector descriptors to create a second set of rendering instructions for rendering the second map image; and rendering, using a processor, the second map image via a user interface by implementing the first set of rendering instructions and the second set of rendering instructions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for implementation in a computing device for generating map images, the method comprising:
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receiving, via a communications network, a plurality of base map tiles associated with a first map image for a selected geographic region, each base map tile including one or more vector descriptors that indicates a geometry of a respective map element in accordance with a vector graphics format; preprocessing, using a processor, the vector descriptors in each base map tile to create a first set of rendering instructions for rendering the first map image as defined by the plurality of base map tiles, wherein the first set of rendering instructions uses a style attribute look up table to define style parameters to use in rendering map elements within the first map image; receiving, via the communication network, a set of difference map tiles for rendering a second map image for the selected geographic region, each of the set of difference map tiles including one or more indications of a modification of a vector descriptor to be applied in one of the plurality of base map tiles and wherein at least one of the difference map tiles includes an indication that a map element defined by one of the plurality of vector descriptors in the plurality of base map tiles is not to be shown in the second map image; modifying, using a processor, one or more of the style parameters used by the first set of rendering instructions to cause the first set of rendering instructions to render the map element that is not to be shown in the second map image in a manner that makes the map element not to be shown in the second map image substantially invisible in the second map image; and rendering, using a processor, the second map image via a user interface by implementing the first set of rendering instructions with the modified one or more of the style parameters. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A display device comprising:
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a communications network interface; a user display device; and processing hardware including one or more processors coupled to the communications network interface and to the user display device, configured to; receive, via the communications network interface, data in the form of a plurality of base map tiles associated with a first map image for a selected geographic region, each base map tile including one or more vector descriptors that indicates a geometry of a respective map element in accordance with a vector graphics format, preprocess the vector descriptors in each base map tile to create a first set of rendering instructions for rendering the first map image as defined by the plurality of base map tiles; receive via the communications network interface, a set of difference map tiles for rendering a second map image for the selected geographic region, each of the set of difference map tiles including one or more indications of a modification of a vector descriptor to be applied to one of the plurality of base map tiles; preprocess the one or more indications of the modifications of the vector descriptors to create a second set of rendering instructions for rendering the second map image; and render the second map image on the user display by implementing the first set of rendering instructions and the second set of rendering instructions. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A display device comprising:
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a communications network interface; a user display device; and processing hardware, including one or more processors, coupled to the communications network interface and to the user display device, the processing hardware configured to; receive via the communications network interface a plurality of base map tiles associated with a first map image for a selected geographic region, each base map tile including one or more vector descriptors that indicates a geometry of a respective map element in accordance with a vector graphics format; preprocess the vector descriptors in each base map tile to create a first set of rendering instructions for rendering the first map image as defined by the plurality of base map tiles, wherein the first set of rendering instructions uses a set of style attribute variables to define style parameters to use in rendering map elements within the first map image; receive via the communications network interface a set of difference map tiles for rendering a second map image for the selected geographic region, each of the set of difference map tiles including one or more indications of a modification of a vector descriptor to be applied in one of the plurality of base map tiles and wherein at least one of the difference map tiles includes an indication that a map element defined by one of the plurality of vector descriptors in the plurality of base map tiles is not to be shown in the second map image; modify one or more of the set of style attribute variables used by the first set of rendering instructions to cause the first set of rendering instructions to render the map element that is not to be shown in the second map image in a manner that makes the map element not to be shown in the second map image substantially invisible in the second map image; and render the second map image via a user interface by implementing the first set of rendering instructions with the modified one or more of the set of style attribute variables. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification