Interactive Digital Map on a Portable Device

• US 20140359510A1
• Filed: 06/27/2013
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Graf, Daniel, Delaye, Darren
• Granted Patent: US 10,359,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

A digital map of a geographic area is displayed in a map sheet in a software application executing on a portable device. Several individually selectable location indicators are displayed over the digital map in the map sheet. In response to a first one of the several location indicators being selected on the map sheet, an informational sheet related to the selected location indicator is generated, where the informational sheet occludes a portion of the map sheet. In response to a gesture applied to the informational sheet, (a) a selection of a second one of the several location indicators is automatically indicated on the map sheet, and (b) the informational sheet is updated to display information related to the newly selected location indicator.

Claims

1. A method in a portable device for efficiently managing screen real estate in a software application that displays interactive digital maps, the method comprising:

displaying a digital map of a geographic area in a map sheet;

displaying a plurality of individually selectable location indicators over the digital map in the map sheet;

in response to a first one of the plurality of location indicators being selected on the map sheet, generating an informational sheet related to the selected location indicator, wherein the informational sheet occludes a portion of the map sheet; and

in response to detecting a gesture applied to the informational sheet, (a) automatically indicating a selection of a second one of the plurality of location indicators on the map sheet, and (b) updating the informational sheet to display information related to the newly selected location indicator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically indicating the selection of the second one of the plurality of location indicators on the map sheet including changing at least one of a position and a zoom level of a viewport in which the digital map is displayed on the map sheet.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a third one of the plurality of location indicators being selected on the map sheet, (a) automatically indicating a selection of the third one of the plurality of location indicators on the map sheet, and (b) updating the informational sheet to display information related to the newly selected location indicator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the gesture applied to the informational sheet includes detecting a swipe gesture applied left to right or from right to left.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving search results in response to a geographic query;

wherein each of the plurality of individually selectable location indicators corresponds to a respective search result.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the informational sheet includes generating a compact informational sheet that includes one or more of:

(i) a name of a business entity,

(ii) hours of operation, and

(iii) drive or transmit time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the gesture is a first gesture, and wherein generating the informational sheet further includes:

in response to detecting a second gesture applied to the informational sheet, generating a detailed informational sheet larger than the compact informational sheet, wherein the detailed information sheet includes one or more of;

(i) a photograph,

(ii) user review information, and

(iii) a hyperlink to an additional resource.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the first one of the plurality of location indicators being selected on the map sheet, displaying a geographic marker over the selected location indicator to indicate the selection of the first one of the plurality of location indicators;

wherein automatically indicating the selection of the second one of the plurality of location indicators on the map sheet includes moving the geographic marker from first one of the plurality of location indicators to second first one of the plurality of location indicators.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the informational sheet includes:

generating the informational sheet in a compact format if the digital map is determined to be in a first state, and

generating the informational sheet in a detailed format if the digital map is determined to be in a second state, wherein the detailed format and the compact format differ at least in size of the informational sheet,

wherein the first state and the second state are selected from a set including a default state, a search state in which maps search results overlay the digital map, and a directions state in which route information overlays the digital map.

10. A method in a portable device for efficiently managing screen real estate in software application that displays interactive digital maps, the method comprising:

displaying a digital map of a geographic area in a map sheet;

displaying a plurality of individually selectable location indicators over the digital map in the map sheet; and

in response to one of the plurality of location indicators being selected on the map sheet, generating an informational sheet related to the selected location indicator, including;

determining a current state of the digital map, wherein the current state is selected from a set including a default state, a search state, and a directions state, and

selecting a size and content of the informational sheet according to the current state of the digital map.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein selecting the size and the content of the informational sheet includes selecting one of:

(a) an informational bubble displayed over a location on the digital map corresponding to the selected location indicator,

(b) a compact informational sheet displayed in a first fixed position, wherein the informational sheet occludes a portion of the map sheet, or

(c) a detailed information sheet displayed in a second fixed position, wherein the informational sheet occludes a portion of the map sheet larger than the portion occluded by the compact informational sheet.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the compact informational sheet includes one or more of (i) a name of a business entity, (ii) hours of operation, and (iii) drive or transmit time, and

the detailed informational sheet includes one or more of (i) a photograph, (ii) user review information, and (iii) a hyperlink to an additional resource.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the selected location indicator is a first location indicator, the method further comprising:

in response to detecting a gesture applied to the informational sheet, (a) automatically indicating a selection of a second one of the plurality of location indicators on the map sheet, and (b) updating the informational sheet to display information related to the newly selected location indicator.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

wherein automatically indicating the selection of the second one of the plurality of location indicators on the map sheet including changing at least one of a position and a zoom level of a viewport in which the digital map is displayed on the map sheet.

15. The method of claim 13, in response to a third one of the plurality of location indicators being selected on the map sheet, (a) automatically indicating a selection of the third one of the plurality of location indicators on the map sheet, and (b) updating the informational sheet to display information related to the newly selected location indicator.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving search results in response to a geographic query;

wherein each of the plurality of individually selectable location indicators corresponds to a respective search result.

17. A computer-readable medium storing thereon instructions for efficiently managing screen real estate in software application that displays interactive digital maps, wherein the instructions, when executed on one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

display a digital map of a geographic area in a map sheet;

display a plurality of individually selectable location indicators over the digital map in the map sheet;

in response to a first one of the plurality of location indicators being selected on the map sheet, generate an informational sheet related to the selected location indicator, wherein the informational sheet occludes a portion of the map sheet; and

in response to detecting a gesture applied to the informational sheet, (a) automatically indicate a selection of a second one of the plurality of location indicators on the map sheet, and (b) update the informational sheet to display information related to the newly selected location indicator.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein to automatically indicate the selection of the second one of the plurality of location indicators on the map sheet, the instructions cause the one or more processors change at least one of a position and a zoom level of a viewport in which the digital map is displayed on the map sheet.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

in response to a third one of the plurality of location indicators being selected on the map sheet, (a) automatically indicate a selection of the third one of the plurality of location indicators on the map sheet, and (b) update the informational sheet to display information related to the newly selected location indicator.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the detected gesture is a swipe gesture applied left to right or from right to left.