AUTOMATIC META-NEIGHBORHOOD AND ANNOTATION GENERATION FOR MAPS

• US 20150186414A1
• Filed: 01/15/2013
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Jonah, Seefeld, Bernhard, Campbell, Taj J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,418,075 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

A graphics or image rendering system, such as a map image rendering system, may mark areas of interest on a map based on metadata associated with one or more features of the map. Additional map features may be created to mark the areas of interest or styles of existing map features may be modified to mark the areas of interest.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing map data to a computer device comprising:

retrieving, using a computer device, a plurality of map features for a map viewing window, wherein each of the plurality of map features has at least one associated metadata parameter, wherein the metadata parameter includes text describing the map feature;

searching, using the computer device, the metadata parameters associated with each of the set of map features for a first keyword that is common between a first set of the map features and a second keyword that is common between a second set of the map features;

categorizing, using the computer device, the first set of map features into a first category of interest and categorizing the second set of map features into a second category of interest by associating a first and a second category identifier to the first and the second set of map features, respectively;

determining, using the computer device, a first area of the map viewing window where the density of map features that belong to the first category are above a first threshold density and determining a second area of the map viewing window where the density of map features that belong to the second category are above a second threshold density;

ranking, using the computer device, the first and the second area based on a density of the map features of the first category within the first area and a density of the map features of the second category within the second area; and

assigning, using the computer device, a first modified style to the first area and a second modified style to the second area, wherein the first and the second modified style is assigned based on a prominence rating of the first and of the second modified style, wherein the prominence rating increases with increasing modified rank,

providing access to map data including the first and the second area and the first and the second modified styles.

2. The method of claim 1, further including searching a plurality of metadata parameters associated with one of the plurality of map features for a third keyword that is common between the plurality of metadata parameters of the one map feature and determining a popularity rating of the one map feature based on the number of distinct metadata parameters containing the third keyword.

3. The method of claim 2, further including ranking the one map feature based on the popularity rating and assigning a modified third style to the one map feature based on the ranking and the popularity rating.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the ranking of the one map feature is greater than the ranking of the first and of the second category and wherein the third style has a higher prominence than the first and the second styles.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the one map feature belongs to the first category and wherein the third style assigned to the one map feature has a prominence rating higher than the first style.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first area represents a first road feature and the second area represents a second road feature and wherein the first and the second set of map features are point locations about the first and the second road feature, respectively.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein searching the metadata parameters for the first keyword and second keyword includes searching from a predetermined list of keywords that contain the first and the second keyword.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined list of keywords is determined based on user input.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first threshold density is determined based on the first category and the second threshold density is determined based on the second category and wherein the first threshold density is not equal to the second threshold density.

10. The method of claim 1, further including creating a first label indicating the first category and associating the first label with the first area.

11. The method of claim 1, further including ranking a third map feature, being a road feature, below the rank of the first and the second category when a density of map features belonging to the first or the second category about the third map feature is below the first and the second threshold densities and assigning a third modified style to the third map feature that has a lower prominence rating than the first and the second modified style.

12. A computer-implemented method of providing map data to a computer device comprising:

receiving, using the computer device, a set of metadata parameters associated with a set of map features for a map viewing window, wherein each of the set of map features has at least one associated metadata parameter of the set of metadata parameters;

searching, using the computer device, the set of metadata parameters of each of the set of map features for a keyword that is common between a plurality of the map features;

categorizing the plurality of map features having associated metadata parameters with the common keyword into a category of interest, wherein categorizing the plurality of map features includes associating a category identifier with the map features belonging to the category of interest;

determining an area of the map viewing window where the density of map features that belong to the category of interest is over a threshold density;

creating, using the computer, a mark of the determined area;

providing, using the computer, access to map data including the mark and the determined area.

13. The method of claim 12, further including transmitting, using the computer device, map data including the set of map features and the created mark.

14. The method of claim 12, further including determining the threshold density based on the category of interest.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein searching the set of metadata parameters for the common keyword includes searching a predetermined list that contains the common keyword.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the set of metadata parameters includes one of text labels associated with the set of map features, page place data, user click data, or a user input.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein creating the mark of the determined area includes creating a text label that indicates the common keyword and associating the text label with the determined area.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein creating the mark of the determined area includes creating an area feature that corresponds to the determined area, wherein the area feature is assigned a style that is distinct from a map feature of an area outside the determined area.

19. The method of claim 18, further including ranking the category of interest and assigning a style to the area feature that corresponds to the ranking of the category of interest.

20. The method of claim 19, further including ranking a map feature external to the determined area lower than a ranking of the category of interest and assigning a another style to the external map feature that has a lower degree of prominence than the style of the area feature.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein creating the mark of the determined area includes assigning a style parameter to at least one map feature within the determined area.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein assigning the style parameter includes modifying a text of a label associated with the at least one map feature to indicate the common keyword.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the area includes determining an area about a road feature where a density of map features along the road feature that belong to the category of interest is over the threshold density, and wherein creating the mark of the determined area includes assigning a style parameter to the road feature.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the style parameter assigned to the road feature has a higher degree of prominence than a previous style associated with the road feature before creating the mark of the determined area.

25. The method of claim 12, wherein one map feature of the set of map features is associated with a plurality of metadata parameters, and further including searching the plurality of metadata parameters of the one map feature for a keyword that is common between the plurality of metadata parameters of the one map feature and assigning a style parameter to the one map feature to indicate the common keyword.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the one map feature is a location and wherein the plurality of metadata parameters includes a plurality of information on reviews of the location.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the one map feature is a road and wherein the plurality of metadata parameters includes a plurality of reviews of locations about the road.

28. A computer device for processing map data, the computer device comprising:

a communications network interface;

one or more processors;

one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors;

a display device coupled to the one or more processors;

wherein the one or more memories include computer executable instructions stored therein that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to retrieve a plurality of map features for a map area, wherein each of the map features has at least one associated metadata parameter, wherein the metadata parameter includes text describing the map feature;

search the metadata parameters associated with each of the set of map features for a keyword that is common between a set of the map features;

categorize the set of map features into a category of interest by associating a category identifier with each of the set of map features;

determine an area of the map where a density of map features that belong to the category of interest is above a first threshold density;

rank the determined area based on the density of the map features of the category of interest within the first area;

assign a modified style to the determined area based on a prominence rating of the modified style, wherein the prominence rating increases with increasing modified rank;

provide access to map data that includes the determined area and first modified style.

29. The computer device of claim 28, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to receive a request for responsive map data, wherein the request includes the common keyword.

30. The computer device of claim 28, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to transmit map data including the determined area and the modified style via the network communications interface.

31. The computer device of claim 28, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to retrieve the at least one associated metadata parameter and associate the at least one metadata parameter with a corresponding one of the plurality of map features.

32. The computer device of claim 31, wherein the at least one associated metadata parameter is retrieved from an external computer device via the network communications interface.

33. The computer device of claim 28, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to render the determined area on a map viewing window on the display device using the modified style.