Map Application with Improved Search Tools

• US 20150253148A1
• Filed: 04/16/2014
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Moore, Bradford A., Weinberg, Joshua C., Fino, Jorge, Larus, Mark B., Barbour, Sarah G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,347,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• 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: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention provide a mapping application with novel tools for examining potential destinations and routes to the potential destinations. In some embodiments, the mapping application includes a route preview page that provides a novel combination of user element tools that allow a user (1) to explore alternative routes to a selected destination, (2) to explore routes to other destinations in a list of destinations. In some embodiments, the route overview page also provides a modal zoom tool that allows the map on this page to zoom to the destination/search result or zoom out to an overview of the entire route to the destination/search result. These three tools (i.e., the tool for exploring alternative routes to one location, the tool for exploring routes to other locations, and the tool for providing modal zoom operations) are highly beneficial in allowing a user to navigate to a location because they allow the user to quickly explore the two-dimensional solution space of possible locations and possible routes to the locations.

Claims

1. A method of previewing routes to destinations, the method comprising:

presenting a list of destinations;

upon selection of a first destination on the list,

displaying the destination on a map,

displaying on the map a first route to the destination; and

displaying first and second controls,

said first control for displaying on the map a new route to the destination;

said second control for displaying on the map a new destination from the list of destinations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of destinations is a list of search results.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the search result list is presented in a first display area of a mapping application,

wherein the destination, route, and first and second controls are displayed in a second display area of the mapping application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first display area is a search result page, while the second display area is a route-preview page, wherein the mapping application does not display the two pages concurrently.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a zoom control upon selection of the first destination on the list, the zoom control comprising only first and second zoom levels, the first zoom level providing a detailed view of the destination, while the second zoom level providing an overview of the route to the destination.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

through the first, second and third controls, receiving input to iterate through and examine different destinations and routes to the destinations in order to identify a desired destination.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising displaying a fourth control for initiating a navigation presentation to the destination that is displayed on the map.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the fourth control is displayed upon selection of the first destination, the method further comprising receiving selection of the first control after receiving input to iterate through different destinations through the second control.

9. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program for previewing routes to destinations, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

presenting a list of destinations;

upon selection of a first destination on the list,

displaying the destination on a map,

displaying on the map a first route to the destination; and

displaying first and second controls,

said first control for displaying on the map a new route to the destination;

said second control for displaying on the map a new destination from the list of destinations.

10. The machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein the list of destinations is a list of search results.

11. The machine readable medium of claim 10,

wherein the search result list is presented in a first display area of a mapping application,

wherein the destination, route, and first and second controls are displayed in a second display area of the mapping application.

12. The machine readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first display area is a search result page, while the second display area is a route-preview page, wherein the mapping application does not display the two pages concurrently.

13. The machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for displaying a zoom control upon selection of the first destination on the list, the zoom control comprising only first and second zoom levels, the first zoom level providing a detailed view of the destination, while the second zoom level providing an overview of the route to the destination.

14. The machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the program further comprises a set of:

through the first, second and third controls, receiving input to iterate through and examine different destinations and routes to the destinations in order to identify a desired destination.

15. The machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein the program further comprises a set of displaying a fourth control for initiating a navigation presentation to the destination that is displayed on the map.

16. The machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the fourth control is displayed upon selection of the first destination, wherein the program further comprises a set of receiving selection of the first control after receiving input to iterate through different destinations through the second control.

23. The device of claim 14, wherein the program further comprises a set of displaying a fourth control for initiating a navigation presentation to the destination that is displayed on the map.

17. A device comprising:

at least one processing unit;

a machine readable storage storing a program for execution by the processing unit, the program comprising sets of instructions for;

presenting a list of destinations;

upon selection of a first destination on the list,

displaying the destination on a map,

displaying on the map a first route to the destination; and

displaying first and second controls,

said first control for displaying on the map a new route to the destination;

said second control for displaying on the map a new destination from the list of destinations.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the list of destinations is a list of search results.

19. The device of claim 18,

wherein the search result list is presented in a first display area of a mapping application,

wherein the destination, route, and first and second controls are displayed in a second display area of the mapping application.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the first display area is a search result page, while the second display area is a route-preview page, wherein the mapping application does not display the two pages concurrently.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for displaying a zoom control upon selection of the first destination on the list, the zoom control comprising only first and second zoom levels, the first zoom level providing a detailed view of the destination, while the second zoom level providing an overview of the route to the destination.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the program further comprises a set of:

through the first, second and third controls, receiving input to iterate through and examine different destinations and routes to the destinations in order to identify a desired destination.