Varying Map Information Density Based on the Speed of the Vehicle

• US 20150260528A1
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bailiang, Zhou
• Granted Patent: US 9,714,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/387 Organisation of map data, e.g. version management or database structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

To dynamically vary map content based on the speed at which a portable device is moving, for a map in which a portable device user is following, a request for map data for a particular location is received along with an indication of the speed of the portable device. As a result, at least two versions of map data for the particular location are identified and one of the versions is selected based on the speed. The selected version is then transmitted to the portable device for display.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a communication interface; and

processing hardware coupled to the communication interface, the processing hardware configured to;

receive a map data request via the communication interface,

parse the map data request to determine a speed comprised in the map data request,

determine a location responsive to the map data request,

identify at least two versions of map data corresponding to the location,

select, based on the speed, one of the at least two versions of the map data corresponding to the location, and

respond to the map data request with the selected one of the at least two versions of the map data.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the request includes a mobile device location and responding to the map data request comprises sending, via the communication interface, the map data to the mobile device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least two versions of the map data comprise:

a first set of data corresponding to a geographic area including the location and identifying geographic features in the geographic area at a first level of detail; and

a second set of data corresponding to the geographic area and identifying geographic features in the geographic area at a second level of detail, the second level of detail being lower than the first level of detail.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the sets of data comprise map tiles.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing hardware comprises at least one server configured to provide an application programming interface (API) to receive the request and respond to the request.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least two versions of the map data comprise:

a first set of data corresponding to a geographic area including the location and identifying geographic features in the geographic area using a first set of visual styles; and

a second set of data corresponding to the same geographic area and identifying the same geographic features using a second set of visual styles, the second set of visual styles being different than the first set of visual styles.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein to select, based on the speed, one of the at least two versions of the map data corresponding to the location, the processing hardware is configured to:

when the speed is below a predetermined threshold value, select a first version of the map data corresponding to the location; and

when the speed is equal to or above the predetermined threshold value, select a second version of the map data corresponding to the location.

8. A portable device comprising:

one or more sensors configured to determine a speed of the portable device;

a communication interface; and

processing hardware coupled to the communication interface, the processing hardware configured to;

generate a map data request for a geographic area,

determine a first speed of the portable device,

display a first version of map data corresponding to the geographic area based on the first speed,

determine a second speed of the portable device, and

display a second version of the map data corresponding to the same geographic area based on the second speed.

9. The portable device of claim 8, wherein the processing hardware is further configured to:

generate at least two versions of map data corresponding to the same geographic area,

select, based on the first speed, the first version of the map data corresponding to the geographic area, and

select, based on the second speed, the second version of the map data corresponding to the same geographic area.

10. The portable device of claim 8, wherein the processing hardware is further configured to:

transmit the first speed of the portable device to a server,

receive the first version of the map data corresponding to the geographic area from the server,

transmit the second speed of the portable device to the server, and

receive the second version of the map data corresponding to the same geographic area from the server.

11. The portable device of claim 8, wherein the first version of the map data comprises a first set of data corresponding to the geographic area and identifying geographic features in the geographic area at a first level of detail, and wherein the second version of the map data comprises a second set of data corresponding to the same geographic area and identifying geographic features in the geographic area at a second level of detail, the second level of detail being lower than the first level of detail.

12. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the first speed of the portable device is below a predetermined threshold value, and wherein the second speed of the portable device is equal to or above the predetermined threshold value.

13. The portable device of claim 8, wherein the first version of the map data comprises a first set of data corresponding to the geographic area and identifying geographic features in the geographic area using a first set of visual styles, and wherein the second version of the map data comprises a second set of data corresponding to the same geographic area and identifying the same geographic features using a second set of visual styles, the second set of visual styles being different than the first set of visual styles.

14. The portable device of claim 8, wherein the geographic area includes a current location of a user of the portable device.

15. A method for dynamically varying map content based on the speed of a portable device, the method comprising:

receiving, at one or more computing devices, a map data request for a geographic area;

parsing, by the one or more computing devices, the map data request to determine a speed comprised in the map data request;

identifying, by the one or more computing devices, at least two versions of map data corresponding to the geographic area;

selecting, by the one or more computing devices, based on the speed, one of the at least two versions of the map data corresponding to the geographic area; and

responding, by the one or more computing devices, to the map data request with the selected one of the at least two versions of the map data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the geographic area includes a mobile device location and responding to the map data request comprises sending, via a communication interface, the map data to the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least two versions of the map data comprise:

a first set of data corresponding to the geographic area including the location and identifying geographic features in the geographic area at a first level of detail; and

a second set of data corresponding to the same geographic area and identifying geographic features in the geographic area at a second level of detail, the second level of detail being lower than the first level of detail.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the sets of data comprise map tiles.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least two versions of the map data comprise:

a first set of data corresponding to the geographic area including the location and identifying geographic features in the geographic area using a first set of visual styles; and

a second set of data corresponding to the same geographic area and identifying the same geographic features using a second set of visual styles, the second set of visual styles being different than the first set of visual styles.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein selecting, based on the speed, one of the at least two versions of the map data corresponding to the geographic area comprises:

when the speed is below a predetermined threshold value, selecting a first version of the map data corresponding to the geographic area; and

when the speed is equal to or above the predetermined threshold value, selecting a second version of the map data corresponding to the geographic area.