USER ORIENTATION WHEN WORKING WITH SPATIAL DATA ON A MAPPING INTERFACE

• US 20160379386A1
• Filed: 06/24/2015
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Doeweling, Sebastian, Tahiri, Tarik
• Application Number:
  US14/748,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20160379386A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• 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: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

The present disclosure describes methods and systems, including computer-implemented methods, computer program products, and computer systems, for improving user orientation when working with spatial data on a mapping interface. One design-time computer-implemented method comprises calculating a set of screen coordinates on a mapping user interface for a compass user interface element, the compass user interface element associated with a layer selected to add to the mapping user interface; calculating map coordinates equivalent to the set of screen coordinates for the compass user interface element; determining on- and off-screen data elements associated with the added layer; calculating direction and distance to a closest number of data elements from the map coordinates of the compass user interface element; and rendering the compass user interface element on the mapping user interface.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

calculating a set of screen coordinates on a mapping user interface for a compass user interface element, the compass user interface element associated with a layer selected to add to the mapping user interface;

calculating map coordinates equivalent to the set of screen coordinates for the compass user interface element;

determining on- and off-screen data elements associated with the added layer;

calculating direction and distance to a closest number of data elements from the map coordinates of the compass user interface element; and

rendering the compass user interface element on the mapping user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination is made based on the smallest and largest X and Y coordinates of a visible segment of the mapping user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculation of direction and distance to the closest number of data elements is performed in the same processing loop where the on- and off-screen data elements are determined.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying data pointers for on-screen data elements.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising calculating a zooming boundary associated with the mapping user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

retrieving meta-data associated with the selected layer; and

retrieving additional related data associated with the selected layer for display on the mapping user interface.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising rendering a table with embedded compass widgets if the closet number of data elements exceeds one.

8. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions, the instructions executable by a computer and configured to:

calculate a set of screen coordinates on a mapping user interface for a compass user interface element, the compass user interface element associated with a layer selected to add to the mapping user interface;

calculate map coordinates equivalent to the set of screen coordinates for the compass user interface element;

determine on- and off-screen data elements associated with the added layer;

calculate direction and distance to a closest number of data elements from the map coordinates of the compass user interface element; and

render the compass user interface element on the mapping user interface.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein the determination is made based on the smallest and largest X and Y coordinates of a visible segment of the mapping user interface.

10. The medium of claim 8, wherein the calculation of direction and distance to the closest number of data elements is performed in the same processing loop where the on- and off-screen data elements are determined.

11. The medium of claim 8, configured to display data pointers for on-screen data elements.

12. The medium of claim 8, configured to calculate a zooming boundary associated with the mapping user interface.

13. The medium of claim 8, configured to:

retrieve meta-data associated with the selected layer; and

retrieve additional related data associated with the selected layer for display on the mapping user interface.

14. The medium of claim 8, configured to render a table with embedded compass widgets if the closet number of data elements exceeds one.

15. A system, comprising:

a memory;

at least one hardware processor interoperably coupled with the memory and configured to;

calculate a set of screen coordinates on a mapping user interface for a compass user interface element, the compass user interface element associated with a layer selected to add to the mapping user interface;

calculate map coordinates equivalent to the set of screen coordinates for the compass user interface element;

determine on- and off-screen data elements associated with the added layer;

calculate direction and distance to a closest number of data elements from the map coordinates of the compass user interface element; and

render the compass user interface element on the mapping user interface.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the calculation of direction and distance to the closest number of data elements is performed in the same processing loop where the on- and off-screen data elements are determined.

17. The system of claim 15, configured to display data pointers for on-screen data elements.

18. The system of claim 15, configured to calculate a zooming boundary associated with the mapping user interface.

19. The system of claim 15, configured to:

retrieve meta-data associated with the selected layer; and

retrieve additional related data associated with the selected layer for display on the mapping user interface.

20. The system of claim 15, configured to render a table with embedded compass widgets if the closet number of data elements exceeds one.