System and method for graphically altering a pre-calculated route

• US 6,263,278 B1
• Filed: 06/25/1999
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nikiel, Mark A., Berry, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/344,542
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/202, 701/209, 701/210, 701/211, 701/206, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map

Abstract

A system and method for altering a portion of a pre-calculated route by allowing a user to graphically indicate the portion of the route to alter is disclosed. The user indicates the portion to be altered by navigating a pointer to a point along a graphical representation of the route and selecting the point. The point identifies which portion of the route is to be altered. The user may then alter the route by dragging and dropping the selected portion to a new destination. In essence, the user redirects the route to the new destination by dragging the selected portion of the route to the new destination.

Claims

1. In a computerized mapping program that calculates a route connecting a plurality of destinations, a method of altering the route, comprising:

displaying a graphical representation of the route;

receiving a signal from a graphical pointer coincident with a point along the graphical representation of the route;

in response to receiving the signal, identifying a portion of the route corresponding to the point along the graphical representation of the route as a selected portion; and

redirecting the selected portion of the existing route in accordance with a second signal from the graphical pointer, the second signal identifying a new destination to be included in the selected portion of the route.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified portion of the route is one destination in the plurality of destinations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified portion of the route is a link between two destinations in the plurality of destinations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of altering the selected portion comprises dragging the selected portion to the new destination.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second signal comprises a dragging signal issued to the mapping program and specifying a movement of the graphical pointer from the point along the graphical representation of the route to the new destination.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second signal further comprises a drop signal issued to the mapping program and specifying that the movement of the graphical pointer is complete, the drop signal operative to identify the new destination.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the drop signal occurs when the graphical pointer is coincident with the new destination.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the route comprises an existing destination and at least one link connecting the existing destination to another destination, and wherein the selected portion of the route is the existing destination, and wherein the step of altering the selected portion comprises:

eliminating the existing destination from the route; and

calculating a first new link between the other destination and the new destination.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

if a second link connects the existing destination to a third destination, eliminating the second link; and

calculating a second new link between the third destination and the new destination.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second signal comprises a dragging signal issued to the mapping program and specifying a movement of the graphical pointer from the existing destination to the new destination.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second signal further comprises a drop signal issued to the mapping program and specifying that the movement of the graphical pointer is complete, the drop signal occurring when the graphical pointer is coincident with the new destination.

12. In a computerized mapping program that calculates a route connecting a plurality of destinations, wherein the route comprises a first destination, a second destination, and a link connecting the first destination to the second destination, a method of altering the route, comprising:

displaying a graphical representation of the route;

receiving a signal from a graphical pointer coincident with a point along the graphical representation of the route;

in response to receiving the signal, identifying a portion of the route corresponding to the point along the graphical representation of the route as a selected portion, wherein the selected portion of the route is the link connecting the first destination to the second destination; and

altering the selected portion of the route in accordance with a second signal from the graphical pointer, the second signal identifying a new destination to be included in the plurality of destinations, wherein altering the selected portion comprises eliminating the link from the route, calculating a first new link between the first destination and the new destination, and calculating a second new link between the new destination and the second destination.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second signal comprises a dragging signal issued to the mapping program and specifying a movement of the graphical pointer from the point along the graphical representation of the route to the new destination.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second signal further comprises a drop signal issued to the mapping program and specifying that the movement of the graphical pointer is complete, the drop signal operative to identify the new destination.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for graphically altering a route connecting a plurality of destinations on a map, which when executed comprise:

displaying a graphical representation of the route;

receiving a first signal from a graphical pointer coincident with a point along the graphical representation of the route;

in response to receiving the first signal, identifying a portion of the route corresponding to the point along the graphical representation of the route as a selected portion;

receiving a second signal from the graphical pointer, the second signal occurring when the graphical pointer is coincident with a new destination to be included in the plurality of destinations; and

in response to receiving the second signal, redirecting the selected portion of the route to include the new destination.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the step of identifying the portion as the selected portion comprises deleting the portion from the route.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the identified portion is a link connecting a first destination and a second destination in the plurality of destinations.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the step of redirecting the route comprises:

invalidating the link connecting the two destinations;

calculating a first new link connecting the new destination to the first destination; and

calculating a second new link connecting the new destination to the second destination.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second signal comprises a dragging signal specifying a movement of the graphical pointer from the point along the graphical representation of the route to the new destination.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the second signal further comprises a drop signal specifying that the movement of the graphical pointer is complete, the drop signal operative to identify the new destination.