Presenting a travel route

• US 7,702,454 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2008
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MapQuest, Inc. (System1 LLC)
• Inventors: Nesbitt, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US12/035,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20080147313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/202, 701/200, 701/211, 701/208, 701/209, 701/214, 701/212, 340/995.27, 340/955, 340/995.1, 340/988, 340/995.15, 340/995.17, 340/995.18, 340/995.19, 709/219, 709/216, 348/211.3
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• 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

Abstract

Techniques are provided for presenting a route using a route presentation that provides both a context map and one or more detail route maps. Narrative instructions for the route also may be presented. The presentation of the context map and the one or more detail route maps may be interactive. The route presentation also may be user controllable such that a user may control the portions of a route that are printed. The route presentation also may include a re-routing feature that allows a user to request that a new route be identified that avoids a particular maneuver or maneuvers in a route.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for displaying a route, the method comprising:

accessing a user-selectable indicator associated with a context map;

displaying the context map for a route and in response to the accessed user-selectable indicator associated with the context map, the context map including an origin location, a destination location, and at least one user-selectable indicator associated with a detail map, wherein the detail map includes;

a portion of the route having at most one of the origin location or the destination location,

maneuvers are within a predetermined distance from one another, and

a user-selectable indicator associated with the context map;

accessing the user-selectable indicator associated with the detail map;

displaying, concurrent with and on a single display as the context map, the detail map in response to the accessed user-selectable indicator associated with the detail map;

displaying narrative text associated with the route that corresponds to the displayed detail map; and

displaying a series of detail maps and narrative text associated with each displayed detail map.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the series of detail maps and narrative text associated with each displayed detail map comprises displaying a series of detail maps and narrative text associated with each displayed detail map using commands entered by a user through an animation control.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating the context map to include an indication of the location of one of the at least one detail map.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the narrative text associated with the route concurrently with the displayed detail map.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a list of maneuvers which includes at least the maneuvers included in the detail map.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying, with the context map, the detail map that includes a portion of the route.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising including, within the context map, a variable road network map showing finer detail for geographic features relatively close to the route and less detail for geographic features relatively far from the route.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the context map includes generating the context map using a highlighted style to display elements on the route and using a faded style to display elements that are not on the route.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the detail map includes generating at least one detail map to include a predetermined number of identified maneuvers.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the detail map includes causing the at least one detail map to include at least one point of interest.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the series of detail maps and narrative text associated with each displayed detail map includes displaying the series of detail maps and narrative text associated with each displayed detail map concurrently.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating an animation of traveling the route, the animation displaying the route and at least one point of interest along the route.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the animation is user-controllable such that a user controls the staffing and the stopping of displaying the route, and

when the animation is stopped, the animation displays the at least one point of interest associated with the point of the route at which the animation is stopped.