Method of client side map rendering with tiled vector data

• US 7,734,412 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2006
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energetic Power Investment Limited
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shi, Norman X., Wu, Xiaoyi
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US11/592,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/209, 701/211, 701/212, 341/50, 341/51, 341/87, 342/356, 342/357.01, 342/357.02, 342/357.03, 709/203, 709/232
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3881 Tile-based structures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/56 having vectorial format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/16 involving adaptation to the client's capabilities

Abstract

In one example, an apparatus and method are provided for rendering map images. In one example, an apparatus (e.g., a map server) includes logic for causing the transfer of tiled vector image data in response to a map request, wherein the vector data is associated with stored map data divided into a plurality of tiles. The tiled vector image data is transferred to a remote device (e.g., a client device) for rendering of the map image. Additionally, the vector image data may comprise one or more attributes associated therewith, the one or more attributes configurable by a receiving device. For example, the map image may be rendered (e.g., customized) based on one or more local attributes to vary the language used, colors, how items in the map are displayed, and other imaging characteristics of the map image.

Claims

1. An apparatus for serving data to render map images, the apparatus comprising:

data transfer logic for causing a transfer of tiled vector image data for rendering a map image in response to a request for at least one tile of the tiled vector image data, wherein the vector image data comprises a first attribute associated therewith for rendering the image, the first attribute configurable by a receiving device of the vector image data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tiled vector image data is transferred to a remote device for rendering of the map image.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tiled vector image data is transferred to a client device for client-side rendering of the map image.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first attribute includes a language selection for altering text included with the image.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first attribute is related to an imaging characteristic of the image.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vector image data further comprises a second attribute associated therewith for rendering the image, the second attribute configurable by advertisement logic for including advertisement information with the rendered map image.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising selection logic for selecting at least one tile from the map image database based on the received request.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first attribute is a client specific attribute and the image is rendered by the client.

9. An apparatus for rendering map image data received from a map server, the apparatus comprising:

rendering logic for rendering a map image based on received vector image data and a set of local attributes, wherein the vector image data is associated with at least one tile of map image data.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the attribute relates to a language selection for text displayed with the map image.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the attribute is related to an imaging characteristic of the map image.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising printing logic for causing the map image to be printed at a greater resolution than a display image resolution.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the set of local attributes are client specific attributes.

14. A method for communicating a map to a client device, the method comprising:

transferring vector image data to a receiving device in response to a request for a map, wherein the vector image data comprises;

an attribute associated therewith for rendering the image, the attribute configurable by a receiving device of the vector image data; and

at least one tile of tiled vector image data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the vector image data is transferred to a remote device for rendering of the map image.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the vector image data is transferred to a client device for client-side rendering of the map image.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the attribute includes a language selection for altering text included with the displayed map.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the attribute is related to an imaging characteristic of the displayed map.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising associating advertisement information with the vector image data.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the attribute is a client specific attribute, the method further comprising rendering the image at the client device.

21. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions for rendering tiled vector map image data, the computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for causing:

a transfer of tiled vector image data to a receiving device for display of a map image, wherein the vector image data is associated with map image data divided into a plurality of tiles and the vector image data comprises an attribute associated therewith for rendering the image, the attribute configurable by a receiving device of the vector data.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the computer readable instructions further comprises instructions for causing the selection of at least one tile for transfer in response to a received request.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the tiled vector image data is transferred to a client device for client-side image rendering.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the attribute is a client specific attribute, wherein the computer readable instructions further comprises instructions for causing a rendering of the image by the receiving device of the vector data.

25. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions for rendering tiled vector map image data, the computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for causing:

rendering of vector image data based upon received vector image data and a set of local attributes, wherein the vector image data is associated with at least one tile of map image data.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein at least one attribute of the set of attributes relates to a language selection for text displayed with the map image.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein at least one attribute of the set of attributes relates to an imaging characteristic of the displayed map.

28. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the set of local attributes are client specific attributes.