Digital mapping system

• US 8,014,946 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2011
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rasmussen, Lars Eilstrup, Taylor, Bret Steven, Norris, James Christopher, Rasmussen, Jens Eilstrup, Ma, Stephen, Gordon, Noel Phillip, LaForge, Seth Michael, Kirmse, Andrew Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby; Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US13/027,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20110137766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 203 Days
• Field of Search: 701207-213, 3409951-99514
• US Class Current: 701/208
• 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 21/3881 Tile-based structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/40 Filling a planar surface by adding surface attributes, e.g. colour or texture
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/003 Maps
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/004 Map manufacture or repair; Tear or ink or water resistant maps; Long-life maps printing processes for maps B41M3/02; by permanently attaching map sections to sheets B42B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

Various methods, systems, and apparatus for implementing aspects of a digital mapping system are disclosed. One such method includes sending a location request from a client-side computing device to a map tile server, receiving a set of map tiles in response to the location request, assembling said received map tiles into a tile grid, aligning the tile grid relative to a clipping shape, and displaying the result as a map image. One apparatus according to aspects of the present invention includes means for sending a location request from a client-side computing device to a map tile server, means for receiving a set of map tiles in response to the location request, means for assembling said received map tiles into a tile grid, means for aligning the tile grid relative to a clipping shape, and means for displaying the result as a map image. Such an apparatus may further include direction control or zoom control objects as interactive overlays on the displayed map image, and may also include route or location overlays on the map image.

Claims

1. A method of recording transactions involving viewing a map, the method comprising:

determining a billing point grid relative to a map;

displaying a first map view containing a first billing point from the billing point grid;

receiving user input requesting a new map view;

displaying the new map view;

responsive to a new billing point from the billing point grid entering the new map view, triggering a transaction; and

collecting transaction information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the billing points of the billing point grid are not visible to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein billing points of the billing point grid are defined in the horizontal direction at an interval equal to a width in pixels of the first map view and in the vertical direction at an interval equal to a height in pixels of the first map view.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first billing point is positioned at a center of the first map view.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving user input requesting a new map view comprises receiving a user-initiated panning operation.

6. A computer-readable medium encoded with instructions, that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to record transactions involving viewing a map, the instructions comprising instructions for:

determining a billing point grid relative to a map;

displaying a first map view containing a first billing point from the billing point grid;

receiving user input requesting a new map view;

displaying the new map view;

responsive to a new billing point from the billing point grid entering the new map view, triggering a transaction; and

collecting transaction information.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the billing points of the billing point grid are not visible to the user.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein billing points of the billing point grid are defined in the horizontal direction at an interval equal to a width in pixels of the first map view and in the vertical direction at an interval equal to a height in pixels of the first map view.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first billing point is positioned at a center of the first map view.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein receiving user input requesting a new map view comprises receiving a user-initiated panning operation.