Presenting a travel route in a ground-based vehicle

• US 8,135,539 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2010
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nesbitt, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US12/833,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20100332134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 701208-212, 701201-202, 340/995.19, 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/995.27, 731/78.R, 715653-855
• US Class Current: 701/209
• 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

Abstract

Techniques are provided for displaying a map for a route in a ground-based vehicle. The map includes a variable road network map showing finer detail for geographic features near the route and less detail for geographic features farther from the route. The map is displayed based on the travel direction of the ground-based vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for displaying a route, the system including a processor connected to a storage device and one or more input/output devices, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine a route region for a context map that includes an origin location and a destination location of a route for a ground-based vehicle;

generate a context map that includes the route;

identify a group of one or more maneuvers that occur along the route and within a predetermined distance of one another for inclusion in a detail map;

generate an indication on the context map that corresponds to the detail map; and

generate the detail map on which is indicated the group of one or more maneuvers.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the group of one or more maneuvers contains only one maneuver;

and

the processor is further configured to generate the detail map on which is indicated the only one maneuver.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the group of one or more maneuvers comprises a plurality of maneuvers;

and

the processor is further configured to generate the detail map on which are indicated the plurality of maneuvers.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to display a route presentation including the context map and the detail map.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify a plurality of groups of one more maneuvers that occur along the route and within a predetermined distance of one another; and

generate a different detail map for each of the plurality of groups of one more maneuvers.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to identify a group of a predetermined number of maneuvers within a predetermined distance of one another.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to provide animation control to permit a user to play an animation of traveling the route, including displaying the detail map.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to include audio with the route.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to provide an avoid indicator to permit a user to indicate one of the one or more maneuvers to avoid.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate one or more narrative driving directions as text descriptions of the one or more maneuvers, respectively; and

display a route presentation including the context map, the detail map, and the one or more generated narrative driving directions.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive from a user a manual selection of a particular maneuver in the narrative driving directions;

generate an indicator that corresponds to the selected maneuver; and

display the generated indicator on the detail map.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a plurality of the detail maps on each of which is indicated a different group of one or more maneuvers; and

present the generated detail maps in sequence from the origin location to the destination location.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate the detail map including one of the one or more maneuvers involving ingress or egress of a highway; and

display a route presentation including the context map and the detail map.

14. A computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a computer program configured to present a route for a ground-based vehicle, the medium comprising one or more code segments to:

determine a route region for a context map that includes an origin location and a destination location of a route for a ground-based vehicle;

generate a context map that includes the route;

identify a group of one or more maneuvers that occur along the route and within a predetermined distance of one another for inclusion in a detail map;

generate an indication on the context map that corresponds to the detail map; and

generate the detail map on which is indicated the group of one or more maneuvers.

15. The medium of claim 14 further comprising one or more code segments to:

generate one or more narrative driving directions as text descriptions of the one or more maneuvers, respectively; and

display a route presentation including the context map, the detail map, and the one or more generated narrative driving directions.

16. The medium of claim 15 further comprising one or more code segments to:

receive from a user a manual selection of a particular maneuver in the narrative driving directions;

generate an indicator that corresponds to the selected maneuver; and

display the generated indicator on the detail map.

17. The medium of claim 14 further comprising one or more code segments to:

generate a plurality of the detail maps on each of which is indicated a different group of one or more maneuvers; and

present the generated detail maps in sequence from the origin location to the destination location.

31. The medium of claim 14 further comprising one or more code segments to:

generate the detail map including one of the one or more maneuvers involving ingress or egress of a highway; and

display a route presentation including the context map and the detail map.

32. The medium of claim 14 wherein the group of one or more maneuvers contains only one maneuver;

and

further including one or more code segments to generate the detail map further includes generating the detail map on which is indicated the only one maneuver.

33. The medium of claim 14 wherein the group of one or more maneuvers comprises a plurality of maneuvers;

and

further including one or more code segments to generate the detail map on which are indicated the plurality of maneuvers.

34. The medium of claim 14 further including one or more code segments to display a route presentation including the context map and the detail map.

35. The medium of claim 14 wherein the identification includes identifying a plurality of groups of one more maneuvers that occur along the route and within a predetermined distance of one another, the medium further comprising one or more code segments to:

generate a different detail map for each of the plurality of groups of one more maneuvers.

36. The medium of claim 14 wherein the identification includes identifying a group of a predetermined number of maneuvers within a predetermined distance of one another.

37. The medium of claim 14 further including one or more code segments to:

provide animation control to permit a user to play an animation of traveling the route, including displaying the detail map.

38. The medium of claim 14 further including one or more code segments to provide audio with the route.

39. The medium of claim 14 further including one or more code segments to provide an avoid indicator to permit a user to indicate one of the one or more maneuvers to avoid.

18. A computer implemented method for presenting a route for a ground-based vehicle, comprising:

determining a route region for a context map that includes an origin location and a destination location of a route for a ground-based vehicle;

generating a context map that includes the route;

identifying a group of one or more maneuvers that occur along the route and within a predetermined distance of one another for inclusion in a detail map;

generating an indication on the context map that corresponds to the detail map; and

generating the detail map on which is indicated the group of one or more maneuvers.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 18 wherein the group of one or more maneuvers contains only one maneuver;

and

generating the detail map further includes generating the detail map on which is indicated the only one maneuver.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 18 wherein the group of one or more maneuvers comprises a plurality of maneuvers;

and

generating the detail map further includes generating the detail map on which are indicated the plurality of maneuvers.

21. The computer implemented method of claim 18 further including displaying a route presentation including the context map and the detail map.

22. The computer implemented method of claim 18 wherein the identifying includes identifying a plurality of groups of one more maneuvers that occur along the route and within a predetermined distance of one another, the method further comprising:

generating a different detail map for each of the plurality of groups of one more maneuvers.

23. The computer implemented method of claim 18 wherein the identifying includes identifying a group of a predetermined number of maneuvers within a predetermined distance of one another.

24. The computer implemented method of claim 18 further including providing animation control to permit a user to play an animation of traveling the route, including displaying the detail map.

25. The computer implemented method of claim 18 further including audio with the route.

26. The computer implemented method of claim 18 further including providing an avoid indicator to permit a user to indicate one of the one or more maneuvers to avoid.

27. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

generating one or more narrative driving directions as text descriptions of the one or more maneuvers, respectively; and

displaying a route presentation including the context map, the detail map, and the one or more generated narrative driving directions.

28. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

generating a plurality of the detail maps on each of which is indicated a different group of one or more maneuvers; and

presenting the generated detail maps in sequence from the origin location to the destination location.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

receiving from a user a manual selection of a particular maneuver in the narrative driving directions;

generating an indicator that corresponds to the selected maneuver; and

displaying the generated indicator on the detail map.

30. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

generating the detail map including one of the one or more maneuvers involving ingress or egress of a highway; and

displaying a route presentation including the context map and the detail map.