Method for stitching multiple converging paths

• US 8,244,459 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2011
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Bowman, Gordon Gregory, Johnson, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holwerda, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US13/187,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20110275390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/202, 701/208, 701/211, 701/400, 701/408, 701/409, 701/410, 701/416, 701/418, 701/420, 701/425, 701/426, 701/428, 701/431, 701/437, 703/2, 345/619, 345/629, 345/648, 345/649, 345/659, 340/995.14, 340/995.1
• US Class Current: 701/400
• 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: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/503 Blending, e.g. for anti-aliasing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/004 Annotating, labelling
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096805 where the transmitted instructions are used to compute a route
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence

Abstract

A method of stitching converging path segments to aesthetically label Y-intersections, path bifurcations or splits in roads or the like entails determining which pair of adjacent path segments subtend the largest angle. The path segments subtending the largest angle are reconstructed (stitched together) and a single instance of the label is then rendered along the reconstructed path. Although this stitching can be performed on the client device, pre-stitching server-side is even more efficient in terms of economizing over-the-air bandwidth and onboard processing resources.

Claims

1. A method for a server to pre-stitch multiple converging segments of a map feature of a map requested by a wireless communications device, the method comprising:

receiving a request for map data from the wireless communications device, the map data including label data for labelling the map feature;

identifying at least three segments that converge to a common point on the map, each of the segments having an identical label;

determining an angle subtended by each pair of adjacent segments;

identifying, using at least one determined angle, which pair of adjacent segments subtends a largest angle;

generating a reconstructed map feature at the server by stitching together the pair of adjacent segments subtending the largest angle; and

transmitting to the wireless communications device the map data for the reconstructed map feature.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein transmitting the map data for the reconstructed map feature further comprises transmitting a single instance of a label for the reconstructed map feature.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein determining the angle subtended by each pair of adjacent segments comprises:

determining vector directions for each of the segments at the common point where the segments converge; and

computing angles between adjacent vectors.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising:

determining a center of the reconstructed map feature; and

verifying whether placement of the label at the center of the reconstructed map feature interferes with any other label.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein identifying at least three segments that converge to the common point on the map comprises identifying a Y-intersection having exactly three path segments.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein determining an angle in order to identify which pair of adjacent segments subtends the largest angle comprises determining, in a case where two of the largest angles are equal, which of the adjacent segments would result in a more horizontally level label.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code for storable in a memory of a server and executable by a processor of the server to cause the server to:

receive a request for map data from a wireless communications device, the map data including label data for labelling a map feature on a map;

identify at least three segments that converge to a common point on the map, each of the segments having an identical label;

determine an angle subtended by each pair of adjacent segments;

identify, using at least one determined angle, which pair of adjacent segments subtends a largest angle;

generate a reconstructed map feature by stitching together the pair of adjacent segments subtending the largest angle; and

transmit to the wireless communications device the map data for the reconstructed map feature.

8. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 7 wherein the code is configured to cause the server to transmit a single instance of a label for the reconstructed map feature.

9. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 7 wherein the code to determine the angle subtended by each pair of adjacent segments further causes the server to:

determine vector directions for each of the segments at the common point where the segments converge; and

compute angles between adjacent vectors.

10. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 8 wherein the code configured to cause the server to transmit a single instance of the label further causes the server to:

determine a center of the reconstructed map feature; and

verify whether placement of the label at the center of the reconstructed map feature interferes with any other label.

11. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 8 wherein the code to identify at least three segments that converge to a common point on the map further causes the server to identify a Y-intersection having exactly three path segments.

12. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 8 wherein the code to determine an angle in order to identify which pair of adjacent segments subtends the largest angle further causes the server to determine, in a case where two of the largest angles are equal, which of the adjacent segments would result in a more horizontally level label.

13. A server for serving map data to a client device, the server comprising:

a memory for storing map data; and

a processor operatively coupled to the memory, the processor causing the server to;

in response to a request for map data, identify at least three segments that converge to a common point on a map, each of the segments having an identical label;

determine an angle subtended by each pair of adjacent segments;

identify, using at least one determined angle, which pair of adjacent segments subtends a largest angle;

generate a reconstructed map feature by stitching together the pair of adjacent segments subtending the largest angle; and

transmit the map data for the reconstructed map feature.

14. The server as claimed in claim 13 wherein the processor determines the angle subtended by each pair of adjacent segments by:

determining vector directions for each of the segments at the common point where the segments converge; and

computing angles between adjacent vectors.

15. The server as claimed in claim 13 wherein the processor determines a center of the reconstructed map feature and verifies whether placement of the label at the center of the reconstructed map feature interferes with any other label.

16. The server as claimed in claim 13 wherein the processor identifies at least three segments that converge to a common point on the map by identifying a Y-intersection having exactly three path segments.

17. The server as claimed in claim 13 wherein the processor further determines, in a case where two of the largest angles are equal, which of the adjacent segments would result in a more horizontally level label.

18. The server as claimed in claim 13 wherein the processor further causes the server to transmit a single instance of a label for the reconstructed map feature.