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Analytical map models

  • US 8,255,192 B2
  • Filed: 06/27/2008
  • Issued: 08/28/2012
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method, implemented at a computer system that includes one or more processors, for analytically constructing an interactive map view comprising a plurality of visual map items, the method comprising:

  • an act of the computer system accessing input data that at least collectively affects what visual map items are displayed in a virtual display space corresponding to a map view, and how and where the visual map items are displayed in the virtual display space relative to one another, when rendered, the visual map items including at least a first visual map item and a second visual map item, wherein a location of the second visual map item in the virtual display space is constrained by a location of the first visual map item in the virtual display space;

    an act of the computer system identifying an analytical model corresponding to the map view, the analytical model defining analytical relations between a plurality of model parameters related to rendering the visual map items;

    an act of the computer system binding the input data to at least a first model parameter of the plurality of model parameters, thereby defining the first model parameter as an input to the analytical model, the first model parameter affecting at least where the first visual map item is rendered in the virtual display space;

    an act of the computer system determining that at least a second model parameter of the plurality of model parameters is to be solved for as an output of the analytical model, the second model parameter affecting at least where the second visual map item is rendered in the virtual display space;

    an act of the computer system solving for the plurality of model parameters, including solving for the second model parameter based on one or more values of the input data supplied to the first model parameter and based on the analytical relations, including executing a constraints solver to determine at least one constraint on a solved value of the second model parameter, the at least one constraint based on one or more properties of the second visual map item that restrict the location of the second visual map item relative to the first visual map item;

    an act of the computer system binding at least the first and second model parameters to corresponding map view components, each map view component affecting how and where one or more of the visual map items are rendered, including binding the first model parameter to a first map view component corresponding to the first visual map item, and binding the second model parameter to a second map view component corresponding to the second visual map item;

    an act of the computer system generating a first view composition of the visual map items by rendering the first visual map item at a first location in the virtual display space and rendering the second visual map item at a second location in the virtual display space that is different from the first location based on the first and second map view components and based on the first and second model parameters;

    an act of receiving user input changing the binding of the plurality of model parameters, so that the first model parameter becomes an output of the analytical model and so that the second model parameter becomes an input to the analytical model;

    an act of the computer system receiving user input, via a visual manipulation of the second visual map item at the virtual display space, that provides an input value for the second model parameter and that changes the location of the second visual map item in the virtual display space to a third location that is different from the second location;

    an act of the computer system calculating a plurality of values for the first model parameter based on the input value for the second model parameter received from the user input and based on the analytical relations, the plurality of values for the first model parameter adhering to the at least one constraint that restricts the location of the second visual map item relative to the first visual map item; and

    an act of the computer system generating a second view composition of the visual map items, including rendering the second visual man item at the third location and indicating a plurality of possible locations for the first visual map item based on the calculated plurality of values for the first model parameter.

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