Map rendering using interpolation of style parameters across zoom levels

• US 8,274,524 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Cornell, Brian, Maurer, Jennifer, Darpinian, James, Otero, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMIN, JWALANT B
• Application Number:
  US13/247,637
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/581
• 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: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/36 Level of detail
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A graphics or image rendering system, such as a map image rendering system, may receive map data associated with a set of zoom levels, where the map data includes style attribute data corresponding to various features of a map surface at corresponding zoom levels. The system may interpolate at least some of the style parameter values from the received map data to provide style parameter values over a range of zoom levels.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for rendering a map on a display device comprising:

determining, using one or more processing devices, a viewing window of a map surface defined by a magnification of the surface of the map, and wherein a zoom level of the viewing window corresponds to the magnification of the viewing window of the map surface;

determining, using one or more processing devices, a first set of style parameters for a first feature of the map surface, the first set of style parameters corresponding to a first zoom level of the viewing window and wherein the first zoom level has a first magnification;

determining, using one or more processing devices, a second set of style parameters for the first feature of the map surface, the second set of style parameters corresponding to a second zoom level of the viewing window and wherein the second zoom level has a second magnification;

determining, using one or more processing devices, a third set of style parameters by interpolating between at least the first set of style parameters at the first magnification and the second set of style parameters at the second magnification;

retrieving, using one or more processing devices, a fourth set of style parameters for the first feature of the map surface if a current bandwidth of a communication link with a server is above a threshold, wherein the server provides the fourth set of style parameters and the fourth set of style parameters corresponds to a fourth zoom level of the viewing window and to a fourth magnification;

if the fourth set of style parameters is retrieved, then determining the third set of style parameters for the third zoom level includes interpolating at least the first set of style parameters at the first magnification, the second set of style parameters at the second magnification, and the fourth set of style parameters at the fourth magnification, wherein the third magnification is different from the first, second, and fourth magnification; and

displaying, using one or more processing devices, the first feature using the third set of style parameters.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the third set of style parameters includes using an interpolation parameter to interpolate between at least the first set of style parameters at the first magnification and the second set of style parameters at the second magnification;

wherein the method further comprises;

changing the interpolation parameter over time; and

repeating the acts of i) determining the third set of style parameters, and ii) displaying the first feature using the third set of style parameters, in response to changing the interpolation parameter over time.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the third set of style parameters corresponds with a third zoom level having a third magnification that is different from the first and the second magnification and wherein the first feature is displayed at the third zoom level using the third set of style parameters.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further wherein determining the third set of style parameters includes interpolating a magnitude of at least one of the style parameters over the first and the second magnification.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the at least one style parameter is a length dimension of the feature.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein each of the first, the second and the third set of style parameters are a set of color values for the feature.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein determining the first set of style parameters includes determining a set of style parameters of a current zoom level of the viewing window, and wherein determining the second set of style parameters includes retrieving a set of style parameters for a subsequent zoom level, wherein the third zoom level corresponds to a magnification between the magnification of the first and second zoom level.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the third zoom level corresponds to a magnification between the magnification of the first and second zoom level.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further including extrapolating, using one or more processing devices, a style parameter value for a zoom level that is outside a range of interpolation of the first and second set of style parameters.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the set of style parameters are stored in a lookup table that is associated with a set of vertex data points, wherein the first and the second set of style parameters are located in a first and a second lookup table, each of the lookup tables associated with a different zoom level at a different magnification.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the fourth set of style parameters is retrieved when a fifth zoom level is selected, wherein the fourth zoom level has a fourth magnification and the fifth zoom level has a fifth magnification between the fourth magnification and each of the first, second, and third magnifications.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein determining the first set and the second set of style parameters includes retrieving only a subset of style parameters available for retrieval based on a style attribute setting associated with each style parameter indicating whether the style parameter is designated for interpolation.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein determining the first set and the second set of style parameters includes retrieving only a subset of the style parameters available for retrieval based on a priority attribute associated with each style parameter and whether a current available bandwidth is above a threshold.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein determining the first set and the second set of style parameters includes retrieving only a subset of the style parameters available for retrieval based on a priority attribute and whether a current processor capacity is above a threshold.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein determining the first set and the second set of style parameters includes retrieving only a subset of the style parameters available for retrieval based on whether the third zoom level is outside a range of interpolation.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including determining, using one or more processing devices, whether to retrieve the fourth set of style parameters for the first feature of the map surface based on a resolution setting of a display device.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including determining, using one or more processing devices, whether to retrieve the fourth set of style parameters for the first feature of the map surface based on a current capacity of one of the one or more processing devices.

18. A computer device comprising:

a communications network interface;

one or more processors;

one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors;

a display device coupled to the one or more processors;

wherein the one or more memories include computer executable instructions stored therein that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to

determine a first view of a map surface defined by a first magnification of the surface of the map, and wherein a first zoom level of the first view corresponds to the first magnification,

retrieve a first set of style parameters for a first feature of the map surface, the first set of style parameters corresponding to the first zoom level,

retrieve a second set of style parameters for the first feature of the map surface, the second set of style parameters corresponding to a second zoom level, wherein the second zoom level corresponds to a second magnification,

determine a third set of style parameters for the first feature of the map surface at a third zoom level by interpolating the first set of style parameters and the second set of style parameters,

retrieve a fourth set of style parameters for the first feature of the map surface via the communications network interface if a current bandwidth of a communication link of the communications network interface is above a threshold, the fourth set of style parameters corresponding to a fourth zoom level of the first view and corresponding to a fourth magnification;

if the fourth set of style parameters is retrieved, then determine the third set of style parameters for the third zoom level by interpolating at least the first set of style parameters at the first magnification, the second set of style parameters at the second magnification, and the fourth set of style parameters at the fourth magnification, wherein the third magnification is different from the first, second, and fourth magnification; and

determine a second view of the map surface defined by the third zoom level, and wherein the third zoom level corresponds to a third magnification.

19. The computer device of claim 18, wherein determining the third set of style parameters includes using an interpolation parameter to interpolate between at least the first set of style parameters at the first magnification and the second set of style parameters at the third magnification;

wherein the method further comprises;

changing the interpolation parameter over time; and

repeating the acts of i) determining the third set of style parameters, and ii) displaying the first feature using the third set of style parameters, in response to changing the interpolation parameter over time.

20. The computer device of claim 18, wherein the one or more memories include computer executable instructions stored therein that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to render on the display device the first feature in the second view at the third zoom level using the third set of style parameters, wherein the third magnification is different from the first and the second magnification.

21. The computer device of claim 20, wherein the one or more memories include computer executable instructions stored therein that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to retrieve only a subset of style parameters available for retrieval based on a style attribute setting associated with each of the style parameters indicating whether the style parameter is designated for interpolation.

22. The computer device of claim 21, wherein the one or more memories include computer executable instructions stored therein that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to retrieve only a subset of style parameters available for retrieval based on a style priority attribute associated with each of the style parameters.

23. The computer device of claim 21, wherein the one or more memories include computer executable instructions stored therein that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to retrieve only a subset of style parameters available for retrieval based on whether a current available bandwidth is above a threshold.

24. The computer device of claim 21, wherein the one or more memories include computer executable instructions stored therein that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to retrieve only a subset of style parameters available for retrieval based on whether a current processor capacity is above a threshold.

25. The computer device of claim 20, wherein the one or more memories include computer executable instructions stored therein that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to retrieve only a subset of the style parameters available for retrieval based on whether the third zoom level is between the first and second zoom level.

26. The computer device of claim 20, wherein the one or more memories include computer executable instructions stored therein that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to

retrieve the fourth set of style parameters for the first feature of the map surface when a resolution setting of a display screen is increased.

27. The computer device of claim 20, wherein the one or more memories include computer executable instructions stored therein that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to

retrieve the fourth set of style parameters for the first feature of the map surface when a current bandwidth is above a threshold, wherein the fourth zoom level corresponds to a fourth magnification different from the first, the second, and the third magnification.

28. A computer device comprising:

a communications network interface;

one or more processors;

one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors;

a display device coupled to the one or more processors;

wherein the one or more memories include computer executable instructions stored therein that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to

determine a view of a map surface defined by a target magnification of the surface of the map, and wherein a target zoom level of the view corresponds to the target magnification;

retrieve a first set of style parameters for a first feature of the map surface, the first set of style parameters corresponding to a zoom level closest to the target zoom level;

determine if the first set of style parameters corresponds to the target zoom level;

render the first feature in the view at the target zoom level using the first set of style parameters if the first set of style parameters corresponds to the target zoom level;

retrieve a second set of style parameters for the first feature of the map surface if the first set of style parameters does not correspond to the target zoom level, the first set of style parameters corresponding to a first zoom level and a first magnification and the second set of style parameters corresponding to a second zoom level and a second magnification, wherein the first and the second magnification are different from the target magnification and wherein the target zoom level is between the first and the second zoom level;

determine a third set of style parameters for the first feature of the map surface at the target zoom level based on interpolating the first and the second set of style parameters;

retrieve a fourth set of style parameters for the first feature of the map surface via the communications network interface if a current bandwidth of a communication link of the communications network interface is above a threshold, the fourth set of style parameters corresponding to a fourth zoom level of the view and corresponding to a fourth magnification;

if the fourth set of style parameters is retrieved, then determine the third set of style parameters for the first feature at the target zoom level by interpolating the first set of style parameters at the first magnification, the second set of style parameters at the second magnification and the fourth set of style parameters at the fourth magnification; and

render the first feature at the target zoom level using the third set of style parameters.