Interactive electronically presented map

• US 8,468,464 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Activemap LLC
• Original Assignee: Activemap LLC
• Inventors: Abramson, Michael, Jakubassa, Erika, Grisham, Michael, Atkin, Geoff
• Primary Examiner(s): TAN, ALVIN H
• Application Number:
  US12/474,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 715/804
• US Class Current: 715/804
• 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: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/047 Fisheye or wide-angle transformations
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/053 Detail-in-context presentations fisheye or wide-angle transformations G06T3/047
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

The present invention provides computerized systems and methods for providing electronically presented interactive area representation, such as a map, and information associated therewith. A user can select text, imagery, or other information presented on the map and associated with one or more items or locations, causing presentation of information relating to the associated one or more items or locations, such as appropriate contact information or a hyperlink to an appropriate Web site. Additionally or alternatively, a user can input or select, based on a query or otherwise, information relating to one or more items or locations associated with text, imagery, or other information presented on the map, causing presentation of an indication of one or more locations of the associated text, imagery, or other information on the map. A magnifier feature allowing internal navigation within the map can be provided. Additionally, animated images can appear to move over the map.

Claims

1. A system for providing an interactive electronic map, comprising:

at least one computer programmed to cause a display device to simultaneously present thereon;

a first portion of the map centered at a first x coordinate and at a first y coordinate;

information on the first map portion related to one or more items associated with a geographic area represented by the first map portion;

information outside of the first map portion responsive to a query relating to the map including user-selectable information;

wherein the at least one computer is programmed to cause, in response to selection of user-selectable information from the user-selectable information outside of the first map portion and responsive to the query, the display device to simultaneously present thereon;

instead of the first map portion a second map portion, in relation to the information selected, the second map portion being at least partially different from the first map portion and being centered at an x coordinate different from the first x coordinate, or at a y coordinate different from the first y coordinate, or at x and y coordinates different from the first x and y coordinates;

information on the second map portion related to one or more items associated with a geographic area represented by the second map portion;

information outside of the second map portion responsive to the query including user-selectable information; and

additional information about the user-selectable information that was selected from outside of the first map portion;

wherein the at least one computer is programmed to cause, in response to selection of user-selectable information from the user-selectable information outside of the second map portion which is different from the user-selectable information selected outside of the first map portion and responsive to the query, the display device to simultaneously present thereon;

instead of the second map portion another map portion, in relation to the information selected, the another map portion being at least partially different from the second map portion and being centered at an x coordinate different from the x coordinate at which the second map portion was centered, or at a y coordinate different from the y coordinate at which the second map portion was centered, or at x and y coordinates different from the x and y coordinates at which the second map portion was centered;

information on the another map portion related to one or more items associated with a geographic area represented by the another map portion;

information outside of the another map portion responsive to the query including user-selectable information; and

additional information about the user-selectable information that was selected from outside of the second map portion.

2. A method for providing an interactive electronic map, comprising:

at least one computer causing a display device to simultaneously present thereon;

a first portion of the map centered at a first x coordinate and at a first y coordinate;

information on the first map portion related to one or more items associated with a geographic area represented by the first map portion;

information outside of the first map portion responsive to a query relating to the map including user-selectable information;

the at least one computer causing, in response to selection of user-selectable information from the user-selectable information outside of the first map portion and responsive to the query, the display device to simultaneously present thereon;

instead of the first map portion a second map portion, in relation to the information selected, the second map portion being at least partially different from the first map portion and being centered at an x coordinate different from the first x coordinate, or at a y coordinate different from the first y coordinate, or at x and y coordinates different from the first x and y coordinates;

information on the second map portion related to one or more items associated with a geographic area represented by the second map portion;

information outside of the second map portion responsive to the query including user-selectable information; and

additional information about the user-selectable information that was selected from outside of the first map portion;

the at least one computer causing, in response to selection of user-selectable information from the user-selectable information outside of the second map portion which is different from the user-selectable information selected outside of the first map portion and responsive to the query, the display device to simultaneously present thereon;

instead of the second map portion another map portion, in relation to the information selected, the another map portion being at least partially different from the second map portion and being centered at an x coordinate different from the x coordinate at which the second map portion was centered, or at a y coordinate different from the y coordinate at which the second map portion was centered, or at x and y coordinates different from the x and y coordinates at which the second map portion was centered;

information on the another map portion related to one or more items associated with a geographic area represented by the another map portion;

information outside of the another map portion responsive to the query; and

additional information about the user-selectable information that was selected from outside of the second map portion.

3. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium or media including computer code that causes at least one computer to perform a method of providing an interactive electronic map, the method comprising:

causing a display device to simultaneously present thereon;

a first portion of the map centered at a first x coordinate and at a first y coordinate;

information on the first map portion related to one or more items associated with a geographic area represented by the first map portion;

information outside of the first map portion responsive to a query relating to the map including user-selectable information;

the at least one computer causing, in response to selection of user-selectable information from the user-selectable information outside of the first map portion and responsive to the query, the display device to simultaneously present thereon;

instead of the first map portion a second map portion, in relation to the information selected, the second map portion being at least partially different from the first map portion and being centered at an x coordinate different from the first x coordinate, or at a y coordinate different from the first y coordinate, or at x and y coordinates different from the first x and y coordinates;

information on the second map portion related to one or more items associated with a geographic area represented by the second map portion;

information outside of the second map portion responsive to the query including user-selectable information; and

additional information about the user-selectable information that was selected from outside of the first map portion;

the at least one computer causing, in response to selection of user-selectable information from the user-selectable information outside of the second map portion which is different from the user-selectable information selected outside of the first map portion and responsive to the query, the display device to simultaneously present thereon;

instead of the second map portion another map portion, in relation to the information selected, the another map portion being at least partially different from the second map portion and being centered at an x coordinate different from the x coordinate at which the second map portion was centered, or at a y coordinate different from the y coordinate at which the second map portion was centered, or at x and y coordinates different from the x and y coordinates at which the second map portion was centered;

information on the another map portion related to one or more items associated with a geographic area represented by the another map portion;

information outside of the another map portion responsive to the query including user-selectable information; and

additional information about the user-selectable information that was selected from outside of the second map portion.