Method and apparatus for operating displayed area of electronic map and recording medium

• US 8,612,873 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2009
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Bing-Sheng, Chu, Rubens
• Primary Examiner(s): SALOMON, PHENUEL S
• Application Number:
  US12/549,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20100058225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764, 715/864, 345/157, 701/208
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for operating a displayed area of an electronic map and a recording medium are provided. In the method, a displayed area of an electronic map is displayed first. Then, an indicating object of a point of interest (POI) located outside the displayed area is displayed on an edge of the displayed area towards a direction of the POI with respect to the displayed area. When the indicating object of the POI is selected, the displayed area of the electronic map is changed to the displayed area comprising the POI. Accordingly, users are able to quickly change the displayed area and check a location and related information of each POI in a simple operation manner.

Claims

1. An apparatus for operating a displayed area of an electronic map, comprising:

an input unit, for receiving an input signal;

a storage unit, for storing an electronic map;

a display unit, for displaying a displayed area of the electronic map; and

a processing unit, coupled to the input unit, the storage unit, and the display unit, and is configured for displaying a first map area of an electronic map on a touch screen;

displaying a first point of interest (POI) within the first map area;

displaying on a first edge of the first map area a first indicating object pointing at a first to a second POI which is located outside the first map area and also on a second edge of the first map area a second indicating object pointing to a third POI which is located outside the first map area, wherein the first edge could be the same edge as the second edge;

in direct response to receiving a first touch signal on the first indicating object, directly shifting the displayed area of the electronic map to display the second POI in the center of a second map area in the same scale as the first map area and displaying a third indicating object pointing to the first POI on an edge which is opposite to the first edge of the first map area;

after receiving the first touch signal and the displayed area is shifted to the second map area, in direct response to receiving a second touch signal on the third indicating object, directly shifting the displayed area of the electronic map to display the first POI in the center of a third map area in the same scale as the first map area, displaying a fourth indicating object pointing to the second POI which is located outside the third map area and displaying a fifth indicating object pointing to the third POI which is located outside the third map area;

in direct response to receiving a third touch signal on the fifth indicating object, directly shifting the displayed area of the electronic map to display the third POI in the center of a fourth map area in the same scale as the first map area and displaying a six indicating object pointing to the first POI on an edge which is opposite to the first edge of the first map area; and

after receiving the third touch signal and the displayed area is shifted to the fourth map area, in direct response to receiving a fourth touch signal on the six indicating object, directly shifting the displayed area of the electronic map to display the first POI in the center of the third map area in the same scale as the first map area.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit changes the displayed area of the electronic map to the second displayed area in a sliding manner.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the indicating object comprises one of an indicating text, an indicating symbol, and an indicating icon, or a combination thereof.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein content of the indicating text comprises one of a name of the first POI and a distance between the first POI and the second POI, or a combination thereof.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the processing unit further control the display unit to display a fourth POI, wherein when the fourth POI overlaps with the first indicating object, the first indicating object is presented in a semitransparent or effect.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit changes the displayed area of the electronic map to the second displayed area in a switching manner.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit further control the display unit to display a fourth POI, wherein when the fourth POI overlaps with the first indicating object, the first indicating object is presented in an animation visual effect.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit further used for zooming out the displayed area so that the displayed area displays the first POI, the second POI, and the third POI in the same displayed area.

9. A method for operating a displayed area of an electronic map with point of interests located outside of the displayed area, and the method comprising:

displaying a first map area of an electronic map on a touch screen;

displaying a first point of interest (POI) within the first map area;

displaying on a first edge of the first map area a first indicating object pointing at a first to a second POI which is located outside the first map area and also on a second edge of the first map area a second indicating object pointing to a third POI which is located outside the first map area, wherein the first edge could be the same edge as the second edge;

in direct response to receiving a first touch signal on the first indicating object, directly shifting the displayed area of the electronic map to display the second POI in the center of a second map area in the same scale as the first map area and displaying a third indicating object pointing to the first POI on an edge which is opposite to the first edge of the first map area;

after receiving the first touch signal and the displayed area is shifted to the second map area, in direct response to receiving a second touch signal on the third indicating object, directly shifting the displayed area of the electronic map to display the first POI in the center of a third map area in the same scale as the first map area, displaying a fourth indicating object pointing to the second POI which is located outside the third map area and displaying a fifth indicating object pointing to the third POI which is located outside the third map area;

in direct response to receiving a third touch signal on the fifth indicating object, directly shifting the displayed area of the electronic map to display the third POI in the center of a fourth map area in the same scale as the first map area and displaying a six indicating object pointing to the first POI on an edge which is opposite to the first edge of the first map area; and

after receiving the third touch signal and the displayed area is shifted to the fourth map area, in direct response to receiving a fourth touch signal on the six indicating object, directly shifting the display area of the electronic map to display the first POI in the center of the third map area in the same scale as the first map area.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein changing the displayed area of the electronic map is in a sliding manner.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the indicating object comprises one of an indicating text, an indicating symbol, and an indicating icon, or a combination thereof.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first displayed area of the electronic map further comprises a fourth POI, wherein when the fourth POI overlaps with the first indicating object, the first indicating object is presented in a semitransparent effect.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein changing the displayed area of the electronic map is in a switching manner.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein changing the displayed area of the electronic map further comprises a fourth POI, wherein when the fourth POI overlaps with the first indicating object, the first indicating object is presented in an animation visual effect.

15. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

zooming out the displayed area so that the displayed area displays the first POI, the second POI, and the third POI in the same displayed area.

16. A non-transitory recording medium, which stores computer readable codes configured to execute the method for operating the displayed area of the electronic map according to claim 9 via an electronic device.