Presenting the viewability of a point of interest on a map

• US 9,360,338 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2014
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kritt, Barry A., Rakshit, Sarbajit K.
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, JIN CHENG
• Application Number:
  US14/332,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20160018240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 701/438, 701/426, 701/446, 701/418, 340/99, 340/995.24, 340/995.1, 340/990
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/32 Structuring or formatting of map data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3638 including 3D objects and buildings three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects G06T17/00; geographic models G06T17/05
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• 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: G01C 21/3811 Point data, e.g. Point of Interest [POI]
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3841 Data obtained from two or more sources, e.g. probe vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/20 Drawing from basic elements, e.g. lines or circles
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for presenting the viewability of a point of interest (POI) on a map are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A set of viewing coverage information is located. A subset of the viewing coverage information is associated with a point of observation on the map. A viewing coverage information corresponds to a view of the POI from the point of observation. The viewing coverage information comprises a viewing coverage fraction that represents a portion of the POI visible in the view. The point of observation is plotted corresponding to the subset of the viewing coverage information such that the point of observation is represented on the map as a visually distinct area on the map and has a corresponding combined viewing coverage value. A plot of the point of observation resulting from the plotting is presented on the map as an overlay.

Claims

1. A method for representing viewability of a point of interest (POI) on a map, the method comprising:

locating a set of viewing coverage information, wherein a subset of the set of viewing coverage information is associated with a point of observation on the map, wherein a viewing coverage information corresponds to a view of the POI from the point of observation, wherein the viewing coverage information comprises a viewing coverage fraction that represents a portion of the POI visible in the view;

determining, in the subset of the viewing coverage information, a highest viewing coverage fraction and a lowest viewing coverage fraction to determine a range of values of the viewing coverage fraction, wherein the viewing coverage fraction of the POI is computed using the range of values;

plotting the point of observation corresponding to the subset of the set of viewing coverage information such that the point of observation is represented on the map as a visually distinct area on the map and has a corresponding combined viewing coverage value;

plotting a plurality of points of observation, the point of observation being a member of the plurality, each point of observation in the plurality having a corresponding combined viewing coverage value; and

presenting a plot of the plurality of points of observation on the map as an overlay, wherein those points in the plurality whose corresponding combined viewing coverage values are within a tolerance value are coded similar to one another in the overlay.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a set of points of observation from where the POI is visible, the set of points of observation including the point of observation;

locating, corresponding to the point of observation, a set of views, the set of views including the view and each view in the set of views including the POI;

comparing the view with a reference view, wherein the reference view includes a scaled representation of an entirety of the POI, and wherein the viewing coverage fraction corresponding to the view is a ratio of the portion of the POI and the scaled representation of an entirety of the POI; and

saving the viewing coverage fraction as a part of the viewing coverage information of the view from the point of observation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the scaled representation of an entirety of the POI and the portion of the POI in the view represent the POI on a same scale.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of views comprises views of the POI available in a crowd-sourced repository.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

virtually superimposing on the map a distance radius centered at the POI;

identifying an area on the map through which the distance radius traverses as the point of observation; and

forming, using a set of distance radii, a set of points of observation by identifying a plurality of areas on the map through which at least one distance radius in the set of distance radii passes, the set of distance radii including the distance radius and the at least one distance radius, and the plurality of areas including the area.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a threshold viewing coverage value, wherein each viewing coverage information in the set of viewing coverage information comprises a viewing coverage fraction that is at least equal to the threshold viewing coverage value.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting a request for information about the POI, wherein the threshold viewing coverage value is included in the request.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the threshold viewing coverage value is configured as a user preference.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding combined viewing coverage value comprises an average of viewing coverage fractions in all viewing coverage information in the subset of viewing coverage information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding combined viewing coverage value comprises a range of viewing coverage fractions in all viewing coverage information in the subset of viewing coverage information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the overlay is switchable between a visible state and a hidden state on the map.

12. A computer usable program product comprising a computer readable storage device including computer usable code for representing viewability of a point of interest (POI) on a map, the computer usable code comprising:

computer usable code for locating a set of viewing coverage information, wherein a subset of the set of viewing coverage information is associated with a point of observation on the map, wherein a viewing coverage information corresponds to a view of the POI from the point of observation, wherein the viewing coverage information comprises a viewing coverage fraction that represents a portion of the POI visible in the view;

computer usable code for determining, in the subset of the viewing coverage information, a highest viewing coverage fraction and a lowest viewing coverage fraction to determine a range of values of the viewing coverage fraction, wherein the viewing coverage fraction of the POI is computed using the range of values;

computer usable code for plotting the point of observation corresponding to the subset of the set of viewing coverage information such that the point of observation is represented on the map as a visually distinct area on the map and has a corresponding combined viewing coverage value;

computer usable code for plotting a plurality of points of observation, the point of observation being a member of the plurality, each point of observation in the plurality having a corresponding combined viewing coverage value; and

computer usable code for presenting a plot of the plurality of points of observation on the map as an overlay, wherein those points in the plurality whose corresponding combined viewing coverage values are within a tolerance value are coded similar to one another in the overlay.

13. The computer usable program product of claim 12, further comprising:

computer usable code for selecting a set of points of observation from where the POI is visible, the set of points of observation including the point of observation;

computer usable code for locating, corresponding to the point of observation, a set of views, the set of views including the view and each view in the set of views including the POI;

computer usable code for comparing the view with a reference view, wherein the reference view includes a scaled representation of an entirety of the POI, and wherein the viewing coverage fraction corresponding to the view is a ratio of the portion of the POI and the scaled representation of an entirety of the POI; and

computer usable code for saving the viewing coverage fraction as a part of the viewing coverage information of the view from the point of observation.

14. The computer usable program product of claim 13, wherein the scaled representation of an entirety of the POI and the portion of the POI in the view represent the POI on a same scale.

15. The computer usable program product of claim 13, wherein the set of views comprises views of the POI available in a crowd-sourced repository.

16. The computer usable program product of claim 12, further comprising:

computer usable code for virtually superimposing on the map a distance radius centered at the POI;

computer usable code for identifying an area on the map through which the distance radius traverses as the point of observation; and

computer usable code for forming, using a set of distance radii, a set of points of observation by identifying a plurality of areas on the map through which at least one distance radius in the set of distance radii passes, the set of distance radii including the distance radius and the at least one distance radius, and the plurality of areas including the area.

17. The computer usable program product of claim 12, further comprising:

computer usable code for determining a threshold viewing coverage value, wherein each viewing coverage information in the set of viewing coverage information comprises a viewing coverage fraction that is at least equal to the threshold viewing coverage value.

18. The computer usable program product of claim 12, wherein the computer usable code is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is transferred over a network from a remote data processing system.

19. The computer usable program product of claim 12, wherein the computer usable code is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a server data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is downloaded over a network to a remote data processing system for use in a computer readable storage medium associated with the remote data processing system.

20. A data processing system for representing viewability of a point of interest (POI) on a map, the data processing system comprising:

a storage device including a storage medium, wherein the storage device stores computer usable program code; and

a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer usable program code, and wherein the computer usable program code comprises;

computer usable code for locating a set of viewing coverage information, wherein a subset of the set of viewing coverage information is associated with a point of observation on the map, wherein a viewing coverage information corresponds to a view of the POI from the point of observation, wherein the viewing coverage information comprises a viewing coverage fraction that represents a portion of the POI visible in the view;

computer usable code for determining, in the subset of the viewing coverage information, a highest viewing coverage fraction and a lowest viewing coverage fraction to determine a range of values of the viewing coverage fraction, wherein the viewing coverage fraction of the POI is computed using the range of values;

computer usable code for plotting the point of observation corresponding to the subset of the set of viewing coverage information such that the point of observation is represented on the map as a visually distinct area on the map and has a corresponding combined viewing coverage value;

computer usable code for plotting a plurality of points of observation, the point of observation being a member of the plurality, each point of observation in the plurality having a corresponding combined viewing coverage value; and

computer usable code for presenting a plot of the plurality of points of observation on the map as an overlay, wherein those points in the plurality whose corresponding combined viewing coverage values are within a tolerance value are coded similar to one another in the overlay.