Use of map data difference tiles to iteratively provide map data to a client device
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for providing map data to a client device via a communication network, the method comprising:
- generating one or more base map tiles, each base map tile including a plurality of vector descriptors for rendering and displaying, at the client device, a first map image for a selected geographic region, wherein the first map image corresponds to a first zoom level, wherein each vector descriptor indicates a geometry of a respective map element in accordance with a vector graphics format, including generating a set of style data defining visual characteristics to be applied to the geometry of at least some of the plurality of vector descriptors;
causing the one or more base map tiles to be transmitted to the client device via the communication network;
receiving an indication that a second map image for the selected geographic region is to be rendered at the client device, wherein the second map image is different from the first map image but includes a region covered by at least one of the base map tiles, and wherein the second map image corresponds to a second zoom level different than the first zoom level;
generating a set of difference map tiles that define a difference between the first map image and the second map image to be displayed, including specifying map features associated with the second zoom level, the set of difference map tiles including one or more descriptors, each of which corresponds to a change in a map element as rendered in the second map image as compared to the first map image, including generating a different set of style data defining different visual characteristics to be applied to the geometry of the at least some of the plurality of vector descriptors; and
causing the set of difference map tiles to be transmitted to the client device via the communication network for rendering and displaying the second map image using at least some of the information in the one or more base map tiles and the set of difference map tiles.
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Accused Products
Abstract
To provide map data for rendering map images corresponding to a selected geographic region at a client device, a map server generates a set of base map tiles having vector descriptors, each of which indicates a geometry of a respective map element, in accordance with a non-raster format for rendering a first map image. The map server, at some point, provides the base map tiles to the client device. Upon receiving an indication that a specific map image for the selected geographic region is to be rendered at the client device, the map server further generates a set of difference map tiles that indicate changes to be made to the set of base map tiles and sends the difference map tiles to the client device for use, along with the set of base map tiles, in rendering the requested specific map image.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for providing map data to a client device via a communication network, the method comprising:
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generating one or more base map tiles, each base map tile including a plurality of vector descriptors for rendering and displaying, at the client device, a first map image for a selected geographic region, wherein the first map image corresponds to a first zoom level, wherein each vector descriptor indicates a geometry of a respective map element in accordance with a vector graphics format, including generating a set of style data defining visual characteristics to be applied to the geometry of at least some of the plurality of vector descriptors; causing the one or more base map tiles to be transmitted to the client device via the communication network; receiving an indication that a second map image for the selected geographic region is to be rendered at the client device, wherein the second map image is different from the first map image but includes a region covered by at least one of the base map tiles, and wherein the second map image corresponds to a second zoom level different than the first zoom level; generating a set of difference map tiles that define a difference between the first map image and the second map image to be displayed, including specifying map features associated with the second zoom level, the set of difference map tiles including one or more descriptors, each of which corresponds to a change in a map element as rendered in the second map image as compared to the first map image, including generating a different set of style data defining different visual characteristics to be applied to the geometry of the at least some of the plurality of vector descriptors; and causing the set of difference map tiles to be transmitted to the client device via the communication network for rendering and displaying the second map image using at least some of the information in the one or more base map tiles and the set of difference map tiles. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 26)
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8. A computer-implemented method for providing map data to a client device via a communication network, the method comprising:
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generating one or more base map tiles, each base map tile including a plurality of vector descriptors associated with a first map image for a selected geographic region, wherein each vector descriptor indicates a geometry of a respective map element in accordance with a vector graphics format, including generating a set of style data defining visual characteristics to be applied to the geometry of at least some of the plurality of vector descriptors; generating a set of difference map tiles that define a difference between the first map image and the second map image to be displayed at a client device, the set of difference map tiles including one or more descriptors, each of which corresponds to a change in a map element as rendered in the second map image as compared to the first map image, including generating a different set of style data defining different visual characteristics to be applied to the geometry of the at least some of the plurality of vector descriptors, including obtaining one or more personalized settings associated with a map request defining a personalized map view and generating a set of difference tiles that implement the personalized map view from the one or more base map tiles; causing the one or more base map tiles to be transmitted to the client device via the communication network; and causing the set of difference map tiles to be transmitted to the client device via the communication network for rendering and displaying the second map image using at least some of the information in the one or more base map tiles and the set of difference map tiles. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 27)
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14. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
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receive, from a client device, an indication that a particular map image for a selected geographic region is to be rendered at the client device; define one or more base map tiles for the selected geographic region, each base map tile including a plurality of vector descriptors associated with a first map image for the selected geographic region, wherein each vector descriptor indicates a geometry of a respective map element in accordance with a vector graphics format, including generate a set of style data defining visual characteristics to be applied to the geometry of at least some of the plurality of vector descriptors; generate a set of difference map tiles that define a difference between the first map image and the particular map image to be rendered at a client device, the set of difference map tiles including one or more descriptors, each of which corresponds to a change in a map element as rendered in the particular map image as compared to the first map image, including generate a different set of style data defining different visual characteristics to be applied to the geometry of the at least some of the plurality of vector descriptors, wherein set of difference map tiles describes at least one of; (i) a new map element, not included in first map image, to be rendered in conjunction with at least some of the map data to generate the particular map image, (ii) a map element included in the first map image that is not to be rendered when generating the particular map image, and (iii) a map element, included in the first map image and to rendered in the first map image according to a first style, that is instead to be rendered in the particular map image according to a second style; and cause the set of difference map tiles to be transmitted to the client device via the communication network for rendering and displaying the particular map image using at least some of the information in the one or more base map tiles and the set of difference map tiles. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 28)
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20. A method for implementation in a computing device for generating map images, the method comprising:
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receiving, via a communication network, a plurality of base map tiles associated with a first map image for a selected geographic region, each base map tile including one or more vector descriptors that indicates a geometry of a respective map element in accordance with a vector graphics format, including receiving a set of style data defining visual characteristics to be applied to the geometry of at least some of the plurality of vector descriptors; receiving, via the communication network, a set of difference map tiles for rendering a second map image for the selected geographic region, including receiving a separate difference map tile for each of the received plurality of base map tiles, each of the set of difference map tiles including one or more indications of a modification of a vector descriptor to be applied in one of the plurality of base map tiles, including receiving a different set of style data defining different visual characteristics to be applied to the geometry of the at least some of the plurality of vector descriptors; rendering the second map image using the plurality of base map tiles and the set of difference map tiles; and causing the second map image to be displayed via a user interface. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29)
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Specification