Geospatial representation of data-less map areas

• US 9,418,466 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2012
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Piemonte, Patrick S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Zhengxi
• Application Number:
  US13/632,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20130328862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,416 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06T 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a non-transitory machine-readable medium that stores a mapping application which when executed on a device by at least one processing unit renders views of a three-dimensional (3D) map. The mapping application requests a first set of map tiles associated with a portion of the 3D map. In response to the request, the mapping application receives a second set of map tiles associated with portion of the 3D map. The mapping application identifies a third set of map tiles included in the first set of map tiles but not included in the second set of map tiles. For each map tile in the third set of map tiles, the mapping application generates a replacement map tile comprising geospatial data. The mapping application renders the portion of the 3D map based on the second set of map tiles and the set of replacement map tiles.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a mapping application which when executed on a device by at least one processing unit renders views of a three-dimensional (3D) map, the mapping application comprising sets of instructions for:

requesting a first set of map tiles associated with a portion of the 3D map for display at a particular 3D angled perspective view;

in response to the request, receiving a second set of map tiles associated with the portion of the 3D map, the second set of map tiles a subset of the first set of map tiles;

identifying a third set of map tiles included in the first set of map tiles but missing from the second set of map tiles;

identifying distance information from a subset of the second set of map tiles;

for each missing map tile in the third set of map tiles, generating a replacement map tile for replacing the missing map tile, the replacement map tile comprising geospatial data based on the identified distance information; and

rendering the portion of the 3D map using the second set of map tiles and the replacement map tiles, wherein both the second set of map tiles and the replacement map tiles are rendered at the particular 3D angled perspective view.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the mapping application further comprises sets of instructions for:

defining a virtual camera for identifying portions of the 3D map to render;

requesting from the virtual camera a view of the 3D map to render; and

in response to the request, receiving the portion of the 3D map to render.

3. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the geospatial data comprises longitude and latitude data.

4. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the geospatial data comprises data representing distances to a nearest map tile in the second set of map tiles.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the geospatial data comprises a scale that indicates a set of distances of the portion of the 3D map.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the geospatial data comprises distances of a geographical region represented by the portion of the 3D map.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the mapping application further comprises a set of instructions for displaying the rendered replacement map tiles showing a real world distance represented by each of the map tiles.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions for requesting the first set of map tiles is executed in response to an adjustment of the 3D map.

9. For a mapping application, a method for rendering a view of a three-dimensional (3D) map to display on a device, the method comprising:

requesting a first set of map tiles associated with a portion of the 3D map for display at a particular 3D angled perspective view;

in response to the request, receiving a second set of map tiles associated with the portion of the 3D map, the second set of map tiles a subset of the first set of map tiles;

identifying a third set of map tiles included in the first set of map tiles but missing from the second set of map tiles;

identifying distance information from a subset of the second set of map tiles;

for each missing map tile in the third set of map tiles, generating a replacement map tile for replacing the missing map tile, the replacement map tile comprising geospatial data based on the identified distance information; and

rendering the portion of the 3D map using the second set of map tiles and the replacement map tiles, wherein both the second set of map tiles and the replacement map tiles are rendered at the particular 3D angled perspective view.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

defining a virtual camera for identifying portions of the 3D map to render;

requesting from the virtual camera a view of the 3D map to render; and

in response to the request, receiving the portion of the 3D map to render.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the geospatial data comprises longitude and latitude data.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the geospatial data comprises data representing distances to a nearest map tile in the second set of map tiles.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the geospatial data comprises a scale that indicates a set of distances of the portion of the 3D map.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the geospatial data comprises distances of a geographical region represented by the portion of the 3D map.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising displaying the rendered replacement map tiles showing a real world distance represented by each of the map tiles.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the first set of map tiles is requested in response to an adjustment of the 3D map.

17. An electronic device comprising:

a set of processing units; and

a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a mapping application which when executed by at least one of the processing units renders views of a three-dimensional (3D) map, the mapping application comprising sets of instructions for;

requesting a first set of map tiles associated with a portion of the 3D map for display at a particular 3D angled perspective view;

in response to the request, receiving a second set of map tiles associated with the portion of the 3D map, the second set of map tiles a subset of the first set of map tiles;

identifying a third set of map tiles included in the first set of map tiles but missing from the second set of map tiles;

identifying distance information from a subset of the second set of map tiles;

for each missing map tile in the third set of map tiles, generating a replacement map tile for replacing the missing map tile, the replacement map tile comprising geospatial data based on the identified distance information; and

rendering the portion of the 3D map using the second set of map tiles and the replacement map tiles, wherein both the second set of map tiles and the replacement map tiles are rendered at the particular 3D angled perspective view.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the mapping application further comprises sets of instructions for:

defining a virtual camera for identifying portions of the 3D map to render;

requesting from the virtual camera a view of the 3D map to render; and

in response to the request, receiving the portion of the 3D map to render.

19. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the geospatial data comprises longitude and latitude data.

20. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the geospatial data comprises data representing distances to a nearest map tile in the second set of map tiles.

21. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the geospatial data comprises a scale that indicates a set of distances of the portion of the 3D map.

22. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the geospatial data comprises distances of a geographical region represented by the portion of the 3D map.

23. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the mapping application further comprises a set of instructions for displaying the rendered replacement map tiles showing a real world distance represented by each of the map tiles.