Displaying elements

• US 9,518,836 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2012
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Beaurepaire, Jerome
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards, Mark
• Application Number:
  US13/486,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20130321269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 701/426, 701/455, 715/810, 3409951-99528
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

Apparatus comprises at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to cause a plurality of elements to be displayed in respective positions on a map, to determine a section of the map based upon one or more conditions, to determine that two or more of the elements are positioned in or near to the section of the map and are spaced closer together than a threshold spacing, and, in response thereto, to cause a perceptible output to be provided to further distinguish each of the two or more elements from one another.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus;

to cause a plurality of elements to be displayed in respective positions on a map;

to determine a section of the map based upon one or more conditions, the one or more conditions comprising at least an orientation of a device and a direction which the device faces, as determined from orientation information;

to determine that two or more of the elements are positioned in or within a predetermined distance of the section of the map determined based on at least the orientation of the device and the direction which the device faces and are spaced closer together than a threshold spacing;

in response thereto, to cause a perceptible output to be provided to further distinguish each of the two or more elements from one another; and

in response to (a) detecting a movement of the device closer to a position associated with at least one of the two or more elements and (b) that at least one of the two or more elements have been positioned in or within a predetermined distance of the section of the map for an amount of time greater than a predetermined period of time, to cause at least one of the two or more elements to be gradually moved such that the two or more elements are positioned further apart from each other relative to their previous positions, wherein the map is automatically modified to enable display of the two or more elements at positions further apart from each other relative to their previous positions.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein causing the at least one of the two or more elements to be gradually moved comprises gradually expanding at least one stack of elements, wherein only stacks of elements located within the determined section of the map are expanded.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more conditions further comprise a position, wherein the position is a current position of a device determined from positioning information and wherein the direction is a direction of movement of the device determined from a position history.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the section of the map is one-dimensional or an elongated two- or three-dimensional region starting at or within another predetermined distance of the position and extending lengthwise in the direction.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus:

to determine the size of the section of the map based upon the number of elements that are positioned in or within the predetermined distance of the section of the map, wherein the size is decreased as the number of elements increases.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the threshold spacing corresponds to a predetermined distance between each of the two or more elements and at least one other of the two or more elements.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus:

in response to determining that the two or more elements are positioned in or within the predetermined distance of the section of the map and are spaced closer together than the threshold spacing, to cause an indication thereof to be displayed;

to detect a user input; and

,

in response thereto, to cause the perceptible output to be provided.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus:

in response to determining that the two or more elements are positioned in or within the predetermined distance of the section of the map and are spaced closer together than the threshold spacing, to cause the perceptible output to be provided without any user input.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus:

to detect a user input in relation to one of the two or more elements in relation to which the perceptible output was provided; and

,

in response thereto, to perform a related action.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the perceptible output distinguishes respective elevations of elements on a three-dimensional perspective map in response to a tilt of the device, wherein the two or more elements that are spaced further apart from each other are associated with same elevations.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein at least two of the plurality of elements are associated with a same latitude, a same longitude, and different elevations.

10. A method comprising:

causing a plurality of elements to be displayed in respective positions on a map;

determining a section of the map based upon one or more conditions, the one or more conditions comprising at least an orientation of a device and a direction which the device faces, as determined from orientation information;

determining that two or more of the elements are positioned in or within a predetermined distance of the section of the map determined based on at least the orientation of the device and the direction which the device faces and are spaced closer together than a threshold spacing;

in response thereto, causing a perceptible output to be provided to further distinguish each of the two or more elements from one another; and

in response to (a) detecting a movement of the device closer to a position associated with at least one of the two or more elements and (b) that at least one of the two or more elements have been positioned in or within a predetermined distance of the section of the map for an amount of time greater than a predetermined period of time, causing at least one of the two or more elements to be gradually moved such that the two or more elements are positioned further apart from each other relative to their previous positions, wherein the map is automatically modified to enable display of the two or more elements at positions further apart from each other relative to their previous positions.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein causing the at least one of the two or more elements to be gradually moved comprises gradually expanding at least one stack of elements, wherein only stacks of elements located within the determined section of the map are expanded.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the one or more conditions further comprise a position, wherein the position is a current position of a device determined from positioning information and wherein the direction is a direction of movement of the device determined from a position history.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the section of the map is a one-dimensional or an elongated two- or three-dimensional region starting at or within another predetermined distance of the position and extending lengthwise in the direction.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

determining the size of the section of the map based upon the number of elements that are positioned in or within the predetermined distance of the section of the map, wherein the size is decreased as the number of elements increases.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

in response to determining that the two or more elements are positioned in or within the predetermined distance of the section of the map and are spaced closer together than the threshold spacing, causing an indication thereof to be displayed;

detecting a user input; and

,

in response thereto, causing the perceptible output to be provided.

16. The method according to claim 10, comprising:

in response to determining that the two or more elements are positioned in or within the predetermined distance of the section of the map and are spaced closer together than the threshold spacing, causing the perceptible output to be provided without any user input.

17. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

detecting a user input in relation to one of the two or more elements in relation to which the perceptible output was provided; and

,

in response thereto, performing a related action.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-readable code, which, when executed by a computer apparatus, causes the computer apparatus:

to cause a plurality of elements to be displayed in respective positions on a map;

to determine a section of the map based upon one or more conditions, the one or more conditions comprising at least an orientation of a device and a direction which the device faces, as determined from orientation information;

to determine that two or more of the elements are positioned in or within a predetermined distance of the section of the map determined based on at least the orientation of the device and the direction which the device faces and are spaced closer together than a threshold spacing;

in response thereto, to cause a perceptible output to be provided to further distinguish each of the two or more elements from one another; and

in response to (a) detecting a movement of the device closer to a position associated with at least one of the two or more elements and (b) that at least one of the two or more elements have been positioned in or within a predetermined distance of the section of the map for an amount of time greater than a predetermined period of time, to cause at least one of the two or more elements to be gradually moved such that the two or more elements are positioned further apart from each other relative to their previous positions, wherein the map is automatically modified to enable display of the two or more elements at positions further apart from each other relative to their previous positions.