Suggesting a target location upon viewport movement

• US 9,684,425 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2014
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bailiang, Zhou
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): LI, LIANG Y
• Application Number:
  US14/462,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20160048282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• 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: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/005 Map projections or methods associated specifically therewith
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A digital map of a geographic area is provided via a user interface within a viewport, which defines a viewable portion of the digital map. The viewport is repositioned relative to the digital map in accordance with user commands provided via the user interface. A substantially continuous movement of the viewport in response to a plurality of similar user commands is detected. In response, a geographic place located in a general direction of the continuous movement of the viewport is determined, and a control for directly positioning the viewport over a portion of the digital map representing the geographic place is provided.

Claims

1. A method for providing interactive user controls in a geographic application, the method comprising:

providing, by one or more processors via a user interface, a digital map within a viewport to depict a first geographic area, wherein the viewport defines a viewable portion of the digital map;

repositioning, by the one or more processors, the viewport relative to the digital map in accordance with user commands provided via the user interface to depict a second geographic area;

detecting, by the one or more processors, a sequence of user commands that cause a substantially continuous movement of the viewport, during which a zoom level of the viewport stays the same;

determining, by the one or more processors, a probable trajectory of the viewport consistent with the substantially continuous movement of the viewport, including determining a length of the probable trajectory in view of the zoom level;

determining, by the one or more processors, a geographic place that will become visible within the viewport if the viewport continues to move along its current trajectory, the geographic place located in a third geographic area non-adjacent to the second geographic area; and

providing, by the one or more processors via the user interface, a control for directly positioning the viewport over a portion of the digital map representing the geographic place to depict the third geographic area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the sequence of user commands that cause the substantially continuous movement includes detecting, by the one or more processors, a plurality of consecutive swipe gestures applied to the user interface in a substantially same direction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the sequence of user commands that cause the substantially continuous movement includes detecting, by the one or more processors, a plurality of consecutive mouse clicks applied to a direction control displayed on the user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the geographic place further includes:

determining, by the one or more processors, a plurality of candidate geographic places on the trajectory, and

selecting, by the one or more processors, the geographic place from the plurality of candidate geographic places based on at least one of (i) popularity of the geographic place, (ii) area associated with the geographic place measured, and (iii) population associated with the geographic place.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the control for directly positioning the viewport over the portion of the digital map representing the geographic place includes:

providing, by the one or more processors, an overlay window over the digital map, including providing a selectable link to a new location of the viewport within the overlay window.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing, within the overlay window, a plurality of selectable links corresponding to a plurality of respective geographic places.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the control being actuated, positioning the viewport over the portion of the digital map representing the geographic place, without displaying map images for any intermediate geographic areas between the second geographic area and the third geographic area.

8. A computing device comprising:

a user interface configured to display content and receive user input;

one or more processors coupled to the user interface; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the computing device to;

provide, via the user interface, a digital map within a viewport defining a viewable portion of the digital map to depict a first geographic area,

reposition the viewport relative to the digital map in accordance with user commands provided via the user interface to depict a second geographic area,

detect a sequence of user commands that cause a substantially continuous movement of the viewport, during which a zoom level of the viewport stays the same,

determine a probable trajectory of the viewport consistent with the substantially continuous movement of the viewport, including determine a length of the probable trajectory in view of the zoom level;

determine a geographic place that will become visible within the viewport if the viewport continues to move along its current trajectory, the geographic place located in a third geographic area non-adjacent to the second geographic area, and

provide, via the user interface, a control for directly positioning the viewport over a portion of the digital map representing the geographic place to depict the third geographic area.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein to detect the sequence of commands that cause the substantially continuous movement, the instructions cause the computing device to detect a plurality of consecutive swipe gestures applied to the user interface in a substantially same direction.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein to detect the sequence of commands that cause the substantially continuous movement, the instructions cause the computing device to detect a plurality of consecutive mouse clicks applied to a direction control displayed on the user interface.

11. The computing device of claim 8, to determine the geographic place, the instructions further cause the computing device to:

determine a plurality of candidate geographic places on the trajectory, and

select the geographic place from the plurality of candidate geographic places based on at least one of (i) popularity of the geographic place, (ii) area associated with the geographic place measured, and (iii) population associated with the geographic place.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein to provide the control for directly positioning the viewport over the portion of the digital map representing the geographic place, the instructions further cause the computing device to:

provide an overlay window over the digital map, including provide a selectable link to a new location of the viewport within the overlay window.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

provide, within the overlay window, a plurality of selectable links corresponding to a plurality of respective geographic places.

14. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

in response to the control being actuated, position the viewport over the portion of the digital map representing the geographic place, without displaying map images for any intermediate geographic areas between the second geographic area and the third geographic area.

15. A method in a network server comprising:

receiving, by one or more computing devices from a user device, indications of at least (i) a current position of a viewport defining a viewable portion of a digital map depicting to a first geographic area, (ii) a zoom level of the viewport, and (iii) a direction in which the viewport is travelling from the current position to depict a second geographic area;

determining, by the one or more computing device, a probable trajectory of the viewport consistent with the direction in which the viewport is travelling at the same zoom level, including determining a length of the probable trajectory in view of the zoom level;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, a plurality of candidate geographic places that will become visible within the viewport if the viewport continues to move along its current trajectory, the candidate geographic places located in geographic areas non-adjacent to the second geographic area;

selecting, by the one or more computing devices, a geographic place from the plurality of candidate geographic places based at least on the indicated zoom level; and

sending, by the one or more computing devices, an indication of the geographic place to the user device for generating a control to directly position the viewport over a portion of the digital map representing the geographic place.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein selecting the geographic place from the plurality of candidate geographic places includes selecting the geographic place in view of respective sizes of the plurality of candidate geographic places.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the selected geographic place is a first geographic place, the method further comprising:

selecting, by the one or more computing devices, a second geographic place from the plurality of candidate geographic places, and

sending, by the one or more computing devices, an indication of the second geographic place to the user device along with the indication of the first geographic place.