Varying map information density based on the speed of the vehicle

• US 9,714,832 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bailiang, Zhou
• Primary Examiner(s): Survillo, Oleg
• Application Number:
  US14/208,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20150260528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 709203
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• 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 21/387 Organisation of map data, e.g. version management or database structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

To dynamically vary map content based on the speed at which a portable device is moving, for a map in which a portable device user is following, a request for map data for a particular location is received along with an indication of the speed of the portable device. As a result, at least two versions of map data for the particular location are identified and one of the versions is selected based on the speed. The selected version is then transmitted to the portable device for display.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically varying map content based on the speed of a portable device, the method comprising:

receiving, at one or more server computing devices, a map data request from a remotely located portable device for a geographic area, including an indication of a speed and a location of the portable device;

parsing, by the one or more server computing devices, the map data request to determine the speed comprised in the map data request;

identifying, by the one or more server computing devices, at least two versions of map data corresponding to the geographic area;

selecting, by the one or more server computing devices, based on the speed, one of the at least two versions of the map data corresponding to the geographic area, wherein each of the at least two versions of the map data is for a same zoom level and includes different amounts of detail, including;

when the speed is below a predetermined threshold value, selecting a first version of the map data corresponding to the geographic area, the first version including a geographic feature; and

when the speed is equal to or above the predetermined threshold value, selecting a second version of the map data corresponding to the geographic area, the second version omitting the geographic feature; and

responding, by the one or more server computing devices, to the map data request with the selected one of the at least two versions of the map data transmitted to the portable device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two versions of the map data comprise:

a first set of data corresponding to the geographic area including the location and identifying geographic features in the geographic area at a first level of detail; and

a second set of data corresponding to the same geographic area and identifying geographic features in the geographic area at a second level of detail, the second level of detail being lower than the first level of detail.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sets of data comprise map tiles.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two versions of the map data comprise:

a first set of data corresponding to the geographic area including the location and identifying geographic features in the geographic area using a first set of visual styles; and

a second set of data corresponding to the same geographic area and identifying the same geographic features using a second set of visual styles, the second set of visual styles being different than the first set of visual styles.

5. A server comprising:

a communication interface; and

processing hardware coupled to the communication interface, the processing hardware configured to;

receive a map data request from a remotely located portable device via the communication interface, including an indication of a speed and a location of the portable device,

parse the map data request to determine the speed comprised in the map data request,

determine the location responsive to the map data request,

identify at least two versions of map data corresponding to the location,

select, based on the speed, one of the at least two versions of the map data corresponding to the location, wherein each of the at least two versions of the map data is for a same zoom level and includes different amounts of detail, including;

when the speed is below a predetermined threshold value, select a first version of the map data corresponding to the location, the first version including a geographic feature, and

when the speed is equal to or above the predetermined threshold value, select a second version of the map data corresponding to the location, the second version omitting the geographic feature, and

respond to the map data request, via the communication interface, with the selected one of the at least two versions of the map data transmitted to the portable device.

6. The server of claim 5, wherein the at least two versions of the map data comprise:

a first set of data corresponding to a geographic area including the location and identifying geographic features in the geographic area at a first level of detail; and

a second set of data corresponding to the geographic area and identifying geographic features in the geographic area at a second level of detail, the second level of detail being lower than the first level of detail.

7. The server of claim 6, wherein the sets of data comprise map tiles.

8. The server of claim 5, wherein the processing hardware is further configured to provide an application programming interface (API) to receive the request and respond to the request.

9. The server of claim 5, wherein the at least two versions of the map data comprise:

a first set of data corresponding to a geographic area including the location and identifying geographic features in the geographic area using a first set of visual styles; and

a second set of data corresponding to the same geographic area and identifying the same geographic features using a second set of visual styles, the second set of visual styles being different than the first set of visual styles.

10. The server of claim 5, wherein

the first version includes a first font size for a set of geographic features;

and

the second version includes a second font size for a same set of geographic features, wherein the second font size is larger than the first font size.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for dynamically varying map content based on the speed of a portable device that, when executed by one or more processors in a server device, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a map data request from a remotely located portable device, including an indication of a speed and a location of the portable device,

parse the map data request to determine the speed comprised in the map data request,

determine the location responsive to the map data request,

identify at least two versions of map data corresponding to the location,

select, based on the speed, one of the at least two versions of the map data corresponding to the location, wherein each of the at least two versions of the map data is for a same zoom level and includes different amounts of detail, including;

when the speed is below a predetermined threshold value, select a first version of the map data corresponding to the location, the first version including a geographic feature, and

when the speed is equal to or above the predetermined threshold value, select a second version of the map data corresponding to the location, the second version omitting the geographic feature, and

respond to the map data request with the selected one of the at least two versions of the map data transmitted to the portable device.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein

the first version includes a first font size for a set of geographic features;

and

the second version includes a second font size for a same set of geographic features, wherein the second font size is larger than the first font size.