Interactive mapping method and system

• US 20070088897A1
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jollify Management Limited
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lawless, Michael, Wehner, Mark, Fernandez, Rodney, Wailes, Thomas, Finucane, Gareth
• Granted Patent: US 8,145,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

Method and computer program product for presenting a set of address locations in a browser window of a user device via the Internet are disclosed. The method includes receiving a set of address locations in a given order, presenting the set of address locations as a list of directions, and presenting the set of address locations graphically on a map, where the map includes a route connecting the set of address locations according to the given order and a marker for each of the address locations. The method further includes creating a new order of the set of address locations from the given order by dragging an address location from the map to a different position in the list of directions, updating the list of directions according to the new order of the set of address locations, and updating the map according to the new order of the set of address locations.

Claims

1. A method for presenting a set of address locations in a browser window of a user device via the Internet, comprising:

receiving a set of address locations in a given order;

presenting the set of address locations as a list of directions; and

presenting the set of address locations graphically on a map, wherein the map includes a route connecting the set of address locations according to the given order, and wherein the map further includes a marker for each of the address locations.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

creating a new order of the set of address locations from the given order by dragging an address location from the map to a different position in the list of directions;

updating the list of directions according to the new order of the set of address locations; and

updating the map according to the new order of the set of address locations.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adding a new address location to the set of address locations;

updating the list of directions to include the new address location; and

updating the map to include the new address location.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

deleting a selected address location from the list of directions;

updating the list of directions to exclude the selected address location; and

updating the map to exclude the selected address location.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

creating a round trip by adding an end address location to the set of address locations, wherein the end address location includes the same address as the beginning address location;

updating the list of directions to include the end address location; and

updating the map to include a route to the end address location.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a query string within a pair of marking characters in a uniform resource locator (URL) in a browser address;

retrieving information describing a current map view using the query string in the URL; and

updating the URL to include information describing the current map view.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

providing the URL to a second user; and

presenting the current map view to the second user using the URL.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a current map view and its associated text information from a corresponding screen view in response to receiving a print map command from a user;

rearranging the current map view and its associated text information to create a print view; and

printing the print view.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the text information comprises:

a start address;

an end address;

a list of driving directions from the start address to the end address; and

a list of points of interest shown in the current map view.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

entering an address location in an address field; and

auto-completing the address location using information gathered from a list of recently visited or previously saved locations.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

entering an address location in an address field; and

auto-completing the address location using information gathered from a user'"'"'s address book.

12. A computer program product for presenting a set of address locations in a browser window of a user device via the Internet, comprising a medium storing computer programs for execution by one or more computer systems, the computer program product comprising:

code for receiving a set of address locations in a given order;

code for presenting the set of address locations as a list of directions; and

code for presenting the set of address locations graphically on a map, wherein the map includes a route connecting the set of address locations according to the given order, and wherein the map further includes a marker for each of the address locations.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

code for creating a new order of the set of address locations from the given order by dragging an address location from the map to a different position in the list of directions;

code for updating the list of directions according to the new order of the set of address locations; and

code for updating the map according to the new order of the set of address locations.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

code for adding a new address location to the set of address locations;

code for updating the list of directions to include the new address location; and

code for updating the map to include the new address location.

15. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

code for deleting a selected address location from the list of directions;

code for updating the list of directions to exclude the selected address location; and

code for updating the map to exclude the selected address location.

16. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

code for creating a round trip by adding an end address location to the set of address locations, wherein the end address location includes the same address as the beginning address location;

code for updating the list of directions to include the end address location; and

code for updating the map to include a route to the end address location.

17. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

code for providing a query string within a pair of marking characters in a uniform resource locator (URL) in a browser address;

code for retrieving information describing a current map view using the query string in the URL; and

code for updating the URL to include information describing the current map view.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising:

code for providing the URL to a second user; and

code for presenting the current map view to the second user using the URL.

19. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

code for identifying a current map view and its associated text information from a corresponding screen view in response to receiving a print map command from a user;

code for rearranging the current map view and its associated text information to create a print view; and

code for printing the print view.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the text information comprises:

a start address;

an end address;

a list of driving directions from the start address to the end address; and

a list of points of interest shown in the current map view.

21. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

code for entering an address location in an address field; and

code for auto-completing the address location using information gathered from a list of recently visited or previously saved locations.

22. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

code for entering an address location in an address field; and

code for auto-completing the address location using information gathered from a user'"'"'s address book.