MODE INFORMATION DISPLAYED IN A MAPPING APPLICATION

• US 20100118025A1
• Filed: 01/08/2007
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ofek, Eyal, Smith, Leonard, Kimchi, Gur
• Granted Patent: US 7,777,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Provided is a single repository for capturing, connecting, sharing, and visualizing information based on a geographic location, for example. Detailed information about a structure or other object information can be displayed as mode information. An object of interest can be identified by monitoring a user activity or inactivity with regard to a displayed map. If the user hovers a pointing device over an object within the displayed map for longer than a predetermined amount of time, it can be inferred that the user should be presented with additional information regarding the object.

Claims

1. A system for displaying mode information in a mapping application, comprising:

a rendering component that retrieves map information from one or more remote databases;

a hover mode component that identifies an object contained in the retrieved map information based on the movement of a pointing device; and

a merge component that communicates with at least one isolated data source to obtain information relating to the identified object, the obtained information is displayed in combination with the retrieved map information,

wherein the merge component communicates with at least a second isolated data source to obtain addition information for the identified object.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the hover mode component identifies the object when the pointing device remains hovered over the object longer than a predetermined amount of time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the hover mode component receives a user request to display the obtained information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the obtained information is presented to the user in at least one of a text format or an audio format.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a social network component that allows a user to annotate the retrieved map information.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the annotations are displayed in layers in combination with the retrieved map information.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the annotations are presented to authorized viewers.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the merge component displays the obtained information in combination with the retrieved map information based in part on a user information and a user selection.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the hover mode component identifies the object based on a user inactivity.

9. (canceled)

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the user can dynamically switch between the information obtained from the at least a first isolated data source and the information obtained from the at least a second data source.

12. A method for displaying mode information in combination with a map, comprising:

presenting a map to a user based on a user request;

monitoring the user activity;

identifying an object of interest based in part on the monitored user activity; and

displaying mode information relating to the identified object of interest with the presented map,

wherein displaying mode information comprises dynamically alternating between two or more modes in response to a user request.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein monitoring the user activity comprises determining if the user has been inactive for longer than a predetermined amount of time.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the mode information includes at least one of a realty mode, a history mode, an encyclopedia mode, or a community mode.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying the object of interest comprises determining if user is interested in object mode information is based in part on whether a pointing device has hovered over the object for a set period.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein displaying mode information comprises presenting information based on at least one of a user profile or a user demographic.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the map is displayed on a touch screen display and the pointing device is a finger.

17. (canceled)

18. A system for rendering detailed object information in a map display, comprising:

means for displaying a map area;

means for identifying at least one object in the displayed map area;

means for obtaining mode information for a plurality of modes for the at least one identified object; and

means for dynamically presenting the mode information for the plurality of modes within the map area at substantially the same time.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for identifying at least one object in the displayed map area monitors a user activity level.

20. (canceled)