REAL TIME MAP RENDERING WITH DATA CLUSTERING AND EXPANSION AND OVERLAY

• US 20110041088A1
• Filed: 09/15/2010
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Telogis Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Mason, Ralph, Koch, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 8,745,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/767
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for the organization, management, and graphical display of multiple logically related entities. In some embodiments, the systems and methods provide the real-time display of status and location information for a fleet of tracked vehicles. In some embodiments, the systems and methods permit the automatic clustering of assets based on a user'"'"'s view of an underlying map. In some embodiments, the assets are vehicles that are a part of a managed fleet. In some embodiments, the assets are logically arranged into clusters of like assets. In some embodiments, the clusters provide graphical indications of status or class information of their underlying assets.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information pertaining to a plurality of geographically related assets, the method comprising:

receiving information pertaining to a plurality of assets;

selecting the assets from the plurality of assets that are geographically related, wherein the assets are geographically related if the physical location of the assets are within a geographic area defined by a virtual bounding area;

forming a cluster comprising the selected assets;

providing a graphical user interface comprising a geographic map and the cluster, wherein the cluster is overlayed on the geographic map in the geographic area defined by the bounding area;

wherein the cluster displays on the graphical user interface at least one item of information pertaining to the selected assets.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one item of information is a chart displaying status information for the selected assets.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one item of information is a chart displaying the class information for the selected assets.

6. The method of claim 1, where the at least one item of information is a numerical indication of the number of selected assets.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface displays the virtual bounding area.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding the cluster to a new cluster if a user of the graphical user interface zooms out from the geographic map.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising splitting the cluster into a plurality of clusters if a user of the graphical user interface zooms in on the geographic map.

2. The method of claim 2, wherein the assets are vehicles.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information pertaining to the plurality of assets is updated in real time.

10. A method for splitting a cluster of assets, wherein each asset has pixel coordinates based on its geospatial location and in reference to a virtual area representing an end user'"'"'s display, the method comprising:

identifying the coordinates of each asset,

dividing the virtual area into slots;

grouping the assets into the slots based on each assets'"'"' pixel coordinates; and

generating new clusters, wherein each new cluster comprises at least one asset and comprises every asset which was grouped into the same slot.

11. A method for clustering assets, comprising:

generating pixel coordinates for each asset based on the asset'"'"'s geospatial location and in reference to a virtual area representing an end user'"'"'s display;

determining an icon shape with specific pixel dimensions for use in connection with each asset;

querying a data structure with the icon shape for each asset;

adding an asset as a new cluster in the data structure if the area defined by the pixel dimensions of the asset'"'"'s icon shape, when centered over the asset'"'"'s pixel coordinates, does not overlap with the area covered by another cluster in the data structure; and

adding an asset to an existing cluster in the data structure if the area defined by the pixel dimensions of the asset'"'"'s icon shape, when centered over the asset'"'"'s pixel coordinates, overlaps with the area covered by the existing cluster.