Presenting a travel route using more than one presentation style

• US 7,321,824 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Issued: 01/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nesbitt, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US10/330,550
• Time in Patent Office: 1,849 Days
• Field of Search: 701/202, 701/200, 701/201, 701/208, 701/211, 701/212, 701/23, 701/28, 731/78.R, 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/995.11, 340/995.14, 340/995.15, 340/995.19, 340/995.23, 340/995.27, 340/95
• US Class Current: 701/201
• 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 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

Techniques are provided for presenting a route in a manner that emphasizes the route and provides context information. For example, a vivid color or vivid colors may be used to display the route, and pastel colors or other desaturated colors may be used for non-route context information. This may result in a map in which the vivid colors of the route stand out over the faded style of the non-route context information to emphasize the route. In this manner, the map may both emphasize the route and provide context information for the route.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for presenting a route using more than one presentation style, the method comprising:

accessing route information for a route that includes an origin location and a destination location;

accessing map data including elements and positions associated with the elements;

generating a single map that includes the route, elements that are positioned on the route and elements that are not positioned on the route;

for each element to be included on the map, using the route information and the position for the element accessed within the map data to determine whether the element is to be associated with a first presentation style or if it is instead to be associated with a second and different presentation style, wherein;

the first presentation style is used to represent elements within a first distance from the route and the second and different presentation style is used to represent elements that are within a second distance from the route; and

enabling access to the map by a user system for presentation on a display associated with the user system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the map is generated for the route to include the origin location and the destination location.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the map is generated for the route to include only one of the origin location or the destination location.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the map is generated for the route to include neither the origin location or the destination location.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first presentation style comprises representing at least one element using a color that is not used to represent other elements.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the map is generated to include a variable road network map showing finer detail for geographic features near the route and less detail for geographic features farther from the route.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the map is generated for the route to include a highlight line that overlays elements included in the route, the overlaid elements including at least one element that represents a road included in the route.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the highlight line comprises a line having a translucent color.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the highlight line comprises a line that has a greater width than a width of a line used to represent a road that is not included in the route.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the map comprises causing the map to include at least one point of interest.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating narrative text associated with the route and communicating the narrative text to a user system for presentation on a display associated with the user system.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the route is a driving route.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the route is a walking route.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first presentation style comprises representing at least one element within the first distance from the route using a saturated color; and

the second and different presentation style comprises representing at least one element within the second distance from the route using a desaturated color.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the second and different presentation style comprises representing at least one element within the second distance from the route using a pastel color.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the first presentation style comprises text presented in a larger font size than a font size of text included in the second and different presentation style.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the elements on the route comprise at least one element that represents a road included in the route.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the elements on the route comprise at least text to identify a road included in the route.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the elements on the route comprise at least text to identify a city included in the route.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the single map includes enabling concurrent rendering of differentiated media directed to elements within the first and second distances of the route, wherein differentiated media includes a first presentation style of media representing elements within the first distance from the route and a second and different presentation style of media representing elements that are within the second distance from the route.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein concurrent rendering of differentiated media includes concurrent rendering of differentiated multi-media.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the first presentation style is a vivid presentation style and the second and different presentation style is a faded presentation style.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the elements represent cities.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein using the route information and the position for the element accessed within the map data to determine whether the element is to be associated with a first presentation style or if it is instead to be associated with a second and different presentation style further includes using the route information and the position for the element accessed within the map data to determine whether the element is to be associated with a third presentation style that differs from the first and second presentation styles.

25. A computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program configured to present a route using more than one presentation style, the medium comprising one or more code segments configured to:

access route information for a route that includes an origin location and a destination location;

access map data including elements and positions associated with the elements;

generate a single map that includes the route, elements that are positioned on the route and elements that are not positioned on the route;

for each element to be included on the map, use the route information and the position for the element accessed within the map data to determine whether the element is to be associated with a first presentation style or if it is instead to be associated with a second and different presentation style, wherein;

the first presentation style is used to represent elements within a first distance from the route and the second and different presentation style is used to represent elements that are within a second distance from the route; and

enable access to the map by a user system for presentation on a display associated with the user system.

26. The medium of claim 25 wherein the one or more code segments are further configured to generate narrative text associated with the route and communicate the narrative text to a user system for presentation on a display associated with the user system.

27. The medium of claim 25 wherein the first presentation style is a vivid presentation style and the second and different presentation style is a faded presentation style.

28. The medium of claim 25 wherein the elements represent cities.

29. The medium of claim 25 wherein the one or more code segments configured to generate the map comprise one or more code segments configured to generate the map for the route that includes an origin location and a destination location.

30. The medium of claim 25 wherein the one or more code segments are configured to generate the map for the route that includes only one of the origin location or the destination location.

31. The medium of claim 25 wherein the one or more code segments are configured to generate the map for the route that includes neither of the origin location or the destination location.

32. The medium of claim 25 wherein the one or more code segments configured to generate the map comprise one or more code segments configured to generate a map that includes a variable road network map showing finer detail for geographic features near the route and less detail for geographic features farther from the route.

33. The medium of claim 25 wherein the one or more code segments configured to generate the map comprise one or more code segments configured to cause the map to include at least one point of interest.

34. The medium of claim 25 wherein the map is generated for the route to include a highlight line that overlays road elements included in the route, the overlaid elements including at least one element that represents a road included in the route.

35. The medium of claim 34 wherein the highlight line comprises a line having a translucent color.

36. The medium of claim 34 wherein the highlight line comprises a line that has a greater width than a width of a line used to represent a road that is not included in the route.

37. The medium of claim 25 wherein the first presentation style comprises representing at least one element within the first distance from the route using a color that is not used to represent an element within the second distance from the route.

38. The medium of claim 25 wherein:

the first presentation style comprises representing at least one element within the first distance from the route using a saturated color; and

the second and different presentation style comprises representing at least one element within the second distance from the route using a desaturated color.

39. The medium of claim 25 wherein the first presentation style comprises representing at least one element within the first distance from the route using a pastel color.

40. The medium of claim 25 wherein the first presentation style comprises text presented in a larger font size than font size of text included in the second and different presentation style.

41. The medium of claim 25 wherein the elements on the route comprise at least one element that represents a road included in the route.

42. The medium of claim 25 wherein the elements on the route comprise at least text to identify a road included in the route.

43. The medium of claim 25 wherein the elements on the route comprise at least text to identify a city included in the route.

44. The medium of claim 25 wherein configured to generate the single map includes configured to enable concurrent rendering of differentiated media directed to elements within the first and second distances of the route, wherein differentiated media includes a first presentation style of media representing elements within the first distance from the route and a second and different presentation style of media representing elements that are within the second distance from the route.

45. The medium of claim 44 wherein concurrent rendering of differentiated media includes concurrent rendering of differentiated multi-media.

46. A system for presenting a route using more than one presentation style, the system comprising a processor connected to a storage device and one or more input/output devices, wherein the processor is configured to:

access route information for a route that includes an origin location and a destination location;

access map data including elements and positions associated with the elements;

generate a single map that includes the route, elements that are positioned on the route and elements that are not positioned on the route;

for each element to be included on the map, use the route information and the position for the element accessed within the map data to determine whether the element is to be associated with a first presentation style or if it is instead to be associated with a second and different presentation style, wherein;

the first presentation style is used to represent elements within a first distance from the route and the second and different presentation style is used to represent elements that are within a second distance from the route; and

enable access to the map by a user system for presentation on a display associated with the user system.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein the elements represent cities.

48. The system of claim 46 wherein the first presentation style is a vivid presentation style and the second and different presentation style is a faded presentation style.

49. The system of claim 46 wherein the processor is configured to generate the map for the route to include an origin location and a destination location.

50. The system of claim 46 wherein the processor is configured to generate the map for the route to include only one of the origin location or the destination location.

51. The system of claim 46 wherein the processor is configured to generate the map for the route to include neither of the origin location or the destination location.

52. The system of claim 46 wherein the processor is configured to generate the map to include a variable road network map showing finer detail for geographic features near the route and less detail for geographic features farther from the route.

53. The system of claim 46 wherein the processor is configured to cause the map to include at least one point of interest.

54. The system of claim 46 wherein the processor is further configured to generate narrative text associated with the route and communicate the narrative text to a user system for presentation on a display associated with the user system.

55. The system of claim 46 wherein the map is generated for the route to include a highlight line that overlays elements included in the route, the overlaid elements including at least one element that represents a road included in the route.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein the highlight line comprises a line having a translucent color.

57. The system of claim 55 wherein the highlight line comprises a line that has a greater width than a width of a line used to represent a road that is not included in the route.

58. The system of claim 46 wherein the first presentation style comprises representing at least one element within the first distance from the route using a color that is not used to represent an element within the second distance from the route.

59. The system of claim 46 wherein:

the first presentation style comprises representing at least one element within the first distance from the route presented using a saturated color; and

the second and different presentation style comprises representing at least one element within the second distance from the route using a desaturated color.

60. The system of claim 46 wherein the second and different presentation style comprises representing at least one element within the second distance from the route using a pastel color.

61. The system of claim 46 wherein the first presentation style comprises text presented in a larger font size than font size of text included in the second and different presentation style.

62. The system of claim 46 wherein the elements on the route comprise at least one element that represents a road included in the route.

63. The system of claim 46 wherein the elements on the route comprise at least text to identify a road included in the route.

64. The system of claim 46 wherein the elements on the route comprise at least text to identify a city included in the route.

65. The system of claim 46 wherein configured to generate the single map includes configured to enable concurrent rendering of differentiated media directed to elements within the first and second distances of the route, wherein differentiated media includes a first presentation style of media representing elements within the first distance from the route and a second and different presentation style of media representing elements that are within the second distance from the route.

66. The system of claim 65 wherein concurrent rendering of differentiated media includes concurrent rendering of differentiated multi-media.