Digital map having user-defined zoom areas

• US 8,261,206 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bennett, Valerie Monk, Jain, Mohit, Cyrus, Joseph Robert Jr., Merrill, Ethan Kary
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): DRAGOESCU, CLAUDIA B
• Application Number:
  US12/394,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20100223577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 715/800, 715/764, 715/781, 715/788, 715/803, 715/855, 701207-208
• US Class Current: 715/800
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

Computer hardware logic displays a computer-generated geographic map on a video display through the use of a receiving logic and a zooming logic. The receiving ic detects an input signal for initiating a map zoning mode for an initial computer-generated geographic map. This map zoning mode prevents zooming of the entire initial computer-generated geographic map. The zooming logic zooms a user-selected area on the initial computer-generated geographic map, thus generating a zoom window that displays and overlays an enlarged view of the user-selected area over the initial computer-generated geographic map.

Claims

1. A computer hardware logic for displaying a computer-generated geographic map on a video display, the computer hardware logic comprising:

a receiving logic for detecting an input signal for initiating a map zoning mode for an initial computer-generated geographic map, wherein the map zoning mode prevents zooming of all of the initial computer-generated geographic map;

a zooming logic for zooming multiple user-selected areas on the initial computer-generated geographic map, wherein said zooming generates a unique zoom window for each of the multiple user-selected areas, wherein each said unique zoom window displays and overlays an enlarged view of a corresponding user-selected area, from the multiple user-selected areas, over the initial computer-generated geographic map, wherein the multiple user-selected areas are each a different singular point on the initial computer-generated geographic map;

a persistence logic for persistently and simultaneously displaying all of the multiple zoom windows over the initial computer-generated geographic map;

a cursor movement detection logic, wherein the cursor movement detection logic detects a distance between a user dragging a clicked mouse cursor from a user-selected singular point on the initial computer-generated geographic map to a final resting position of the mouse cursor, wherein the dragged distance automatically determines a size and zoom level of a zoom window;

a zoom window repositioning logic, wherein the zoom window repositioning logic detects a pre-defined type of information displayed on the initial computer generated geographic map; and

automatically repositions the zoom window such that the zoom window does not overlay and obscure the pre-defined type of information displayed on the initial computer-generated geographic man;

a zoom window visual encoding logic, wherein the zoom window visual encoding logic alters a physical appearance or a shape of a border of the zoom window in accordance with a unique condition of roads depicted within the zoom window; and

a selective zooming logic for selectively zooming each of the multiple zoom windows to different zoom levels.

2. The computer hardware logic of claim 1, wherein the zoom window is visually associated with the user-selected area by a set of linking lines displayed on the initial computer-generated geographic map.

3. The computer hardware logic of claim 1, wherein the pre-defined type of information comprises names of intersecting roads.

4. The computer hardware logic of claim 1, wherein the pre-defined type of information is a city name.

5. The computer hardware logic of claim 1, wherein the unique condition is a prohibition against transporting hazardous materials on the roads depicted within the zoom window.

6. The computer hardware logic of claim 1, further comprising:

a text box display logic, wherein the text box display logic causes a presentation of a text box to display text information about businesses located at a street intersection depicted within the zoom window.

7. A tangible computer-readable storage medium on which is encoded a computer program, the computer program comprising computer executable instructions configured for displaying a computer-generated geographic map on a video display by performing the steps of:

detecting an input signal for initiating a map zoning mode for an initial computer-generated geographic map, wherein the map zoning mode prevents zooming of all of the initial computer-generated geographic map;

zooming multiple user-selected areas on the initial computer-generated geographic map, wherein said zooming generates a unique zoom window for each of the multiple user-selected areas, wherein each said unique zoom window displays and overlays an enlarged view of a corresponding user-selected area, from the multiple user-selected areas, over the initial computer-generated geographic map, wherein the multiple user-selected areas are each a different singular point on the initial computer-generated geographic map;

displaying persistently and simultaneously all of the multiple zoom windows over the initial computer-generated geographic map;

selecting each of the multiple zoom windows to selectively zoom to different zoom levels;

detecting a distance between the user dragging a clicked mouse cursor from a user-selected singular point on the initial computer-generated geographic map to a final resting position of the mouse cursor, wherein the dragged distance automatically determines a size and zoom level of a zoom window;

repositioning the zoom window when a pre-defined type of information displayed on the initial computer generated geographic map is detected to be obscured by at least one or more zoom windows; and

automatically repositioning the at least one or more zoom windows such that the pre-defined type of information displayed on the initial computer-generated geographic map is not obscured by any zoom windows; and

altering a physical appearance or a shape of a border of the zoom window in accordance with a unique condition of roads depicted within the zoom window.

8. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the zoom window is visually associated with the user-selected area by a set of linking lines displayed on the initial computer-generated geographic map.

9. A system comprising:

a specific processor;

a display coupled to the specific processor;

a tangible computer-readable storage medium on which are stored computer-executable instructions, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, perform a computer-executed method comprising;

detecting an input signal for initiating a map zoning mode for an initial computer-generated geographic map, wherein the map zoning mode prevents zooming of all of the initial computer-generated geographic map;

zooming multiple user-selected areas on the initial computer-generated geographic map, wherein said zooming generates a unique zoom window for each of the multiple user-selected areas, wherein each said unique zoom window displays and overlays an enlarged view of a corresponding user-selected area, from the multiple user-selected areas, over the initial computer-generated geographic map wherein the multiple user-selected areas are each a different singular point on the initial computer-generated geographic map;

displaying persistently and simultaneously all of the multiple zoom windows over the initial computer-generated geographic map;

selecting each of the multiple zoom windows to selectively zoom to different zoom levels;

detecting a distance between a user dragging a clicked mouse cursor from a user-selected singular point on the initial computer-generated geographic map to a final resting position of the mouse cursor, wherein the dragged distance automatically determines a size and zoom level of a zoom window;

repositioning the zoom window when a pre-defined type of information displayed on the initial computer generated geographic map is detected to be obscured by at least one or more zoom windows; and

automatically repositioning the at least one or more zoom windows such that the pre-defined type of information displayed on the initial computer-generated geographic map is not obscured by any zoom windows; and

altering a physical appearance or a shape of a border of the zoom window in accordance with a unique condition of roads depicted within the zoom window.