Contextual based navigation element

• US 9,109,921 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2013
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Furio, Paul J., Wenneman, Michael Christopher, Edelstein, David Adam, Dixon, Scott Allen, Myers, Robert King, Podwal, Michael Zohar
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, CALVIN K
• Application Number:
  US13/922,039
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 701/455
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• 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

Abstract

Various embodiments enable a user to navigate within an application where features of the navigation vary depending on a context of the user or particular features of the application. For example, a user could request directions, in a turn-by-turn mode of the computing device, to a destination. Accordingly, mapping information for a region and a route to the destination through the region can be displayed. Along with the mapping information, a navigation element can be displayed that enables the user to navigate through the mapping information. In one example, the navigation element is displayed off-center from the mapping information such that it does not obscure the mapping information while the user provides touch inputs to navigate within the same.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a processor;

a touch display; and

a memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to;

display, on the touch display of the computing device, mapping information for a geographic region proximate the computing device, the mapping information including a route through the region along which the computing device is traveling;

display an interactive navigation element on the touch display, the interactive navigation element being displayed in a location offset from the route allowing a user to view a portion of the mapping information for the region while

providing a touch input to navigate along the route through the region;

detect the touch input to the interactive navigation element, the touch input associated with forward movement along the route;

determine a navigational sensitivity of the interactive navigation element, based at least in part on at least one of a map feature density along the route ahead or a travel speed of the computing device moving along the route;

determine a distance ahead on the route to navigate the display of the mapping information based at least in part on the navigational sensitivity of the interactive navigation element; and

update the display of mapping information in order to navigate forward along the route by the determined distance.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further enable the computing device to:

upon receiving a substantially circular swipe around the interactive navigation element, display at least one of a change in zoom level or a rotation of the displayed mapping information.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the interactive navigation element is a miniature view of the displayed mapping information for the region and, wherein a location of the interactive navigation element changes depending on a hand in which the user is holding the computing device.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the distance along the route is longer when the map feature density is low and shorter when the map feature density is high.

5. The computing device of claim 4, wherein the map feature density is associated with at least one of a number of intersections, points of interest, highway off-ramps, or urban development.

6. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,

displaying, on a touch display of a computing device, a map surface having at least one map feature;

displaying, on the touch display, an interactive navigation element off-center from the map surface enabling a portion of the map surface to be displayed while enabling touch inputs to be provided to the interactive navigation element;

enabling navigation around the map surface using the interactive navigation element, a navigational sensitivity of the interactive navigation element being a function of a density of the at least one map feature in a direction along the surface.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the navigational sensitivity is associated with a distance covered in the direction upon receiving a navigational touch input, the distance covered being longer when the density of the at least one feature is low and shorter when the density of the at least one feature is high.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the direction along the surface is a route on the map, and the at least one feature is associated with at least one of a number of intersections, points of interest, highway off-ramps, or urban development.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining at least one of a speed of the computing device traveling or a distance to a destination associated with the route; and

based at least in part on at least one of the determined speed or distance to the destination, adjusting navigational sensitivity of the interactive navigation element, the distance covered being longer at higher travel speeds and longer distances to the destination relative to lower travel speeds and shorter distances to the destination relative.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

upon receiving a navigational touch input, displaying map information associated with navigating a direction along the map surface associated with the received navigation input, the direction having a gravity weighting associated with movement toward one or more features of the at least one map feature upon approaching the one or more map features.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the at least one feature is at least one of map location search results or points of interests.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

upon entering a turn-by-turn navigation mode for a route, reducing density of the at least one map feature to omit map features substantially unassociated with the route.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a substantially circular swipe input around the interactive navigation element; and

displaying at least one of a change in zoom level or a rotation of the displayed map surface.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

capturing image information of a user using at least one user facing camera of the computing device;

determining whether the user is holding the computing device in a right hand or a left hand based on a relative location of the user in the captured image information; and

upon determining that the user is holding the computing device in the right hand, displaying the interactive navigation element off-center on a right side of the touch display; and

upon determining that the user is holding the computing device in the left hand, displaying the interactive navigation element off-center on a left side of the touch display.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing device to:

display mapping information on a touch display of a computing device;

display an interactive navigation element on the touch display, the interactive navigation element being displayed off-center from the mapping information; and

enable navigation within the mapping information using the interactive navigation element;

determine a speed of the computing device traveling within the mapping information; and

based at least in part on the determined speed, determining a navigational sensitivity of the interactive navigation element, the navigational sensitivity being higher at higher user travel speeds and lower and lower user travel speeds.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the navigational sensitivity is associated with a distance covered within the mapping information upon receiving a navigational touch input, the distance covered being longer at higher travel speeds and shorter at lower travel speeds.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the computing device to:

receive a navigational touch input; and

navigate the user in a direction associated with the navigational touch input a distance within the mapping information according to the determined navigational sensitivity.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15,

wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the computing device to:

receive a substantially circular swipe input around the interactive navigation element; and

display at least one of a change in zoom level or a rotation of the displayed mapping information.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the interactive navigation element is a miniature view of the displayed mapping information.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the computing device to:

capture image information of the user using at least one user facing camera of the computing device;

determine whether the user is holding the computing device in a right hand or a left hand based on a relative location of the user in the captured image information; and

upon determining that the user is holding the computing device in the right hand, display the interactive navigation element off-center on a right side of the touch display; and

upon determining that the user is holding the computing device in the left hand, display the interactive navigation element off-center on a left side of the touch display.