Indicators for off-screen content

• US 9,279,685 B1
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Heng, Keekim J., Lederer, Scott M., Russell, Ethan
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Rodney
• Application Number:
  US14/108,640
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 701/425, 701/426, 701/432, 701/446, 701/208, 701/409, 701/411, 701/450, 701/454, 701/457, 701/459, 701/532, 701/428, 701/431, 701/460, 340/995.1, 340/995.11, 340/995.14, 340/995.17, 340/995.26, 340/995.27, 340/995.28, 348/113, 348/115, 348/116, 348/117, 348/118
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3804 Creation or updating of map data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3878 Hierarchical structures, e.g. layering
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens

Abstract

Provided are system and methods for identifying first and second geographic locations, and providing for display of a geographic map including: a first geographic map of a first geographic area including the first geographic location, and a first indicator including a second geographic map of a second geographic area including the second geographic location, wherein the second geographic map is displayed as an overlay on the first geographic map in a position that indicates a direction to the second geographic location.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

identifying first and second geographic locations; and

providing for display of a geographic map comprising;

a first geographic map of a first geographic area comprising the first geographic location; and

a first indicator comprising a second geographic map of a second geographic area comprising the second geographic location, wherein the second geographic map is displayed as an overlay on the first geographic map in a position that indicates a direction to the second geographic location, and wherein the second geographic map overlaid on the first geographic map depicts geographic features in the second geographic area.

2. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying, by one or more processors, first and second geographic locations; and

providing, by one or more processors, for display of a geographic map comprising;

a first geographic map of a first geographic area comprising the first geographic location; and

a first indicator comprising a second geographic map of a second geographic area comprising the second geographic location, wherein the second geographic map is displayed as an overlay on the first geographic map in a position that indicates a direction to the second geographic location, and wherein the second geographic map overlaid on the first geographic map depicts geographic features in the second geographic area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the position that indicates a direction to the second geographic location comprises a location between a central point of the first geographic area and a central point of the second geographic area.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the position that indicates a direction to the second geographic location comprises a location between a the first geographic location and the second geographic location.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the second geographic location is identified in response to a search query.

6. The method of claim 2,

wherein the first geographic location is identified in response to a first search query, and the first geographic map is displayed in response to the first search query, and

wherein the second geographic location is identified in response to a second search query submitted after the first search query, and the first indicator is displayed in response to the second search query.

7. The method of claim 2,

wherein the first geographic location is identified as a user'"'"'s current location, and

wherein the second geographic location is identified in response to a search query submitted by the user.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more processors, an indication of selection of the second geographic location or the second geographic map; and

in response to receiving an indication of selection of the second geographic location or the second geographic map, providing, by the one or more processors, for display of an updated geographic map comprising;

a third geographic map of a third geographic area comprising the second geographic location; and

a second indicator comprising a fourth geographic map of a fourth geographic area comprising the first geographic location, wherein the fourth geographic map is displayed as an overlay on the third geographic map in a position that indicates a direction to the fourth geographic location.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying, by the one or more processors, a third geographic location,

wherein the geographic map comprises a second indicator comprising a third geographic map of a third geographic area comprising the third geographic location, and

wherein the third geographic map is displayed as an overlay on the first geographic map in a position that indicates a direction to the third geographic location.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the first indicator comprises an arrow pointing in the direction to the second geographic location.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the first indicator indicates a distance from the first geographic location to the second geographic location.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the first indicator indicates a time to travel from the first geographic location to the second geographic location.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the first indicator indicates a name of the second geographic location.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the first indicator comprises a marker positioned on the second map at the second geographic location.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein one or more display characteristics of the first indicator is based at least in part on a distance from the first geographic location to the second geographic location.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein the second geographic map is displayed as a popup in response to user selection of the first indicator.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein the second geographic map depicts portion of a road in the second geographic area that is outside of the first geographic area.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein the second geographic map depicts at least part of a border of a state in the second geographic area that is outside of the first geographic area.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the second and third geographic locations are identified in response to the same search query, and wherein the first and second indicators are simultaneously displayed as overlays on the first map.

20. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon that are executable by one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

identifying, by one or more processors, first and second geographic locations; and

providing, by one or more processors, for display of a geographic map comprising;

a first geographic map of a first geographic area comprising the first geographic location; and

a first indicator comprising a second geographic map of a second geographic area comprising the second geographic location, wherein the second geographic map is displayed as an overlay on the first geographic map in a position that indicates a direction to the second geographic location, and wherein the second geographic map overlaid on the first geographic map depicts geographic features in the second geographic area.