Intelligently placing labels

• US 9,396,697 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2013
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Adlers, Erik Anders Mikael, Marrin, Christopher F., Lindkvist, Elisabeth, Hultquist, Jeffrey Paul McCurdy, Henderson, Ian MacDonald
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewandroski, Sara
• Application Number:
  US13/907,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20140354629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,144 Days
• Field of Search: 715/230, 715/231, 715/232, 715/757, 715/836, 715/848, 715/850, 715/852, 345/649, 345/659, 345/672
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3635 Guidance using 3D or perspective road maps
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3638 including 3D objects and buildings three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects G06T17/00; geographic models G06T17/05
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/004 Annotating, labelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 Rotation, translation, scaling
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/60 Rotation of whole images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a mapping application that displays a rotation of a 3D map and corresponding rotation of a set of map labels overlaying the 3D map in response to receiving input to rotate the 3D map. When a particular map label in the set of map labels rotates towards an upside down orientation, the mapping application also replaces the particular map label with a version of the particular map label arranged in a right side up orientation to prevent the particular map label from being displayed in the upside down orientation in the 3D map.

Claims

1. A method of generating views of a three-dimensional (3D) map on a device, the device comprising a display screen, the method comprising:

receiving input to manipulate the 3D map displayed in the display screen, wherein a plurality of map labels overlay the 3D map that is displayed in the display screen, the plurality of map labels comprising a first map label and a second map label, the first map label having a point of interest (POI) indicator and a POI name;

in response to the input, displaying the manipulation of the 3D map and the plurality of map labels overlaying the 3D map; and

the displaying comprising continuing to display the second map label and removing the display of the first map label when the second map label overlaps both the POI indicator and the POI name of the first map label, in order to avoid displaying colliding map labels overlaying the 3D map.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises determining that the second map label overlaps the POI indicator and the POI name of the first map label based on whether a bounding shape that encompasses the second map label intersects with a bounding shape that encompasses the POI indicator and a bounding shape that encompasses the POI name of the first map label.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of map labels further comprises third and fourth map labels that are first and second road names, wherein the displaying further comprises:

selecting one of the third and fourth map labels based on road classifications of roads to which the first and second road names correspond when the third and fourth map labels are overlapping each other in the display screen; and

continuing to display the selected one of the third and fourth map labels and removing the display of the other of the third and fourth map labels in order to avoid displaying colliding map labels overlaying the 3D map.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second map label is a road name.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of map labels further comprises third and fourth map labels, wherein the fourth map label having a POI indicator and a POI name, wherein the displaying further comprises:

continuing to display the third map label and the POI indicator of the fourth map label and removing the display the POI name of the fourth map label when the third map label overlaps only the POI name of the fourth map label.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein continuing to display the second map label and removing the display of the first map label further comprises displaying a fading effect that fades out the first map label.

7. A device comprising:

a display screen;

at least one processing unit; and

a storage storing a mapping program which when executed by the processing unit generates views of a three-dimensional (3D) map, the mapping program comprising sets of instructions for;

receiving input to manipulate the 3D map displayed in the display screen, wherein a plurality of map labels overlay the 3D map that is displayed in the display screen, the plurality of map labels comprising a first map label and a second map label, the first map label having a point of interest (POI) indicator and a POI name;

in response to the input, displaying the manipulation of the 3D map and the plurality of map labels overlaying the 3D map; and

the set of instructions for displaying comprising a set of instructions for continuing to display the second map label and removing the display of the first map label when the second map label overlaps both the POI indicator and the POI name of the first map label, in order to avoid displaying colliding map labels overlaying the 3D map.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the set of instructions for continuing to display the second map label and removing the display of the first map label further comprises a set of instructions for displaying a fading effect that fades out the first map label.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the mapping program further comprises a set of instructions for:

identifying a location in the 3D map that corresponds to a particular map label in the plurality of map labels;

projecting a line segment vertically from the identified location in the 3D map; and

discontinuing to display the particular map label when the line segment is determined as occluded by map elements in the display screen.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for determining that the second map label overlaps the POI indicator and the POI name of the first map label based on whether a bounding shape that encompasses the second map label intersects with a bounding shape that encompasses the POI indicator and a bounding shape that encompasses the POI name of the first map label.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the plurality of map labels further comprises third and fourth map labels that are first and second road names, wherein the set of instructions for displaying further comprises sets of instructions for:

selecting one of the third and fourth map labels to based on road classifications of roads to which the first and second road names correspond when the third and fourth map labels are overlapping each other in the display screen; and

continuing to display the selected one of the third and fourth map labels and removing the display of the other of the third and fourth map labels in order to avoid displaying colliding map labels overlaying the 3D map.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the second map label is a road name.

13. The device of claim 7, wherein the plurality of map labels further comprises third and fourth map labels, wherein the fourth map label having a POI indicator and a POI name, wherein the set of instructions for displaying further comprises a set of instructions for:

continuing to display the third map label and the POI indicator of the fourth map label and removing the display the POI name of the fourth map label when the third map label overlaps only the POI name of the fourth map label.

14. A non-transitory machine readable medium for storing a mapping program for generating views of a three-dimensional (3D) map on a device, the device comprising a display screen, the mapping program executable by at least one processing unit of the device, the mapping program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving input to manipulate the 3D map displayed in the display screen, wherein a plurality of map labels overlay the 3D map that is displayed in the display screen, the plurality of map labels comprising a first map label and a second map label, the first map label having a point of interest (POI) indicator and a POI name;

in response to the input, displaying the manipulation of the 3D map and the plurality of map labels overlaying the 3D map; and

the set of instructions for displaying comprising a set of instructions for continuing to display the second map label and POI indicator of the first map label and removing the display of the POI name of the first map label when the second map label overlaps only the POI name of the first map label, in order to avoid displaying colliding map labels overlaying the 3D map.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for determining that the second map label overlaps the POI name of the first map label based on whether a bounding shape that encompasses the second map label intersects with a bounding shape that encompasses the POI name of the first map label.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein the plurality of map labels further comprises third and fourth map labels that are first and second road names, wherein the set of instructions for displaying further comprises sets of instructions for:

selecting one of the third and fourth map labels based on road classifications of roads to which the first and second road names correspond when the third and fourth map labels are overlapping each other in the display screen; and

continuing to display the selected one of the third and fourth map labels and removing the display of the other of the third and fourth map labels in order to avoid displaying colliding map labels overlaying the 3D map.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein the plurality of map labels further comprises third and fourth map labels, wherein the fourth map label having a POI indicator and a POI name, wherein the set of instructions for displaying further comprises a set of instructions for:

continuing to display the third map label and removing the display the POI indicator and POI name of the fourth map label when the third map label overlaps both the POI indicator and the POI name of the fourth map label.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein the second map label is a road name.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein the set of instructions for continuing to display the second map label and POI indicator of the first map label and removing the display of the POI name of the first map label further comprises a set of instructions for displaying a fading effect that fades out the POI name of the first map label.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 14, wherein the mapping program further comprises a set of instructions for:

identifying a location in the 3D map that corresponds to a particular map label in the plurality of map labels;

projecting a line segment vertically from the identified location in the 3D map; and

discontinuing to display the particular map label when the line segment is determined as occluded by map elements in the display screen.