Patent ID: 8319772
Filing Date: 2012-11-27
Classification: G01C,G06T,G09B

Abstract:
1. In a computing device that comprises memory and a processing unit, a method of rendering map views for map navigation, the method comprising, with the computing device: determining a first viewer position, the first viewer position being associated with a view altitude in 3D space; determining a first map metadata element with a first metadata altitude in the 3D space, wherein the first map metadata element is associated with a first feature of a map; determining a second map metadata element with a second metadata altitude in the 3D space, wherein the second map metadata element is associated with a second feature of the map, and wherein the second metadata altitude is different than the first metadata altitude; rendering for display a first view of the map based at least in part upon the first viewer position and layering of the first and second map metadata elements in the 3D space at the different metadata altitudes above a surface layer of the map, wherein the surface layer includes graphical details for the first and second features of the map, the first and second map metadata elements marking the first and second features of the map in the first view of the map, and wherein the rendering the first view depends at least in part on relation of the view altitude to the different metadata altitudes of the first and second map metadata elements in the 3D space; determining a second viewer position based at least in part upon input that indicates a change in viewer position; rendering for display a second view of the map based at least in part upon the second viewer position and layering of the first and second map metadata elements in the 3D space at the different metadata altitudes above the surface layer of the map, the first and second map metadata elements marking the first and second features of the map in the second view of the map, wherein the rendering the second view depends at least in part on relation of view altitude of the second viewer position to the different metadata altitudes of the first and second map metadata elements in the 3D space; wherein the first view and the second view are top-down views of the map, wherein, in the first view and the second view, the first map metadata element and the second map metadata element are rendered in parallel orientation in the 3D space to the surface layer of the map, and wherein, compared to the first view, in the second view due to parallax effects the first map metadata element is displaced a different distance than the second map metadata element to account for change in geographic position between the first viewer position and the second viewer position in the 3D space, the first and second map metadata elements staying in place in the 3D space above the first and second features marked by the first and second map metadata elements, respectively, but appearing to move between the first and second views; determining a third viewer position; and rendering for display a third view of the map based at least in part upon the third viewer position, wherein the rendering the third view depends at least in part on relation of view altitude of the third viewer position to the different metadata altitudes of the first and second map metadata elements in the 3D space, wherein the third view is a birds-eye view of the map, and wherein, in the birds-eye view, the first map metadata element is rendered in perpendicular orientation in the 3D space to the surface layer of the map.