Patent ID: 8825384

Claim:
A method for labeling a map element of a digital map, the method comprising: displaying the map element on a display device, where the map element is represented by at least one spline comprising a plurality of vertices; retrieving from a database a label assigned to the map element, where the label comprises a plurality of components including one or more of characters, symbols, and icons; retrieving from the database stored label coordinate values, where the stored label coordinate values describe positions of the plurality of components in the assigned label, and each of the stored label coordinate values is derived from coordinate values of at least one of the plurality of vertices of the at least one spline and stored in the database prior to displaying the map element; and determining a portion of the digital map where no labeling shall occur, the portion of the digital map where no labeling shall occur comprising at least a segment of the map element; displaying on the display device the assigned label in the digital map based on the retrieved stored label coordinate values such that the positions and shapes of the plurality of components in the assigned label are adapted to a geometric form of at least a portion of the map element represented by the at least one spline, and that the determined portion of the digital map where no labeling shall occur is not occupied by any part of the assigned label.