Patent ID: 6944537

Claim:
A route guidance service method operable in a telecommunications network, where an area serviced by the route guidance service method is represented by a three-dimensional model comprising surface elements corresponding to features visible in the area, the route guidance service method comprising: first, creating a description of a route animation by: defining a route between selected route points, wherein the route and route points lie within the area serviced by the method; selecting surface elements corresponding to features visible at locations along the route from the three-dimensional model on the basis of the route defined; forming an ordered set from the selected surface elements by (1) determining an order of appearance of the selected surface elements as the route is traversed, the order of appearance indicating the order in which features corresponding to the surface elements become visible as the route is traversed, and (2) using the order of appearance as a criterion for forming the ordered set, where the description comprises at least in part the ordered set; and then transmitting the description of the route animation over the telecommunications network to a terminal having a display; recreating the route animation from the description at the terminal; and displaying the route animation on the display of the terminal.