Patent ID: 7697014

Claim:
A computer program product comprising: a computer readable medium having computer usable program code encoded thereon executed by a computer for rendering graphical markers in a manner that avoids overlap of graphical markers on a map display, the computer program product comprising: computer usable program code for identifying a plurality of points for display from data describing locations and associated data about locations; computer usable program code for determining whether displaying graphical markers for a set of points in the plurality of points will result in graphical markers overlapping each other; and computer usable program code for displaying the graphical markers for the set of points in an arrangement that avoids overlap in response to a determination that displaying graphical markers for the set of points will result in graphical markers overlapping each other, wherein each graphical marker representing a point in the set of points does not overlap with any other marker associated with the map display when displayed in the arrangement that avoids overlap, further comprising: computer usable program code for displaying the graphical markers in a fan-shaped arrangement to form a set of fanned markers, wherein each graphical marker in the set of fanned graphical markers does not overlap with any other graphical marker.