Printing – Multicolor – Inkers
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-09
2001-12-18
Nguyen, Tan (Department: 3661)
Printing
Multicolor
Inkers
C701S211000, C701S212000, C340S995190
Reexamination Certificate
active
06330858
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a system and method for scrolling a map display in a navigation application program.
Computer-based navigation systems are able to provide end-users, such as vehicle drivers as well as others, with various navigating functions and features. For example, some navigation systems are able to determine an optimum route to travel by roads between locations in a geographic region. Using input from the end-user, and optionally from equipment that can determine the end-user's physical location (such as a GPS system), a navigation system can examine various routes between two locations to determine an optimum route to travel from a starting location to a destination location in the geographic region. The navigation system may then provide the end-user with information about the optimum route in the form of instructions that identify the maneuvers required to be taken by the end-user to travel from the starting location to the destination location. The navigation system may be located in an automobile and the instructions may take the form of audio instructions that are provided as the end-user is driving the route. Some navigation system are able to show detailed maps on computer displays that outline routes to destinations, the types of maneuvers to be taken at various locations along the routes, locations of certain types of features, and so on.
In order to provide these and other navigating functions, present navigation systems include navigation application software programs and use one or more detailed databases that include data which represent physical features in geographic regions. The detailed database(s) includes data which represent the road network in a region, including the roads and intersections in the region and information about the roads and intersections, such as turn restrictions at intersections, speed limits along the roads, street names of the various roads, address ranges along the various roads, and so on. Further, the data may include information about points-of-interest such as museums, national parks, restaurants and the like. Presently, the collection of such geographic data and the provision of such data in a computer-usable database format are provided by Navigation Technologies of Rosemont, Ill.
Present navigation application programs and navigation systems are able to provide many advantages and many useful features. However, there continues to be a need for improvement. One area in which there is need for improvement relates to providing an efficient method of implementing a smooth scrolling display feature.
Smooth scrolling generally permits a user to browse the map on a map display. This feature permits the user to examine a portion of a map away from a present position of a vehicle. One method of generating a smooth scrolling map is accomplished by retrieving data from a database and updating an edge of a displayed map as the map moves on the display in a given direction. This form of smooth scrolling can lead to difficulties in name placement for features shown on the map because the retrieved strip of information may not be large enough to hold the full feature name. Also, unnecessary duplication of names may occur. Further, updating a display in strips can occasionally lead to discontinuities in roads and other features and presents a less precise rendering of a map region.
Accordingly, it is an objective to provide a navigation application that provides improved map scrolling in a navigation application.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention, a map display tool is provided having a map processing layer, a graphics interface layer, and a primitive layer that separates the graphics platform dependent tasks from graphics platform independent tasks. The map processing layer preferably contains a scrolling function for providing a substantially smooth scrolling map image on a display. The map processing layer communicates with a navigation application program for instructions and a map database for information necessary to carry out the map rendering instructions. The graphics interface maintains at least one table of drawing attributes required by the map processing layer. The primitive layer preferably communicates directly with graphics platform and populates the tables in the graphics interface layer.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of smooth scrolling map information on a navigation system display is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing first and second graphics buffers. The first graphics buffer contains map information regarding a first location, and the second graphics buffer holds map information regarding a predicted future location. While a map area is shown and scrolled from map information in the first graphics buffer, a look-ahead process creates an auxiliary map in the second buffer. When the map area that is shown on the display reaches or approaches the edge of the map information stored in the first buffer, the map information from the second buffer is copied into the first buffer and the process repeats.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4511973 (1985-04-01), Miura et al.
patent: 4527155 (1985-07-01), Yamaki et al.
patent: 4550317 (1985-10-01), Moriyama et al.
patent: 4571684 (1986-02-01), Takanabe et al.
patent: 4638438 (1987-01-01), Endo et al.
patent: 4646089 (1987-02-01), Takanabe et al.
patent: 4675676 (1987-06-01), Takanabe et al.
patent: 4737916 (1988-04-01), Ogawa et al.
patent: 4744033 (1988-05-01), Ogawa et al.
patent: 4757455 (1988-07-01), Tsunoda et al.
patent: 4760531 (1988-07-01), Yasui et al.
patent: 4780717 (1988-10-01), Takanabe et al.
patent: 4796191 (1989-01-01), Honey et al.
patent: 4807157 (1989-02-01), Fukushima et al.
patent: 4812980 (1989-03-01), Yamada et al.
patent: 4825381 (1989-04-01), Bottorf et al.
patent: 4845631 (1989-07-01), Bottorf
patent: 4876651 (1989-10-01), Dawson et al.
patent: 4914605 (1990-04-01), Loughmiller, Jr. et al.
patent: 4937570 (1990-06-01), Matsukawa et al.
patent: 4996645 (1991-02-01), Schneyderber Van Der Zon
patent: 5089826 (1992-02-01), Yano et al.
patent: 5115398 (1992-05-01), De Jong
patent: 5161886 (1992-11-01), De Jong et al.
patent: 5274387 (1993-12-01), Kakihara et al.
patent: 5297051 (1994-03-01), Arakawa et al.
patent: 5323321 (1994-06-01), Smith, Jr.
patent: 5359529 (1994-10-01), Snider
patent: 5371497 (1994-12-01), Nimura et al.
patent: 5381338 (1995-01-01), Wysocki et al.
patent: 5383128 (1995-01-01), Nishida et al.
patent: 5396430 (1995-03-01), Arakawa et al.
patent: 5406493 (1995-04-01), Goto et al.
patent: 5414629 (1995-05-01), Inoue
patent: 5448696 (1995-09-01), Shimada et al.
patent: 5559938 (1996-09-01), Van Roekel et al.
patent: 5573402 (1996-11-01), Gray
patent: 5613055 (1997-03-01), Shimoura
patent: 5629854 (1997-05-01), Schulte
patent: 5754161 (1998-05-01), Noguchi et al.
patent: 5790975 (1998-08-01), Kashiwazaki et al.
patent: 5808598 (1998-09-01), Nakatani et al.
patent: 6016110 (2000-01-01), Takinami
patent: 6092076 (2000-07-01), McDonough et al.
J. Ahn and H. Freeman, A Program for Automatic Name Placement; published in vol. II of the Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium on Automated Cartography, ed. Barry S. Wellar (1983).
John Kwangho Ahn, Automatic Map Name Placement System, Rensselaer Polytechic Institute, Ph.D., Thesis, pp. 1-84 (May 1984).
Stephen A. Hirsch and Barry J. Glick, Design Issues for an Intelligent Names Processing System, published prior to Mar. 24, 1998.
Mark S. Monmonier, Computer Assisted Cartography Principles and Prospects, pp. 158-185 (1982).
McDonough William
Rao Srinivasa
Srivastava Ashutosh
Kaplan Lawrence M.
Kozak Frank J.
Navigation Technologies Corporation
Nguyen Tan
LandOfFree
Method and system for scrolling a map display in a... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and system for scrolling a map display in a..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and system for scrolling a map display in a... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2572791