Linear and Radial Legend Based on Motion | Patent Publication Number 20140330513
US 20140330513 A1Lsi Broadcom
Roger A. Fratti
The present disclosure is directed to a method for indicating a direction of motion and a scale on a map. The method includes the step of detecting a position, a speed, and a direction of motion. The method also includes the step of calculating a vector based on the position, speed, and direction of motion, the vector including a scale. A further step of the method includes overlaying the vector on the position indicator on the map.
- 1. A method for providing a legend on a map, the map including a position indicator of a monitored device, the method comprising:ndetecting a position and a speed of the monitored device;calculating a scale based on the position and speed of the monitored device; andoverlaying the scale on the position indicator on the map.
- 9. A method for indicating a direction of motion and a scale on a map, the map including a position indicator, the method comprising:ndetecting a position, a speed, and the direction of motion;calculating a vector based on the position, speed, and direction of motion, the vector including a scale; andoverlaying the vector on the position indicator on the map.
- 16. A computer-readable device having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for indicating a direction of motion and a scale on a map, the map including a position indicator, the instructions comprising:ndetecting a position, a speed, and the direction of motion;calculating a vector based on the position, speed, and direction of motion, the vector including a scale; andoverlaying the vector on the position indicator on the map.
The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/818,022, filed May 1, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure is directed generally towards the use of scales in mapping applications.
Existing systems and methods for mapping and navigation may not provide desired features. For example, existing legends provided on the maps may be located in a corner of the map display and include limited information.
Therefore, there exists a need for improved methods and systems for providing a linear and radial legend based on motion.
The present disclosure is directed to a method for indicating a direction of motion and a scale on a map. The method includes the step of detecting a position, a speed, and a direction of motion. The method also includes the step of calculating a vector based on the position, speed, and direction of motion, the vector including a scale. A further step of the method includes overlaying the vector on the position indicator on the map.
Additional embodiments are described in the application including the claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive. Other embodiments of the invention will become apparent.
Other embodiments of the invention will become apparent by reference to the accompanying figures in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to the subject matter disclosed, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The scope of embodiments of the invention is limited only by the claims; numerous alternatives, modifications, and equivalents are encompassed. For the purpose of clarity, technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the embodiments has not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description.
Existing systems and methods for mapping and navigation may not provide desired features. For example, existing legends in mapping applications may place the legend in a corner of the map. The legend is static and does not change dynamically in response to changes in speed or direction. Similarly, existing legends do not clearly correlate to the direction or route the user is taking.
For example, when sitting in traffic and looking at a smart phone based mapping application, a user may look at a mapping application to see how far into the distance a traffic jam will last. The mapping application displays the traffic, but it can be difficult to predict how far ahead (in time or in distance) the traffic extends because there is no scale, or the scale is located in a corner of the map display. In cases where there is a legend on the map, the legend is not correlated to the current location on the route and it is up to the user to estimate the distance between the user's current position and a destination.
The present disclosure is directed to a linear and radial scale based on motion that provides a measure of distance, time, or both. Referring generally to
An example implementation of the radial scale 200 provided using the method 100 is provided in
In the embodiment shown in
The units of the scale are adjustable and are selected by a user in one embodiment. In another embodiment, the units on the scale are selected automatically based on the speed, direction of motion, and current location. For example, if the current speed is walking speed (between 0 and 5 miles per hour), the scale is displayed on the order of feet and city blocks. If the current speed is driving speed (for example, above 10 miles per hour), the scale is displayed on the order of approximately one mile in one embodiment. The foregoing descriptions are merely exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, and it is understood that the scale is not limited to a particular unit or distance measurement, and is adjustable according to the circumstances. In one embodiment, the units are metric units. In another embodiment, the units are United States Customary Units. Any appropriate unit system may be used to depict the distances or time on the scale.
The vector 204 shown in
The method 100 shown in
In one embodiment, the method 100 is performed continuously with dynamic detection of any changes in position, direction, or speed. The placement, direction, and scale of the vector changes dynamically to adapt to such changes. In another embodiment, the method 100 is performed incrementally at regular time intervals to adjust the vector and the scale.
In one embodiment, the step of calculating a vector based on the position, speed, and direction of motion 104 of the method 100 includes calculating the vector based on at least one additional factor. The at least one additional factor includes factors such as traffic information, weather information, and road condition information, or the like. For example, when the scale includes a time estimate for the time required to travel the distance on the map indicated by the length of the vector, the time estimate accounts for traffic information on the intended route. Thus, if there is traffic on the road up ahead, the time estimates provided on the scale will account for the current speed as well as the traffic conditions and any resulting delay. In one embodiment, the traffic condition information is derived from a crowd sourcing application that provides information from one or more users about road conditions on the route. Road conditions may include any information about the road such as accidents, obstructions, lane restrictions, carpooling lanes, closures, construction, and the like.
The vector displayed on the map in
The step of detecting a position, a speed, and the direction of motion 102 of the method 100 is completed using any suitable system. In one embodiment, this includes a global positioning system, an accelerometer, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, or a combination of these systems.
The present disclosure is also directed to the method 400 shown in
In one embodiment, the method 400 is implemented on the monitored device, which may include a phone, GPS, navigation system, or other similar device. In another embodiment, the method 400 is implemented on a separate system used to track the monitored device.
In one embodiment, a plurality of concentric circles are used to illustrate the legend determined using the method 400, as shown in
In one embodiment, the number of concentric circles 506 varies depending on the location and speed. In another embodiment, a user selects a desired scale for the concentric circles 506.
One benefit of using the concentric circle legend provided in
In another embodiment shown in
In one embodiment, the concentric circle legend provided in
The method 100 shown in
The method 100 shown in
The present disclosure is also directed to a system 700 as shown in
In one embodiment, the processor 708 shown in
The system and methods of the present disclosure provide several advantages. For example, the system and methods of the present disclosure provide a dynamic visual legend to aid a user in estimating the scope of a traffic jam, or the distance between the user's current location and a desired location. The visual legend provides this information dynamically, taking into account traffic and road conditions and updating continuously. Similarly, the scale of the legend or vector provided in the system and methods of the present disclosure is adjustable and updates dynamically in response to changes in speed, direction, a user selection, or other conditions. All of these features provide the benefit of aiding a user in estimating the time or distance required to traverse a distance on a map.
In the present disclosure, the methods disclosed may be implemented as sets of instructions or software readable by a device. Further, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed are examples of exemplary approaches. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the method can be rearranged while remaining within the disclosed subject matter. The accompanying method claims present elements of the various steps in a sample order, and are not necessarily meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.
It is believed that the present disclosure and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components without departing from the disclosed subject matter or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form described is merely explanatory, and it is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.