Cross-Street Identification in Electronic Maps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic mapping systems provide limited information about surrounding streets and intersections near points of interest, making it difficult for users to navigate effectively.
Innovation Solution
A method that identifies and stores road segments and their relationships at intersections in a cross-street database, allowing for enhanced geographical map displays that highlight important cross-streets and their connections, using heuristics to prioritize and present cross-street information based on importance and angular alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If existing electronic mapping systems provide basic point of interest location, then the system is simple to operate, but the location information about surrounding streets and intersections is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the street network into road segments and intersections as distinct entities. Each road segment is defined by its endpoints (intersections) and properties (name, type). This segmentation allows the system to represent complex street networks in a manageable, structured way that provides comprehensive location information while maintaining computational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension to traditional point-of-interest mapping by incorporating relational information between road segments and intersections. Instead of only showing where a POI is located, the system now represents the topological relationships (connectedness, adjacency) between street elements, enabling users to understand the surrounding street network structure.
2Measurement precision
If the system stores detailed road segment and intersection data, then location information accuracy is improved, but data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the street network into discrete road segments and intersections with standardized properties, the system achieves precise location representation without overwhelming complexity. Each segment is independently defined with clear attributes (name, type, endpoints), making the data structure manageable and easy to process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes to represent different types of road segments (one-way, two-way, pedestrian-only) and intersection types through standardized enumerated values. This approach maintains high precision in location information while keeping the data representation compact and processing efficient through standardized parameter sets.
3Loss of information
If the system displays all cross-streets at intersections, then complete location information is provided, but the map display becomes cluttered and difficult to use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the representation of cross-streets based on their relative importance and spatial relationship to the point of interest. Not all cross-streets are treated equally; the system selectively emphasizes certain streets based on their relevance to the current location context, making the map display cleaner and more usable while preserving complete information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements partial action by selectively displaying cross-street information based on predefined criteria (such as street importance, angular relationship to the main street, or proximity to the POI). This selective display provides sufficient information for effective navigation without overwhelming the user with all possible cross-street details.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the invention relate to the use of electronic maps and providing information about intersecting streets. A given region of interest on a map may include any number of features. Features of interest, including road segments and intersections, can be filtered to remove non-street data. The results may be analyzed according to individual street segments. Each segment may be identified by a feature ID, and the relationship each segment has with a given intersection is analyzed. Thus, the direction of a segment into or out of an intersection is determined, along with the physical locations of the beginning and end of the segment. This information is used to provide robust map information that may be displayed to a user. Heuristics can be applied to the map information to provide coherent address or direction information to the user for a given point of interest.