Indoor Facility Indicator Display Adaptation for Map Clutter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital mapping applications face challenges in effectively displaying indoor facility information without creating clutter, especially at low zoom levels where the internal layout of structures is not visible, leading to confusion and poor user experience.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that dynamically adjust the display of indoor facility indicators based on the zoom level, grouping them near the structure's entrance or footprint at low zoom levels and displaying them at respective locations within the structure at higher zoom levels, using a computing device with a user interface and processor instructions to manage indoor facility data and map rendering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If indoor facility indicators are displayed at respective locations within the structure, then information completeness is improved, but visual clutter increases at low zoom levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the display configuration adaptive to zoom level. At high zoom levels, indicators are displayed at their respective indoor locations within the structure. At low zoom levels, indicators are automatically grouped and displayed near the structure's exterior footprint. This dynamic adjustment based on zoom level resolves the contradiction by showing detailed information when space permits and grouping information when space is limited.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the display strategy based on zoom level context. Rather than using a uniform display approach, the system applies different display qualities: detailed individual placement at high zoom levels and grouped placement at low zoom levels. This allows the system to optimize information presentation for each viewing context.
2Measurement precision
If indoor facility indicators are displayed at respective locations, then navigation precision is improved, but user confusion increases at low zoom levels where internal layout is not visible
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts indicator placement based on zoom level. At high zoom levels where the internal layout is visible, indicators are placed at precise indoor locations to enable accurate navigation. At low zoom levels where the internal layout is not visible, indicators are grouped near the structure's exterior footprint, preventing user confusion about facility locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary grouping of indicators near the structure exterior at low zoom levels, preparing the information in a comprehensible format before the user zooms in. This preliminary organization prevents confusion and allows users to understand the overall facility distribution before examining detailed locations.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If all indoor facility indicators are displayed at a common point, then visual clarity is improved, but information detail is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic display behavior that responds to zoom level changes. At low zoom levels, all indicators are displayed at a common point near the structure's exterior to maintain visual clarity. When the user zooms in to high zoom levels, the indicators automatically separate and display at their respective indoor locations, revealing detailed facility information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the indicator display into two states: grouped segmentation at low zoom levels and individual segmentation at high zoom levels. This segmentation allows the system to present information at the appropriate level of detail for each viewing context, preventing information loss while maintaining visual clarity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A digital map of a geographic area, along with a representation of a building located in the geographic area, is displayed at a selected zoom level via a user interface of a computing device. Availability of indoor facilities at the building is determined. When the selected zoom level has a first value, the one or more indicators of indoor facilities available at the building are displayed inside the representation of the building at respective locations of these indoor facilities. However, when the selected zoom level has a second value, the one or more indicators of indoor facilities available at the building are displayed over or proximately to the representation of the building at a location unrelated to the respective locations of the indoor facilities.