Digital Map Label Collision Resolution via Pre-Zoom Removal

Solution Overview

Problem

Digital maps face label collisions when transitioning from higher to lower zoom levels due to non-scalable labels that do not adjust in size, leading to overlapping issues.

Innovation Solution

A method that anticipates potential collisions by 'peeking ahead' to the next lower zoom level and removes offending labels before the transition, using ranking information to determine which labels to remove, thereby preventing overlaps and maintaining non-overlapping label display.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If labels are displayed at the same size across different zoom levels, then label readability is maintained, but label collisions and overlaps occur when zooming out

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelabel readabilityVSAvoidlabel collision

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of potential label collisions by 'peeking ahead' to the target zoom level before the transition occurs. Labels that would collide at the lower zoom level are identified and removed in advance, preventing the collision from happening during the zoom transition while maintaining readability of labels that remain visible.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies preliminary anti-action by removing labels that would cause collisions before the zoom transition completes. By proactively eliminating problematic labels based on predicted overlap at the target zoom level, the system counteracts the harmful effect of label collisions before they can occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If labels are removed to prevent collisions, then label overlap is reduced, but information completeness decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelabel overlapVSAvoidlabel information

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of potential label collisions by 'peeking ahead' to the target zoom level before the transition occurs. Labels that would collide at the lower zoom level are identified and removed in advance, preventing the collision from happening during the zoom transition while maintaining readability of labels that remain visible.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of label visibility by selectively removing only those labels that would collide at the target zoom level, while preserving labels that would remain non-overlapping. This selective approach maintains information completeness by keeping useful labels visible while eliminating only the problematic ones.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of information

If all labels are kept visible during zoom transition, then information completeness is maintained, but label collisions occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelabel informationVSAvoidlabel collision

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of potential label collisions by 'peeking ahead' to the target zoom level before the transition occurs. Labels that would collide at the lower zoom level are identified and removed in advance, preventing the collision from happening during the zoom transition while maintaining readability of labels that remain visible.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different treatments to different labels based on their individual collision potential. Instead of uniformly removing all labels or keeping all labels, the system selectively removes only those labels that would collide at the target zoom level, while preserving labels that would remain non-overlapping, thus maintaining local quality of information display.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS9448754B2Resolving label collisions on a digital map

Publication Date: 2016.09.20 GOOGLE LLC

AI summary

A technique for displaying labels on a digital map comprise displaying the digital map via a user interface at a first zoom level, including displaying non-overlapping labels. The method also comprises receiving, via the user interface, a request to zoom out from the digital map to a second zoom level, where the second zoom level corresponds to smaller magnification than the first zoom level, and where the plurality of labels have the same size at the first zoom level and the second zoom level. Still further, the method includes resolving collisions among the plurality of labels at the second zoom level in response to receiving the request and prior to zooming out from the first zoom level, and zooming out from the digital map at the first zoom level to the second zoom level via at least one intermediate zoom level.