Interactive Map Layer Management for Navigational Usability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Map developers face challenges in efficiently organizing and managing layers of digitized maps, including determining draw priority, graphics styles, and map scale ranges, as well as analyzing data weights and transmission times to ensure navigational usability.
Innovation Solution
A graphical user interface with a layer hierarchy, display range bars, and an analyzer tool that allows map developers to visually manage layers, set draw priorities, and analyze data weights and transmission times, enabling efficient organization and assessment of navigational usability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the digitized map includes a large number of layers with detailed information, then the map provides comprehensive geographic information, but the download time and data weight increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The digitized map is divided into multiple layers, each representing different geographic features (roads, water bodies, buildings, etc.). This segmentation allows the system to selectively transmit only the necessary layers based on user needs and device capabilities, reducing overall data weight and download time while maintaining comprehensive information availability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different layers are assigned different levels of detail and data quality based on their importance and the specific viewing context. Critical layers (e.g., major roads) are provided with high detail, while less critical layers use simplified representations, optimizing the balance between information completeness and data size.
2Quantity of substance
If the map developer includes all possible layers and details in the digitized map, then the map is comprehensive, but the system complexity and difficulty of managing layer settings increase
Solution Approach 1:
The map data is organized into distinct, independently manageable layers. Each layer can be configured, enabled, or disabled separately through a standardized interface, reducing the complexity of managing comprehensive map data by breaking it into manageable units with consistent management procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
A universal layer management system is implemented that handles all layers through a common interface and standardized configuration process. This multi-functional approach allows the same management mechanisms to handle diverse layer types (vector, raster, thematic layers), simplifying the overall system complexity despite the comprehensive nature of the map data.
3Stability of the object's composition
If detailed map features are displayed at all scales, then the map provides consistent information, but the readability and usability decrease at small scales
Solution Approach 1:
The map system dynamically adjusts the display of different layers based on the current zoom scale. At small scales, only essential layers with simplified features are displayed to maintain readability. As the user zooms in, additional layers with more detailed features are progressively revealed, maintaining information consistency appropriate to each scale level.
Solution Approach 2:
Different layers are optimized with appropriate levels of detail for their intended display scales. Critical navigation features maintain high quality across all scales, while ancillary features are provided with scale-appropriate detail, ensuring both readability at small scales and comprehensive information at large scales.
Data Source
AI summary
A graphical user interface for graphically managing the navigational usability of an interactive map is described. In one embodiment, the graphical user interface includes a layer hierarchy having a first layer and a second layer. The graphical user interface also includes a first display range bar associated with the first layer and configured to show a range of map scales at which the first layer is displayed in the digitized map. In addition, the graphical user interface includes a second display range bar associated with the second layer and configured to show a range of map scales at which the second layer is displayed in the digitized map.