Digital Map Interaction for Non-Designated Locations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital maps limit user interactions to only a small number of predefined locations, making it inconvenient for users to retrieve information about non-designated locations without leaving the mapping application.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that allows users to interact with any location on a digital map by receiving selection data, determining if the location has associated informational data, and if not, obtaining and displaying a set of informational data from various data sources, such as street view, traffic, social networking, and user photographs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If map providers only store and provide place information for a small number of designated locations, then device complexity and data storage requirements are reduced, but user accessibility to location information is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the mapping application's data retrieval system) that bridges the gap between the user's selection and the underlying data sources. When a user selects a location, the system acts as a mediator to automatically query external data sources (street view, traffic, social networking, user photographs) and compile relevant information, eliminating the need for storing all possible location data locally while maintaining comprehensive accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing connections to multiple data sources and pre-configuring the data retrieval architecture. When a location is selected, the system can immediately query pre-established data sources without delay, making the on-demand information retrieval process as efficient as accessing pre-stored data.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system generates informational data on-the-fly for non-designated locations, then adaptability to any location is improved, but processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of querying all possible data sources for every location selection, the system applies partial action by selectively querying only the relevant data sources based on the user's needs and the location characteristics. The system can choose to retrieve information from street view, traffic, social networking, or user photographs depending on what is most useful for that particular location and user context, reducing unnecessary processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms to optimize data retrieval. By analyzing user interactions and preferences, the system can learn which data sources are most valuable and adjust its querying strategy accordingly, reducing retrieval time for frequently accessed information types while maintaining comprehensive coverage for less common queries.
Data Source
AI summary
A mapping system allows a user to interact with any location on a digital map and present the user with location related information associated with the selected location. The location related information may be in the form or a card, pop-up, image, or other graphic and may be displayed on the map at or near the selected location, around the map, etc. The displayed location related information may include predetermined or pre-stored data about the location or may include location related information collected and generated on the fly in response to the user interaction with the digital map. The displayed location related information may be displayed in the same graphical format on the digital map regardless of whether location related information is predetermined information about the location that already exists or information that is collected and generated on the fly in response to the user interaction.