Map Tile Pre-fetching via Dynamic Budget Constraints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional map data download techniques for mobile devices are inefficient, leading to increased download times and memory usage due to the lack of intelligent mechanisms for managing network bandwidth and memory, especially when users are not actively using mapping applications.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for pre-fetching map data tiles from a remote database based on identified points of interest, where the client device determines if a tile budget is met and stops or continues receiving tiles accordingly, allowing for optimized storage and display of map data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all map data tiles are downloaded to the mobile device, then the map display application can buffer map data for display, but the download time and buffer memory usage increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by downloading and caching map data tiles in advance during periods when the device is not actively being used or when network bandwidth is available. This pre-fetching strategy ensures that map data is ready before it is needed, reducing download time during actual map display operations while maintaining data availability.
2Reliability
If all map data tiles are downloaded to the mobile device, then the map display application can buffer map data for display, but the buffer memory usage increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by making map data tiles available locally in cache memory when and where they are needed, rather than storing all tiles globally. The cache manager selectively retains specific tiles based on their likelihood of being requested, ensuring that limited memory resources are allocated to the most relevant map data while maintaining availability of needed tiles.
3Productivity
If map data tiles are downloaded in advance, then network bandwidth can be utilized when user is not using the device, but intelligent mechanisms are needed to manage bandwidth and memory
Solution Approach 1:
The cache manager implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring device usage patterns, network conditions, and cache state. Based on this feedback, the system dynamically adjusts its pre-fetching strategy, deciding when and what map data to download. This feedback loop enables intelligent bandwidth utilization while automatically managing memory resources without requiring complex manual configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A pre-fetching map data system and method identifies a subset of map data to corresponding to one or more points of interest to be displayed on the map. The map data is stored on a remote map database in map data tiles. The pre-fetching map data system identifies those map data tiles that correspond to the one or more points of interest, where the identified pre-fetch map data tiles are sent from the remote database to a client device for cache storage. The number of pre-fetch map data tiles are determined using a tile budget, such as a maximum number of map data tiles that may be stored on the client device or a maximum amount of map data memory that can be consumed on the client device.