Digital Map Tile Serving System for Efficient Online Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional digital mapping systems face inefficiencies in delivering aesthetically pleasing maps online, as they often produce and transmit entirely new images for minor map view changes, leading to poor performance and user experience due to wasteful data transmission and poor image quality.
Innovation Solution
A tile-based digital mapping system that generates map tiles offline and serves them efficiently upon request, utilizing a map painter module, tile maker, and tile storage to pre-render and cache map tiles, allowing for efficient delivery of map tiles in response to user requests, and handles map labels and features across tile boundaries effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional systems generate entirely new map images for each view change, then complete map information is provided, but data transmission volume increases and performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the map into multiple overlapping tiles that can be independently generated, cached, and transmitted. When a user requests a map view, the system transmits only the specific tiles needed for that view rather than generating and transmitting entire new map images, significantly reducing data transmission volume while maintaining complete map information coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-generates and caches map tiles in advance before they are actually needed. This allows the tiles to be readily available for rapid transmission when users request map views, eliminating the need to generate complete new map images in real-time and improving data transmission efficiency.
2Reliability
If vector-based map data is extracted and drawn in real-time, then map information is complete, but image quality deteriorates and reading becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-renders map tiles as high-quality bitmap images during offline processing, preserving professional look and feel. When users request map views, these pre-rendered tiles are transmitted and displayed directly without real-time vector rendering, maintaining high image quality while ensuring complete map information is provided.
3Productivity
If raster-based map databases are used, then data transmission is simplified, but map resolution and readability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the high-resolution raster map into multiple overlapping tiles. Each tile maintains high resolution and readability, while the segmented structure enables simplified data transmission by sending only the specific tiles needed for the current view, rather than transmitting entire large-resolution raster images.
4Ease of operation
If custom software is installed on user computers, then user experience improves, but system complexity and adoption barriers increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements client-side caching mechanisms that allow users' browsers to store and reuse map tiles locally. This enables fast map viewing and navigation without requiring custom software installation, while still providing a responsive user experience. The system serves itself by utilizing browser capabilities for tile storage and retrieval.
Data Source
AI summary
Digital tile-based mapping techniques are disclosed that enable efficient online serving of aesthetically pleasing maps. In one particular embodiment, an image tile-based digital mapping system is configured for generating map tiles during an offline session, and serving selected sets of those tiles to a client when requested. Also provided are solutions for handling map labels and other such features in a tile-based mapping system, such as when a map label crosses map tile boundaries. Various processing environments (e.g., servers or other computing devices) can be employed in the system.