Mobile Map Pre-fetching for Offline Rendering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile computing devices face challenges in accessing remote data for map rendering due to limited network connectivity, which affects user experience by requiring real-time communication with backend servers.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for pre-fetching remote resource data to a client computing device, where map tile data is sent with references to remote resource data, allowing the device to cache and retrieve this data independently, reducing the need for continuous communication with the backend server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If map tile data includes remote resource data references, then device can render maps with limited connectivity, but device must manage and cache remote resource data independently
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by including remote resource data references within the map tile data during the initial data download phase. This allows the device to cache necessary remote resource data in advance, enabling map rendering even when network connectivity is later limited or unavailable.
Solution Approach 2:
The map data is segmented into map tile data and associated remote resource data references. This segmentation allows the device to receive and cache discrete data units independently, managing complexity by handling resources in manageable segments rather than as a monolithic data set.
2Loss of time
If device caches remote resource data, then continuous network communication is reduced, but initial data transfer requires network access
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary data retrieval by downloading map tile data with embedded remote resource references during periods of good network connectivity. This preliminary action stores necessary data locally, eliminating the need for continuous network communication during map rendering and reducing overall network dependency.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method and system for pre-fetching remote resource data from a remote mapping system for display on a client computing device is disclosed. Data received at a client device from an online mapping system in response to a query from the client device includes vector and remote resource data. Vector data is rasterized by the client device to depict graphical elements that are easily described by mathematical formulas. Remote resource data includes digital map elements that are not easily described by vectors, but instead, must be relayed to the client device as either bitmaps or references (e.g., URLs) to remote resources that are resolved at the backend or the client device. This remote resource data is prefetched to a client device so that it will be available for subsequent mapping application searches without resolving a corresponding reference to the remote resource data for each search.