Mobile Map Tile Caching and Segmentation for Limited Screen Display
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile devices face limitations in effectively displaying and interacting with data due to their small screens and slow data transmission rates, which hinders user experience for tasks like local search and navigation.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that allows users to interact with mobile devices by receiving search queries associated with geographic locations, presenting search results as icons on a graphical display, and providing options for zooming, panning, and accessing additional information such as directions, using a tile-based map system for efficient data retrieval and caching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If more detailed search result information is displayed, then information completeness is improved, but screen space utilization deteriorates due to small display size
Solution Approach 1:
The search result information is segmented into multiple pages, with each page displaying a subset of results. Users can navigate between pages to access complete information. This divides the large amount of data into manageable chunks that fit within the limited screen area while preserving access to all information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces temporal and navigational dimensions to the display system. Instead of attempting to show all information simultaneously in space, the system uses time-based pagination and navigation controls, allowing users to move through different states of information display to access complete data over time.
2Loss of information
If more search results are retrieved and cached, then data completeness is improved, but memory resource consumption increases on mobile devices
Solution Approach 1:
The caching system implements local quality by storing different amounts of data in different locations. Frequently accessed search results and commonly visited geographic areas are cached with higher priority and larger quantities, while less frequently accessed data is cached with lower priority or not cached at all. This optimizes memory usage by allocating resources based on actual access patterns rather than uniformly caching all possible data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-caching search results and map data for frequently visited locations and commonly searched terms. This anticipatory caching reduces the need for repeated data retrieval over the network, balancing memory consumption against information availability based on predicted user needs.
3Measurement precision
If higher resolution map tiles are displayed, then visual clarity is improved, but data transmission bandwidth requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The map display system applies local quality by rendering different resolution levels for different regions of the map. Areas currently visible or near the center of the display are rendered at high resolution for clarity, while peripheral or less frequently viewed areas are rendered at lower resolution. This reduces overall bandwidth consumption while maintaining visual clarity where it matters most to the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements partial action by loading and displaying only the portion of map tiles that are currently visible or likely to be viewed soon, rather than pre-loading entire high-resolution maps. This selective loading reduces bandwidth consumption to the minimum necessary level while maintaining display clarity for the active view.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method is disclosed that includes receiving on a mobile device a search query associated with a geographic location, providing one or more search results in response to the search query, the search results each being associated with a geographic location, and presenting on a graphical display of the computing device icons corresponding to each search result and also corresponding to a key on the computing device.