Road Map Rendering via GPU Texture Mapping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional road map rendering methods produce monotonous visual effects and rely on CPU performance, failing to fully utilize GPU capabilities for efficient rendering.

Innovation Solution

A road map rendering method that expands road broken lines into polygons, creates geometric-topological structures, selects texture coordinates based on traffic conditions, and uses OpenGL to fill polygons, leveraging GPU performance for improved rendering.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional software rendering manner is used, then implementation is simple, but rendering speed depends on CPU and cannot fully utilize GPU performance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverendering speedVSAvoidrendering complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces CPU-based software rendering with GPU-based hardware rendering by utilizing OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics interface. The road rendering is transformed from software polygon filling to hardware-accelerated graphics pipeline, where the GPU performs vertex processing, rasterization, and fragment processing to achieve accelerated rendering performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the rendering approach from conventional software polygon filling to OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics pipeline by modifying key parameters: using vertex shaders for position transformation, fragment shaders for color rendering, and texture mapping for visual effects. This parameter change enables full utilization of GPU rendering capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Illumination intensity

If conventional polygon filling manner is used, then implementation is straightforward, but visual effect is monotonous in color

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisual effectVSAvoidrendering complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic color rendering for roads by using texture mapping with OpenGL ES 2.0. Different road conditions (such as traffic flow states) are represented by different texture images with varying colors and patterns. The fragment shader applies these textures to road surfaces, enabling rich visual effects that convey traffic information through color variations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds a texture dimension to road rendering by mapping 2D texture images onto the 3D road surfaces. This texture dimension provides additional visual information about traffic conditions, transforming the rendering from simple color filling to multi-dimensional visual representation that includes color, pattern, and texture variations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS9684977B2Method and apparatus for road map rendering
Publication Date: 2017.06.20 TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) CO LTD
  • US9684977B2 patent drawing
  • US9684977B2 patent drawing
  • US9684977B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A road map rendering method and associated computing apparatus are provided. The method includes: receiving data representing a road broken line, the data including multiple line segments and a road traffic condition; expanding the road broken line into a polygon based on the multiple line segments and creating a geometric-topological structure for the polygon using the received data, the geometric-topological structure including a vertex list and an index list; selecting texture coordinates that correspond to the road traffic condition; and filling the polygon using the selected texture coordinates that correspond to the road traffic condition. In the road map rendering method and associated computing apparatus provided in the embodiments of the present application, a road traffic condition is rendered by invoking a texture, so that performance of a graphics processing unit of a mobile terminal can be exploited and a good rendering effect can be achieved, thereby clearly indicating the road traffic condition.