Dynamic building extrusion in electronic maps

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11790603-B2
Application number	US-202117486433-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2021
Priority date	Jan 8, 2020
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

Techniques are described for building extrusion in an electronic map. A client map application receives geographic location information, such as from a user input. The client map application retrieves electronic map data representing a specific building at a location indicated by the received geographic location information. The client map application generates an extruded building graphical element illustrating the specific building in three dimensions based on the retrieved electronic map data representing the specific building. The client map application renders an electronic map representing electronic map data according to a first style. The electronic map also includes the extruded building graphical element such that the specific building is rendered in three dimensions according to a second style.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
maintaining a style sheet for an electronic map representing two-dimensional electronic map data, wherein the style sheet comprises a plurality of style layers, each style layer comprising a plurality of style layer properties defining visual representations within the electronic map of map features;
receiving an address;
responsive to receiving the address, obtaining electronic map data representing a route to the address;
determining whether a specific building along the route satisfies one or more criteria, wherein the one or more criteria comprises at least one of (1) whether the specific building is within a viewport of the electronic map, (2) whether the electronic map has reached at least a threshold zoom level, or (3) whether the electronic map has reached at least a threshold pitch level;
responsive to determining that the specific building along the route satisfies at least one of the one or more criteria, dynamically generating an extruded building graphical element illustrating the specific building in three dimensions, wherein the plurality of style layers comprises an extrusion style layer comprising a reference to the extruded building graphical element that specifies the extruded building graphical element for rendering in three dimensions; and
rendering the electronic map such that the extruded building graphical element is rendered within the electronic map in three dimensions as indicated by the extrusion style layer, and such that graphical elements representing buildings other than the specific building are rendered in two dimensions in the electronic map.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving geographic location information; and
wherein obtaining electronic map data representing the specific building comprises obtaining electronic map data associated with a location indicated by the received geographic location information.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the received geographic location information comprises a set of coordinates, and wherein obtaining electronic map data representing the specific building comprises:
querying an electronic map data source for map features within a threshold radius of the set of coordinates; and
receiving a query response comprising the electronic map data representing the specific building.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving feature information of the specific building, wherein the feature information comprises contextual information;
wherein rendering the extruded building graphical element further comprises rendering the retrieved feature information in addition to the extruded building graphical element.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the extruded building graphical element is rendered in the electronic map three-dimensionally responsive to the electronic map reaching or surpassing a threshold zoom level, and is rendered in the electronic map two-dimensionally at a zoom level that does not reach or surpass the threshold zoom level.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein rendering the electronic map comprises rendering the extruded building graphical element according to a first style in three dimensions, rendering a first subset of buildings other than the specific building in two dimensions, and rendering a second subset of buildings other than the specific building in three dimensions using a second style distinct from the first style.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein rendering the extruded building graphical element comprises using the reference in the extrusion style later to retrieve the extruded building graphical element.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program instructions executable by one or more processors, the computer program instructions comprising instructions to:
maintain a style sheet for an electronic map representing two-dimensional electronic map data, wherein the style sheet comprises a plurality of style layers, each style layer comprising a plurality of style layer properties defining visual representations within the electronic map of map features;
receive an address;
responsive to receiving the address, obtain electronic map data representing route to the address;
determining whether a specific building along the route satisfies one or more criteria, wherein the one or more criteria comprises at least one of (1) whether the specific building is within a viewport of the electronic map, (2) whether the electronic map has reached at least a threshold zoom level, or (3) whether the electronic map has reached at least a threshold pitch level;
responsive to determining that the specific building along the route satisfies at least one of the one or more criteria, dynamically generate an extruded building graphical element illustrating the specific building in three dimensions, wherein the plurality of style layers comprises an extrusion style layer comprising a reference to the extruded building graphical element that specifies the extruded building graphical element for rendering in three dimensions; and
render the electronic map such that the extruded building graphical element is rendered within the electronic map in three dimensions as indicated by the extrusion style layer, and such that graphical elements representing buildings other than the specific building are rendered in two dimensions in the electronic map.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , computer program instructions further comprising instructions to:
receive geographic location information; and
wherein obtaining electronic map data representing the specific building comprises a computer program instruction to obtain electronic map data associated with a location indicated by the received geographic location information.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the received geographic location information comprises a set of coordinates, and wherein obtaining electronic map data representing the specific building comprises computer program instructions to:
query an electronic map data source for map features within a threshold radius of the set of coordinates; and
receive a query response comprising the electronic map data representing the specific building.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , the computer program instructions further comprising computer program instructions to:
retrieve feature information of the specific building, wherein the feature information comprises contextual information;
wherein rendering the extruded building graphical element further comprises a computer program instruction to render the retrieved feature information in addition to the extruded building graphical element.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the extruded building graphical element is rendered in the electronic map three-dimensionally responsive to the electronic map reaching or surpassing a threshold zoom level, and wherein the extruded building graphical element is rendered in the electronic map two-dimensionally at a zoom level that does not reach or surpass the threshold zoom level.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein rendering the electronic map comprises computer program instructions to render the extruded building graphical element according to a first style in three dimensions, render a first subset of buildings other than the specific building in two dimensions, and render a second subset of buildings other than the specific building in three dimensions using a

Assignees

• Mapbox Inc

Inventors

• Cieplinski Avi Elias
• Boblett Brennan

Classifications

• G06T11/23

  using straight lines or curves · CPC title

• G06T17/05 Primary

  Geographic models · CPC title

• G01C21/367

  Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker · CPC title

• G06F16/29

  Geographical information databases · CPC title

• G06F16/9537

  Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries · CPC title