Abstract: A mobile computing device can be used to locate a vehicle parking location. In particular, the mobile device can automatically identify when a vehicle in which the mobile device is located has entered into a parked state. The mobile device can determine that the vehicle is in a parked state by analyzing one or more parameters that indicate a parked state or a transit state. The location of the mobile device at a time corresponding to when the vehicle is identified as being parked can be associated with an identifier for the current parking location.

Abstract: A mobile device including a touchscreen display can detect multiple points of fingertip contact being made against the touchscreen concurrently. The device can distinguish this multi-touch gesture from other gestures based on the duration, immobility, and concurrency of the contacts. In response to detecting such a multi-touch gesture, the device can send a multi-touch event to an application executing on the device. The application can respond to the multi-touch event in a variety of ways. For example, the application can determine a distance of a path in between points on a map that a user has concurrently touched with his fingertips. The application can display this distance to the user.

Abstract: A method of selectively displaying maps on a mobile device. The method sends a map application, which had been displaying a first map, to the background. The method then returns the map application to the foreground. The method then determines whether to redisplay the previous map or display a map surrounding the then current location of the device. The determination is based on various factors including user interaction, time that the map application has been in the background and distance traveled while the map application is in the background.

Abstract: This is directed to systems, methods, and computer-readable media for printing maps and directions. In response to receiving an instruction to print directions, a device can define a layout optimized to show the route to travel, along with distinct steps that correspond to the route. The layout can include a map overview showing the entire route, with callouts identifying each step on the route. The layout can also include listings of individual steps, where each listing includes a reference number referring back to a callout and a description of the step. Each listings can also include a map tile showing a detailed view of the step corresponding to the listing. The map overview and the listings can be disposed, for example, in different columns of a landscape view.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a navigation application that presents a novel navigation presentation on a device. The application identifies a location of the device, and identifies a style of road signs associated with the identified location of the device. The application then generates navigation instructions in form of road signs that match the identified style. To generate the road sign, the application in some embodiments identifies a road sign template image for the identified style, and generates the road sign by compositing the identified road sign template with at least one of text instruction and graphical instruction. In some embodiments, the road sign is generated as a composite textured image that has a texture and a look associated with the road signs at the identified location.

Abstract: A multi-step animation sequence for smoothly transitioning from a map view to a panorama view of a specified location is disclosed. An orientation overlay can be displayed on the panorama, showing a direction and angular extent of the field of view of the panorama. An initial specified location and a current location of the panorama can also be displayed on the orientation overlay. A navigable placeholder panorama to be displayed in place of a panorama at the specified location when panorama data is not available is disclosed. A perspective view of a street name annotation can be laid on the surface of a street in the panorama.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a device that stores a novel navigation application. The application in some embodiments includes a user interface (UI) that has a display area for displaying a two-dimensional (2D) navigation presentation or a three-dimensional (3D) navigation presentation. The UI includes a selectable 3D control for directing the program to transition between the 2D and 3D presentations.

Abstract: The present technology presents targeted content, such as a targeted application, within a primary application, in such a fashion that the targeted application is a separate process from the primary application. The targeted application is targeted to a specific user by compiling targeting data, generally describing aspects related to the user and information about the primary application for use by an application server, which processes the targeting data to determine suitable content. The present technology further achieves a balance between the need to protect a user's information and sharing some of this information with trusted sources for selecting targeted content to be displayed within a primary application by providing an operating system process to accept requests and compile targeting data for determined targeted content from the primary application without sharing the targeting data with the primary application.

Abstract: An interactive capability enables a user to dynamically adjust the content of an electronic map. Different modes can be chosen to emphasize features relevant to a particular interest, e.g. commuting, tourism, weather, etc. Combinations of modes can be selected to create a customized map. When a search is conducted, the chosen mode functions as a filter for the retrieved results. The map responds to user input directed to a given feature, to display information relevant to that feature. Tapping or clicking on a highway displays the locations of services along the highway, Touching two points on the map causes available routes between them to be computed and displayed to the user, along with relevant data for each route. Geospatial applications can be integrated with the map to provide information pertaining to the area displayed on the map, and to refine search results to those that are relevant to the area.

Abstract: Correct detection of embedded content type enables an operating system to launch the correct program to handle the embedded content. A page retrieval module retrieves an HTML page from a server, the contents of which are parsed by a parsing module. An embedded content analyzer gathers information from the parsed page about content embedded within the web page and proceeds to determine the type of content that is embedded. Content type is determined by analyzing various parameters such as a type specified by the web page, content type provided by an HTTP response, known file extensions present in a URL associated with the content or with the name of the file itself, and by sniffing the file. In one embodiment, the results of each analysis are weighted and a determination is made based upon the weighted total of results.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for a mapping service. For a set of road segments that intersect at a junction in a map region, the method generates an initial set of geometries for use in generating downloadable map information for the map region. For each corner formed by the geometries at the junction, the method determines whether to perform a smoothing operation. When a particular corner meets a set of criteria, the method modifies the geometries of at least one road segment to smooth the corner.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein pertain to power conservation for electronic devices. According to one embodiment, power conservation can be achieved through adaptive frame rate control for a display associated with an electronic device. The frame rate is able to be controlled so as to adapt to a frame rate that is adequate for the display task. Since the display often times displays content that is not very dynamic, the frame rate in such situations can be controlled to use a reduced frame rate, which thereby reduces power consumption. However, when the display displays content that is substantially dynamic, the frame rate in such situations can be controlled to use an enhanced (or not reduced) frame rate, which ensures reasonable display quality.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a mapping application for generating views of a three-dimensional (3D) map. The mapping application includes a geographic data module for identifying a set of geographic data that represents a portion of the 3D map. The set of geographic data includes a set of camera captured images that correspond to the portion of the 3D map. The mapping application includes an image processing module for rendering the view of the 3D map based on the geographic data by animating a type of map element in the view of the 3D map.

Abstract: The embodiments described relate to techniques and systems for utilizing a portable electronic device to monitor, process, present and manage data captured by a series of sensors and location awareness technologies to provide a context aware map and navigation application. The context aware map application offers a user interface including visual and audio input and output, and provides several map modes that can change based upon context determined by data captured by a series of sensors and location awareness technologies.

Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus are described to render a map according to hybrid map data. A map may be generated by a map service and sent to a client device. Hybrid map data composed of raster graphics data and vector graphics data may be generated by a map service to be sent to and rendered on a client device. A client device obtains hybrid map data, renders the vector graphics data using vector graphics, renders the raster graphics data using raster graphics, and displays the map view. A client device may receive input modifying the zoom level of the displayed map. In response a client device may render the vector graphics data at the modified zoom level and scale the raster graphics data to the zoom level. Some embodiments may obtain update raster graphics data.

Abstract: For a device running a mapping application that includes a display area for displaying a map and a set of graphical user interface (GUI) items, a method for providing routes is described. The method computes a route between a starting location and a destination location. The route includes a sequence of maneuvering instructions for guiding a user through the route. The method provides a movable GUI item for showing each maneuvering instruction in the sequence in order to allow a user to navigate the route by moving the GUI items in and out of the display area.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a map tool displaying a three-dimensional view of a map based on a three-dimensional model of the surrounding environment. The three-dimensional map view of a map may be based on a model constructed from multiple data sets, where the multiple data sets include mapping information for an overlapping area of the map displayed in the map view. For example, one data set may include two-dimensional data including object footprints, where the object footprints may be extruded into a three-dimensional object based on data from a data set composed of three-dimensional data. In this example, the three-dimensional data may include height information that corresponds to the two-dimensional object, where the height may be obtained by correlating the location of the two-dimensional object within the three-dimensional data.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a map tool displaying a three-dimensional view of a map region, where the map tool determines whether or not partially occluded labels within the map region are to be drawn or are to not be drawn. The map tool determines whether or not to draw a label in a map view dependent upon mapping information and upon construction of a three-dimensional model based on one or more two- or three-dimensional data sets. The map tool further determines whether or not to draw a label in the map view dependent upon a measure of occlusion of a label in the map view. In order to determine a measure of occlusion, the map tool may calculate whether a line of sight projection from virtual camera viewpoint for the mobile device intersects, once or more than once, with any objects or landmarks within the three-dimensional model.

Abstract: Embodiments may include determining a navigation route between an origination and a destination; the route may span multiple portions of a map. Embodiments may also include receiving an order of priority in which to receive the multiple portions of the map; the order may be generated based on distinct levels of expected signal strength for each of the multiple portions. For instance, within the order of priority, map portions associated with areas of low signal strength may be ranked higher than areas of higher signal strength. Embodiments may also include acquiring at least some of the portions of the map according to the order of priority, and generating a map display comprising the multiple portions of the map. For instance, map portions associated with areas of poor reception may be downloaded first whereas map portions associated with strong signal strength may be downloaded on-the-fly during route navigation.

Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus are described to render a map according to a style sheet. Several embodiments of map rendering are described that may be suitable for rendering individual portions of a map, known as map tiles, which may include one or more features. Embodiments may obtain one or more a map tiles with features that may have one or more style identifiers. Embodiments may identify a style from a stylesheet for each feature in the map tile according to style identifiers in the feature and the style in the stylesheet. Some embodiments may render the one or more map tiles according to the identified styles and may display the rendered map tiles. In some embodiments, a map service generates one or more map tiles with features including style identifiers and sends the one or more map tiles to a client rendering device.