Adding custom content to mapping applications
View Patent ↗Digital maps can be composed of a series of image tiles that are selected based on the context of the map to be presented. Independently hosted tiles can comprise additional details that can be added to the map. A manifest can be created that describes the layers of map details composed of such independently hosted tiles. Externally referable mechanisms can, based on the manifest and map context, select tiles, from among the independently hosted tiles, that correspond to map tiles being displayed to a user. Subsequently, the mechanisms can instruct a browser, as specified in the manifest, to combine the map tiles and the independently hosted tiles to generate a more detailed map. Alternatively, customized mechanisms can generate map detail tiles in real-time, based on an exported map context. Also, controls instantiated by the browser can render three-dimensional images based on the combined map tiles.
1. One or more computer-readable storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for generating a digital map comprising map tiles and independently provided tiles of map details, the computer-executable instructions directed to steps comprising:
obtaining a map context indicating a geographic region and a zoom level;
detecting a custom mechanism for providing the tiles of map details in response to the map context;
utilizing the map context to determine identifiers for the map tiles;
providing the map context to the custom mechanism;
receiving, in response to the providing, the tiles of map details and associated identifiers, wherein each associated identifier uniquely identifies only a single one of the tiles of map details;
matching the tiles of map details to corresponding map tiles based upon the determined identifiers for the map tiles and the associated identifiers that are associated with the tiles of map details, with each matched tile of map details and corresponding map tile pair representing an equivalent geographic area; and
causing at least some of the matched tiles of map details to be displayed superimposed over at least some of the corresponding map tiles.
2. The computer-readable storage devices of claim 1 , wherein the causing the at least some of the matched tiles of map details to be displayed superimposed over the at least some of the corresponding map tiles further comprises causing the at least some of the matched tiles of map details to be displayed with a predetermined opacity with respect to the at least some of the corresponding map tiles.
3. The computer-readable storage devices of claim 2 , wherein the predetermined opacity is specified in a manifest associated with the independently provided tiles of map details.
4. The computer-readable storage devices of claim 1 , wherein the custom mechanism is specified in a manifest associated with the independently provided tiles of map details.
5. The computer-readable storage devices of claim 1 , wherein the tiles of map details identified by the custom mechanism comprise at least two independent layers of map details simultaneously representing equivalent geographic areas.
6. The computer-readable storage devices of claim 5 , wherein the causing the at least some of the matched tiles of map details to be displayed superimposed over the at least some of the corresponding map tiles further comprises: causing at least some of the matched tiles of map details representing a first layer to be displayed with a first predetermined opacity with respect to at least some of the matched tiles of map details representing a second layer and with respect to the at least some of the corresponding map tiles; and causing the at least some of the matched tiles of map details representing the second layer to be displayed with a second predetermined opacity with respect to the at least some of the corresponding map tiles.
7. The computer-readable storage devices of claim 1 , wherein the custom mechanism also generates the tiles of map details identified by the custom mechanism upon receipt of the map context.
8. A method of generating a digital map comprising map tiles and independently provided tiles of map details, the method comprising the steps of:
obtaining a map context indicating a geographic region and a zoom level;
detecting a custom mechanism for providing the tiles of map details in response to the map context;
utilizing the map context to determine identifiers for the map tiles;
providing the map context to the custom mechanism;
receiving, in response to the providing, the tiles of map details and associated identifiers, wherein each associated identifier uniquely identifies only a single one of the tiles of map details;
matching the tiles of map details to corresponding map tiles based upon the determined identifiers for the map tiles and the associated identifiers that are associated with the tiles of map details, with each matched tile of map details and corresponding map tile pair representing an equivalent geographic area; and
causing at least some of the matched tiles of map details to be displayed superimposed over at least some of the corresponding map tiles.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the causing the at least some of the matched tiles of map details to be displayed superimposed over the at least some of the corresponding map tiles further comprises causing the at least some of the matched tiles of map details to be displayed with a predetermined opacity with respect to the at least some of the corresponding map tiles.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined opacity is specified in a manifest associated with the independently provided tiles of map details.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the custom mechanism is specified in a manifest associated with the independently provided tiles of map details.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the tiles of map details identified by the custom mechanism comprise at least two independent layers of map details simultaneously representing equivalent geographic areas.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the causing the at least some of the matched tiles of map details to be displayed superimposed over the at least some of the corresponding map tiles further comprises: causing at least some of the matched tiles of map details representing a first layer to be displayed with a first predetermined opacity with respect to at least some of the matched tiles of map details representing a second layer and with respect to the at least some of the corresponding map tiles; and causing the at least some of the matched tiles of map details representing the second layer to be displayed with a second predetermined opacity with respect to the at least some of the corresponding map tiles.
14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the custom mechanism also generates the tiles of map details identified by the custom mechanism upon receipt of the map context.
15. One or more computer-readable storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for generating a digital map comprising map tiles and independently provided tiles of map details, the computer-executable instructions directed to steps comprising:
obtaining a map context indicating a geographic region and a zoom level;
obtaining a manifest providing display properties of the tiles of map details and an identification scheme for determining identifiers of the tiles of map details;
utilizing the map context to determine identifiers for the map tiles;
utilizing the map context and the identification scheme provided by the manifest to determine identifiers for the tiles of map details, wherein each determined identifier of the tiles of map details uniquely identifies only a single one of the tiles of map details;
matching the tiles of map details to corresponding map tiles based upon the determined identifiers for the map tiles and the determined identifiers for the tiles of map details, with each matched tile of map details and corresponding map tile pair representing an equivalent geographic area; and
causing at least some of the matched tiles of map details to be displayed superimposed over at least some of the corresponding map tiles.
16. The computer-readable storage devices of claim 15 , wherein the causing the at least some of the matched tiles of map details to be displayed superimposed over the at least some of the corresponding map tiles further comprises causing the at least some of the matched tiles of map details to be displayed with a predetermined opacity with respect to the at least some of the corresponding map tiles, the predetermined opacity being one of the display properties provided by the manifest.
17. The computer-readable storage devices of claim 15 , wherein the tiles of map details comprise at least two independent layers of map details simultaneously representing equivalent geographic areas.
18. The computer-readable storage devices of claim 17 , wherein the causing the at least some of the matched tiles of map details to be displayed superimposed over the at least some of the corresponding map tiles further comprises: causing at least some of the matched tiles of map details representing a first layer to be displayed with a first predetermined opacity with respect to at least some of the matched tiles of map details representing a second layer and with respect to the at least some of the corresponding map tiles; and causing the at least some of the matched tiles of map details representing the second layer to be displayed with a second predetermined opacity with respect to the at least some of the corresponding map tiles.