Dynamically configured rendering of digital maps
View Patent ↗Digital map rendering using dynamically updatable map configuration files is enabled. A map designer creates a map configuration file that specifies customizable attributes of a rendered map and stores the configuration file in a data store, either on the same local network as the map server that will be rendering the map, or at a remote location. The map configuration file can be included on a web page, wiki page, blog, etc. When a client requests a rendered map from the map server, the request specifies the location of the map configuration file to be used in the rendering. The map server retrieves the map configuration file and renders the map in accordance with the settings in the configuration file. The map server returns the rendered map to the client. In such a manner, the developer can modify the map configuration file and immediately effect subsequently rendered maps.
1. A method for providing a digital map, the method comprising:
receiving, by a computer, a request for a digital map, the request including geographic location information and a location of a map configuration data file, the configuration data file including configuration data specifying a manner in which cartographic features of the digital map are to be rendered;
retrieving from the included location the configuration data file;
caching the retrieved configuration data;
identifying, from the configuration data file, image settings and cartographic features to be included in the rendering of the requested map;
rendering, by the computer, the requested map using the location specified by the received geographic location information and including cartographic features associated with the specified geographic location and rendered in the manner specified by parameters included in the configuration data file; and
returning the rendered map; and
responsive to receiving an instruction to discard the cached configuration data, discarding the cached configuration data and instructing a plurality of additional map servers to discard the cached configuration data.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the location of the configuration data file is specified by a URL.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the file identified by the URL is a web page, and the web page includes the configuration data.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the location of the configuration data file is specified by a network address.
5. A system for providing a digital map, the system comprising:
a map server, adapted to:
receive a request for a digital map, the request including a geographic location and a location of a map configuration data file including map configuration data specifying a manner of rendering cartographic features of a map image settings and cartographic features to be included in the rendering of the requested map;
retrieve the map configuration data from the data file at the location specified in the request;
cache the retrieved configuration data;
render a digital map including cartographic features of the requested geographic location, the cartographic features rendered according to the retrieved configuration data; and
return the rendered map; and
responsive to receiving an instruction to discard the cached configuration data, to discard the cached configuration data and instruct a plurality of additional map servers to discard the cached configuration data.
6. A method for providing a digital map, the method comprising:
providing a map configuration data file to a data store, the data file specifying customizable attributes of a digital map, including image settings and cartographic features to be included in a rendering of the map;
requesting, by a client, that a map server render a digital map, the request specifying a geographic location to be included in the rendered map, and including a reference to the provided data file stored in the data store; and
receiving, by the client, a rendered map from the map server, the rendered map having cartographic features of the specified geographic location rendered according to the customizable attributes specified in the data file; and
instructing the server to discard a cache of the configuration data and to instruct a plurality of additional map servers to discard cached configuration data.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
providing a modified map configuration data file to the data store, the modified data file replacing the map configuration data file;
requesting, by the client, that the map server render a second digital map, the request including a reference to the modified data file; and
receiving, by the client, a second rendered map from the map server, the second rendered map having cartographic features rendered according to the modified data file.
8. The method of 7 wherein the request further includes an instruction to the map server to retrieve the modified data file from the data store.
9. A method for providing dynamic map configuration files to a map rendering server, the method comprising:
establishing, by a computer, a connection to a map configuration file host, the host having a graphical user interface;
providing, by the computer, a plurality of map configuration attributes to the host via the graphical user interface, the configuration attributes specifying image settings and cartographic features to be included in the rendering of a digital map;
storing, by the computer, the configuration file at a location identifiable by a resource identifier; and
instructing, by the computer, the map server to render a map using the stored configuration file, the instruction including the resource identifier for the configuration file and a geographic location to be rendered; and
instructing, by the computer, the map server to discard a cache of the configuration data and to further instruct a plurality of additional map servers to discard caches of the configuration data.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of configuration attributes includes label placement.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of configuration attributes includes fonts to be used in rendering a map.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of configuration attributes includes opacity levels to be used in rendering a map.
13. The system of claim 5 wherein the location of the configuration data file is specified by a URL.
14. The system of claim 13 wherein the file identified by the URL is a web page, and the web page includes the configuration data.
15. The system of claim 13 wherein the location of the configuration data file is specified by a network address.
16. The method of claim 6 wherein the reference to the provided data file is a specified by a URL.
17. The method of claim 9 wherein the resource identifier is a URL.
18. The method of claim 1 wherein the parameters include label placement.
19. The method of claim 1 wherein the parameters include fonts.
20. The method of claim 1 wherein the parameters include opacity levels.