Providing navigation instructions in a three-dimension map environment having settable object transparency levels

1. A method performed in a device for providing navigation instructions in a three-dimensional map environment, comprising:

receiving a start position and an end position;

determining a route from said start position to said end position;

determining, for a position on said route, graphical two-dimensional map data related to said position;

retrieving said graphical two-dimensional map data;

generating, for said position of said route, navigation instructions by:

projecting said graphical two-dimensional map data on a plane in a three-dimensional map environment and adding a representation of said route;

adding graphical three-dimensional map objects to said projected graphical two-dimensional map data by utilising data of said graphical three-dimensional map objects;

receiving information pertaining to a current position on the route;

determining object-distance information pertaining to current individual distances between said current position and each one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects;

receiving transportation-mode information pertaining to a mode of transportation for said device;

setting a transparency level of each one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects, wherein the transparency level is set at a level between, and including, an opaque image and an image shown only in outline, and wherein the transparency level of each one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects is dynamically adjusted during travel along the route based on use of both the transportation-mode information and the object-distance information, the object-distance information being used to display a first group of graphical three-dimensional objects with a first transparency level that is different from a second transparency level of a second group of graphical three-dimensional objects different from the first group, and the transportation-mode information being used to display both the first and the second groups of graphical three-dimensional objects at a higher transparency level that corresponds to a first mode of transportation as compared to a lower transparency level that corresponds to a second mode of transportation lower than the first mode of transportation; and

transmitting said navigation instructions to a display.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving transportation-speed information pertaining to a transportation speed for said device;

wherein the transparency level of each one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects is dynamically adjusted during travel along the route based on use of the transportation-speed information, and the transportation-speed information being used to display both the first and the second groups of graphical three-dimensional objects at a higher transparency level that corresponds to a first transportation speed as compared to a lower transparency level that corresponds to a second transportation speed lower than the first transportation speed.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein setting the transparency level further comprises:

determining at least one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects to be located at a position in said three-dimensional map environment such that a rendered surface of said at least one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects at least partly overlaps said route, and setting the transparency level of said at least one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects such that said route is visible through said rendered surface.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, for said position of said route, a graphical three-dimensional map objects data related to said position;

retrieving said graphical three-dimensional map objects data; and

adding said graphical three-dimensional map objects data to said three-dimensional map environment.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising receiving transportation-speed information pertaining to transportation speed for said device, and wherein the transparency level adjustment of the first and the second groups based on use of the transportation-speed information changes gradually with the transportation speed.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving information input by a user of the device pertaining to adjusting said transparency level, and wherein the transparency level of each one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects is further adjusted based on the information input by the user of the device.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first group of graphical three-dimensional map objects are objects within a predefined distance of the current position on the route, and wherein the second group of graphical three-dimensional objects are objects beyond the predefined distance from the current position.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first group of graphical three-dimensional map objects include objects that are on the route, and wherein the second group of graphical three-dimensional map objects include objects that are not on the route.

9. A method performed in a device for providing navigation instructions in a three-dimensional map environment, comprising:

receiving a start position and an end position;

determining a route from the start position to the end position;

determining, for a position on the route, graphical two-dimensional map data related to the position;

retrieving the graphical two-dimensional map data;

generating, for the position of the route, navigation instructions by:

projecting the graphical two-dimensional map data on a plane in a three-dimensional map environment and adding a representation of the route;

adding graphical three-dimensional map objects to the projected graphical two-dimensional map data by utilising data of the graphical three-dimensional map objects, wherein each of the graphical three-dimensional map objects comprise a plurality of layers of displayable graphical information;

receiving information pertaining to a current position on the route;

determining object-distance information pertaining to individual distances between a current position on the route and each one of the graphical three-dimensional map objects; and

setting a transparency level of the graphical three-dimensional map objects, wherein the transparency level is set at a level between, and including, an opaque image and an image shown only in outline, and wherein the transparency level of a particular one of the graphical three-dimensional map objects increases and rendering of the number of the plurality of layers of displayable graphical information of the particular one of the graphical three-dimensional map objects decreases as a distance between the current position and the particular one of the graphical three-dimensional map objects decreases; and

transmitting the navigation instructions to a display.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein setting the transparency level further comprises:

determining at least one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects to be located at a position in said three-dimensional map environment such that a rendered surface of said at least one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects at least partly overlaps said route, and setting the transparency level of said at least one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects such that said route is visible through said rendered surface.

11. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

determining, for said position of said route, a graphical three-dimensional map objects data related to said position;

retrieving said graphical three-dimensional map objects data; and

adding said graphical three-dimensional map objects data to said three-dimensional map environment.

12. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving information input by a user of the device pertaining to adjusting said transparency level, and wherein the transparency level of each one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects is further adjusted based on the information input by the user of the device.

13. A device for providing navigation instructions in a three-dimensional map environment, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a start position and an end position,

a processing unit that:

determines a route from the start position to the end position;

determines, for a position on the route, graphical two-dimensional map data related to the position;

retrieves the graphical two-dimensional map data, and

generates, for the position of the route, navigation instructions by:

projecting the graphical two-dimensional map data on a plane in a three-dimensional map environment and adding a representation of the route;

adding graphical three-dimensional map objects to the projected graphical two-dimensional map data by utilising data of the graphical three-dimensional map objects, wherein each of the graphical three-dimensional map objects comprise a plurality of layers of displayable graphical information;

receiving information pertaining to a current position on the route;

determining object-distance information pertaining to individual distances between a current position on the route and each one of the graphical three-dimensional map objects; and

setting a transparency level of the graphical three-dimensional map objects, wherein the transparency level is set at a level between, and including, an opaque image and an image shown only in outline, and wherein the transparency level of a particular one of the graphical three-dimensional map objects increases and rendering of the number of the plurality of layers of displayable graphical information of the particular one of the graphical three-dimensional map objects decreases as a distance between the current position and the particular one of the graphical three-dimensional map objects decreases; and

a transmitter for transmitting the navigation instructions.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the processing unit further:

determines at least one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects to be located at a position in said three-dimensional map environment such that a rendered surface of said at least one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects at least partly overlaps said route, and setting the transparency level of said at least one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects such that said route is visible through said rendered surface.

15. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the processing unit further:

determines, for said position of said route, a graphical three-dimensional map objects data related to said position;

retrieves said graphical three-dimensional map objects data; and

adds said graphical three-dimensional map objects data to said three-dimensional map environment.

16. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the processing unit further:

receives information input by a user of the device pertaining to adjusting said transparency level, and wherein the transparency level of each one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects is further adjusted based on the information input by the user of the device.

17. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code portions, the computer program product comprising:

executable code that receives a start position and an end position;

executable code that determines a route from the start position to the end position; executable code that determines, for a position on the route, graphical two-dimensional map data related to the position;

executable code that retrieves the graphical two-dimensional map data;

executable code that generates, for the position of the route, navigation instructions by: projecting the graphical two-dimensional map data on a plane in a three-dimensional map environment and adding a representation of the route;

executable code that adds graphical three-dimensional map objects to the projected graphical two-dimensional map data by utilising data of the graphical three-dimensional map objects, wherein each of the graphical three-dimensional map objects comprise a plurality of layers of displayable graphical information;

executable code that receives information pertaining to a current position on the route; executable code that determines object-distance information pertaining to individual distances between a current position on the route and each one of the graphical three-dimensional map objects; and

executable code that sets a transparency level of the graphical three-dimensional map objects, wherein the transparency level is set at a level between, and including, an opaque image and an image shown only in outline, and wherein the transparency level of a particular one of the graphical three-dimensional map objects increases and rendering of the number of the plurality of layers of displayable graphical information of the particular one of the graphical three-dimensional map objects decreases as a distance between the current position and the particular one of the graphical three-dimensional map objects decreases; and

executable code that transmits the navigation instructions to a display.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17 , wherein the computer program product further comprises:

executable code that determines at least one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects to be located at a position in said three-dimensional map environment such that a rendered surface of said at least one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects at least partly overlaps said route, and setting the transparency level of said at least one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects such that said route is visible through said rendered surface.

19. The computer program product according to claim 17 , wherein the computer program product further comprises:

executable code that determines, for said position of said route, a graphical three-dimensional map objects data related to said position;

executable code that retrieves said graphical three-dimensional map objects data; and

executable code that adds said graphical three-dimensional map objects data to said three-dimensional map environment.

20. The computer program product according to claim 17 , wherein the computer program product further comprises:

executable code that receives information input by a user of the device pertaining to adjusting said transparency level, and wherein the transparency level of each one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects is further adjusted based on the information input by the user of the device.

21. A method performed in a device for providing navigation instructions in a three-dimensional map environment, comprising:

receiving a start position and an end position;

determining a route from the start position to the end position;

determining, for a position on the route, graphical two-dimensional map data related to the position;

retrieving the graphical two-dimensional map data;

generating, for the position of the route, navigation instructions by:

projecting the graphical two-dimensional map data on a plane in a three-dimensional map environment and adding a representation of the route;

adding graphical three-dimensional map objects to the projected graphical two-dimensional map data by utilising data of the graphical three-dimensional map objects, wherein each of the graphical three-dimensional map objects comprise a plurality of layers of displayable graphical information;

receiving information pertaining to a current position on the route;

determining object-distance information pertaining to individual distances between a current position on the route and each one of the graphical three-dimensional map objects;

setting a transparency level of at least one of said graphical three-dimensional map objects, wherein the transparency level is set at a level between, and including, an opaque image and an image shown only in outline, and wherein the transparency level of a particular one of the graphical three-dimensional map objects increases and rendering of the number of the plurality of layers of displayable graphical information of the particular one of the graphical three-dimensional map objects decreases as a distance between the current position and the particular one of the graphical three-dimensional map objects decreases; and

transmitting the navigation instructions to a display.