Method and apparatus for providing smart zooming of a geographic representation

1. A method comprising facilitating access to at least one interface to allow access to at least one service, the service configured to at least perform the following:

determining, by at least one processor, an input specifying a level of zoom for rendering a geographic representation presented at a device, the geographic representation including a plurality of objects;

determining, by the at least one processor, respective degrees of relevance of the plurality of objects; and

determining to render one or more of the plurality of objects with at least one different level of visibility with respect to other ones of the plurality of objects based, at least in part, on the respective degrees of relevance, the level of zoom, or a combination thereof.

2. A method of claim 1 , wherein the service is further configured to perform:

determining to prioritize the plurality of objects based, at least in part, on one or more criteria;

wherein the rendering of the one or more of the plurality of objects with the at least one different level of visibility is based, at least in part, on the prioritization.

3. A method of claim 1 , wherein the service is further configured to perform:

determining another input from a user of the device for specifying the at least one different level of visibility.

4. A method of claim 1 , wherein the service is further configured to perform:

determining one or more images associated with the one or more of the plurality of objects; and

determining to render the one or more images as respective overlays in the geographic representation.

5. A method of claim 1 , wherein the service is further configured to perform:

determining route information, mapping information, navigation information, or a combination thereof associated with the device or a user of the device,

wherein the determining of the respective degrees of relevance is based, at least in part, on the route information, the mapping information, the navigation information, or a combination thereof.

6. A method of claim 1 , wherein the respective degrees of relevance are determined based, at least in part, on metadata of the geographic representation, metadata of the plurality of objects, semantic information of the geographic representation, semantic information of the plurality of objects, or a combination thereof.

7. A method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one different level of visibility adjusts rendering of the plurality of objects according to size, shape, color, filament type, dimensionality, animation, associated multimedia files, or a combination thereof.

8. A method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of objects are represented in the geographic representation as text, symbols, signs, markers, tabs, avatars, or a combination thereof.

9. A method of claim 1 , wherein the related context information include preferences, activities, location, time, date, or a combination thereof with respect to the device, the user of the device, or a combination thereof.

10. A method of claim 1 , wherein the rendering of the one or more of the plurality of objects with the at least one different level of visibility is performed using a tile rendering engine, a raster rendering engine, a vector rendering engine or a combination thereof.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine an input specifying a level of zoom for rendering a geographic representation presented at a device, the geographic representation including a plurality of objects;

determine respective degrees of relevance of the plurality of objects; and

determine to render one or more of the plurality of objects with at least one different level of visibility with respect to other ones of the plurality of objects based, at least in part, on the respective degrees of relevance, the level of zoom, or a combination thereof.

12. An apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine to prioritize the plurality of objects based, at least in part, on one or more criteria;

wherein the rendering of the one or more of the plurality of objects with the at least one different level of visibility is based, at least in part, on the prioritization.

13. An apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine another input from a user of the device for specifying the at least one different level of visibility.

14. An apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine one or more images associated with the one or more of the plurality of objects; and

determine to render the one or more images as respective overlays in the geographic representation.

15. An apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine route information, mapping information, navigation information, or a combination thereof associated with the device or a user of the device,

wherein the determining of the respective degrees of relevance is based, at least in part, on the route information, the mapping information, the navigation information, or a combination thereof.

16. An apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the respective degrees of relevance are determined based, at least in part, on metadata of the geographic representation, metadata of the plurality of objects, semantic information of the geographic representation, semantic information of the plurality of objects, or a combination thereof.

17. An apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one different level of visibility adjusts rendering of the plurality of objects according to size, shape, color, filament type, dimensionality, animation, associated multimedia files, or a combination thereof.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

determining an input specifying a level of zoom for rendering a geographic representation presented at a device, the geographic representation including a plurality of objects;

determining respective degrees of relevance of the plurality of objects; and

determining to render one or more of the plurality of objects with at least one different level of visibility with respect to other ones of the plurality of objects based, at least in part, on the respective degrees of relevance, the level of zoom, or a combination thereof.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

determining to prioritize the plurality of objects based, at least in part, on one or more criteria;

wherein the rendering of the one or more of the plurality of objects with the at least one different level of visibility is based, at least in part, on the prioritization.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

determining another input from a user of the device for specifying the at least one different level of visibility.