Methods of and apparatus for displaying map information
View Patent ↗In a system that uses tile-based road network rendering for displaying map information to a user, a tile is rendered for display by rendering a tile 10 by using a first texture comprising one or more map features to be displayed for the tile of the map in combination with a second texture to apply a texture to a graphics primitive or primitives representing the tile such that at least one map feature 11 , such as a water feature, being displayed on the tile 10 is bordered by a border region 24 that represents a border to that map feature. In this way, a more visually appealing depiction of the map feature 11 can be achieved.
1. A method of displaying an image, comprising:
providing a first graphics texture comprising a first feature having an edge with a second feature;
providing a second graphics texture;
using a first graphics texture in combination with the second graphics texture to apply a texture to a graphics primitive or primitives representing the image to be displayed in order to display the image; and
displaying the graphics primitive or primitives representing the image having the applied texture to display the image;
wherein the second graphics texture and the combining operation are configured such that using the first graphics texture in combination with the second texture causes the first feature to be bordered, in the displayed image, by a border region that represents a border to that feature, wherein the first feature is perceived to be in a different horizontal or vertical plane from the second feature.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of using the first graphics texture in combination with the second graphics texture to apply a texture to a graphics primitive or primitives representing the image to be displayed, comprises:
combining the first graphics texture with the second graphics texture; and
displaying the combined first and second graphics textures to the graphics primitive or primitives representing the image to be displayed in order to display the image.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first feature in the first graphics texture is a transparent region; and
using the first graphics texture in combination with the second graphics texture to apply a texture to a graphics primitive or primitives representing the image to be displayed, comprises:
combining the first graphics texture with a version of the graphics second texture that has been perspectively correctly displaced in dependence on the view direction, and applying the combined first and second graphics textures to the graphics primitive or primitives representing the image to be displayed in order to display the image.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second graphics texture is in the form of a modulation map that contains values that will modulate the intensity of selected regions of the first texture when the two textures are combined.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second graphics texture is derived from a height map that is indicative of the relative heights of the different features in the first graphics texture, and a version of the height map that has been perspectively correctly displaced in dependence on the view direction.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the second graphics texture is a displaced version of the first graphics texture; and
using the first graphics texture in combination with the second graphics texture to apply a texture to a graphics primitive or primitives representing the image to be displayed comprises comparing the first graphics texture with the second graphics texture and selectively modifying the display of the first graphics texture on the primitive or primitives on the basis of the comparison of the first and second graphics textures.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the second graphics texture is a displaced version of the first texture; and
the output colour to be displayed for a pixel of a primitive representing the image or tile is based on a comparison of the value of the first graphics texture for the pixel in question with the value of the second graphics texture for the pixel in question.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first graphics texture represents ground level features.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second graphics texture is in a vertical plane above or below the first graphics texture.
10. An apparatus for displaying an image, comprising at least one processor configured to:
provide a first graphics texture comprising a first feature having an edge with a second feature;
provide a second graphics texture;
use the first graphics texture in combination with a second graphics texture to apply a texture to a graphics primitive or primitives representing the image to be displayed in order to display the image; and
display the graphics primitive or primitives representing the image having the applied texture to display the image;
wherein the second graphics texture and the combining operation are configured such that using the first graphics texture in combination with the second graphics texture causes the first feature to be bordered, in the displayed image, by a border region that represents a border to that feature, wherein the first feature is perceived to be in a different horizontal or vertical plane from the second feature.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus comprises a navigation or mapping apparatus comprising a display for displaying a digital map to a user, and wherein the least one processor is further configured to access digital map data and cause a digital map to be displayed on the display by rendering a tile to be displayed to display the map information:
wherein the image to be displayed comprises a map tile, and
wherein the first and second features in the first graphics texture comprise map features.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is incorporated into a portable navigation device (PND) or an integrated navigation system.
13. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method of displaying an image, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:
providing a first graphics texture comprising a first feature having an edge with a second feature;
providing a second graphics texture;
using a first graphics texture in combination with the second graphics texture to apply a texture to a graphics primitive or primitives representing the image to be displayed in order to display the image; and
displaying the graphics primitive or primitives representing the image having the applied texture to display the image;
wherein the second graphics texture and the combining operation are configured such that using the first graphics texture in combination with the second texture causes the first feature to be bordered, in the displayed image, by a border region that represents a border to that feature, wherein the first feature is perceived to be in a different horizontal or vertical plane from the second feature.