Linear visualization of a driving route
A nonlinear route for traveling from a source to a destination is determined. The route includes a sequence of (i) route segments and (ii) intermediate geographic locations defining endpoints of the route segments. An initial linear visual representation of the route is generated and displayed via a user interface of a computing device. To generate the initial linear visual representation of the route, an initial subset of the intermediate geographic locations is selected. The initial subset does not include at least of the intermediate geographic locations in the sequence. Indicators of the intermediate geographic locations are positioned along a single line, and an interactive control is provided. When activated, the interactive control generates an expanded linear visual representation of the route. The expanded linear visual representation includes at least one of the intermediate geographic locations not selected for the initial linear visual representation.
1. A method for generating interactive representations of navigation routes, the method comprising:
determining, by one or more processors, a nonlinear route for traveling from a source to a destination, the route including a sequence of (i) route segments and (ii) intermediate geographic locations defining endpoints of the route segments;
generating, by one or more processors, an initial linear visual representation of the route, including:
selecting an initial subset of the intermediate geographic locations, the initial subset not including at least one of the intermediate geographic locations in the sequence,
positioning indicators of the intermediate geographic locations along a single line to generate multiple segments of the line between corresponding pairs of the indicators,
for each of the segments of the line, providing a respective interactive control which, when activated, generates an expanded linear visual representation of only the corresponding segment of the route, wherein the expanded linear visual representation includes at least one of the intermediate geographic locations not selected for the initial linear visual representation, each interactive control including at least one of the indicators of the intermediate geographic locations or one of the segments, individually selectable via tapping or clicking; and
displaying the linear representation of the route via a user interface of a computing device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the initial linear visual representation includes applying a polyline decimation algorithm to the nonlinear route to generate a simplified nonlinear route, wherein the initial subset of the sequence of intermediate geographic locations corresponds to endpoints of segments of the simplified nonlinear route.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the initial subset of the intermediate geographic locations includes selecting the intermediate geographic locations connecting road segments corresponding to roads of different types.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the initial subset of the intermediate geographic locations includes selecting the intermediate geographic locations in view of their prominence.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the initial subset of the intermediate geographic locations includes selecting the intermediate geographic locations in view of lengths of road segments which the intermediate geographic locations connect.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the initial subset of the intermediate geographic locations includes selecting the intermediate geographic locations in view of a metric of user familiarity with geographic areas traversed by the corresponding route segments.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the indicators includes selecting an icon corresponding to a type of the intermediate geographic location, for display as a part of the linear representation of the route.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the indicators includes selecting a representative photograph of the intermediate geographic location, for display as a part of the linear representation of the route.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the indicators of the intermediate geographic locations along the single line includes spacing the indicators apart in proportion to distances between the corresponding geographic locations.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the indicators of the intermediate geographic locations along a single line includes generating larger indicators for the geographic locations more proximate to a current location of the computing device to produce a three-dimensional perspective.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a current location of the computing device; and
displaying an indicator of the current location of the computing device on the initial linear visual representation.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising visually emphasizing an indicator corresponding to the intermediate geographic location which the computing device is approaching.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the linear representation of the route via the user interface includes:
contemporaneously providing a first panel and a second panel via the user interface of the computing device, wherein each of the first panel and the second panel receives user input and displays output independently of the other panel;
providing the linear representation of the route within the first panel, by a first software application; and
providing output of a second software application within the second panel.
14. A portable computing device comprising:
a user interface; and
processing hardware configured to:
obtain a nonlinear route for traveling from a source to a destination, the route including a sequence of (i) route segments and (ii) intermediate geographic locations defining endpoints of the route segments,
generate an initial linear visual representation of the route, including:
obtain an initial subset of the intermediate geographic locations, the initial subset not including at least one of the intermediate geographic locations in the sequence,
position indicators of the intermediate geographic locations along a single line to generate multiple segments of the line between corresponding pairs of the indicators,
for each of the segments of the line, provide a respective interactive control which, when activated, generates an expanded linear visual representation of only the corresponding segment of the route, wherein the expanded linear visual representation includes at least one of the intermediate geographic locations not selected for the initial linear visual representation, each interactive control including at least one of the indicators of the intermediate geographic locations or one of the segments, individually selectable via tapping or clicking; and
display the linear representation of the route via the user interface.
15. The portable computing device of claim 14 , wherein to generate the initial linear visual representation, the processing hardware is configured to apply a polyline decimation algorithm to the nonlinear route to generate a simplified nonlinear route, wherein the initial subset of the sequence of intermediate geographic locations corresponds to endpoints of segments of the simplified nonlinear route.
16. A non-transitory computer-readable memory storing thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
obtain a nonlinear route for traveling from a source to a destination, the route including a sequence of (i) route segments and (ii) intermediate geographic locations defining endpoints of the route segments;
generate an initial linear visual representation of the route, including:
obtain an initial subset of the intermediate geographic locations, the initial subset not including at least one of the intermediate geographic locations in the sequence,
position indicators of the intermediate geographic locations along a single line to generate multiple segments of the line between corresponding pairs of the indicators, and
for each of the segments of the line, provide a respective interactive control which, when activated, generates an expanded linear visual representation of only the corresponding segment of the route, wherein the expanded linear visual representation includes at least one of the intermediate geographic locations not selected for the initial linear visual representation, each interactive control including at least one of the indicators of the intermediate geographic locations or one of the segments, individually selectable via tapping or clicking; and
display the linear representation of the route via the user interface.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 16 , wherein to generate the initial linear representation, the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
apply a polyline decimation algorithm to the nonlinear route to generate a simplified nonlinear route, wherein the initial subset of the sequence of intermediate geographic locations corresponds to endpoints of segments of the simplified nonlinear route.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 16 , wherein to select the initial subset of the intermediate geographic locations, the instructions cause the one or more processors to select the intermediate geographic locations connecting road segments corresponding to roads of different types.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 16 , wherein to select the initial subset of the intermediate geographic locations, the instructions cause the one or more processors to select the intermediate geographic locations in view of their prominence.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 16 , wherein to select the initial subset of the intermediate geographic locations, the instructions cause the one or more processors to select the intermediate geographic locations in view of lengths of road segments which the intermediate geographic locations connect.