Digitally generated set of regional shapes for presenting information on a display screen
Regional shapes are generated that respectively enclose geographic regions determined within a map area on the display screen. A pattern of vertices is generated within the map area as a set of intersections of map features. Regional shapes are formed by connecting subsets of vertices to form closed shapes. Data sets corresponding to the regional shapes are transmitted to a processor based device that is programmed to render the map area on a display screen with photo overlays that match the regional shapes.
1. A processor-based device, comprising:
a processor;
a port for sending and receiving data over a network; and
one or more digital storage devices having embedded therein code for programming the processor to perform a method of displaying digital images within features on a map, wherein the method comprises:
receiving data identifying a geographic location and zoom setting;
selectins one or more geographic regions within a map area to be rendered on a display screen based on said geographic location, said zoom setting and map feature data for said map area;
receiving one or more digital images associated with said one or more geographic regions;
generating one or more pictorial subsets of said one or more digital images that respectively match one or more shapes of said one or more geographic regions, including cutting out said one or more pictorial subsets from said one or more digital images to match specific respective contours of said pictorial subsets to said geographic regions, within said map area to be rendered on said display screen; and
rendering said map area on said display screen including overlaying said one or more matching pictorial subsets respectively onto said one or more geographic regions within said map area
receiving a second zoom setting;
selecting a second set of one or more geographic regions within a second map area to be rendered on said display screen based on said geographic location, said second zoom setting and a second set of map feature data for said second map area; and
repeating the receiving, generating and rendering steps for said second zoom setting, thereby rendering said second map area on said display screen including overlaying a second set of one or more matching pictorial subsets respectively onto said second set of one or more geographic regions within said second map area
wherein said one or more digital images were each captured by a respective camera and at the time of image capture either:
said camera was located within a respective geographic region, or
said camera was directed at a scene or object located within said respective geographic region, or
said camera was both located within and directed at a scene or object located within said respective geographic region.
2. The processor-based device of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises selecting said one or more digital images from one or more digital files.
3. The processor-based device of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises selecting said one or more digital images based on metadata associated with the one or more digital images or said one or more digital files or both.
4. The processor-based device of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises selecting said one or more digital images based on metadata associated with a particular map user.
5. The processor-based device of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises selecting said one or more digital images based on most likes, most views, most comments, most recent image submitted, most recent image captured, best or worst image, or most or least interesting image, or combinations thereof.
6. The processor-based device of claim 1 , comprising selecting said one or more digital images based on locations associated with the digital images.
7. The processor-based device of claim 6 , wherein said locations associated with said digital images comprise latitude and longitude coordinates.
8. The processor-based device of claim 1 , wherein said geographic region comprises a planet, continent, country, state or province, region, county, city, a neighborhood or a block, or combinations thereof.
9. The processor-based device of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises selecting said zoom setting based on manual input from a user.
10. The processor-based device of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises selecting a set of multiple digital images to respectively overlay on a set of multiple non-overlapping geographic regions on said map rendered on said display screen.
11. The processor-based device of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises selecting multiple sets of digital images to respectively overlay geographic regions of multiple types, and wherein said multiple types of geographic regions correspond to different zoom values.
12. The processor-based device of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises selecting multiple sets of digital images to respectively overlay geographic regions of multiple types, and wherein said multiple types of geographic regions comprise different geographic locations.
13. One or more digital storage devices having embedded therein code for programming a processor to perform a method of displaying digital images within features on a map, wherein the method comprises:
receiving data identifying a geographic location and zoom setting;
selecting one or more geographic regions within a map area to be rendered on a display screen based on said geographic location, said zoom setting and map feature data for said map area;
receiving one or more digital images associated with said one or more geographic regions;
generating one or more pictorial subsets of said one or more digital images that respectively match one or more shapes of said one or more geographic regions, including cutting out said one or more pictorial subsets from said one or more digital images to match specific respective contours of said pictorial subsets to said geographic regions, within said map area to be rendered on said display screen;
rendering said map area on said display screen including overlaying said one or more matching pictorial subsets respectively onto said one or more geographic regions within said map area
receiving a second zoom setting;
selecting a second set of one or more geographic regions within a second map area to be rendered on said display screen based on said geographic location, said second zoom setting and a second set of map feature data for said second map area; and
repeating the receiving, generating and rendering steps for said second zoom setting, thereby rendering said second map area on said display screen including overlaying a second set of one or more matching pictorial subsets respectively onto said second set of one or more geographic regions within said second map area
wherein said one or more digital images were each captured by a respective camera and at the time of image capture either;
said camera was located within a respective geographic region, or
said camera was directed at a scene or object located within said respective geographic region, or
said camera was both located within and directed at a scene or object located within said respective geographic region.
14. The processor-based device of claim 13 , wherein the method comprises selecting multiple sets of digital images to respectively overlay geographic regions of multiple types, and wherein said multiple types of geographic regions comprise different geographic locations.
15. The processor-based device of claim 13 , wherein the generating of said pictorial subsets comprises cutting out a region of a digital image that matches a size and shape of a geographic region within said map.
16. A method of displaying digital images within features on a map, wherein the method comprises:
receiving data identifying a geographic location and zoom setting;
selecting one or more geographic regions within a map area to be rendered on a display screen based on said geographic location, said zoom setting and map feature data for said map area;
receiving one or more digital images associated with said one or more geographic regions;
generating one or more pictorial subsets of said one or more digital images that respectively match one or more shapes of said one or more geographic regions, including cutting out said one or more pictorial subsets from said one or more digital images to match specific respective contours of said pictorial subsets to said geographic regions, within said map area to be rendered on said display screen;
rendering said map area on said display screen including overlaying said one or more matching pictorial subsets respectively onto said one or more geographic regions within said map area;
receiving a second zoom setting;
selecting a second set of one or more geographic regions within a second map area to be rendered on said display screen based on said geographic location, said second zoom setting and a second set of map feature data for said second map area; and
repeating the receiving, generating and rendering steps for said second zoom setting, thereby rendering said second map area on said display screen including overlaying a second set of one or more matching pictorial subsets respectively onto said second set of one or more geographic regions within said second map area;
wherein said one or more digital images were each captured by a respective camera and at the time of image capture either:
said camera was located within a respective geographic region, or
said camera was directed at a scene or object located within said respective geographic region, or
said camera was both located within and directed at a scene or object located within said respective geographic region.