IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,620,085
Granted Patent B2
US 9,620,085 · App. 15/163,849 · Granted Apr 11, 2017

Representation of overlapping visual entities

Inventors: Jeff J. Lin (Seattle, WA); Anne H. Loomis (Seattle, WA); Romualdo T. Impas (Seattle, WA); Alan Paulin (Kirkland, WA)
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
G09G5/14B25B11/002G06F17/241G06F17/30061G09B29/007G09G5/00G09G5/377G11B5/5569G09G2340/10G09G2340/12G09G2354/00Y10T29/49998
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,620,085
App. No.
15/163,849
Granted
Apr 11, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various embodiments present a combined visual entity that represents overlapping visual entities. The combined visual entity can include a primary visualization that represents one of the overlapping visual entities and annotations that represent others of the overlapping visual entities. For example, a map view can include multiple geographical entities that overlap. A primary visualization can be rendered that represents one of the multiple geographical entities. The primary visualization can be visually annotated (e.g., with symbols, letters, or other visual indicators) to indicate others of the multiple geographical entities. In some embodiments, a zoom operation can cause visual entities to be added and/or removed from the combined visual entity.

Claims (36)

1. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions that that are executable by the one or more processors to cause the system to perform operations including:

render a combined visual entity that includes a visualization for each visual entity of multiple overlapping visual entities;

determine, responsive to receiving an indication of a zoom-out operation, that one of the multiple overlapping visual entities no longer overlaps;

remove one visualization from the one of the multiple overlapping visual entities from the combined visual entity; and

replace a primary visualization associated with the one of the multiple overlapping visual entities and included as part of the combined visual entity, with a different primary visualization associated with another of the multiple overlapping visual entities.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the multiple overlapping visual entities represents one or more geographic locations.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the combined visual entity comprises one or more annotations.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the primary visualization corresponds to one of the multiple overlapping visual entities and the one or more annotations correspond to others of the multiple overlapping visual entities.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the zoom-out operation is responsive to a user interaction with a map view.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are executable by the one or more processors to cause the system to remove the one visualization by removing an annotation from the combined visual entity.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

rendering a combined visual entity that includes a visualization for each visual entity of multiple overlapping visual entities;

determining, responsive to receiving an indication of a zoom-out operation, that one of the multiple overlapping visual entities no longer overlaps;

removing one visualization for the one of the multiple overlapping visual entities from the combined visual entity; and

replacing a primary visualization associated with the one of the multiple overlapping visual entities and included as part of the combined visual entity, with a different primary visualization associated with another of the multiple overlapping visual entities.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein one or more of the multiple overlapping visual entities represents one or more geographic locations.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the combined visual entity comprises one or more annotations.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the primary visualization corresponds to one of the multiple overlapping visual entities and the one or more annotations correspond to others of the multiple overlapping visual entities.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the zoom-out operation is responsive to a user interaction with a map view.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein removing the one visualization comprises removing an annotation from the combined visual entity.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the one of the multiple overlapping visual entities can alternately be represented by the primary visualization or an annotation.

14. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions that that are executable by the one or more processors to cause the system to perform operations including:

render a combined visual entity that includes a visualization for each visual entity of multiple overlapping visual entities;

determine, responsive to receiving an indication of a zoom-in operation, that another visual entity overlaps with one of the multiple overlapping visual entities;

add a new visualization associated with the another visual entity to the combined visual entity; and

replace a primary visualization in the combined visual entity with a different primary visualization associated with the new visualization.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein one or more of the multiple overlapping visual entities represents one or more geographic locations.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the combined visual entity comprises one or more annotations.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more annotations correspond to the visualization for each visual entity of the multiple overlapping visual entities.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the zoom-in operation is responsive to a user interaction with a map view.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are executable by the one or more processors to cause the system to add the new visualization.

20. The system of claim 14 , wherein the new visualization is also be represented by an annotation in the combined visual entity.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 25, 2016
From: LIN, JEFF J; LOOMIS, ANNE H; IMPAS, ROMUALDO T; PAULIN, ALAN
To: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 038714/0611 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 25, 2016
From: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 038714/0711 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 14699104 · Apr 29, 2015
Division 13826617 · Mar 14, 2013
Continuation 12764798 · Apr 21, 2010
Related Publication 20160267880A1 · Sep 15, 2016