Tiled map display on a wireless device

Abstract

A tiled-map display control with a predictive caching technique that minimizes user wait time and provides at least the illusion of continuous panning, even while map tile images are being loaded. Important components of the tiled 5 map display are its definition and cached use of map tiles, as well as the way that the map tiles are put together on a small screen. Easy, seamless, wait-free and convenient viewing of a map for a user of a wireless device provides information, e.g., mapped traffic conditions. The disclosed embodiments are techniques that have been reduced to practice in both a BREW platform, and then in a J2ME platform, and deployed for operation in major carrier wireless networks. The invention has particular applicability for use in wireless devices with typically smaller display screens requiring the need for panning, and limited bandwidth capabilities of the supporting wireless network.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method comprising:
 receiving, from a server, a first image tile of the plurality of image tiles that form a pan-able image;   displaying the first image tile of the plurality of image tiles on the display of the wireless computing device;   receiving, from the server, a second image tile of the plurality of image tiles, wherein the first and second image tiles share an edge;   displaying the second image tile of the plurality of image tiles in response to user input corresponding to panning in a given direction;   predicting a third image tile of the plurality of image tiles based on the second image tile and the given direction; and   requesting, from the server, the third image tile of the plurality of image tiles in response to the predicting.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the wireless computing device stores a proper subset of the plurality of image tiles.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the wireless computing device is a cell phone.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the wireless computing device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 receiving, prior to displaying the second image, a first set of image tiles, wherein each image tile in the first set of image tiles shares an edge with the first image tile.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 receiving, subsequent to the receipt of the first set of image tiles and prior to displaying the second image, a second set of image tiles, wherein each image tile in the second set of image tiles shares a corner with the first image tile.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the given direction corresponds to two directions.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the given direction corresponds to a diagonal direction.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the pan-able image is a map.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the server and the wireless computing device communicate via a wireless carrier network.   
     
     
         12 . A wireless computing device executing a client application that:
 defines edges for a plurality of image tiles of a pan-able image, wherein each of the plurality of image tiles corresponds to a size of a display on the wireless computing device;   receives, from a server, a first image tile of the plurality of image tiles;   displays the first image tile of the plurality of image tiles on the display of the wireless computing device;   receives, from the server, a second image tile of the plurality of image tiles, wherein the first and second image tiles share an edge;   displays the second image tile of the plurality of image tiles in response to user input corresponding to panning in a given direction;   predicts a third tile of the plurality of image tiles based on the second image and the given direction; and   requests, from the server, the third tile of the plurality of image tiles in response to the predicting.   
     
     
         13 . The wireless computing device of  claim 12 , wherein the client application further:
 receives, prior to displaying the second image, a first set of image tiles, wherein each image tile in the first set of image tiles shares an edge with the first image tile.   
     
     
         14 . The wireless computing device of  claim 13 , wherein the client application further:
 receives, subsequent to the receiving of the first set of image tiles and prior to displaying the second image, a second set of image tiles, wherein each image tile in the second set of image tiles shares a corner with the first image tile.   
     
     
         15 . The wireless computing device of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the wireless computing device is a cell phone.   
     
     
         16 . The wireless computing device of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the wireless computing device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).   
     
     
         17 . The wireless computing device of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the given direction corresponds to two directions.   
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory machine readable medium having machine executable instructions, the machine executable instruction causing a processor to:
 define edges for a plurality of image tiles of a pan-able image, wherein each of the plurality of image tiles corresponds to a size of a display on a wireless computing device;   receive, from a server, a first image tile of the plurality of image tiles;   display the first image tile of the plurality of image tiles on the display of the wireless computing device;   receive, from the server, a first set of image tiles of the plurality of image tiles subsequent to receipt of the first image tile, wherein each image tile in the first set of image tiles shares an edge with the first image tile;   receive, from the server, a second set of image tiles of the plurality of image tiles subsequent to receipt of the first set of image tiles, wherein each image tile in the second set of image tiles shares a corner with the first image tile;   display a second image included in the first set of image tiles in response to user input corresponding to panning in a given direction;   predict a third image tile of the plurality of image tiles based on the second image and the given direction; and   requesting, from the server, the third tile of the plurality of image tiles in response to the predicting.   
     
     
         19 . The medium of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the given direction corresponds to two directions.   
     
     
         20 . The medium of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the pan-able image is a map.