Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

John-Michael Wiley

Martin John Sedluk

Eyal Ofek

Gonzalo Alberto Ramos

Ido Omer

Mark Blelock Atherton

A semi-automatic map editor may allow a user to add features to a map with a minimum of effort. In one example, a user may add a road to a map by indicating where the endpoints of the road are. A system may then attempt to fill in the path of the road using the user-provided endpoints, an analysis of an aerial or satellite photograph, existing maps that show the road, or any other appropriate information. Using this information, the system may display a proposed path for the road between the endpoints that the user has indicated. The user may then fine tune and/or confirm the proposed path, thereby adding the road to the map. In addition to roads, other feature such as bodies of water, ski trails, etc., may be added in this manner.

Map editing with little user input

A system and method for selecting a cartographically-preferred label position from a plurality of potential label positions for a feature on a computer-generated map. The mechanism analyzes each pixel within each potential label position to determine the presence of a colliding label or a colliding feature, and calculates a total penalty for each potential label position. Then, based on the several total penalties, the mechanism determines which of the potential label positions is the cartographically-preferable label position and places the label in that label position.

System and method for placing labels on a computer-generated map

A system and method for generating multiple potential label positions for a polygon at run time, rather than selecting from pre-configured label positions. The present invention analyzes the visible portion of the polygon to generate potential label positions dynamically based on the visible portion of the polygon, rather than using pre-configured label positions. As many rectangles are created as can fit within the visible portion of the polygon, and which can support the placement of a label. The rectangles are sized in accordance with the size of the label to be displayed. Once the rectangles are created, the present invention allows for the selection of one of the rectangles as a preferred label position for the polygon. The present invention also allows for the generation of a form following baseline created by connecting the centerpoints of horizontally disposed rectangles, and then smoothing the resulting baseline until a desirable baseline is obtained. A set of rectangles are constructed along the form following baseline for the placement of the label.

System and method for run time generation of potential label positions

Labeling objects on a computerized map in an efficient manner while avoiding collisions with both more and less important objects. A first list contains objects to be labeled on the computerized map, the objects being both points and non-points. Each of the objects in the first list has a label selection priority. A second list contains the a collection of objects from the first list having the lowest label selection priority. The system can draw each object in the first list to the computerized map in ascending order of label selection priority. As each object is drawn, the system labels the object with a label while avoiding collisions between the label and objects in the second list having a higher label selection priority than the object.

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Redmond, WA, United States of America

John-Michael Wiley