Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Juan Pablo Candelas Gonzalez

Aarti Bharathan

Mudassir Alam

Isaac Kunen

Romualdo T Impas

Donald Allen Barnett

Daniel R Dole

David Ross Buerer

Chien-Wen Danny Su

Brenton Gunning

A map navigation tool provides a start-of-route buffer area in which off-route feedback (e.g., audio or visual warnings or alerts) can be suppressed in some circumstances. For example, a mobile computing device implements a map navigation tool that can output off-route feedback when the user strays from a route, but also can suppress off-route feedback when the user is within a start-of-route buffer area. Off-route feedback can continue to be suppressed until some other event, such as the user leaving the start-of-route buffer area, occurs. Off-route feedback can be suppressed even if the user is not within a start-of-route buffer area, such as when the map navigation tool generates a route when the user is at an initial location that is far away from any part of the route and then joins the route later (e.g., at the start location or downstream from the start location).

Start-of-route map navigation with suppression of off-route feedback

Architecture that enables the preservation of label readability in a scene (e.g., map, map tiles, graphical background, etc.) by way of label orientation relative to a fixed heading on a plane or curved surface. After identifying an initial fixed heading, movement of the camera (e.g., zoom-in, zoom-out, position change, etc.) in the scene along that heading without changing the camera heading as measured relative to a fixed point does not alter label orientation. In a mapping implementation, after identifying an initial fixed camera heading over terrain of the Earth, movement of the camera (e.g., zoom-in, zoom-out, position change, etc.) in the scene without changing the camera heading as measured relative to some fixed point does not change label orientation. The orientation of labels may be changed if the heading of the camera is altered, but this change is delayed until camera movement quiesces.

Maintaining 3D labels as stable objects in 3D world

A terminus buffer area (e.g., an end-of-route buffer area) is provided in a map navigation tool to allow suppression of off-route feedback (e.g., audio or visual warnings or alerts) in some circumstances, such as when a mobile computing device (e.g., a smart phone) that implements the tool enters the buffer area. The map navigation tool can output off-route feedback when the user strays from a route, but also can suppress the off-route feedback when the user is within the buffer area. In addition to suppression of off-route feedback, a map navigation tool also can disable off-route feedback when a user crosses an arrival threshold and enters an arrival area, such that the tool does not output off-route feedback regardless of the user's location or movements once the user has entered the arrival area. The arrival area can be within an end-of-route buffer area.

Map navigation with suppression of off-route feedback near route terminus

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Redmond, WA, United States of America

Juan Pablo Candelas Gonzalez