METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DYNAMICALLY LABELING MAP OBJECTS IN VISUALLY DISPLAYED MAPS OF MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICES

摘要

Methods and apparatus for dynamically labeling map objects for different views of a visually displayed map are disclosed. For each view of a plurality of different views of a map, a view of the map is rendered "on-the-fly" in a display. The technique is performed by retrieving map data which includes map object graphics data and map object label data; causing one or more portions of a map object (e.g. a road) to be rendered in the view of the display in accordance with the map object graphics data; and also causing a map object label (e.g. a name of the road) to be rendered in the view of the display, in accordance with the map object label data, on or along a portion of the map object between its vertice coordinates, such that a linear position of the map object label on or along the portion of the map object is different from its linear position in each of the other views of the map so that the map object label fits within the view in a continuous moving fashion from view to view. In a specific embodiment, the map object label is rendered by identifying the portion of the map object to be a longest portion of the one or more portions of the map object in the view; identifying a centerpoint of the portion identified to be the longest portion; and causing the map object label to be rendered relative to the centerpoint of the portion identified to be the longest portion.