Strategies for Annotating Digital Maps

Abstract

A strategy is described for annotating a digital map. According to one exemplary aspect, the user can instruct map processing functionality (MPF) to automatically extract objects from a data source (such as an RSS data source) and annotate the map with the objects based on relative locations associated with the objects. Further aspects are also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for annotating a digital map, comprising:
 receiving an annotation selection criterion;   searching a data source to identify an object that satisfies the annotation selection criterion;   automatically identifying a location associated with the object;   determining a popularity of the object;   selecting a zoom range over which the object is made visible within the digital map based on the popularity of the object; and   automatically annotating the digital map with the object at the location within the selected zoom range, wherein the digital map is separate from the data source.   
     
     
         2 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the annotation selection criterion comprises a key term, and wherein the identified object contains the key term. 
     
     
         3 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the data source is an RSS (really simple syndication) feed data source. 
     
     
         4 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the annotation selection criterion comprises a portion of a displayed map as indicated by a user-selected bounding box, such that the object that satisfies the selection criterion is associated with a mapped location within the bounding box. 
     
     
         5 . One or more machine-readable storage media containing machine-executable instructions for implementing the method of  claim 1 .