Method for displaying marker in a map service

Abstract

A method for displaying a marker in a map service is provided. In the method, a plurality of markers each representing information are displayed differentially in a propagation range set according to importance of a user in the map service, and when the plurality of markers are displayed overlapped, only a marker representing information of greatest importance is displayed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 determining a user's profile;   setting a weight to information to be provided corresponding to the user's profile; and   displaying on a map, one or more markers representative of the information to be provided based on the weight.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more markers are differentially displayed based on at least one of the user's current distance from the marker or the user's details. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the weight is updated in real time according to one or more changes to at least one of a class of a user that provides the information to be provided in a subscribed service, responsiveness to the information to be provided, a last update of the information to be provided, an expiration time of the information to be provided, or user's profile. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user's profile comprise at least one of the user's name, identifier, gender, height, age, nickname, education level, tastes, preferences, or interests. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one or more markers of the same weight are displayed differentially according to a distance between a current location of the user in the map and a location of the markers in the map. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more markers are displayed differentially in at least one of size, color, shape, and transparency. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, if a plurality of neighboring markers are displayed overlapped, the plurality of neighboring markers are displayed differentially in at least one of size, color, shape and transparency. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein only a marker representing information of greatest weight is displayed. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein, when the marker representing information to be provided of the greatest weight is touched, an information list of markers with a lower priority are displayed. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus comprising:
 a display; and   a processor configured:
 to determine a user's profile to set a weight to information to be provided corresponding to the user's profile, and 
 to present via the display at least one marker representing the information to be provided. 
   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one marker is differentially displayed based on at least one of the users current distance from the at least one marker or the users profile. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the weight is updated in real time according to changes to at least one of a class of a user that provides the information to be provided in the subscribed service, responsiveness to the information to be provided, a last update of the information to be provided, an expiration time of the information to be provided, and user's profile. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the user's profile comprises at least one of the user's name, gender, height, age, nickname, education level, tastes, preferences, or interests. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein markers of the same weight are displayed differentially according to a distance between a current location of the user in the map and a location of the markers in the map. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one marker is displayed differentially in at least one of size, color, shape, and transparency. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein, if a plurality of neighboring markers are displayed overlapped, the plurality of neighboring markers are displayed differentially in at least one of size, color, shape and transparency. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein only a marker representing information to be provided of greatest weight is displayed. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein, when the displayed marker representing information to be provided of the greatest weight is touched, an information list of the at least on marker with lower priority is displayed. 
     
     
         19 . A machine-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 determining a user's profile;   setting a weight to information to be provided corresponding to the user's profile; and   displaying on a map, markers representative of the information to be provided based on the weight.