Addiing Custom Content To Mapping Applications

Abstract

Digital maps can be composed of a series of image tiles that are selected based on the context of the map to be presented. Independently hosted tiles can comprise additional details that can be added to the map. A manifest can be created that describes the layers of map details composed of such independently hosted tiles. Externally referable mechanisms can, based on the manifest and map context, select tiles, from among the independently hosted tiles, that correspond to map tiles being displayed to a user. Subsequently, the mechanisms can instruct a browser, as specified in the manifest, to combine the map tiles and the independently hosted tiles to generate a more detailed map. Alternatively, customized mechanisms can generate map detail tiles in real-time, based on an exported map context. Also, controls instantiated by the browser can render three-dimensional images based on the combined map tiles.

We claim: 
     
         1 . One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions for generating a digital map comprising map tiles and independently provided tiles of map details, the computer-executable instructions directed to steps comprising:
 obtaining a map context indicating a geographic region and a zoom level;   detecting an override of default mechanisms that specify appropriate ones of the independently provided tiles of map details, the override identifying a custom mechanism for providing identifiers of appropriate ones of the independently provided tiles of map details in response to the map context;   providing the map context to the custom mechanism identified by the override;   matching the tiles of map details identified by the custom mechanism to corresponding map tiles, with each matched tile of map details and corresponding map tile pair representing an equivalent geographic area; and   causing at least some of the matched tiles of map details to be displayed superimposed over at least some of the corresponding map tiles.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the causing the at least some of the matched tiles of map details to be displayed superimposed over the at least some of the corresponding map tiles further comprises causing the at least some of the matched tiles of map details to be displayed with a predetermined opacity with respect to the at least some of the corresponding map tiles. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-readable media of  claim 2 , wherein the predetermined opacity is specified in a manifest associated with the independently provided tiles of map details. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the override is specified in a manifest associated with the independently provided tiles of map details. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the tiles of map details identified by the custom mechanism comprise at least two independent layers of map details simultaneously representing equivalent geographic areas. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-readable media of  claim 5 , wherein the causing the at least some of the matched tiles of map details to be displayed superimposed over the at least some of the corresponding map tiles further comprises: causing at least some of the matched tiles of map details representing a first layer to be displayed with a first predetermined opacity with respect to at least some of the matched tiles of map details representing a second layer and with respect to the at least some of the corresponding map tiles; and causing the at least some of the matched tiles of map details representing the second layer to be displayed with a second predetermined opacity with respect to the at least some of the corresponding map tiles. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the custom mechanism generates the tiles of map details identified by the custom mechanism upon receipt of the map context. 
     
     
         8 . A method for generating a simulated three-dimensional representation of a digital map comprising map tiles and independently provided tiles of map details, the method performing steps comprising:
 obtaining a map context indicating a geographic region and a zoom level;   identifying map tiles based on the map context;   identifying tiles of map details based on the map context;   corresponding the identified tiles of map details with the identified map tiles such that each map tile and corresponding identified tile of map details represent equivalent geographic areas; and   providing the identified map tiles and the corresponding identified tiles of map details to a three-dimensional image generation component, the three-dimensional image generation component accessing elevation data of the geographic areas represented by the identified map tiles and the corresponding identified tiles of map details.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the identifying tiles of map details comprises: parsing a manifest to obtain referencing information associating the map context with the tiles of map details. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the referencing information is a variable uniform resource locator, and wherein further the map context is used to generate a value that is substituted into the variable uniform resource locator to accomplish the identifying tiles of map details. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the three-dimensional image generation component distorts an image formed by the display of the identified tiles of map details superimposed, with a predetermined opacity, on the identified map tiles, given the elevation data of the geographic areas represented by the identified tiles of map details and the identified map tiles. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising: parsing a manifest to obtain the predetermined opacity of the tiles of map details; and providing the identified predetermined opacity to the three-dimensional image generation component. 
     
     
         13 . An user interface for automatically generating, for a user, a uniform resource locator comprising parameters for displaying a digital map having independently provided details, the digital map comprising map tiles and independently provided tiles of map details, the interface comprising:
 a tile location specification element for accepting a location of the independently provided tiles of map details; and   a uniform resource locator display element for displaying the generated uniform resource locator, the generated uniform resource locator comprising a standard uniform resource locator and, appended to the standard uniform resource locator, a variable resource locator specifying the location of the independently provided tiles of map details and modifiable to individually reference the independently provided tiles of map details.   
     
     
         14 . The user interface of  claim 13 , wherein the variable resource locator referencing the independently provided tiles of map details is separated from the standard uniform resource locator by a predetermined parameter separation character. 
     
     
         15 . The user interface of  claim 13 , wherein the variable resource locator referencing the independently provided tiles of map details is appended to the generated uniform resource locator as a name-value pair. 
     
     
         16 . The user interface of  claim 13 , wherein a map context is referenced to generate a value that is substituted into the variable resource locator to identify specific ones of the independently provided tiles of map details. 
     
     
         17 . The user interface of  claim 13  further comprising an opacity specification element for selecting an opacity of the tiles of map details; wherein the generated uniform resource locator further comprises, appended to the standard uniform resource locator, the opacity of the tiles of map details. 
     
     
         18 . The user interface of  claim 13  further comprising a bounds specification element for indicating a geographic boundary of the tiles of map details; wherein the generated uniform resource locator further comprises, appended to the standard uniform resource locator, the geographic boundary of the tiles of map details. 
     
     
         19 . The user interface of  claim 13 , wherein the parameters of the generated uniform resource locator enable identification of tiles of map details corresponding to map tiles, the digital map created by displaying the identified tiles of map details superimposed upon corresponding map tiles in accordance with the parameters of the generated uniform resource locator. 
     
     
         20 . The user interface of  claim 13 , wherein parameters not specified by the generated uniform resource locator are set to default values.