US6565610B1 — Method and system for text placement when forming…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 156 words

A text placement program contained on a storage medium, the program comprising: a first routine that receives data identifying a plurality of candidate locations for placement of text associated with a plurality of represented geographic feature on a map image; a second routine that evaluates each candidate location of said plurality of candidate locations using an expression that provides a result, wherein the expression comprises: a clause of a first type indicative of whether a represented geographic feature is named at least once on the map image by considering whether the represented geographic feature has been previously named in another candidate location; if a candidate location being evaluated for text placement overlaps another candidate location, a clause of a second type indicative of an occurrence of the candidate location not overlapping another candidate location; and a third routine that determines whether to place text in the candidate location based upon the result provided by the expression.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 156 words

A text placement program contained on a storage medium, the program comprising: a first routine that receives data identifying a plurality of candidate locations for placement of text associated with a plurality of represented geographic feature on a map image; a second routine that evaluates each candidate location of said plurality of candidate locations using an expression that provides a result, wherein the expression comprises: a clause of a first type indicative of whether a represented geographic feature is named at least once on the map image by considering whether the represented geographic feature has been previously named in another candidate location; if a candidate location being evaluated for text placement overlaps another candidate location, a clause of a second type indicative of an occurrence of the candidate location not overlapping another candidate location; and a third routine that determines whether to place text in the candidate location based upon the result provided by the expression.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 14 words

The invention of claim 1 wherein the clause of the first type is weighted.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 14 words

The invention of claim 1 wherein the clause of the second type is weighted.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 21 words

The invention of claim 1 wherein the clause of the first type and the clause of the second type are weighted.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 30 words

The invention of claim 1 wherein the expression further comprises: a clause of a third type comprised of a term corresponding to a rank assigned to the represented geographic feature.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 14 words

The invention of claim 5 wherein the clause of the third type is weighted.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 41 words

The invention of claim 1 wherein, for each candidate location of said plurality of candidate locations, the text placement program evaluates the expression for two conditions, wherein said two conditions comprise placement of text and no placement in the candidate location.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 90 words

The invention of claim 1 wherein said clause of a first type is comprised of a weighted disjunction of variables, wherein each of said variables represents a separate one of one or more candidate locations for placement of a same name along a represented geographic feature, and wherein each of said variables assumes one of two values, one of said two values indicative of placement of text in the represented candidate location and the other of said two values indicative of no placement of text in the represented candidate location.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 84 words

The invention of claim 1 wherein said clause of a second type is comprised of a weighted disjunction of two complemented variables, wherein each of said variables represents a respective one of two overlapping candidate locations for placement of text, and wherein each of said variables assumes one of two values, one of said two values indicative of placement of text in the represented candidate location and the other of said two values indicative of no placement of text in the represented candidate location.

Claim 11

Independent Claim 187 words

A method performed by a computing platform for forming a map image that represents a plurality of geographic features comprising the steps of: determining whether to place text at each of a plurality of candidate locations, wherein said plurality of candidate locations comprise locations in the map image at which text can be placed, and wherein each of said plurality of candidate locations is associated with a geographic feature, and wherein each of said plurality of candidate locations is associated with a text string, and wherein the text string associated with a candidate location is also associated with the represented geographic feature associated therewith; wherein said step of determining comprises: for each one of said plurality of candidate locations, evaluating placement of text at said one of said plurality of candidate locations, wherein said evaluation produces a first result; evaluating not placing text at said one of said plurality of candidate locations, wherein said evaluation produces a second result; comparing said first result and said second result; and determining whether to place text at said one of said plurality of candidate locations based upon said comparing step.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 187 words

A method performed by a computing platform for forming a map image that represents a plurality of geographic features comprising the steps of: determining whether to place text at each of a plurality of candidate locations, wherein said plurality of candidate locations comprise locations in the map image at which text can be placed, and wherein each of said plurality of candidate locations is associated with a geographic feature, and wherein each of said plurality of candidate locations is associated with a text string, and wherein the text string associated with a candidate location is also associated with the represented geographic feature associated therewith; wherein said step of determining comprises: for each one of said plurality of candidate locations, evaluating placement of text at said one of said plurality of candidate locations, wherein said evaluation produces a first result; evaluating not placing text at said one of said plurality of candidate locations, wherein said evaluation produces a second result; comparing said first result and said second result; and determining whether to place text at said one of said plurality of candidate locations based upon said comparing step.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 233 words

A method for forming a map image performed by a computing platform, said map image represents a plurality of geographic features, the method-comprising the steps of: identifying a plurality of candidate locations in the map image at which text can be placed, wherein each of said plurality of candidate locations is associated with a geographic feature represented in the map image, and wherein each of said plurality of candidate locations is associated with a text string, and wherein the text string associated with a candidate location is also associated with the represented geographic feature associated therewith; for each represented geographic feature, identifying all the candidate locations associated therewith that are also associated with an identical text string and forming a first type of clause indicative thereof; for each candidate location, identifying all the other candidate locations overlapping therewith and forming a second type of clause indicative thereof; and for each candidate location, determining whether to include text based upon an evaluation that includes the first type of clause formed by identifying all the candidate locations associated with a represented geographic feature that are also associated with an identical text string being evaluated by considering a probability of whether the text will also be included with another candidate location for the represented geographic feature and evaluating the second type of clause formed by identifying all the other candidate locations overlapping with the candidate location.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 233 words

A method for forming a map image performed by a computing platform, said map image represents a plurality of geographic features, the method-comprising the steps of: identifying a plurality of candidate locations in the map image at which text can be placed, wherein each of said plurality of candidate locations is associated with a geographic feature represented in the map image, and wherein each of said plurality of candidate locations is associated with a text string, and wherein the text string associated with a candidate location is also associated with the represented geographic feature associated therewith; for each represented geographic feature, identifying all the candidate locations associated therewith that are also associated with an identical text string and forming a first type of clause indicative thereof; for each candidate location, identifying all the other candidate locations overlapping therewith and forming a second type of clause indicative thereof; and for each candidate location, determining whether to include text based upon an evaluation that includes the first type of clause formed by identifying all the candidate locations associated with a represented geographic feature that are also associated with an identical text string being evaluated by considering a probability of whether the text will also be included with another candidate location for the represented geographic feature and evaluating the second type of clause formed by identifying all the other candidate locations overlapping with the candidate location.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 218 words

A method performed with a computing platform for forming a map image that represents a plurality of geographic features comprising the steps of: determining whether to place text at a plurality of candidate locations, wherein said plurality of candidate locations comprise locations in the map image at which text can be placed, and wherein each of said plurality of candidate locations is associated with a geographic feature represented in the map image, and wherein each of said plurality of candidate locations is associated with a text string, and wherein the text string associated with a candidate location is also associated with the represented geographic feature associated therewith; wherein for each of said plurality of candidate locations, said step of determining is based upon at least two factors, wherein a first factor favors placement of the text string associated with a represented geographic feature at least once in a candidate location associated with the represented geographic feature by considering whether the text string may be also placed in another of said plurality of candidate locations in addition to the one of said plurality of candidate locations; and wherein a second factor favors not overlapping a text string associated with one of said plurality of candidate locations with a text string associated with another of said plurality of candidate locations.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 218 words

A method performed with a computing platform for forming a map image that represents a plurality of geographic features comprising the steps of: determining whether to place text at a plurality of candidate locations, wherein said plurality of candidate locations comprise locations in the map image at which text can be placed, and wherein each of said plurality of candidate locations is associated with a geographic feature represented in the map image, and wherein each of said plurality of candidate locations is associated with a text string, and wherein the text string associated with a candidate location is also associated with the represented geographic feature associated therewith; wherein for each of said plurality of candidate locations, said step of determining is based upon at least two factors, wherein a first factor favors placement of the text string associated with a represented geographic feature at least once in a candidate location associated with the represented geographic feature by considering whether the text string may be also placed in another of said plurality of candidate locations in addition to the one of said plurality of candidate locations; and wherein a second factor favors not overlapping a text string associated with one of said plurality of candidate locations with a text string associated with another of said plurality of candidate locations.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method of claim 12 wherein said step of determining is based upon three factors, wherein a third factor favors placement of each text string associated with a represented geographic feature having a higher rank.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 52 words

The method of claim 12 wherein said first factor includes a statistical probability of placement of text in all other candidate locations associated with the geographic feature that is associated with the one of the plurality of candidate locations for which the step of determining whether to place text is being performed.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 45 words

The method of claim 12 wherein said second factor includes a statistical probability of placement of text in each other candidate location that overlaps the one of the plurality of candidate locations for which the step of determining whether to place text is being performed.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 68 words

The method of claim 12 wherein said first factor includes a statistical probability of placement of text in all other candidate locations associated with the geographic feature that is associated with the one of the plurality of candidate locations for which the step of determining whether to place text is being performed and for which a determination has not already been made whether or not to place text.

Claim 21

Independent Claim 210 words

A method for forming a map image that represents a plurality of geographic features, the method performed on a computing platform comprising the steps of: determining whether to place text at each of a plurality of candidate locations, wherein said plurality of candidate locations comprise locations in the map image at which text can be placed, and wherein each of said plurality of candidate locations is associated with a geographic feature, and wherein each of said plurality of candidate locations is associated with a text string, and wherein the text string associated with a candidate location is also associated with the represented geographic feature associated therewith; wherein said determining step comprises: for each one of said candidate locations, determining whether text placed at said candidate location would overlap with text placed in another candidate location, and evaluating placement of text at said one of said candidate locations taking into account both whether text placed at said one of said candidate locations would overlap with text placed in another candidate location and whether the text string associated with the represented geographic feature included in at least one of the candidate locations associated with the represented geographic feature by considering whether the text string is also placed in the other candidate locations.

Claim 22

Independent Claim 210 words

A method for forming a map image that represents a plurality of geographic features, the method performed on a computing platform comprising the steps of: determining whether to place text at each of a plurality of candidate locations, wherein said plurality of candidate locations comprise locations in the map image at which text can be placed, and wherein each of said plurality of candidate locations is associated with a geographic feature, and wherein each of said plurality of candidate locations is associated with a text string, and wherein the text string associated with a candidate location is also associated with the represented geographic feature associated therewith; wherein said determining step comprises: for each one of said candidate locations, determining whether text placed at said candidate location would overlap with text placed in another candidate location, and evaluating placement of text at said one of said candidate locations taking into account both whether text placed at said one of said candidate locations would overlap with text placed in another candidate location and whether the text string associated with the represented geographic feature included in at least one of the candidate locations associated with the represented geographic feature by considering whether the text string is also placed in the other candidate locations.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 39 words

The method of claim 17 wherein the step of determining whether text placed at said candidate location would overlap with text placed in another candidate location is performed only in an area immediately around the candidate location being evaluated.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 100 words

The method of claim 17 wherein the step of determining whether text placed at said candidate location would overlap with text placed in another candidate location, further comprises the steps of: defining a plurality of intervals in said map image, wherein each of said plurality of intervals represents a section of the map image extending from one edge to an opposite edge; and wherein all the candidate locations within any interval so defined are evaluated for placement of text prior to evaluation of any candidate locations in any interval in which all the candidate locations have not already been evaluated.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 87 words

The method of claim 17 wherein the step of determining whether text placed at said candidate location would overlap with text placed in another candidate location, further comprises the steps of: defining a plurality of intervals in said map image, wherein each of said plurality of intervals represents a section of the map image extending from one edge to an opposite edge; and wherein all the candidate locations within an interval are evaluated in order from the one edge of the map image to the opposite edge.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2006-05-19	2006-11-18	2007-05-20	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2010-05-19	2010-11-18	2011-05-20	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2014-05-19	2014-11-18	2015-05-20	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method and system for text placement when forming maps

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