Client-renderable element for indoor building map

A computerized mapping method, comprising:

• at a map server comprising a processor and associated memory storing instructions that when executed cause the processor to perform steps of:
• in a map data preparation phase:
• generating map data organized into a series of tiles of varying levels of detail, each of the tiles having an associated bitmap image of a portion of the map rendered at a specified level of detail, the bitmap images of a subset of the tiles including graphical depictions of building footprints for a plurality of buildings, the map data further including an indoor map for each of a subset of the plurality of buildings, the indoor maps being server side rendered in the bitmap images at specified levels of detail, wherein at least one indoor map is a private indoor map accessible only by authorized users;
• generating a client-side renderable geometric element for each indoor map;
• associating each client-side renderable geometric element with one or more tiles;
• in a map serving phase:
• receiving requests from a client device of a first user and a client device of a second user to view a portion of the map at least partially including a target tile at a requested level of detail that is outside a range for displaying the private indoor map;
• receiving user authentication credentials from the first user and the second user;
• confirming based on the user authentication credentials that the first user is an authorized user who has authorization to access the private indoor map and a second user is not an authorized user for the private indoor map;
• transmitting the target tile with a prerendered bitmap image including a building, and a target client-side renderable geometric element to the client device of the first user for display;
• and
• transmitting the target tile with the prerendered bitmap image including the building, without the target client-side renderable geometric element to the client device of the second user for display.

A computerized mapping method, comprising:

• displaying a map image including a plurality of tiles, each tile including a server-side rendered bitmap image including building footprints;
• displaying a client-side rendered geometric element over at least one of the building footprints in the server-side rendered bitmap image, the geometric element being visually distinguishable from the building footprints in the bitmap image, the geometric element being selectable to cause an indoor map to be displayed, the geometric element being rendered to include a visual feature that visually communicates an internal map feature of the indoor map;
• receiving a selection of the client-side rendered geometric element;
• and
• in response to receiving the selection, causing the indoor map of the building to be displayed.