Method and system for text placement when forming maps

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.

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.

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.