Patent attributes
Some embodiments of the invention provide a mapping application with novel tools for examining potential destinations and routes to the potential destinations. In some embodiments, the mapping application includes a route preview page that provides a novel combination of user element tools that allow a user (1) to explore alternative routes to a selected destination, (2) to explore routes to other destinations in a list of destinations. In some embodiments, the route overview page also provides a modal zoom tool that allows the map on this page to zoom to the destination/search result or zoom out to an overview of the entire route to the destination/search result. These three tools (i.e., the tool for exploring alternative routes to one location, the tool for exploring routes to other locations, and the tool for providing modal zoom operations) are highly beneficial in allowing a user to navigate to a location because they allow the user to quickly explore the two-dimensional solution space of possible locations and possible routes to the locations.
