Integration of cognition-based content zooming and progressive visualization for mobile-based navigation

Maps have been used for many centuries. In the age of mobile technology, maps are still very useful in a wide range of mobile applications such as logistic fleet management, navigation, tourist guide and so on. The traditional map design, however, is not suitable for display in mobile devices due to the restricted capability such as low processing power, limited storage, limited input capability and the small display area. Therefore, this research aims to design a map for effective display on mobile devices. In this study, a number of cartographic and technical constraints of mobile maps are considered. Cartographically, the map content has to be simplified vertically between different map scales and horizontally in each map scale according to users' cognition so as to make maps appropriate for small-screen display. Content zooming has been employed as a key technique. This is developed from the notion of how map users obtain the information in a textual address (i.e. separating the information piece by piece from general to detailed). On the other hand, progressive map visualisation, such as that deployed by Google Maps, is also applied to further increase the readability after content simplification. A prototype has been developed and an evaluation of the system has also been conducted. Results show that this system is very effective for production of mobile-based mapping products.