Navigation apparatus and navigation method

• US 10,378,913 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2016
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyata, Hiromasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Parker, Kenneth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Long H
• Application Number:
  US15/187,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20160298981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 348116, 34099527
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

A navigation apparatus includes: a current-position information acquisition section obtaining measured current-position information; a camera section obtaining a captured image of a subject; a direction detection section detecting a direction when obtaining the captured image by the camera section; from characteristic-point information related to multiple predetermined characteristic points stored in a storage section, a characteristic-point information extraction section extracting the characteristic-point information related to the characteristic points located in the vicinity of the current position and in a range shown in the direction; and a control section displaying the captured image on a display section, wherein the control section displays a predetermined direction line indicating a distance from the current position on the captured image, obtains a distance and a direction from the current position to the characteristic point, and displays the characteristic-point information at a position corresponding to the distance and the direction on the captured image.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a processor and a memory including instructions, which when executed by the processor, control;

obtaining current position information indicating a current position;

determining a first mode and a second mode based on inclination information;

in the first mode, displaying, on a captured image obtained by imaging at the apparatus, characteristic point information and a predetermined object indicating distance or direction from the current position to the characteristic point information, wherein one or more indicators designating one or more predetermined ranges are displayed on the captured image with the characteristic point information, each indicator indicating a predetermined distance from the current position, such that the characteristic point information is displayed in one of the predetermined ranges or at a boundary between two of the predetermined ranges; and

wherein the characteristic point information is displayed in accordance with direction information which is obtained from the apparatus, in which the direction information indicates a direction in which the captured image is obtained.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, when the characteristic point information is a predetermined number of pieces or less, the instructions, when executed by the processor, control:

expanding a predetermined distance range set as the vicinity of the current position, and

extracting, from the characteristic point information, a second characteristic point located in a range of the expanded distance range and in a range shown in the direction.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, control to extract, from a predetermined storage section, the characteristic point information.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, control to display a line segment connecting the current position and the characteristic point information.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, control:

accepting a second user operation; and

expanding or contracting a distance range set as the vicinity of the current position in accordance with the second user operation.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, in which, in the first mode, the distance is displayed on the captured image with unit of length indicia.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, control displaying indicia of the direction with the characteristic point information.

2. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a processor and a memory including instructions, which when executed by the processor, control;

determining a first mode and a second mode based on inclination information;

in the first mode, displaying, on a captured image obtained by imaging at the apparatus, characteristic point information and a distance from a current position to the characteristic point information;

in the second mode, displaying, on a map image, current point information and the characteristic point information, wherein the characteristic point information is displayed in accordance with direction information which is obtained from the apparatus;

obtaining current position information indicating the current position,

measuring the current position;

obtaining the captured image;

detecting a direction at a time of obtaining the captured image;

extracting, from the characteristic point information, a characteristic point located in a vicinity of the current position and in a predetermined range in the direction; and

displaying a predetermined object indicating the distance or a direction from the current position to the characteristic point.

6. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a processor and a memory including instructions, which when executed by the processor, control;

determining a first mode and a second mode based on inclination information;

in the first mode, displaying, on a captured image obtained by imaging at the apparatus, characteristic point information and a predetermined object indicating distance or direction from a current position to the characteristic point information;

in the second mode, displaying, on a map image, current point information and the characteristic point information, wherein the characteristic point information is displayed in accordance with direction information which is obtained from the apparatus; and

determining a direction in which the captured image is obtained,

wherein, when the direction is determined to be a front, the first mode is determined, and

wherein, when the direction is determined to be not the front, the second mode is determined and map information in a vicinity of the current position is obtained from a predetermined storage section on a basis of the current point information.

8. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a processor and a memory including instructions, which when executed by the processor, control;

determining a first mode and a second mode based on inclination information;

in the first mode, displaying, on a captured image obtained by imaging at the apparatus, characteristic point information and a predetermined object indicating distance or direction from a current position to the characteristic point information;

in the second mode, displaying, on a map image, current point information and the characteristic point information, wherein the characteristic point information is displayed in accordance with direction information which is obtained from the apparatus; and

displaying a predetermined direction line and a predetermined set standard range of distance relative to the current position, in which the predetermined direction line is at an angle indicating a direction as viewed from the current position.

11. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

obtaining current position information indicating a current position;

determining a first mode and a second mode based on inclination information;

when the first mode is determined, displaying, on a captured image obtained by imaging at the information processing apparatus, characteristic point information and a predetermined object indicating distance or direction from the current position to a characteristic point indicated by the characteristic point information, wherein one or more indicators designating one or more predetermined ranges are displayed on the captured image with the characteristic point information, each indicator indicating a predetermined distance from the current position, such that the characteristic point information is displayed in one of the predetermined ranges or at a boundary between two of the predetermined ranges; and

when the second mode is determined, displaying, on a map image, current point information and the characteristic point information.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store a program causing a computer to execute a process at an information processing apparatus, the process including:

obtaining current position information indicating a current position;

determining a first mode and a second mode based on inclination information;

when the first mode is determined, displaying, on a captured image obtained by imaging at the apparatus, characteristic point information and a predetermined object indicating distance or direction from the current position to a characteristic point indicated by the characteristic point information, wherein one or more indicators designating one or more predetermined ranges are displayed on the captured image with the characteristic point information, each indicator indicating a predetermined distance from the current position, such that the characteristic point information is displayed in one of the predetermined ranges or at a boundary between two of the predetermined ranges; and

when the second mode is determined, displaying, on a map image, current point information and the characteristic point information.