MAP INFORMATION DISPLAY DEVICE FOR NAVIGATION APPARATUS

• US 20010039474A1
• Filed: 03/05/1999
• Published: 11/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Electronics (USA) Incorporated (Pioneer Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Electronics (USA) Incorporated (Pioneer Corporation)
• Inventors: HIJIKATA, MAKOTO, YANO, KENICHIRO, HAYASHI, KATSUYOSHI
• Granted Patent: US 6,356,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names

Abstract

In a map information display device, the map data extracting unit extracts character data corresponding to characters from map data corresponding to the map, and the map data converting unit converts the map data including no character data to a bird'"'"'s-eye-view map data. The character data converting unit selects designated character data from the extracted character data and converts the character data other than the designated character data to bird'"'"'s-eye-view character data. Then, the combining unit combines the bird'"'"'s-eye-view character data, the bird'"'"'s-eye-view map data and the designated character data to produce combined bird'"'"'s-eye-view data. Then, the display unit displays the map of bird'"'"'s-eye-view using the combined bird'"'"'s-eye-view data.

Claims

1. A map information display device for use in a navigation apparatus which displays map to assist a travelling of a moving object, said device comprising:

a map data extracting means for extracting character data corresponding to characters from map data corresponding to the map;

a map data converting means for converting the map data including no character data to a bird'"'"'s-eye-view map data;

a character data converting means for selecting designated character data from the extracted character data and for converting the character data other than the designated character data to bird'"'"'s-eye-view character data;

a combining means for combining the bird'"'"'s-eye-view character data, the bird'"'"'s-eye-view map data and the designated character data to produce combined birds-eye-view data; and

a display means for displaying the map of bird'"'"'s-eye-view using the combined bird'"'"'s-eye-view data.

2. A map information display device according to

claim 1

, wherein said designated character data are designated by a user in advance.

3. A map information display device according to

claim 1

, wherein said designated character data are designated in accordance with a current time of said moving object.

4. A map information display device according to

claim 1

, wherein said designated character data are designated in accordance with an area where said moving object is travelling.

5. A map information display device according to

claim 1

, wherein said designated character data are designated in accordance with a distance from said moving object.

6. A map information display device according to

claim 1

, wherein said designated character data are designated in accordance with a travelling direction of said moving object.

7. A map information display device according to

claim 1

, wherein said designated character data are designated in accordance with a traffic information supplied from an external unit.

8. A storage medium carrying a program which controls an map information display device, for assisting a travelling of a moving object, to execute the steps of:

extracting character data corresponding to characters from map data corresponding to the map;

converting the map data including no character data to a bird'"'"'s-eye-view map data;

selecting designated character data from the extracted character data and converting the character data other than the designated character data to bird'"'"'s-eye-view character data;

combining the bird'"'"'s-eye-view character data, the bird'"'"'s-eye-view map data and the designated character data to produce combined bird'"'"'s-eye-view data; and

displaying the map of bird'"'"'s-eye-view using the combined bird'"'"'s-eye-view data.

9. A storage medium according to

claim 8

, wherein said designated character data are designated by a user in advance.

10. A storage medium according to

claim 8

, wherein said designated character data are designated in accordance with a current time of said moving object.

11. A storage medium according to

claim 8

, wherein said designated character data are designated in accordance with an area where said moving object is travelling.

12. A storage medium according to

claim 8

, wherein said designated character data are designated in accordance with a distance from said moving object.

13. A storage medium according to

claim 8

, wherein said designated character data are designated in accordance with a travelling direction of said moving object.

14. A storage medium according to

claim 8

, wherein said designated character data are designated in accordance with a traffic information supplied from an external unit.