Point-of interest icon and point-of- interest mark display method

• US 20020130906A1
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Miyaki, Ken
• Granted Patent: US 7,076,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/837
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34

Abstract

In a point-of-interest (POI) icon display method for displaying a POI icon at a position of a point of interest on a map, when a large number of POI icons are densely displayed, one representative icon is displayed instead of these POI icons. When the representative icon is selected, the original individual POI icons or detailed information of the POIs corresponding to the original individual POI icons are displayed. In a case in which a POI is displayed by a polygon on the map and the POI icon is present within the POI polygon, the POI icon is displayed in the central portion of the polygon.

Claims

1. A point-of-interest icon display method for displaying point-of-interest icons at positions of points of interest on a map, said method comprising:

displaying multiple point-of-interest icons using one representative icon when the multiple point-of-interest icons overlap on the map or when the multiple point-of-interest icons are densely distributed on the map.

2. A point-of-interest icon display method according to claim 1 comprising:

displaying the multiple icons by a representative multiple-icon icon when there are icons of a set number or more within a predetermined distance on the same street or between intersections.

3. A point-of-interest icon display method according to claim 1, comprising:

calculating the total icon area displayed on a screen in order to determine the icon density; and

when the density is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, grouping the icons into multiple-icon icons until the density falls below the predetermined value.

4. A point-of-interest icon display method according to claim 1, comprising:

displaying the multiple point-of-interest icons by a multiple-icon icon if the number of icons displayed within a predetermined area is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

5. A point-of-interest icon display method according to claim 1, comprising:

displaying the original individual point-of-interest icons instead of a representative multiple-icon icon when said representative icon is selected.

6. A point-of-interest icon display method according to claim 1, comprising:

displaying information relating to the points of interest corresponding to the original individual point-of-interest icons when said representative icon is selected.

7. A point-of-interest icon display method according to one of claims 5 and 6, comprising:

displaying the multiple-icon icon instead of the original individual point-of-interest icons when a return instruction is provided.

8. A point-of-interest icon display method for displaying point-of-interest icons at positions of points of interest on a map, said method comprising:

displaying a point-of-interest on a map using a polygon; and

displaying the point-of-interest icon in the central portion of the polygon when the point-of-interest icon is present within the point-of-interest polygon.

9. A point-of-interest icon display method according to claim 8, comprising:

storing category data in point-of-interest polygon information and point-of-interest icon information;

determining whether the category of the point-of-interest polygon matches the category of the point-of-interest icon when the point-of-interest icon is present within the point-of-interest polygon; and

displaying the point-of-interest icon in the central portion of the polygon when they match.

10. A navigation apparatus, for mounting in a vehicle, for displaying point-of-interest icons at positions of points of interest on a map, said navigation apparatus comprising:

a control section for displaying multiple point-of-interest icons using one representative icon when the multiple point-of-interest icons overlap on the map or when the multiple point-of-interest icons are densely distributed on the map.

11. A navigation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said control section displays multiple icons using a representative multiple-icon icon when there are icons of a set number or more within a predetermined distance on the same street or between intersections.

12. A navigation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said control section calculates the total icon area displayed on a screen in order to determine the icon density, and when the density is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, groups the icons into multiple-icon icons until the density falls below the predetermined value.

13. A navigation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said control section displays multiple icons using a multiple-icon icon when the number of icons displayed within a predetermined area is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

14. A navigation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, when said representative icon is selected, said control section displays the original individual point-of-interest icons instead of the representative multiple-icon icon.

15. A navigation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, when said representative icon is selected, said control section displays information relating to the points of interest corresponding to the original individual point-of-interest icons instead of the multiple-icon icon.

16. A navigation apparatus according to one of claims 14 and 15, wherein, when a return instruction is provided, said control section displays the multiple-icon icon instead of the original individual point-of-interest icons.

18. A navigation apparatus according to claim 17, said navigation apparatus comprising:

a point-of-interest database in which category data is contained in point-of-interest polygon information and point-of-interest icon information,

wherein said control section determines whether the category of a point of interest polygon matches the category of a point-of-interest icon when the point-of-interest icon is present within the point-of-interest polygon, and displays the point-of-interest icon in the central portion of the polygon when they match.

17. A navigation apparatus, for mounting in a vehicle, for displaying point-of-interest icons at positions of points of interest on a map, said navigation apparatus comprising:

a control section for displaying points of interest using polygons on a map and for displaying a point-of-interest icon in the central portion of a polygon when the point-of-interest icon is present within the point of interest polygon.