Navigation terminal device and navigation method

• US 20020161516A1
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Kumada, Satoshi, Shirahama, Toshie
• Granted Patent: US 6,871,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker

Abstract

A navigation terminal device includes a map information display unit 771 for displaying, on a screen, the map information containing the location information retrieved by a web server 3, a destination display unit for displaying the destination searched from the map information displayed on the display screen by screen scrolling, a route drawing unit 773 for drawing the route connecting a reference point based on the location information retrieved by the web server 3 to the destination so as to be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed thereon, and a route searching unit 774 for exchanging the display between the reference point and the destination when the destination is displayed but the reference point disappears from the screen, thereby following the route from the reference point to the destination according to the drawn route information. In this configuration, the operability of a terminal device having a small capacity of screen can be improved and the burden for the user can be relaxed.

Claims

1. A navigation terminal device comprising:

map information displaying means for receiving, via a communication line, the map information containing location information retrieved by a server and display the received map information on a screen;

destination display means for searching a destination from the map information displayed on the screen by screen scrolling and displaying it on the screen;

route drawing means for drawing a route from a reference point of the retrieved location information to the searched destination so as to be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed thereon.

2. A navigation terminal device according to claim 1, wherein said route drawing means includes a computing means for computing a direction from said reference point to the destination to create a vector having the direction and a length.

3. A navigation terminal device according to claim 1 or 2 further comprising

a route searching means for exchanging the display between the reference point and the destination if the reference point disappears from the screen when the destination is displayed by said destination display means, thereby permitting to follow the route from the displayed reference point to the destination according to the drawn route information.

4. A navigation terminal device according to claim 3, further comprising a display exchanging means for exchanging the display between the reference point and the destination by detecting depression of a specific button.

5. A navigating method for a navigation system including a server for distributing map information and a navigation terminal device for displaying the map information containing location information retrieved by the server on a screen via a communication line, comprising the steps of:

searching a destination from the map information displayed on the screen by screen scrolling; and

drawing a route from a reference point of the retrieved location information to the searched destination so as to be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed thereon.

6. A navigation method according to claim 5, characterized in that said route is drawn by computing a direction from said reference point to the destination to create a vector having the direction and a length.

7. A navigation method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that when the destination is displayed, if the reference point disappears from the screen, the display is exchanged between the reference point and the destination, thereby permitting to follow the route from the displayed reference point to the destination according to the drawn route.

8. A navigation method according to claim 7, wherein the display is exchanged between the reference point and the destination by detecting depression of a specific button.

9. A navigation terminal program for a navigation system including a server for distributing map information and a navigation terminal device for displaying the map information containing location information retrieved by the server on a screen via a communication line, comprising:

a first step of searching a destination from the map information displayed on the screen by screen scrolling; and

a second step of drawing a route from a reference point of the retrieved location information to the searched destination so as to be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed thereon.

10. A navigation terminal program according to claim 9, wherein said second step includes a step of computing a direction from said reference point to the destination to create a vector having the direction and a length.

11. A navigation terminal program according to claim 9 or 10, further comprising:

a third step of exchanging the display between the reference point and the destination when the destination is displayed, if the reference point disappears from the screen, and

a fourth step of following the route from the displayed reference point to the destination according to the drawn route information.

12. A navigation method according to claim 11, wherein the step of exchanging the display between the reference point and the destination by detecting depression of a specific button is executed by a computer.

14. A recording medium according to claim 13 which stores a navigation terminal program according to claim 9, wherein said second step includes a step of computing a direction from said reference point to the destination to create a vector having the direction and a length.

15. A recording medium according to claim 13 or 14, wherein it stores a navigation program which causes a computer to execute

a third step of exchanging the display between the reference point and the destination when the destination is displayed, if the reference point disappears from the screen, and

a fourth step of following the route from the displayed reference point to the destination according to the drawn route information.

16. A recording medium according to claim 15, characterized in that it stores a navigation terminal program which causes a computer to execute the step of exchanging the display between the reference point and the destination by detecting depression of a specific button is executed by a computer.

13. A recording medium readable by a computer which stores a navigating terminal program for a navigation system including a server for distributing map information and a navigation terminal device for displaying the map information containing location information retrieved by the server on a screen via a communication line, comprising:

a first step of searching a destination from the map information displayed on the screen by screen scrolling; and

a second step of drawing a route from a reference point of the retrieved location information to the searched destination so as to be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed thereon.