Navigation device, information display device, object creation method, and recording medium

• US 20020177944A1
• Filed: 04/25/2002
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ihara, Koji, Ozu, Nobuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 6,687,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers

Abstract

A navigation device, an information display device, an object creating method, and a storage medium are provided. A display unit, which is integrally formed with a touch panel, displays a map together with control buttons, including a mark setting button and a mark erasing button, which have specific processing associated therewith. When coordinates for a desired point on the map and a mark button are specified on the touch panel, a mark creating unit creates a mark object and displays it at a position on a map corresponding to specified coordinates.

Claims

1. A navigation device which executes route guidance based on the position thereof, which is measured based on signals transmitted from a plurality of GPS satellites, and a set route, the navigation device comprising:

a map data storage unit which stores map data;

a display unit which displays a map based on the map data stored in the map data storage unit;

a touch panel which is integrally with the display unit and which receives external inputs;

an object display control unit which displays a button object having specific processing associated therewith; and

a mark creation processing unit which, when the button object and desired coordinates on the map are specified by an external input on the touch panel, creates and displays a mark on the map at a position corresponding to the specified coordinates.

2. A navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mark erasing unit which erases the mark when the button object and the coordinates corresponding to the mark displayed on the map are specified by an external input on the touch panel.

3. A navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mark-information output processing unit which outputs information related to the mark when the button object and the coordinates corresponding to the mark displayed on the map are specified by an external input on the touch panel.

4. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the operation for specifying the button object and the desired coordinates on the map comprises a drag operation between the button object and the desired coordinates on the map.

5. A navigation device according to claim 4, wherein the drag operation is performed while keeping the map fixed.

6. An information display device comprising:

display means for displaying an image;

input means for receiving an input in response to an external contact;

position detection means for detecting a starting position and an ending position of a line segment which is input by the input means;

command button display means for displaying a command button on a portion of a display area of the display means; and

command execution means for, when one of the starting position and the ending position of the line segment detected by the position detection means coincides with the command button, performing editing of an object on the image, the object corresponding to the other one of the starting position and the ending position.

7. An information display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the image displayed by the display means is a map, and the object is a mark on the map.

8. An information display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, in the display area of the display means, coordinates inside a region where the command button is not displayed represent the starting position or the ending position of the line segment input by the input means.

9. An object creating method for creating an object on a map displayed on a display unit in a map display apparatus including the map display unit, which displays the map based on map data, and an input unit which is integrally formed with the display unit, the object creating method comprising:

a displaying step of displaying on the same screen in the display unit the map, which is based on the map data, and a command button for creating on object at a predetermined area on the display unit;

a detecting step of detecting that a position corresponding to the command button and a point on the map displayed on the display unit have been specified; and

a creating step of creating an object corresponding to the point on the map.

10. A storage medium for storing a program to be executed by a computer in which a map is displayed on a display screen and a touch panel is integrally formed on the display screen, the program being stored in such a manner that the computer can read out the program, the program comprising:

display processing for displaying, on the display screen, the map and a predetermined area for editing an object;

receiving processing for receiving a line segment input when a drag operation is performed between the predetermined area and a desired point on the map on the touch panel;

detection processing for detecting starting position coordinates and ending position coordinates of the line segment which is input; and

execution processing for, when one of the starting point coordinates and the ending point coordinates is located at the predetermined area, executing editing of an object on the map corresponding to the other one of the starting point coordinates and the ending point coordinates.