Navigation apparatus

• US 20040049341A1
• Filed: 05/28/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Kiyozumi
• Granted Patent: US 6,871,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3638 including 3D objects and buildings three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects G06T17/00; geographic models G06T17/05

Abstract

A navigation route obstructed-by-building detection unit detects that a navigation route is obstructed by buildings, and a modified navigation route drawing unit in a navigation route drawing unit displays the navigation route by lifting it on or above the buildings. At the time, a ratio of obstructed portion calculating unit calculates the ratio of the portion of the navigation route obstructed by the buildings, and a display of navigation route in lifted state discriminating unit determines whether or not the ratio is equal to or larger than a predetermined value. When the ratio is equal to or larger than the predetermined value, an amount of navigation route displayed in lifted state calculating unit calculates a lifting amount, and a modified navigation route drawing unit displays the navigation route by lifting it by the lifting amount. Thereafter, a building/landmark image forming unit semi-transparently draws the portion of the buildings corresponding to the portion of the navigation route that is lifted and displayed. With the above arrangement, a user can easily observe the navigation route which is otherwise poor in observability.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a building/landmark image forming unit for substantially opaquely and three-dimensionally displaying buildings on a map;

a navigation route drawing unit for displaying a navigation route on a road;

a navigation route obstructed-by-building detection unit for detecting a portion of the navigation route obstructed by the buildings displayed three-dimensionally; and

a modified navigation route drawing unit for lifting the portion of the navigation route obstructed by the buildings on or above the obstructing buildings and displaying the portion of the navigation route.

2. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the building/landmark image forming unit subjects the obstructing buildings to transparent or semi-transparent display processing so that the buildings can be distinguished from other buildings.

3. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when an obstructing building is as tall as or taller than a predetermined height, the building/landmark image forming unit does not display the building, and the modified navigation route drawing unit displays the portion of the navigation route on or above the other obstructing buildings.

4. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the number of floors of an obstructing building is equal to or larger than a predetermined number of floors, the building/landmark image forming unit does not display the building, and the modified navigation route drawing unit displays the portion of the navigation route on or above the other obstructing buildings.

5. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a ratio of obstructed portion calculating unit for calculating the ratio of the portion of the navigation route obstructed by the buildings in a specific range of the navigation route,

wherein when the ratio of the portion of the navigation route obstructed by the buildings is equal to or larger than a predetermined ratio, the modified navigation route drawing unit lifts the portion of the navigation route and displays it.

6. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

an amount of navigation route displayed in lifted state calculation unit for calculating the height of the buildings which obstruct the portion of the navigation route and for calculating a height by adding a proper amount of height to the above calculated height as a lifting amount of the navigation route to be displayed,

wherein the navigation route drawing unit comprises a modified navigation route drawing unit for displaying the portion of the navigation route by lifting it by the amount calculated by the amount of navigation route displayed in lifted state calculation unit.

7. A navigation route display method of a navigation apparatus comprising:

calculating a navigation route to a destination;

substantially opaquely and three-dimensionally displaying buildings;

three-dimensionally displaying the navigation route on a road;

detecting a portion of the navigation route obstructed by the buildings; and

lifting the obstructed portion of the navigation route on or above the buildings and displaying it.

8. A navigation route display method according to claim 7, further comprising:

subjecting the obstructing buildings to transparent or semi-transparent display processing so that the buildings can be distinguished from other buildings.

9. A navigation route display method according to claim 7, further comprising:

not displaying a building by which the portion of the navigation route is obstructed when the height of the building is as tall as or higher than a predetermined height, and displaying the navigation route on or above the other obstructing buildings.

10. A navigation route display method according to claim 7, further comprising:

not displaying a building by which the navigation route is obstructed when the number of floors of the building is equal to or larger than a predetermined number of floors, and displaying the navigation route on or above the other obstructing buildings.

11. A navigation route display method according to claim 7, further comprising:

calculating the ratio of the portion of the navigation route obstructed by the buildings in a specific range of the navigation route; and

lifting the navigation route and displaying it when the ratio is equal to or larger than a predetermined ratio.

12. A navigation route display method according to claim 7, further comprising:

calculating the height of the buildings which obstruct the portion of the navigation route;

calculating a height by adding a proper amount of height to the above calculated height as a lifting amount of the navigation route to be displayed; and

displaying the portion of the navigation route by lifting it by the lifting amount.