Navigation device

• US 20040183700A1
• Filed: 01/05/2004
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Morie, Nobuhide
• Granted Patent: US 7,042,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/995.1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names

Abstract

A navigation device in which, in accordance with a scrolling instruction given by a user during display on a first screen, a map image is scrolled along a road on which a vehicle position mark is positioned up to a position in a second screen in which a next main intersection is situated at the center of the screen. Regardless of whether a guide route is set, the map image can be scrolled along the road, and the scrolling is stopped at a main intersection that the user wants to confirm.

Claims

1. A navigation device comprising:

a map displaying means for displaying a map image together with a vehicle position mark on a screen;

an operating means for setting a scroll direction by a user; and

a scrolling means for scrolling the map image in the set direction along a road on which the vehicle position mark is located up to a predetermined position.

2. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined position is an intersection that joins a main road.

3. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined position is any one of an expressway entrance, exit, and junction.

4. The navigation device of claim 2, further comprising intersection displaying means for indicating with an arrow a next travelable direction starting from the intersection reached by scrolling.

5. The navigation device of claim 2, further comprising intersection displaying means for displaying on the screen the name of a next main road ahead connected to the intersection reached by scrolling.

6. The navigation device of claim 2, further comprising intersection displaying means for displaying on the screen the names of next intersections on roads connected to the intersection reached by scrolling.

7. The navigation device of claim 2, wherein when at the intersection that joins a main road, the user repeats the setting of a scroll direction, the map image is scrolled along a road extending in the set direction from the intersection that joins a main road, and the scrolling is stopped again at an intersection that joins a next main road.

8. The navigation device of claim 2, wherein the main road is of the same class as or of a higher class than a collector road.

9. The navigation device of claim 5, wherein the scrolling means is a joystick, and wherein, by only tilting the joystick in a predetermined direction once, the map image is scrolled along a road on which one'"'"'s vehicle is located, and the scrolling is automatically stopped at an intersection that joins a next main road.

10. A method for scrolling images displayed on a navigation device, comprising the acts of:

providing a vehicle;

providing a navigation device for use in the vehicle, said navigation device including a display operable to present map images;

setting a direction for scrolling of the map images on the display;

identifying the direction of travel of the vehicle;

identifying the road on which the vehicle is traveling;

identifying the next main intersection with the road on which the vehicle is traveling; and

scrolling the map images on the display in a direction corresponding to the direction of travel of the vehicle until the next main intersection is reached.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the act of setting whether scrolling will stop at the next intersection.