Map information processing device, its system, its method, its program, recording medium storing the program, position information display device, its method, its program and recording medium storing the program

• US 20040225436A1
• Filed: 04/07/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Increment P Corporation (Pioneer Corporation), Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Increment P Corporation (Pioneer Corporation), Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshihashi, Makoto
• Application Number:
  US10/819,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20040225436A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• 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: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station

Abstract

A terminal unit (400) acquires navigation electric wave, generates an assumed coordinate information, and transmits the information to a position information processing device (320) over a network (200), so that the position information processing device (320) generates a position information on the current position of the terminal unit (400) and an accuracy information on a positioning accuracy. The terminal unit (400) acquires the position information and the accuracy information from the position information processing device (320) and transmits them to a server unit (500) over the network (200) with information on a display area where a map is displayed. The server unit (500) sets a scale rate of the map based on the accuracy information and calculates a circular area where the terminal unit (400) may be located. The server unit (500) reads a map information of the circular area, the diameter of which is 80 % of the short dimension of the display area, and transmits the information to the terminal unit (400) for displaying it. An error area can be displayed in detail.

Claims

1. A map information processing device for processing a map information on a map displayed on a display to provide a current position overlaid on the map, the device comprising:

a storage for storing the map information;

a position information acquiring section for acquiring a position information on the current position generated by positioning;

an accuracy information acquiring section for acquiring an accuracy information on a positioning accuracy of the current position;

a display area information acquiring section for acquiring a display area information on a display area in which the map is displayed on the display;

an error area computer for calculating an error area of the current position based on the position information and the accuracy information; and

a map information processor for acquiring the map information with a scale area where the maximum dimension of the error area corresponds to the minimum dimension of the display area from the storage.

2. The map information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the map information processor acquires the map information with the scale area corresponding to a scale dimension where the maximum dimension with the error area is (100−

(1/b*2*100))% or more relative to the minimum dimension of the display area from the storage, when a number of pixels is “

a” and

a number of characters is “

b”

in a direction of a short dimension of the display area.

3. The map information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the maximum dimension of the error area is 73% or more relative to the minimum dimension of the display area.

4. The map information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the accuracy information is associated with a plurality of levels corresponding to the positioning accuracy.

5. The map information processing device according to claim 4,

wherein the storage stores the plurality of map information respectively having different map scales, and

wherein the map information processor selects the map information with a scale rate corresponding to the level of the accuracy information and acquires an area corresponding to the error area in the map information as a map information to be displayed at the display area.

6. The map information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the error area computer calculates a circular area around the current position as the error area.

7. The map information processing device according to claim 6,

wherein the storage stores an error information on an error radius corresponding to the positioning accuracy of the accuracy information, and

wherein the error area computer calculates the circular area around the current position based on the error information corresponding to the accuracy information to recognize the error area.

8. The map information processing device according to claim 6, wherein the error area computer acquires an area, where the circular area is multiplied by a predetermined constant, as an enlarged error area.

9. The map information processing device according to claim 7, wherein the error area computer calculates the diameter of the circular area based on the error radius, the maximum dimension of the error area being calculated by multiplying the diameter thereof by the constant.

10. The map information processing device according to claim 8, wherein the constant is between 1.02 and 1.37.

11. The map information processing device according to claim 6,

wherein the map information includes a text information indicating a ground object,

wherein the storage stores the error information on the error radius corresponding to the positioning accuracy of the accuracy information, and

wherein the error area computer calculates the circular area around the current position based on the error information relative to the accuracy information, and updates the error area as an enlarged error area, by adding an area for recognizably displaying one character of the text information outside the circular area.

12. The map information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the display area of the display area information is rectangular.

13. The map information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the map information processor acquires information that includes the current position overlaid on the map of the map information acquired from the storage based on the position information as a map information to be displayed on the display.

14. A position information display device, comprising:

a display for displaying a map;

a display controller for displaying the map at a predetermined display area on the display;

a position information acquiring section for acquiring a position information on a current position generated by a positioning section that locates the current position;

an accuracy information acquiring section for acquiring an accuracy information on a positioning accuracy generated by the positioning section; and

a map information acquisition request section for outputting a request to calculate an error area of the current position based on the position information and the accuracy information, to read a map information on a map with a scale area where the maximum dimension of the error area corresponds to the minimum dimension of the display area by a device that stores the map information, and to acquire the map information in a manner capable of being displayed by the display controller.

15. A map information processing system, comprising:

a map information processing device for processing a map information on a map displayed on a display to provide a current position overlaid on the map, the device comprising;

a storage for storing the map information;

a position information acquiring section for acquiring a position information on the current position generated by positioning;

an accuracy information acquiring section for acquiring an accuracy information on a positioning accuracy of the current position;

a display area information acquiring section for acquiring a display area information on a display area in which the map is displayed on the display;

an error area computer for calculating an error area of the current position based on the position information and the accuracy information; and

a map information processor for acquiring the map information with a scale area where the maximum dimension of the error area corresponds to the minimum dimension of the display area from the storage,

the map information processing system, further comprising;

a terminal unit connected with the map information processing device in a manner capable of transmitting/receiving information, the terminal unit including the display for displaying the map information acquired by the map information processing device.

16. A map information processing system, comprising:

a position information display device, comprising;

a display for displaying a map;

a display controller for displaying the map at a predetermined display area on the display;

a position information acquiring section for acquiring a position information on a current position generated by a positioning section that locates the current position;

an accuracy information acquiring section for acquiring an accuracy information on a positioning accuracy generated by the positioning section; and

a map information acquisition request section for outputting a request to calculate an error area of the current position based on the position information and the accuracy information, to read a map information on a map with a scale area where the maximum dimension of the error area corresponds to the minimum dimension of the display area by a device that stores the map information, and to acquire the map information in a manner capable of being displayed by the display controller,

the map information processing system, further comprising;

a map information processing device for processing a map information on a map displayed on a display to provide a current position overlaid on the map, the device being connected with the map information display device in a manner capable of transmitting/receiving information, acquiring the map information based on the request output from the position information display device, and storing the map information to be outputted to the map information to the position information display device, the device comprising;

a storage for storing the map information;

a position information acquiring section for acquiring a position information on the current position generated by positioning;

an accuracy information acquiring section for acquiring an accuracy information on a positioning accuracy of the current position;

a display area information acquiring section for acquiring a display area information on a display area in which the map is displayed on the display;

an error area computer for calculating an error area of the current position based on the position information and the accuracy information; and

a map information processor for acquiring the map information with a scale area where the maximum dimension of the error area corresponds to the minimum dimension of the display area from the storage.

17. A map information processing system for displaying a current position of a terminal unit that is overlaid on a map on a display of the terminal unit, the terminal unit being connected with a server unit that stores a map information on the map in a manner capable of transmitting/receiving information,

wherein the terminal unit acquires a position information on the current position generated by positioning and an accuracy information on a positioning accuracy of the current position and transmits the position information and accuracy information to the server unit, and

wherein the server unit calculates an error area of the current position based on the position information and the accuracy information transmitted from the terminal unit, acquires the map information with a scale area where the maximum dimension of the error area corresponds to the minimum dimension of a display area for displaying the map on the display of the terminal unit, and transmits the map information to the terminal unit.

18. A map information processing method, by a computer, for processing a map information on a map displayed on a display to provide guidance for a current position overlaid on the map, the method comprising the steps of:

calculating an error area of the current position based on a position information on the current position and an accuracy information on a positioning accuracy of the current position; and

acquiring the map information with a scale rate where the maximum dimension of the error are corresponds to the minimum dimension of a display area for displaying the map on the display, from a storage that stores the map information.

19. A map information processing method, by a computer, for displaying a map where a current position of a terminal display unit overlaid on the map on a display of a terminal unit connected with a server unit that stores a map information on the map in a manner capable of transmitting/receiving information, the method comprising the steps of:

at the terminal unit, acquiring a position information on the current position generated by positioning and an accuracy information on a positioning accuracy of the current position and transmitting the position information and the accuracy information to the server unit;

at the server unit, calculating an error area of the current position based on the position information and the accuracy information transmitted from the terminal unit; and

at the server unit, acquiring the map information with a scale area where the maximum dimension of the error area corresponds to the minimum dimension of a display area for displaying the map on a display of the terminal unit and transmitting the map information to the terminal unit so as to display on the display.

20. A position information display method, by a computer, for displaying a map to provide a current position overlaid on the map, the method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a position information and an accuracy information on the current position generated by a positioning section that positions the current position;

outputting the position information and the accuracy information;

calculating an error area of the current position based on the position information and the accuracy information; and

reading and acquiring a map information on a map with a scale area where the maximum dimension of the error area corresponds to the minimum dimension of a display area for displaying the map on the display at a device that stores a map information in a manner capable of displaying the map information on the display.

21. A map information processing program executing a map information processing method, by a computer, for processing a map information on a map displayed on a display to provide guidance for a current position overlaid on the map, the method comprising the steps of:

calculating an error area of the current position based on a position information on the current position and an accuracy information on a positioning accuracy of the current position; and

acquiring the map information with a scale rate where the maximum dimension of the error are corresponds to the minimum dimension of a display area for displaying the map on the display, from a storage that stores the map information.

22. A map information processing program executing a map information processing method, by a computer, for displaying a map where a current position of a terminal display unit overlaid on the map on a display of a terminal unit connected with a server unit that stores a map information on the map in a manner capable of transmitting/receiving information, the method comprising the steps of:

at the terminal unit, acquiring a position information on the current position generated by positioning and an accuracy information on a positioning accuracy of the current position and transmitting the position information and the accuracy information to the server unit;

at the server unit, calculating an error area of the current position based on the position information and the accuracy information transmitted from the terminal unit; and

at the server unit, acquiring the map information with a scale area where the maximum dimension of the error area corresponds to the minimum dimension of a display area for displaying the map on a display of the terminal unit and transmitting the map information to the terminal unit so as to display on the display.

23. A position information display program executing a position information display method, by a computer, for displaying a map to provide a current position overlaid on the map, the method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a position information and an accuracy information on the current position generated by a positioning section that positions the current position;

outputting the position information and the accuracy information;

calculating an error area of the current position based on the position information and the accuracy information; and

reading and acquiring a map information on a map with a scale area where the maximum dimension of the error area corresponds to the minimum dimension of a display area for displaying the map on the display at a device that stores a map information in a manner capable of displaying the map information on the display.

24. A recording medium storing a map information processing program executing a map information processing method, by a computer, for processing a map information on a map displayed on a display to provide guidance for a current position overlaid on the map, in a manner readable by the computer, the method comprising the steps of:

calculating an error area of the current position based on a position information on the current position and an accuracy information on a positioning accuracy of the current position; and

acquiring the map information with a scale rate where the maximum dimension of the error are corresponds to the minimum dimension of a display area for displaying the map on the display, from a storage that stores the map information.

25. A recording medium storing a map information processing program executing a map information processing method, by a computer, for displaying a map where a current position of a terminal display unit overlaid on the map on a display of a terminal unit connected with a server unit that stores a map information on the map in a manner capable of transmitting/receiving information, in a manner readable by the computer, the method comprising the steps of:

at the terminal unit, acquiring a position information on the current position generated by positioning and an accuracy information on a positioning accuracy of the current position and transmitting the position information and the accuracy information to the server unit;

at the server unit, calculating an error area of the current position based on the position information and the accuracy information transmitted from the terminal unit; and

at the server unit, acquiring the map information with a scale area where the maximum dimension of the error area corresponds to the minimum dimension of a display area for displaying the map on a display of the terminal unit and transmitting the map information to the terminal unit so as to display on the display.

26. A recording medium storing a position information display program executing a position information display method, by a computer, for displaying a map to provide a current position overlaid on the map, in a manner readable by the computer, the method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a position information and an accuracy information on the current position generated by a positioning section that positions the current position;

outputting the position information and the accuracy information;

calculating an error area of the current position based on the position information and the accuracy information; and

reading and acquiring a map information on a map with a scale area where the maximum dimension of the error area corresponds to the minimum dimension of a display area for displaying the map on the display at a device that stores a map information in a manner capable of displaying the map information on the display.