Electronic device and program for displaying map

• US 20050125145A1
• Filed: 12/02/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sakashita, Naohiro, Abo, Masatoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,346,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/005 Map projections or methods associated specifically therewith
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/12 Relief maps relief models G09B25/06

Abstract

When a guiding route is included in a display target region at a photograph display mode, route data of the guiding route is also read. Within the read route data, information of a region for editing a photograph is stored. This information includes a road kind (color information), coordinates of the start/end points of the road, and a road width when editing is for a road. Next, photograph data is read, so that a color of the photograph data is edited based on the stored information of the route data. For instance, a color of the photograph data in a corresponding road region is changed to red that represents “national road.”

Claims

1. An electronic device for displaying a map, the electronic device comprising:

a map data storing unit that stores map data;

a photograph data storing unit that stores photograph data photographing an earth surface;

a display controlling unit that causes a display unit to display photograph data of a display target region based on the photograph data read from the photograph data storing unit; and

a changing portion determining unit that determines, within the photograph data of the display target region, a data portion whose display attribute is to be changed based on one of the map data stored in the map data storing unit and guiding route data obtained by using the map data stored in the map data storing unit,

wherein the display controlling unit causes the display unit to display the photograph data after the display controlling unit changes, to a given attribute, the display attribute of the data portion determined by the changing portion determining unit.

2. The electronic device of claim 1,

wherein the attribute includes at least a display color.

3. The electronic device of claim 2,

wherein the display color is changed while resultant color tones in dots corresponding to the data portion determined by the changing portion determining unit are adjusted based on the photo data.

4. The electronic device of claim 1,

wherein the electronic device includes a navigation device.

5. An electronic device for displaying a map, the electronic device comprising:

a photograph data storing unit that stores photograph data whose display attribute is changed by being determined based on map data, wherein the map data corresponds to a data portion whose display attribute is changed, wherein the photograph data is formed by photographing an earth surface; and

a display control unit that causes a display unit to display a display target region based on the photograph data read from the photograph data storing unit.

6. The electronic device of claim 5,

wherein the attribute includes at least a display color.

7. The electronic device of claim 6,

wherein the display color is changed while resultant color tones in dots corresponding to the data portion determined by the changing portion determining unit are adjusted based on the photo data.

8. The electronic device of claim 5,

wherein the electronic device includes a navigation device.

9. A method for displaying a map using map data and photograph data photographing an earth surface, the method comprising steps of:

determining, within photograph data of a display target region, a data portion whose display attribute is to be changed based on one of the map data and guiding route data obtained by using the map data; and

causing a display unit to display the photograph data after the display attribute of the determined data portion is changed to a given attribute.

10. A computer program product in a computer-readable medium for use in displaying a map using map data and photograph data photographing an earth surface, the computer program product comprising instructions of:

determining, within photograph data of a display target region, a data portion whose display attribute is to be changed based on one of the map data and guiding route data obtained by using the map data; and

causing a display unit to display the photograph data after the display attribute of the determined data portion is changed to a given attribute.