Navigation apparatus, and data processing method and computer program used therewith

• US 20050234638A1
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Okuda, Shizue, Ogaki, Tadao
• Granted Patent: US 7,460,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models

Abstract

A navigation apparatus displays navigation information generated based on map information. The apparatus includes a positional information acquiring section for acquiring positional information, a storage section storing two- dimensional map data, three-dimensional graphic data, and node-based altitude data of recorded altitude data of nodes which are set on a link used as a route, a data processor generating and outputting three-dimensional display information for a guidance region by receiving the positional information acquired by the positional information acquiring section, and acquiring data from the storage section based on the received positional information, and a display device displaying the information output from the data processor. The data processor calculates the altitudes of points on the route based on the node-based altitude data, and generates and outputs, to the display device, three-dimensional route information in which data of the calculated altitudes is set as a parameter.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus for displaying navigation information generated based on map information, the navigation apparatus comprising:

positional information acquiring means for acquiring positional information;

storage means for storing two-dimensional map data, three-dimensional graphic data, and node-based altitude data of recorded altitude data of nodes which are set on a link used as a route;

a data processor generating and outputting three-dimensional display information for a guidance region by receiving the positional information acquired by the positional information acquiring means, and acquiring data from the storage means based on the received positional information; and

display means for displaying the information output from the data processor,

wherein the data processor calculates the altitudes of points on the route based on the node-based altitude data, and generates and outputs, to the display means, three-dimensional route information in which data of the calculated altitudes is set as a parameter.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data processor calculates one of an altitude of the navigation apparatus and an altitude of a vehicle having the navigation apparatus based on the positional information acquired by the positional information acquiring means and the node-based altitude data, and generates and outputs, to the display means, symbol data which represents one of the navigation apparatus and the vehicle and in which information of the calculated altitude is set as a parameter for the three-dimensional display information.

3. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data processor calculates one of an altitude of the navigation apparatus and an altitude of a vehicle having the navigation apparatus based on the positional information acquired by the positional information acquiring means and the node-based altitude data, and generates and outputs, to the display means, three-dimensional data obtained in observation from a camera viewpoint set within an allowable range for setting the camera viewpoint, the allowable range having altitudes not less than the calculated altitude.

4. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the node-based altitude data stored in the storage means is recorded altitude data in units of nodes included in each of links used as routes having identifiers set therefor, and

wherein sequence information of a link identifier of a particular link to a destination is input to the data processor, and, based on altitude data of nodes included in a link selected based on the link identifier, three-dimensional route information reflecting altitude information is generated and output to the display means by the data processor.

5. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positional information acquired by the positional information acquiring means is input to the data processor, and the data processor executes processing in which, when three-dimensional data of a guidance point existing in a traveling direction is stored in the storage means, three-dimensional data of the guidance point is generated and output to the display means, and, when the three-dimensional data of the guidance point is not stored in the storage means, the two-dimensional map is acquired from the storage means and is output to the display means.

6. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the storage means stores, as interpolation-point-based altitude data, altitude information of interpolation points which are each set between nodes, and

wherein the data processor calculates the altitudes of points on the route based on the interpolation-point-based altitude data, and generates and outputs, to the display means, one of symbol information of a vehicle having the navigation apparatus and three-dimensional route information in which data of the calculated altitudes is set as a parameter.

7. The navigation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, in the altitude information of the interpolation points which are each set between nodes, the altitude of only one interpolation point of a set of two adjacent interpolation points having an altitude difference not greater than a predetermined threshold difference value is stored as the interpolation-point-based altitude data in the storage means.

8. A data processing method for displaying navigation information generated based on map information, the data processing method comprising the steps of:

acquiring positional information;

generating and outputting three-dimensional display information for a guidance region by receiving the positional information acquired in the step of acquiring the positional information, and acquiring, from storage means, data for use in generating the three-dimensional display information based on the received positional information; and

displaying the three-dimensional display information generated in the step of generating and outputting the three-dimensional display information,

wherein the step of generating and outputting the three-dimensional display information includes a step of calculating the altitudes of points on a route on the basis of node-based altitude data of recorded altitude data of nodes which are set on a link used as a route, the node-based altitude data being stored in the storage means, and generating and outputting, to display means, three-dimensional route information in which data of the calculated altitudes is set as a parameter.

9. The data processing method according to claim 8, wherein the step of generating and outputting the three-dimensional display information includes a step of calculating one of an altitude of a navigation apparatus and an altitude of a vehicle having the navigation apparatus based on the positional information acquired in the step of acquiring the positional information and the node-based altitude data, and generating and outputting, to the display means, symbol data which represents one of the navigation apparatus and the vehicle and in which information of the calculated altitude is set as a parameter for the three-dimensional display information.

10. The data processing method according to claim 8, wherein the step of generating and outputting the three-dimensional display information includes a step of calculating one of an altitude of a navigation apparatus and an altitude of a vehicle having the navigation apparatus based on the positional information acquired in the step of acquiring the positional information and the node-based altitude data, and generating and outputting, to the display means, three-dimensional data obtained in observation from a camera viewpoint set within an allowable range for setting the camera viewpoint, the allowable range having altitudes not less than the calculated altitude.

11. The data processing method according to claim 8,

wherein the node-based altitude data stored in the storage means is recorded altitude data in units of nodes included in each of links used as routes having identifiers set therefor, and

wherein the step of generating and outputting the three-dimensional display information includes a step of receiving sequence information of a link identifier of a particular link to a destination, and generating and outputting, to the display means, three-dimensional route information based on altitude data of nodes included in a link selected based on the link identifier, the three-dimensional route information reflecting altitude information.

12. The data processing method according to claim 8, wherein, in the step of generating and outputting the three-dimensional display information, after receiving the positional information acquired in the step of acquiring the positional information, when three-dimensional data of a guidance point existing in a traveling direction is stored in the storage means, three-dimensional data of the guidance point is generated and output to the display means, and, when the three-dimensional data of the guidance point is not stored in the storage means, two-dimensional map data is acquired from the storage means and is output to the display means.

13. The data processing method according to claim 8, wherein the step of generating and outputting the three-dimensional display information includes a step of acquiring, from the storage means, interpolation-point-based altitude data used as altitude information of interpolation points which are each set between nodes, calculating the altitudes of points on the route based on the interpolation-point-based altitude data, and generating and outputting, to the display means, one of symbol information of a vehicle having the navigation apparatus and three-dimensional route information in which data of the calculated altitudes is set as a parameter.

14. A computer program for executing processing for displaying navigation information generated based on map information, the computer program comprising the steps of:

acquiring positional information;

generating and outputting three-dimensional display information for a guidance region by receiving the positional information acquired in the step of acquiring the positional information, and acquiring, from storage means, data for use in generating the three-dimensional display information based on the received positional information; and

displaying the three-dimensional display information generated in the step of generating and outputting the three-dimensional display information,

wherein the step of generating and outputting the three-dimensional display information includes a step of calculating the altitudes of points on a route on the basis of node-based altitude data of recorded altitude data of nodes which are set on a link used as a route, the node-based altitude data being stored in the storage means, and generating and outputting, to display means, three-dimensional route information in which data of the calculated altitudes is set as a parameter.

15. The computer program according to claim 14, wherein the step of generating and outputting the three-dimensional display information includes a step of acquiring, from the storage means, interpolation-point-based altitude data used as altitude information of interpolation points which are each set between nodes, calculating the altitudes of points on the route based on the interpolation-point-based altitude data, and generating and outputting, to the display means, one of symbol information of a vehicle having the navigation apparatus and three-dimensional route information in which data of the calculated altitudes is set as a parameter.

16. A navigation apparatus for displaying navigation information generated based on map information, the navigation apparatus comprising:

a positional information acquiring section acquiring positional information;

a storage section storing two-dimensional map data, three-dimensional graphic data, and node-based altitude data of recorded altitude data of nodes which are set on a link used as a route;

a data processor generating and outputting three-dimensional display information for a guidance region by receiving the positional information acquired by the positional information acquiring section, and acquiring data from the storage section based on the received positional information; and

a display device displaying the information output from the data processor,

wherein the data processor calculates the altitudes of points on the route based on the node-based altitude data, and generates and outputs, to the display device, three-dimensional route information in which data of the calculated altitudes is set as a parameter.