Navigation apparatus and map-indication control program

• US 20050278115A1
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Original Assignee: Victor Company of Japan Limited (JVC Kenwood Corporation)
• Inventors: Okada, Akiyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,463,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/212
• 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

Abstract

A display screen indicates a map on a first scale. After a vehicle passes a guide point, determinations are made as to whether or not an on-map position of a next guide point is outside a predetermined large-area indication deciding frame in the display screen, and as to whether or not the on-map position of the next guide point is inside a predetermined detailed indication deciding frame in the display screen. A second scale in a range where the current position of the vehicle and the on-map position of the next guide point are in the display screen is computed in response to results of the determinations. The display screen successively indicates the map on the first scale, maps on different intermediate scales between the first and second scales, and a map on the second scale in either a reducing order or a magnifying order at prescribed time intervals.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a position detector for detecting a current position of the vehicle;

first means for deciding a recommended route from the current position of the vehicle to a desired destination;

a display device having a screen;

second means for controlling the display device to indicate a map on a first scale, at least a portion of the recommended route, and the current position of the vehicle on the screen;

third means for, after the vehicle passes a first guide point in the recommended route, determining whether or not an on-map position of a second guide point in the recommended route which is next to the first guide point is outside a predetermined large-area indication deciding frame in the screen, and determining whether or not the on-map position of the second guide point is inside a predetermined detailed indication deciding frame in the screen;

fourth means for computing a second scale in a range where the current position of the vehicle and the on-map position of the second guide point are in the screen in response to results of the determining by the third means;

fifth means for setting a prescribed number of different intermediate scales between the first scale and the second scale; and

sixth means for controlling the display device to successively indicate the map on the first scale, maps on the different intermediate scales, and a map on the second scale on the screen in either a reducing order or a magnifying order at prescribed time intervals.

2. A method of vehicle navigation, comprising the steps of:

detecting a current position of a vehicle;

deciding a recommended route from the current position of the vehicle to a desired destination;

indicating a map on a first scale, at least a portion of the recommended route, and the current position of the vehicle on a screen;

after the vehicle passes a first guide point in the recommended route, determining whether or not an on-map position of a second guide point in the recommended route which is next to the first guide point is outside a predetermined large-area indication deciding frame in the screen, and determining whether or not the on-map position of the second guide point is inside a predetermined detailed indication deciding frame in the screen;

computing a second scale in a range where the current position of the vehicle and the on-map position of the second guide point are in the screen in response to results of the determining;

setting a prescribed number of different intermediate scales between the first scale and the second scale; and

successively indicating the map on the first scale, maps on the different intermediate scales, and a map on the second scale on the screen in either a reducing order or a magnifying order at prescribed time intervals.

3. A map-indication control program for use in a vehicle navigation apparatus including a position detector for detecting a current position of a vehicle, means for deciding a recommended route from the current position of the vehicle to a desired destination, a display device having a screen, and means for controlling the display device to indicate a map on a first scale, at least a portion of the recommended route, and the current position of the vehicle on the screen, the map-indication control program enabling a computer in the vehicle navigation apparatus to operate as:

first means for, after the vehicle passes a first guide point in the recommended route, determining whether or not an on-map position of a second guide point in the recommended route which is next to the first guide point is outside a predetermined large-area indication deciding frame in the screen, and determining whether or not the on-map position of the second guide point is inside a predetermined detailed indication deciding frame in the screen;

second means for computing a second scale in a range where the current position of the vehicle and the on-map position of the second guide point are in the screen in response to results of the determining by the first means;

third means for setting a prescribed number of different intermediate scales between the first scale and the second scale; and

fourth means for controlling the display device to successively indicate the map on the first scale, maps on the different intermediate scales, and a map on the second scale on the screen in either a reducing order or a magnifying order at prescribed time intervals.