Map display apparatus and map display method

• US 20060167629A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagashima, Kenji, Ando, Yuichi, Ishii, Keisuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,552,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases

Abstract

The present invention allows a user to easily find out destinations on maps without forcing him/her to perform troublesome operations.

An apparatus displays a main map image 21 showing a current position at substantially a center of a screen. The apparatus also disposes a plurality of map images 22 through 29 around the main map image 21 in thumbnail format such that each map image 22 through 29 corresponds to each direction on the main map image 21. In this manner, the apparatus provides the user with information about wider area than the main map image 21 by showing him/her the thumbnails 22 through 29, which are disposed around the main map image 21 such that each thumbnail 22 through 29 corresponds to each direction on the main map image 21. That allows the user to easily find out destinations on maps without forcing him/her to perform troublesome operations.

Claims

1. A map display apparatus comprising:

map image display means for displaying a map image showing a current position at substantially a center of a screen; and

vicinity map image disposition means for disposing a plurality of vicinity map images around said map image in thumbnail format such that each vicinity map image corresponds to each direction on said map image.

2. The map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vicinity map image disposition means disposes more vicinity map images in a traveling direction of an own-vehicle mark on said map image than those in other directions.

3. The map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vicinity map image disposition means displays said vicinity map images in a traveling direction of an own-vehicle mark on said map image in larger or smaller size than those in other directions.

4. The map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said map image display means displays said map image in large or small size in response to a user instruction, said vicinity map image disposition means displays said vicinity map images in large or small size in response to said map image.

5. The map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

when one of said plurality of vicinity map images is selected, said map image display means updates said map image disposed at substantially the center of said screen such that said map image shows map contents of the selected vicinity map image, and displays the updated map image; and

said vicinity map image disposition means updates map contents of said vicinity map images in response to said updated map image, and displays the updated vicinity map images.

6. The map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said map image display means updates contents of said map image in response to a movement of a current position, said vicinity map image disposition means updates contents of said vicinity map images in response to the movement of said current position.

7. A map display method comprising:

a map image display step of displaying a map image showing a current position at substantially a center of a screen; and

a vicinity map image disposition step of disposing a plurality of vicinity map images around said map image in thumbnail format such that each vicinity map image corresponds to each direction on said map image.

8. A map display program for causing information processing apparatus to execute:

a map image display step of displaying a map image showing a current position at substantially a center of a screen; and

a vicinity map image disposition step of disposing a plurality of vicinity map images around said map image in thumbnail format such that each vicinity map image corresponds to each direction on said map image.

9. A vehicle equipped with a map display apparatus, said map display apparatus comprising:

map image display means for displaying a map image showing a current position at substantially a center of a screen; and

vicinity map image disposition means for disposing a plurality of vicinity map images around said map image in thumbnail format such that each vicinity map image corresponds to each direction on said map image.

10. A map display apparatus comprising:

a map image display section for displaying a map image showing a current position at substantially a center of a screen; and

a vicinity map image disposition section for disposing a plurality of vicinity map images around said map image in thumbnail format such that each vicinity map image corresponds to each direction on said map image.