Display method and apparatus for navigation system

• US 20060247855A1
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: de Silva, Andrew S., Han, Maung W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,519,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/212
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers

Abstract

A navigation system is designed to scale a map image such that a redrawn map image shows an icon of the most relevant object at a center of a cursor when the scale of the map image is changed so that the user will not lose sight of the most relevant object such as an icon. The navigation system prioritizes an icon representing a particular object based on predetermined priority order and changes the position of the map image so that the icon of the highest priority comes to the center of the cursor when the map scale is changed. Thus, the icon of the highest priority always remains at the center of the cursor, thereby preventing from loosing the sight of the icon of the highest priority when zooming in the map image.

Claims

1. A method for displaying icons on a map image when a map scale is changed, comprising the following steps of:

receiving a request for changing a map image on a navigation system by a specified map scale;

determining whether an icon representing a relevant object exists within a cursor range defined by a cursor on the map image;

selecting an icon representing a highest priority object based on a predetermined order of priority;

retrieving position data indicating a location of the highest priority object from map data; and

adjusting a position of the map image so that the selected icon representing the highest priority object comes to a center of the cursor based on the position data, and displaying the map image with the requested map scale.

2. A method for displaying icons on a map image as defined in claim 1, wherein the priority of objects represented by the icons is predetermined by the navigation system or by an operation of a user.

3. A method for displaying icons on a map image as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of selecting the icon includes a step of selecting an icon that is closest to the center of the cursor when two or more icons of the same priority exist within the cursor range.

4. A method for displaying icons on a map image as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of selecting the icon includes a step of selecting an icon that is most relevant to a trip to a destination to the center of the cursor when two or more icons of the same priority exist within the cursor range.

5. A method for displaying icons on a map image as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of selecting the icon includes a step of selecting an icon that is frequently visited according to a past record to the center of the cursor when two or more icons of the same priority exist within the cursor range.

6. A method for displaying icons on a map image as defined in claim 1, wherein the cursor range is a size of the cursor on the map image.

7. A method for displaying icons on a map image as defined in claim 1, wherein the cursor range is an extended range created outside of the cursor on the map image where the extended range is coaxial with the center of the cursor.

8. A method for displaying icons on a map image as defined in claim 7, wherein a size and shape of the extended range can be changed by an operation of a user.

9. A method for displaying icons on a map image as defined in claim 1, wherein the center of the cursor is at a center of the map image displayed on the navigation system.

10. A method for displaying icons on a map image as defined in claim 1, wherein the center of the cursor is shifted from a center of the map image displayed on the navigation system.

11. An apparatus for displaying icons on a map image when a map scale is changed, comprising:

means for receiving a request for changing a map image on a navigation system by a specified map scale;

means for determining whether an icon representing a relevant object exists within a cursor range defined by a cursor on the map image;

means for selecting an icon representing a highest priority object based on a predetermined order of priority;

means for retrieving position data indicating a location of the highest priority object from map data; and

means for adjusting a position of the map image so that the selected icon representing the highest priority object comes to a center of the cursor based on the position data, and for displaying the map image with the requested map scale.

12. An apparatus for displaying icons on a map image as defined in claim 11, wherein the priority of objects represented by the icons is predetermined by the navigation system or by an operation of a user.

13. An apparatus for displaying icons on a map image as defined in claim 11, wherein the means for selecting the icon includes means for selecting an icon that is closest to the center of the cursor when two or more icons of the same priority exist within the cursor range.

14. An apparatus for displaying icons on a map image as defined in claim 11, wherein the means for selecting the icon includes means for selecting an icon that is most relevant to a trip to a destination to the center of the cursor when two or more icons of the same priority exist within the cursor range.

15. An apparatus for displaying icons on a map image as defined in claim 11, wherein the means for selecting the icon includes means for selecting an icon that is frequently visited according to a past record to the center of the cursor when two or more icons of the same priority exist within the cursor range.

16. An apparatus for displaying icons on a map image as defined in claim 11, wherein the cursor range is a size of the cursor on the map image.

17. An apparatus for displaying icons on a map image as defined in claim 11, wherein the cursor range is an extended range created outside of the cursor on the map image where the extended range is coaxial with the center of the cursor.

18. An apparatus for displaying icons on a map image as defined in claim 17, wherein a size and shape of the extended range can be changed by an operation of a user.

19. An apparatus for displaying icons on a map image as defined in claim 11, wherein the center of the cursor is at a center of the map image displayed on the navigation system.

20. An apparatus for displaying icons on a map image as defined in claim 11, wherein the center of the cursor is shifted from a center of the map image displayed on the navigation system.