Map moving apparatus

• US 20070083325A1
• Filed: 10/10/2006
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Baba, Akihisa, Kawahata, Mitsuru
• Granted Patent: US 7,873,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A map moving apparatus capable of performing desired map movement by a simple input operation without requiring a continuous operation by a user in moving a map screen display region is disclosed. An operated direction, an operated position, an operated speed and the like are detected from an input operation that a user performs on the map screen display region, and a map screen display region input shape recognizing section recognizes an input shape. A polygon shape identifying section extracts data having substantially the same shape as the recognized input shape from polygon data in map display data by using a matching method. When data having substantially the same shape exists, a type of the polygon is identified. In a movement mode selecting section, the movement of a screen map reverses direction when it reaches an end portion in the case where the polygon type is a linear shape, and the movement circulates to continue movement of the map screen where the type is a ring shape with no end portion. In the case where guidance information is detected during the movement of the map, guidance is provided on a screen or by voice.

Claims

1. A map moving apparatus comprising:

an input shape recognizing section that recognizes a shape that a user inputs to a map screen display region;

a polygon shape recognizing section that identifies a polygon figure approximating said input shape by comparing polygon figures that consist of polygon data, which are displayed on the map screen, with said input shape; and

a map movement processing section that moves the map screen display region along said identified polygon figure.

2. The map moving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a polygon type identifying section for identifying whether said polygon figure is a linear polygon having an end portion or a ring polygon not having an end portion; and

a movement mode selecting section that moves the map screen display region in an opposite direction when the map screen display region reaches said end portion if said polygon type identifying section identifies the polygon figure as a linear polygon.

3. The map moving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a polygon type identifying section for identifying whether said polygon figure is a linear polygon having an end portion or a ring polygon not having an end portion; and

a movement mode selecting section that stops the movement of the map screen display region when the map screen display region reaches said end portion if said polygon type identifying section identifies the polygon figure as a linear polygon.

4. The map moving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a polygon type identifying section identifying whether said polygon figure is a linear polygon having an end portion or a ring polygon not having an end portion; and

a movement mode selecting section that moves the map screen display region in a circulating manner along said ring polygon if said polygon type identifying section identifies the polygon figure as a ring polygon having no end portion.

5. The map moving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a polygon type identifying section for identifying whether the polygon figure is a linear polygon having an end portion or a ring polygon not having an end portion; and

a map movement stopping section that stops map movement after the map screen display region moves completely around the ring polygon if said polygon type identifying section identifies the polygon figure as a ring polygon having no end portion.

6. The map moving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input speed detecting section that detects a speed at which the user inputs a shape to the map screen display region; and

a moving speed setting section that sets a speed at which the map screen display region is moved according to the speed at which said shape was input.

7. The map moving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input direction detecting section that detects a direction in which the user inputs a shape to the map screen display region; and

a moving direction setting section that sets a direction in which the map screen display region is moved to be the same as the direction in which said shape was input.

8. The map moving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a map movement processing section that moves the map screen display region such that the center of the map screen display region corresponds to a part of said polygon figure when said polygon identifying section identifies a polygon figure approximating the input shape.

9. The map moving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a polygon identifying section that selects the most approximate polygon figure when said polygon identifying section detects that a plurality of polygon figures, whose shapes approximate a shape recognized by said polygon shape recognizing section, exist.

10. The map moving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a guidance information output section that provides guidance information to the user on a screen or by voice when guidance information exists in said moving map screen display region.

11. The map moving apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a moving speed setting section that reduces the map moving speed when said guidance information exists.

12. The map moving apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a map/information input section that obtains said guidance information by external communication.

13. The map moving apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein said apparatus accumulates and provides said guidance information according to the movement of the map.

14. The map moving apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a guidance information selecting section that selects and provides guidance information of a previously set type.

15. The map moving apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a guidance information output section that identifies nearby parking lots when the figure that consists of said polygon data is a building and the map is moved along the building.

16. The map moving apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein when the figure that consists of said polygon data is a parking lot and the map is moved along the parking lot, the apparatus identifies at least one of an entrance, an exit and a restaurant.

17. The map moving apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said map moving apparatus is incorporated in a navigation apparatus for a vehicle.

18. The map moving apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein by storing a pseudo polygon indicating a site in a map database, the map is moved along the pseudo polygon when a destination included therein is set in said navigation apparatus.

19. The map moving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a map displaying section that divides a map display screen into two portions when the map is moved along said identified polygon figure, displays a detailed map including the identified polygon figure on one portion, and displays a wide area map encompassing the detailed map display region on the other portion.

20. A map moving method, comprising:

recognizing a shape that a user inputs to a map screen display region;

identifying a polygon figure approximating said input shape by comparing polygon figures that consist of polygon data, which are displayed on the map screen, with said input shape; and

moving the map screen display region along said identified polygon figure.

21. A map moving method, comprising:

receiving an input from a user identifying a polygon figure displayed on a map screen display region; and

moving the map screen display region along a path corresponding to said identified polygon figure.