NAVIGATION TERMINAL DEVICE AND NAVIGATION METHOD

• US 20080109155A1
• Filed: 12/17/2007
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PIP Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Increment P Corporation (Pioneer Corporation), Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Kumada, Satoshi, Shirahama, Toshie
• Granted Patent: US 8,131,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• 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: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names

Abstract

A navigation terminal device includes a map information display unit 771, a destination display unit 773, a route line drawing unit 774 for holding retrieved location information or destination information or both of them and drawing a route from a reference point based on the retrieved information or destination information to the destination or the retrieved location information so as to be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed thereon, and route searching unit 775 for exchanging the display between the reference point and the destination if the reference point disappears from the screen when the destination is displayed, thereby permitting to follow the route from the displayed reference point to the destination or from the destination to the reference point. In this configuration, the operability of a terminal device having a small capacity of screen can be improved and the burden for the user can be relaxed.

Claims

1. A navigating method for a navigation system including a server for distributing map information and a navigation terminal device for displaying the map information containing location information retrieved by a server on a display, the method comprising:

exchanging the data displayed on a single display between a reference point and a destination if the reference point disappears from the display when the destination is displayed; and

following a route from the displayed reference point to the destination or the route from the destination to the reference point.

3. A navigating method for a navigation system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

creating a vector having a length and direction displayed as a straight line on the display.

4. A navigating method for a navigation system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a destination searched by scrolling the display containing map information;

holding the retrieved location information or the destination information, or both; and

drawing a route from a reference point based on the retrieved location information or the searched destination to the searched destination or the retrieved location information so as to be superimposed on the display with the map information displayed thereon.

6. A navigating method for a navigation system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising operating a switch device that is operable by a user of the terminal device for indicating that the single display should change from displaying reference point data to displaying destination data or change from displaying destination data to displaying reference point data.

2. A recording medium which is readable by a computer and stores a navigating terminal program for a navigation system including a server for distributing map information and a navigation terminal device for displaying the map information containing location information retrieved by a server on a display, said program causing the computer to execute the steps of:

exchanging the data displayed on a single display between a reference point and a destination if the reference point disappears from the display when the destination is displayed; and

following a route from the displayed reference point to the destination or the route from the destination to the reference point.

5. A recording medium as claimed in claim 2, further executing the steps of:

displaying a destination searched by scrolling the display containing map information;

holding the retrieved location information or the destination information, or both;

drawing a route from a reference point based on the retrieved location information or the searched destination to the searched destination or the retrieved location information so as to be superimposed on the display with the map information displayed thereon; and

creating a vector having a length and direction displayed as a straight line on the display.

7. A recording medium as claimed in claim 2, further executing the step of operating a switch device that is operable by a user of the terminal device for indicating that the single display should change from displaying reference point data to displaying destination data or change from displaying destination data to displaying reference point data.