Map display apparatus for vehicle

• US 20080189035A1
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Tsurumi, Kiyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,024,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• 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: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A remaining distance to an intersection regarded as a guide point is calculated based on map matching process. When the remaining distance is decreased to less than or equal to 100 m, an advancement display process is executed to advance a display position of a vehicle mark of the subject vehicle in the forward direction ahead of the map matched position. The vehicle mark is thus displayed, in an enlarged view of the guide point, at a position corresponding to an advanced display remaining distance, which is calculated using a predetermined formula.

Claims

1. A map display apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a map memory configured to store map data for displaying a map;

a position detection device configured to detect a present position of the vehicle;

a control circuit including

(i) a road estimation unit configured to estimate on the map a road, which the vehicle travels, based on the detected present position, and

(ii) an on-road position calculation unit configured to calculate on the estimated road an on-road present position, which indicates a present position of the vehicle on the estimated road; and

a display control circuit configured to display in a display device (i) a vehicle mark of the vehicle on the on-road present position and (ii) a map surrounding the vehicle mark, the display control circuit including an advancement display unit configured to perform an advancement display process for displaying the vehicle mark in an enlarged view such that the vehicle mark is advanced forward from the on-road present position, the enlarged view having a reduction scale greater than a predetermined reduction scale.

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

the display control circuit further includes a remaining distance determination unit configured to execute a determination as to whether a remaining distance from the on-road present position to an intersecting point ahead of the vehicle is decreased to less than or equal to a predetermined distance; and

the advancement display unit is configured to perform the advancement display process when the determination is affirmed.

3. The map display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the control circuit includes (i) a route retrieval unit configured to retrieve a route to a destination and (ii) a route guide unit configured to perform a guide to the retrieved route while displaying the retrieved route in the display device; and

the intersecting point is a guide point at which the route guide unit performs a guide to a heading direction of the vehicle.

4. The map display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the advancement display unit is configured to execute the advancement display process when the guide point is displayed in the enlarged view.

5. The map display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

as the remaining distance to the guide point decreases, the vehicle mark is advanced more forward from the on-road present position and is displayed.

6. The map display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

when the vehicle mark reaches the intersecting point while the advancement display process is executed, the advancement display unit stops the vehicle mark at the intersecting point until the on-road present position reaches the intersecting point.

7. The map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display control circuit further includes an advancement ratio change unit configured to change, based on a speed of the vehicle, a ratio of an advancement used for displaying the vehicle mark ahead of the on-road present position.

8. The map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the intersecting point includes at least one of a diverging point, a merging point, and an intersection.