Method and apparatus for displaying simplified map image for navigation system

• US 20080243367A1
• Filed: 03/29/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wako, Hikaru
• Granted Patent: US 7,869,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

The display method and apparatus for a navigation system interchangeably displays a normal map image and a simplified map image in accordance with a user'"'"'s preference and complexity of the map image. The method includes the steps of checking whether a simple map mode or a normal map mode is set for displaying a map image on a monitor screen of the navigation system, determining which map elements are selected to be displayed when the simple map mode is set, and displaying the map image with only the selected map elements when the simple map mode is set while displaying the map image with all the map elements when the normal map mode is set. The navigation system is designed to switch between the normal map mode and the simple map mode either manually or automatically.

Claims

1. A display method for a navigation system, comprising the following steps of:

checking whether a simple map mode or a normal map mode is set for displaying a map image on a monitor screen of the navigation system;

determining which map elements are selected to be displayed when the simple map mode is set; and

displaying the map image with only the selected map elements when the simple map mode is set while displaying the map image with all the map elements when the normal map mode is set.

2. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a step of setting either the simple map mode or the normal map mode in the navigation system.

3. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 2, wherein said step of setting the simple map mode or the normal map mode is conducted manually by operating a switch on the navigation system.

4. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 2, wherein said step of setting the simple map mode or the normal map mode is conducted automatically by an operation of a specified function of the navigation system.

5. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 4, wherein said specified function of the navigation system is a map scroll function by which the map image is scrolled to a selected location.

6. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 5, wherein the map image in the simple map mode is displayed when the map scroll function is inactive while the map image in the normal map mode is displayed when the map scroll function is activated.

7. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a step of selecting which map elements should be displayed and which map elements should not be displayed on the map image in the simple map mode.

8. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 7, wherein said step of selecting which map elements should be displayed includes a step of displaying a screen which lists categories of the map elements so that a user can specify which map elements should be displayed in the simple map mode.

9. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 7, wherein said map elements that are selected not to be displayed in the simple map mode are building images.

10. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 7, wherein said map elements that are selected not to be displayed in the simple map mode are POI icons, and wherein said step of selecting which map elements should be displayed includes a step of displaying a screen which lists categories of POI icons so that a user can specify which POI icons or none of the POI icons should be displayed in the simple map mode.

11. A display apparatus for a navigation system, comprising the following steps of:

means for checking whether a simple map mode or a normal map mode is set for displaying a map image on a monitor screen of the navigation system;

means for determining which map elements are selected to be displayed when the simple map mode is set; and

means for displaying the map image with only the selected map elements when the simple map mode is set while displaying the map image with all the map elements when the normal map mode is set.

12. A display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 11, further comprising means for setting either the simple map mode or the normal map mode in the navigation system.

13. A display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 12, wherein said means for setting the simple map mode or the normal map mode is conducted manually by operating a switch on the navigation system.

14. A display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 12, wherein said means for setting the simple map mode or the normal map mode is conducted automatically by an operation of a specified function of the navigation system.

15. A display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 14, wherein said specified function of the navigation system is a map scroll function by which the map image is scrolled to a selected location.

16. A display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 15, wherein the map image in the simple map mode is displayed when the map scroll function is inactive while the map image in the normal map mode is displayed when the map scroll function is activated.

17. A display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 11, further comprising means for selecting which map elements should be displayed and which map elements should not be displayed on the map image in the simple map mode.

18. A display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 17, wherein said means for selecting which map elements should be displayed includes means for displaying a screen which lists categories of the map elements so that a user can specify which map elements should be displayed in the simple map mode.

19. A display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 17, wherein said map elements that are selected not to be displayed in the simple map mode are building images.

20. A display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 17, wherein said map elements that are selected not to be displayed in the simple map mode are POI icons, and wherein said means for selecting which map elements should be displayed includes means for displaying a screen which lists categories of POI icons so that a user can specify which POI icons or none of the POI icons should be displayed in the simple map mode.