Map display controller and computer readable medium including instructions for displaying map image

• US 20080249703A1
• Filed: 03/11/2008
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nagiyama, Kei, Matsuno, Nagako
• Granted Patent: US 8,099,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3638 including 3D objects and buildings three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects G06T17/00; geographic models G06T17/05

Abstract

A map display controller displays a three-dimensional map image on a display screen of a display device, and superimposes a route wall standing from a route and along the route in the three dimensional map image on the display device. This reduces a difficulty in confirming the route behind structures such as a building in the three-dimensional map image displayed on the display screen.

Claims

1. A map display controller for displaying a three-dimensional map image on a display device, the map display controller comprising:

a route specifying unit configured to specify a route in the three-dimensional map image;

a towering structure configuring unit configured to generate configuration data for configuring a towering structure standing from the route and along the route in a three-dimensional space shown by the three-dimensional map image; and

a display instruction unit configured to display, on the display device, an image of the towering structure incorporated in the three-dimensional map image in accordance with the configuration data generated by the towering structure configuring unit so that a portion behind the towering structure in the three-dimensional space in the three-dimensional map image is able to be seen translucently or transparently through the towering structure.

3. The map display controller according to claim 1, wherein

the towering structure stands in a shape of a wall along the route specified by the route specifying unit and the towering structure configuring unit is further configured to specify wall surface display information displayed on a wall surface of the towering structure as part of the configuration data.

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

the towering structure configuring unit is configured to determine data of a height of the towering structure in the three-dimensional space so that the height becomes higher as an amount of the wall surface information becomes larger as part of the configuration data.

5. The map display controller according to claim 3, wherein:

the route specifying unit is configured to acquire estimated passage schedule information indicating a passage time in each of multiple positions on the specified route on or after a current time;

the towering structure configuring unit is configured to acquire estimated inside and outside information indicating a state in a vehicle or an environment outside the vehicle in each of multiple times on or after the current time; and

the towering structure configuring unit is configured to specify the wall surface information as information for displaying, on a portion of the wall surface on each of multiple positional ranges on the specified route, information about the state in the vehicle or the environment outside the vehicle in a passage time range corresponding to the positional range, in accordance with the estimated inside and outside information and the estimated passage schedule information.

6. The map display controller according to claim 3, wherein

the display instruction unit is configured to scroll the wall surface display information within the wall surface vertically in accordance with operation by a user when an upper end of the towering structure goes beyond a display range of the display device.

7. The map display controller according to claim 3, wherein

the display instruction unit is configured to scroll the wall surface display information within the wall surface along the route in accordance with operation by a user.

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

the towering structure configuring unit is configured to determine data of a height of the towering structure in the three-dimensional space so that the height becomes lower as a depression angle relative to the three-dimensional map image becomes larger as part of the configuration data.

9. The map display controller according to claim 1, wherein

the towering structure configuring unit is configured to determine data of a height of the towering structure in the three-dimensional space so that the height becomes lower as a viewpoint of the user is nearer to a front side in the three-dimensional space as part of the configuration data.

10. The map display controller according to claim 1, wherein

the towering structure configuring unit is configured to determine data of a display color of the towering structure so that the display color becomes white as part of the configuration data.

11. The map display controller according to claim 1, wherein

the towering structure configuring unit is configured to determine data of a lightness of a display color of the towering structure so that the lightness becomes higher than average lightness of the three-dimensional map image displayed on the display device as part of configuration data.

12. The map display controller according to claim 1, wherein

the towering structure configuring unit is configured to determine, with respect to the towering structure, one data of (i) lightness, (ii) color tone, (iii) saturation, (iv) pattern, and (v) transmission so that the one data changes along a height direction in the towering structure as part of the configuration data.

13. The map display controller according to claim 1, wherein

the towering structure configuring unit is configured to determine data of a transmission of the towering structure so that the transmission becomes higher at an upper position in the towering structure as part of the configuration data.

14. The map display controller according to claim 1, wherein

the towering structure configuring unit is configured to determine data of a color of the towering structure so that a color of a portion touching the route in the towering structure becomes a color allowing continuity of the route to be recognized in a display screen of the display device as part of configuration data.

15. The map display controller according to claim 14, wherein

the towering structure configuring unit determines data of a color of the towering structure so that a color of a portion touching the route in the towering structure becomes constant in a display screen of the display device as part of the configuration data.

2. A map display controller for displaying a three-dimensional map image on a display device, the map display controller comprising:

a route specifying unit configured to specify a route in the three-dimensional map image;

a towering structure configuring unit configured to generate configuration data for configuring a towering structure standing in a shape of a wall along the route specified by the route specifying unit, in a three-dimensional space shown by the three-dimensional map image; and

a display instruction unit configured to display, on the display device, an image of the towering structure incorporated in the three-dimensional map image in accordance with the configuration data generated by the towering structure configuring unit,

wherein

the towering structure configuring unit is further configured to specify wall surface display information displayed on a wall surface of the towering structure as part of the configuration data.

16. A computer readable medium comprising instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions including a computer-implemented method for displaying a three-dimensional map image on a display device, the instructions including:

specifying a route in the three-dimensional map image;

generating configuration data to configure a towering structure which stands along the route specified in a three-dimensional space shown by the three-dimensional map image; and

displaying, on the display device, an image incorporated in the towering structure in the three-dimensional map image in accordance with the configuration data generated so that a portion behind the towering structure in the three-dimensional space in the three-dimensional map image is able to be seen translucently or transparently through the towering structure.

17. A computer readable medium comprising instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions including a computer-implemented method for displaying a three-dimensional map image on a display device, the instructions including:

specifying a route in the three-dimensional map image;

generating configuration data to configure a towering structure which stands along the route specified by the route specifying unit in a three-dimensional space shown by the three-dimensional map image, the configuration data including information displayed on a wall surface of the towering structure; and

displaying, on the display device, an image of the towering structure incorporated in the three-dimensional map image in accordance with the configuration data generated.