MAP INFORMATION DISPLAY APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20080275634A1
• Filed: 07/23/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Jun Ozawa, Takashi Tajima
• Inventors: OZAWA, Jun, TAJIMA, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A map information display apparatus that displays a map for a mobile object includes: a grouping unit (111) that divides a map included in an image displayed by a map display unit (115) into a plurality of areas; a display position determination unit (113) that selects, for each of the plurality of areas, at most a predetermined number of points as points for displaying estimated transit times, the predetermined number being equal to or larger than 1; a time calculation unit (114) that calculates the estimated transit times of the selected points; and the map display unit (115) that displays an image including the map and the estimated transit times.

Claims

1. A map information display apparatus that displays a map for a mobile object, said map information display apparatus comprising:

a display unit configured to display an image that includes the map and an estimated transit time of a point on the map;

a candidate obtainment unit configured to obtain a plurality of candidate points each of which is a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time;

a selection unit configured to select at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among candidate points, of the plurality of candidate points, that are included in a part of a map area of the map displayed by said display unit;

an estimated time calculation unit configured to calculate an estimated transit time of each of the selected candidate points; and

a display control unit configured to cause said display unit to display the image that includes the map and a combination of the each of selected candidate points and the estimated transit time calculated for the each of selected candidate points,

wherein said selection unit includes a division unit configured to divide the map area of the map displayed by said display unit into a plurality of group areas so that at least a predetermined gap is provided between the plurality of group areas and at least one of the plurality of group areas includes a part of a road on which the mobile object is currently located, the part of the road being situated in a travel direction of the mobile object, each of the plurality of group areas being larger than a predetermined size, and

said selection unit is configured to select, for each of the plurality of group areas, at most the predetermined number of candidate points from among candidate points that are included in the each of group areas.

2. A map information display apparatus that displays a map for a mobile object, said map information display apparatus comprising:

a display unit configured to display an image that includes the map and an estimated transit time of a point on the map;

a candidate obtainment unit configured to obtain a plurality of candidate points each of which is a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time;

a selection unit configured to select at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among candidate points, of the plurality of candidate points, that are included in a part of a map area of the map displayed by said display unit;

an estimated time calculation unit configured to calculate an estimated transit time of each of the selected candidate points;

a display control unit configured to cause said display unit to display the image that includes the map and a combination of the each of selected candidate points and the estimated transit time calculated for the each of selected candidate points; and

an other image display position obtainment unit configured to obtain a display area of an image displayed on the map other than the estimated transit time,

wherein said selection unit includes a division unit configured to divide an area which excludes the display area obtained by said other image display position obtainment unit from the map area of the map displayed by said display unit into the plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size, and

said selection unit is configured to select, for each of the plurality of group areas, at most the predetermined number of candidate points from among candidate points that are included in the each of plurality of group areas.

3. A map information display apparatus that displays a map for a mobile object, said map information display apparatus comprising:

a display unit configured to display an image that includes the map and an estimated transit time of a point on the map;

a candidate obtainment unit configured to obtain a plurality of candidate points each of which is a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time;

a selection unit configured to select at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among candidate points, of the plurality of candidate points, that are included in a part of a map area of the map displayed by said display unit;

an estimated time calculation unit configured to calculate an estimated transit time of each of the selected candidate points; and

a display control unit configured to cause said display unit to display the image that includes the map and a combination of the each of selected candidate points and the estimated transit time calculated for the each of selected candidate points,

wherein said selection unit includes a division unit configured to divide the map area of the map displayed by said display unit into the plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size so that at least a predetermined gap is provided between the plurality of group areas, and

said selection unit is configured to select, for each of the plurality of group areas, at most the predetermined number of candidate points from among candidate points that are included in the each of plurality of group areas.

4. A map information display method for displaying a map for a mobile object, said map information display method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of candidate points each of which is a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time;

selecting at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among candidate points, of the plurality of candidate points, that are included in a part of a map area of the map to be displayed;

calculating an estimated transit time of each of the selected candidate points; and

displaying the image that includes the map and a combination of the each of selected candidate points and the estimated transit time calculated for the each of selected candidate points,

wherein said selecting includes dividing the map area of the map displayed in said displaying into a plurality of group areas so that at least a predetermined gap is provided between the plurality of group areas and at least one of the plurality of group areas includes a part of a road on which the mobile object is currently located, the part of the road being situated in a travel direction of the mobile object, each of the plurality of group areas being larger than a predetermined size, and

for each of the plurality of group areas, at most the predetermined number of candidate points is selected from among candidate points that are included in the each of group areas in said selecting.

5. A map information display method for displaying a map for a mobile object, said map information display method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of candidate points each of which is a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time;

selecting at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among candidate points, of the plurality of candidate points, that are included in a part of a map area of the map to be displayed;

calculating an estimated transit time of each of the selected candidate points;

displaying the image that includes the map and a combination of the each of selected candidate points and the estimated transit time calculated for the each of selected candidate points; and

obtaining a display area of an image displayed on the map other than the estimated transit time,

wherein said selecting includes dividing an area which excludes the display area obtained in said obtaining of the display area from the map area of the map displayed in said displaying into the plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size, and

for each of the plurality of group areas, at most the predetermined number of candidate points is selected from among candidate points that are included in the each of plurality of group areas in said selecting.

6. A map information display method for displaying a map for a mobile object, said map information display method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of candidate points each of which is a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time;

selecting at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among candidate points, of the plurality of candidate points, that are included in a part of a map area of the map to be displayed;

calculating an estimated transit time of each of the selected candidate points; and

displaying the image that includes the map and a combination of the each of selected candidate points and the estimated transit time calculated for the each of selected candidate points,

wherein said selecting includes dividing the map area of the map displayed in said displaying into the plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size so that at least a predetermined gap is provided between the plurality of group areas, and

for each of the plurality of group areas, at most the predetermined number of candidate points is selected from among candidate points that are included in the each of plurality of group areas in said selecting.

7. A map information display program for displaying a map for a mobile object, said map information display program causing a computer to execute:

obtaining a plurality of candidate points each of which is a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time;

selecting at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among candidate points, of the plurality of candidate points, that are included in a part of a map area of the map to be displayed;

calculating an estimated transit time of each of the selected candidate points; and

displaying the image that includes the map and a combination of the each of selected candidate points and the estimated transit time calculated for the each of selected candidate points,

wherein said selecting includes dividing the map area of the map displayed in said displaying into a plurality of group areas so that at least a predetermined gap is provided between the plurality of group areas and at least one of the plurality of group areas includes a part of a road on which the mobile object is currently located, the part of the road being situated in a travel direction of the mobile object, each of the plurality of group areas being larger than a predetermined size, and

for each of the plurality of group areas, at most the predetermined number of candidate points is selected from among candidate points that are included in the each of group areas in said selecting.

8. A map information display program for displaying a map for a mobile object, said map information display program causing a computer to execute:

obtaining a plurality of candidate points each of which is a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time;

selecting at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among candidate points, of the plurality of candidate points, that are included in a part of a map area of the map to be displayed;

calculating an estimated transit time of each of the selected candidate points;

displaying the image that includes the map and a combination of the each of selected candidate points and the estimated transit time calculated for the each of selected candidate points; and

obtaining a display area of an image displayed on the map other than the estimated transit time,

wherein said selecting includes dividing an area which excludes the display area obtained in said obtaining of the display area from the map area of the map displayed in said displaying into the plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size, and

for each of the plurality of group areas, at most the predetermined number of candidate points is selected from among candidate points that are included in the each of plurality of group areas in said selecting.

9. A map information display program for displaying a map for a mobile object, said map information display program causing a computer to execute:

obtaining a plurality of candidate points each of which is a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time;

selecting at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among candidate points, of the plurality of candidate points, that are included in a part of a map area of the map to be displayed;

calculating an estimated transit time of each of the selected candidate points; and

displaying the image that includes the map and a combination of the each of selected candidate points and the estimated transit time calculated for the each of selected candidate points,

wherein said selecting includes dividing the map area of the map displayed in said displaying into the plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size so that at least a predetermined gap is provided between the plurality of group areas, and

for each of the plurality of group areas, at most the predetermined number of candidate points is selected from among candidate points that are included in the each of plurality of group areas in said selecting.