MAP DISPLAY DEVICE AND MAP DISPLAY METHOD

• US 20090046093A1
• Filed: 03/02/2005
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navitime Japan Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Navitime Japan Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Hiroshi, Kikuchi, Shin
• Granted Patent: US 8,040,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

A map display device and a map display method, in which a building in a map is formed as a pseudo three-dimensional figure and arithmetic processing to display the figure as a bird'"'"'s-eye view is simplified. The map display device 20 for displaying map data, formed from vector data, on a display means has a plane figure-for-bird'"'"'s-eye-view creation means 218, a shift amount storage means 219, a building position determination means 220, and a figure data copying means 221. The plane-figure-for-bird'"'"'s-eye-view creation means 218 creates, from the map data formed from vector data, a plane figure for creating a bird'"'"'s-eye view. The figure data copying means 221 copies and draws the plane figure to display a bird'"'"'s-eye view. This is performed based on the positions of buildings determined by the building determination means 220 and on the shift amounts stored in the shift amount storage means 219, and in this process, the plane figures are shifted upward on a display screen according to the shift amounts, and the copying and drawing are made one by one from a building positioned on the far side in the bird'"'"'s-eye view.

Claims

1. A map display device having a map display device for displaying map data that are composed of vector data in a display means;

said map display device characterized in that

said map display device comprises means for creating a plane figure for a bird'"'"'s-eye view, shift amount storage means, building position determination means, and figure data duplication means;

the means for creating a plane figure for a bird'"'"'s-eye view creates a bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figure for creating a bird'"'"'s-ye view from said map data composed of vector data; and

said figure data duplication means duplicates and draws a bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figure while shifting the plane figures of buildings upward on a screen in sequence from the building positioned farthest away in the birds-eye view according to said shift amount on the basis of a building position determined by the building position determination means and on the basis of a shift amount stored by the shift amount storage means.

2. The map display device according to claim 1, characterized in that

said map data composed of vector data include building data to which height information relating to a height of a building is added;

and

a bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figure is duplicated and drawn a number of times that is in accordance with said height information while being shifted upward on a screen by said shift amount.

3. The map display device according to claim 2, characterized in that a number of times that is in accordance with said height information is uniformly determined without regard for the height of each building;

and

said bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figure is duplicated and drawn a number of times that is equal to said number of times while being shifted upward on a screen according to said shift amount.

4. The map display device according to claim 2, characterized in that

said buildings are divided into a plurality of groups having different heights on the basis of the height information;

a number of times in accordance with said height information is determined for each group; and

said birds-eye-view plane figure is duplicated and drawn the number of times determined for each of said groups while being shifted upward on a screen according to a shift amount.

5. The map display device according to claim 1, characterized in that

a shift amount stored by said shift amount storage means has a plurality of values according to a display region of said display means;

and

a value of the amount of upward shift in said display region is set so as to be smaller than an amount of downward shift in the display screen.

11. The map display device according to any of claims 1 through 10, characterized in that

said map data composed of vector data include building data to which attribute information relating to a color of a building is added;

and

a bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figure that corresponds to an uppermost layer of buildings among said duplicated and drawn bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figures is color-coded based on said attribute information.

6. A map display device having a map display device for displaying map data that are composed of vector data in a display means;

said map display device characterized in that

said map display device comprises means for creating a plane figure for a bird'"'"'s-eye view, shift amount storage means, building position determination means, and figure data duplication means;

the means for creating a plane figure for a bird'"'"'s-eye view creates bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figures of buildings in sequence from the building positioned farthest away in a bird'"'"'s-eye view on the basis of a building position determined by the building position determination means, and draws a first layer of plane data; and

said figure data duplication means duplicates and draws said first layer of plane data while shifting the first layer of plane data upward on a screen according to said shift amount on the basis of the shift amount stored by said shift amount storage means, and displays said bird'"'"'s-eye view.

7. The map display device according to claim 6, characterized in that

said map data composed of vector data include building data to which height information relating to a height of a building is added;

and

a bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figure is duplicated and drawn a number of times that is in accordance with said height information while being shifted upward on a screen by said shift amount.

8. The map display device according to claim 7, characterized in that

a number of times that is in accordance with said height information is uniformly determined without regard for the height of each building;

and

said bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figure is duplicated and drawn a number of times that is equal to said number of times while being shifted upward on a screen according to said shift amount.

9. The map display device according to claim 7, characterized in that

said buildings are divided into a plurality of groups having different heights on the basis of the height information;

a number of times in accordance with said height information is determined for each group;

bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figures of buildings that have portions at a common height among buildings in a bird'"'"'s-eye view are grouped; and

said grouped aerial plane figures are duplicated and drawn while said grouped bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figures are shifted in sequence from a lower layer said determined number of times upward on a screen according to a shift amount.

10. The map display device according to claim 6, characterized in that

a shift amount stored by said shift amount storage means has a plurality of values according to a display region of said display means;

and

a value of the amount of upward shift in said display region is set so as to be smaller than an amount of downward shift in the display screen.

12. A map display method in a map display device having a map display device for displaying map data that are composed of vector data in a display means, wherein

said map display device comprises means for creating a plane figure for a bird'"'"'s-eye view, shift amount storage means, building position determination means, and figure data duplication means;

said map display method characterized in comprising;

a step in which the means for creating a plane figure for a bird'"'"'s-eye view creates a bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figure for creating a bird'"'"'s-eye view from said map data composed of vector data;

a step in which said figure data duplication means duplicates and draws a bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figure while shifting the plane figures of buildings upward on a screen in sequence from the building positioned farthest away in the bird'"'"'s-eye view according to said shift amount on the basis of a building position determined by the building position determination means and on the basis of a shift amount stored by the shift amount storage means; and

a step in which said bird'"'"'s-eye view is displayed.

13. The map display method according to claim 12, characterized in comprising a step in which

said map data composed of vector data include building data to which height information relating to a height of a building is added;

and

a bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figure is duplicated and drawn a number of times that is in accordance with said height information while being shifted upward on a screen by said shift amount.

14. The map display method according to claim 13, characterized in comprising a step in which

a number of times that is in accordance with said height information is uniformly determined without regard for the height of each building;

and

said bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figure is duplicated and drawn a number of times that is equal to said number of times while being shifted upward on a screen according to said shift amount.

15. The map display method according to claim 13, characterized in comprising a step in which

said buildings are divided into a plurality of groups having different heights on the basis of the height information;

a number of times in accordance with said height information is determined for each group; and

said bird'"'"'seye-view plane figure is duplicated and drawn the number of times determined for each of said groups while being shifted upward on a screen according to a shift amount.

16. The map display method according to claim 12, characterized in comprising a step in which

a shift amount stored by said shift amount storage means has a plurality of values according to a display region of said display means;

a value of the amount of upward shift in said display region is set so as to be smaller than an amount of downward shift in the display screen; and

said bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figure is duplicated and drawn while being shifted according to said shift amount.

22. The map display method according to any of claims 12 through 21, characterized in comprising a step in which

said map data composed of vector data include building data to which attribute information relating to a color of a building is added;

and

a bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figure that corresponds to an uppermost layer of buildings among said duplicated and drawn bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figures is color-coded based on said attribute information.

17. A map display method in a map display device having a map display device for displaying map data that are composed of vector data in a display means, wherein

said map display device comprises means for creating a plane figure for a bird'"'"'s-eye view, shift amount storage means, building position determination means, and figure data duplication means;

said map display method characterized in comprising;

a step in which the means for creating a plane figure for a bird'"'"'s-eye view creates bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figures of buildings in sequence from the building positioned farthest away in a bird'"'"'s-eye view on the basis of a building position determined by the building position determination means, and draws a first layer of plane data; and

a step in which said figure data duplication means duplicates and draws said first layer of plane data while shifting the first layer of plane data upward on a screen according to said shift amount on the basis of the shift amount stored by said shift amount storage means; and

a step in which said bird'"'"'s-eye view is displayed.

18. The map display method according to claim 17, characterized in comprising a step in which

said map data composed of vector data include building data to which height information relating to a height of a building is added;

and

a bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figure is duplicated and drawn a number of times that is in accordance with said height information while being shifted upward on a screen by said shift amount.

19. The map display method according to claim 18, characterized in comprising a step in which

a number of times that is in accordance with said height information is uniformly determined without regard for the height of each building;

and

said bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figure is duplicated and drawn a number of times that is equal to said number of times while being shifted upward on a screen according to said shift amount.

20. The map display method according to claim 18, characterized in comprising a step in which

said buildings are divided into a plurality of groups having different heights on the basis of the height information;

a number of times in accordance with said height information is determined for each group;

bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figures of buildings that have portions at a common height among buildings in a bird'"'"'s-eye view are grouped; and

said grouped aerial plane figures are duplicated and drawn while said grouped bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figures are shifted in sequence Thom a lower layer said determined number of times upward on a screen according to a shift amount.

21. The map display method according to claim 17, characterized in comprising a step in which

a shift amount stored by said shift amount storage means has a plurality of values according to a display region of said display means;

a value of the amount of upward shift in said display region is set so as to be smaller than an amount of downward shift in the display screen; and

said bird'"'"'s-eye-view plane figure is duplicated and drawn while being shifted according to said shift amount.