NAVIGATION DEVICE AND NEAREST POINT SEARCH METHOD

• US 20090055094A1
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: SUZUKI, Toshikazu
• Granted Patent: US 9,121,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

The present invention makes the user easily search the nearest point which is useful for the user without making the user perform a complicated operation. The present invention provides a navigation device that obtains a current position based on information from GPS satellites, and guides a travel path from the current position to the destination on a map image which includes a display unit that displays the map image, a search unit that searches a nearest point existing around a vehicle position on the map image, a search subject range determination unit that, when a search subject area setting frame in searching the nearest point is specified by a user, determines the search subject area setting frame as a search subject range in searching by the search unit.

Claims

1. A navigation device that obtains a current position based on information from satellites, and guides a travel path from the current position to the destination on a map image, the device comprising:

display means for displaying the map image;

search means for searching a nearest point of interest existing around a vehicle position on the map image; and

search subject range determination means for determining the search subject area setting frame as a search subject range in searching by the search means, when a search subject area setting frame in searching the nearest point of interest is specified by a user.

2. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein

the search subject range determination means overlaps and displays the search subject area setting frame of a predetermined size in the form of a rectangle on the map image, and dynamically changes the search subject range by enlarging and reducing the search subject area setting frame in accordance with the designation of the user.

3. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein

the search subject range determination means determines the search subject area setting frame which has its size and shape designated in accordance with the designation of the user as the search subject range.

4. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein

the search subject range determination means determines, by the designation of the user, any one of the forward direction, backward direction, right direction, or left direction which is previously set based on the vehicle position as the search subject range.

5. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein

the search subject range determination means determines, by the designation of the user, the search subject range in the forward direction on a traveling direction from a distance previously set with respect to the vehicle position.

6. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein

the search subject range determination means determines the search subject range on the vehicle stop side in the traveling direction of the road.

7. A nearest point search method for a navigation device that obtains a current position based on information from satellites, and guides a travel path from the current position to the destination on a map image, the method comprising:

a map display step of displaying the map image on predetermined display means;

a search subject area setting frame designation step of making a user designate a search subject area setting frame at the time of searching the nearest point of interest, when searching the nearest point of interest existing around the vehicle position on the map image using predetermined search means;

a search step of searching the nearest point of interest with the search subject area setting frame designated in the search subject area setting frame designation step set to the search subject range by the search means; and

a search result presentation step of displaying the search processing result of the nearest point of interest obtained by searching the search subject range in the search step on the display means.

8. The nearest point search method according to claim 7, wherein

the search subject area setting frame designation step overlaps and displays the search subject area setting frame of a predetermined size in the form of a rectangle on the map image, and dynamically changes the search subject range by enlarging and reducing the search subject area setting frame in accordance with the designation of the user.

9. The nearest point search method according to claim 7, wherein

the search subject area setting frame designation step determines the search subject area setting frame which has its size and figuration designated in accordance with the designation of the user as the search subject range.

10. The nearest point search method according to claim 7, wherein

the search subject area setting frame designation step determines, by the designation of the user, any one of the forward direction, backward direction, right direction, or left direction which is previously set based on the vehicle position as the search subject range.

11. The nearest point search method according to claim 7, wherein

the search subject area setting frame designation step determines, by the designation of the user, the search subject range in the forward direction on a traveling direction from a distance previously set with respect to the vehicle position.

12. The nearest point search method according to claim 7, wherein

the search subject area setting frame designation step determines the search subject range on the vehicle stop side in the traveling direction of the road.

13. A navigation device that obtains a current position based on information from satellites, and guides a travel path from the current position to the destination on a map image, the device comprising:

a display unit that displays the map image;

a search unit that searches a nearest point of interest existing around a vehicle position on the map image;

a search subject range determination unit that determines the search subject area setting frame as a search subject range in searching by the search unit, when a search subject area setting frame in searching the nearest point of interest is specified by a user.