Navigation apparatus

• US 20090063048A1
• Filed: 08/26/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Tsuji, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 8,095,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/212
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching

Abstract

In a navigation apparatus, a control device superimposes, on a displayed map in a display device, a plurality of marks for indicating a guidance route around a guidance point. The control device fixes a real distance of an interval between the marks without depending on the change in the scales of the map.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a map data input means for inputting map data;

a designation means for designating a departure point and a destination point;

a route retrieval means for retrieving a route from the departure point to the destination point using the map data;

a presentation means for displaying a plurality of marks in a mark display range on a map generated based on the map data, the mark display range including at least one of a forward direction and a backward direction along the retrieved route with a guidance point assigned as a base point; and

a map scale switching means for switching map scales therebetween,

wherein the presentation means is configured to fix a real distance of an interval between the marks displayed on the map, without depending on the map scales switched.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the presentation means is configured to display the plurality of marks in the mark display range on the map, the mark display range including the forward direction and the backward direction along the retrieved route with the guidance point assigned as the base point.

3. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when an overlapping portion is included in the mark display range along the retrieved route, the presentation means is configured to display, in the overlapping portion, only marks further backward in the mark display range along the retrieved route.

4. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when an intersecting portion is included in the mark display range along the retrieved route, the presentation means is configured to display, in the intersecting portion, a mark further backward and a mark further forward in the mark display range along the retrieved route, in a merged display manner.

5. A method for displaying a map in a navigation apparatus storing map data and retrieving a route to a destination, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of marks in a mark display range on a map generated based on the map data, the mark display range including at least one of a forward direction and a backward direction along the retrieved route with a guidance point assigned as a base point;

switching map scales therebetween; and

displaying the plurality of marks after the map scales are switched by fixing a real distance of an interval between the marks displayed on the map, without depending on the map scales switched.