MAP DISPLAY APPARATUS AND MAP DISPLAY METHOD

• US 20090088968A1
• Filed: 09/02/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: TSUTSUI, Masanao
• Granted Patent: US 9,140,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors

Abstract

A map display apparatus includes an image storage unit that stores images in association with corresponding items of image capturing position information of places where the images were captured; an image information reading unit that reads image capturing position information of a specified image from the image storage unit; an image capturing position displaying unit that displays a map represented by map information on the basis of the image capturing position information; a current position obtaining unit that obtains current position information from a position determining unit determining a current position; a current position displaying unit that displays a map represented by map information on the basis of the obtained current position information; and a map display switching unit that selectively switches between the map information of the image capturing position displaying unit and the map information of the current position displaying unit in response to a display switching instruction.

Claims

1. A map display apparatus comprising:

image storage means for storing a plurality of images in association with corresponding items of image capturing position information of places where the plurality of images were captured;

image information reading means for reading image capturing position information of a specified image from the image storage means;

image capturing position displaying means for displaying a map represented by map information on a screen on the basis of the read image capturing position information;

current position obtaining means for obtaining current position information from position determining means for determining a current position;

current position displaying means for displaying a map represented by map information on a screen on the basis of the obtained current position information; and

map display switching means for selectively switching between the map information of the image capturing position displaying means and the map information of the current position displaying means in response to a display switching instruction.

2. The map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image capturing position displaying means displays the map represented by the map information so that an image capturing position represented by the image capturing position information of the specified image is displayed at a predetermined position on the map, and the current position displaying means displays the map represented by the map information so that the current position represented by the current position information is displayed at a predetermined position on the map.

3. The map display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined positions are substantially the center of the maps, respectively.

4. The map display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the map display switching means switches between the map information of the image capturing position displaying means and the map information of the current position displaying means in response to the display switching instruction given by a graphical user interface provided on a display screen.

5. The map display apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising determining means for determining a state of the current position obtaining means whether the current position obtaining means is capable or incapable of obtaining the current position information from the position determining means,

wherein the map display switching means selectively switches between the map information of the image capturing position displaying means and the map information of the current position displaying means by using a determination result obtained by the determining means as the display switching instruction.

6. The map display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the position determining means is configured to be detachably connectable to the map display apparatus, and the state of the current position obtaining means is switched between that in which the current position obtaining means is capable of obtaining the current position information from the position determining means and that in which the current position obtaining means is incapable of obtaining the current position information from the position determining means by connecting or disconnecting the position determining means to or from the map display apparatus.

7. The map display apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising switching means for switching between activation and deactivation of the position determining means.

8. The map display apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the switching means is provided in a main body of the position determining means.

9. The map display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the current position displaying means displays the map represented by the map information on the screen on the basis of the current position information obtained from the position determining means immediately before the current position obtaining means enters the state in which the current position obtaining means is incapable of obtaining the current position information from the position determining means.

10. The map display apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising image selecting means for selecting an image to be displayed in part of each of the screens,

wherein, when the current position displaying means displays the map represented by the map information on the screen, in a case where the image selecting means selects an image, the map display switching means switches the map information representing the map displayed on the screen to the map information of the image capturing position displaying means.

11. The map display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, when the image capturing position displaying means displays the map represented by the map information on the screen, and when the current position represented by the current position information obtained by the current position obtaining means is to be displayed at a corresponding position on the map, in a case where the corresponding position does not exist in the displayed map represented by the map information, the map display switching means does not switch the map information.

12. The map display apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 11, further comprising image pickup means,

wherein the plurality of images were captured by the image pickup means.

13. A map display method comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of images in association with corresponding items of image capturing position information of places where the plurality of images were captured;

reading a corresponding item of image capturing position information of one of the plurality of stored images;

displaying a map represented by map information on a screen on the basis of the read image capturing position information;

obtaining current position information from position determining means for determining a current position;

displaying a map represented by map information on a screen on the basis of the obtained current position information; and

selectively switching between the map information used to display an image capturing position represented by the read image capturing position information and the map information used to display the current position represented by the obtained current position information in response to a display switching instruction.

14. A map display apparatus comprising:

an image storage unit configured to store a plurality of images in association with corresponding items of image capturing position information of places where the plurality of images were captured;

an image information reading unit configured to read image capturing position information of a specified image from the image storage unit;

an image capturing position displaying unit configured to display a map represented by map information on a screen on the basis of the read image capturing position information;

a current position obtaining unit configured to obtain current position information from a position determining unit configured to determine a current position;

a current position displaying unit configured to display a map represented by map information on a screen on the basis of the obtained current position information; and

a map display switching unit configured to selectively switch between the map information of the image capturing position displaying unit and the map information of the current position displaying unit in response to a display switching instruction.