DISPLAY CONTROL DEVICE, DISPLAY CONTROL METHOD AND CONTROL PROGRAM

• US 20100223004A1
• Filed: 07/18/2008
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: Kondo, Katsuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,423,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/028 Multiple view windows (top-side-front-sagittal-orthogonal)

Abstract

A user can visually and instinctively understand an operation to be executed, and a corresponding operation screen or input screen is easily displayed and operated.

Plural flat display objects each having a predetermined displace face having each kind of information displayed in a virtual three-dimensional space are arranged in a predetermined area every category and classified into one main display object 51A and sub display objects 51B other than the display object 51A, the main display object 51A is rotated so that a display face thereof is perpendicular to or intersects to the overhead-view direction, and moved in the virtual three-dimensional space so as to be located in the overhead-view direction or in the neighborhood of the overhead-view direction while following variation of the overhead-view direction, and displayed on the display device, and the sub display objects 51B are controlled to be rotated in the virtual three-dimensional space so that display faces thereof are perpendicular to or intersect to the overhead view direction and displayed on the display screen of the display device 16.

Claims

1. A display control device for arranging flat type plural display objects each having a desired display face having each kind of information displayed thereon in a virtual three-dimensional space, and making an external display device display an image in which the display objects are viewed in an overhead-view style from a view point position input from an external on the basis of three-dimensional coordinate position data corresponding to the view point position, overhead-view direction data corresponding to an overhead-view direction from the view point position and zoom data (for example, display field angle data corresponding to a display field angle and display magnification data corresponding to a display magnification) is characterized in that the plural display objects belong to any category of plural predetermined categories and are arranged in a predetermined space area every category and classified into one main display object and sub display objects other than the main display object, the main display object is rotated so that a display face thereof is perpendicular to or intersects to the overhead-view direction, and moved in the virtual three-dimensional space so as to be located in the overhead-view direction or in the neighborhood of the overhead-view direction while following variation of the overhead-view direction, and displayed on a display screen of the display device, and the sub display objects are controlled to be rotated in the virtual three-dimensional space so that display faces thereof are perpendicular to or intersect to the overhead view direction and displayed on the display screen of the display device.

2. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined axis is virtually arranged in the virtual three-dimensional space, and the three-dimensional space is divided into the plural space areas in an extension direction of the axis.

3. The display control device according to claim 2, wherein the display objects are arranged circumferentially with respect to a circle vertical to the axis around the axis in a space area allocated to a category to which the display objects concerned belong.

4. The display control device according to claim 3, wherein a ring-shaped category identification object along the circumference is displayed in the neighborhood of the corresponding display object every category.

5. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the main display object is displayed on the overall display screen on the basis of the three-dimensional coordinate position data and the zoom data, when a sub display object is located in front of the main display object, an image in which the image of the sub display object is superposed on the image of the main display object is displayed as an overhead-viewed image.

6. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the categories contain an identification information category for displaying information to specify individual users, a time variation information category for displaying information varying with time, a search information category for displaying information necessary for search, and a setting information category for displaying various kinds of setting information.

7. The display control device according to claim 6, wherein the display device is a display device used for an in-vehicle mount information processing device, and the display object belonging to the identification information category may display information necessary to specify a driver of a vehicle in which the in-vehicle mount information processing device is mounted.

8. The display control device according to claim 6, wherein the display device is a display device used for an in-vehicle mount information processing device, and the display object belonging to the search information category may display information necessary to perform route guidance or searching a source for a reproduction target in a vehicle in which the in-vehicle mount navigation device is mounted.

9. The display control device according to claim 6, wherein the display device is a display device used for an in-vehicle mount navigation device as an in-vehicle mount information processing device, and the display object belonging to the time variation information category is display information necessary to perform route guidance during running in a vehicle having the in-vehicle mount navigation device mounted therein.

10. The display control device according to claim 9, wherein the main display object is a map screen for route guidance.

11. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the display control device is connected to an input device that can input the three-dimensional coordinate position data, the display field angle data and the display magnification by a user'"'"'s operation.

12. A display control method for arranging flat type plural display objects each having a desired display face having each kind of information displayed thereon in a virtual three-dimensional space, and making an external display device display an image in which the display objects are viewed in an overhead-view style from a view point position input from an external on the basis of three-dimensional coordinate position data corresponding to the view point position, overhead-view direction data corresponding to an overhead-view direction from the view point position and zoom data (for example, display field angle data corresponding to a display field angle and display magnification data corresponding to a display magnification), the plural display objects belonging to any category of plural predetermined categories and being arranged in a predetermined space area every category and classified into one main display object and sub display objects other than the main display object, comprising:

a step of rotating the main display object so that a display face thereof is perpendicular to or intersects to the overhead-view direction and moving in the virtual three-dimensional space so as to be located in the overhead-view direction or in the neighborhood of the overhead-view direction while following variation of the overhead-view direction;

a step of rotating the sub display objects in the virtual three-dimensional space so that display faces of the sub display objects are perpendicular to or intersect to the overhead view direction; and

a step of displaying the overhead-viewed image on the display screen of the display device.

13. A control program causing a computer to execute a control process on a display control device for arranging flat type plural display objects each having a desired display face having each kind of information displayed thereon in a virtual three-dimensional space, and making an external display device display an image in which the display objects are viewed in an overhead-view style from a view point position input from an external on the basis of three-dimensional coordinate position data corresponding to the view point position, overhead-view direction data corresponding to an overhead-view direction from the view point position and zoom data (for example, display field angle data corresponding to a display field angle and display magnification data corresponding to a display magnification), the plural display objects belonging to any category of plural predetermined categories and being arranged in a predetermined space area every category and classified into one main display object and sub display objects other than the main display object, the control process comprising:

rotating the main display object so that a display face thereof is perpendicular to or intersects to the overhead-view direction and moving in the virtual three-dimensional space so as to be located in the overhead-view direction or in the neighborhood of the overhead-view direction while following variation of the overhead-view direction;

rotating the sub display objects in the virtual three-dimensional space so that display faces of the sub display objects are perpendicular to or intersect to the overhead view direction; and

displaying the overhead-viewed image on the display screen of the display device.