Navigation apparatus and navigation method

• US 20100225756A1
• Filed: 02/24/2010
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyata, Hiromasa
• Granted Patent: US 9,404,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/116
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

A navigation apparatus includes: a current-position information acquisition section obtaining measured current-position information; a camera section obtaining a captured image of a subject; a direction detection section detecting a direction when obtaining the captured image by the camera section; from characteristic-point information related to multiple predetermined characteristic points stored in a storage section, a characteristic-point information extraction section extracting the characteristic-point information related to the characteristic points located in the vicinity of the current position and in a range shown in the direction; and a control section displaying the captured image on a display section, wherein the control section displays a predetermined direction line indicating a distance from the current position on the captured image, obtains a distance and a direction from the current position to the characteristic point, and displays the characteristic-point information at a position corresponding to the distance and the direction on the captured image.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a current-position information acquisition section obtaining current-position information of a current position measured by a current-position measuring section;

a camera section obtaining a captured image of a subject;

a direction detection section detecting a direction at the time of obtaining the captured image by the camera section;

from characteristic-point information related to a large number of predetermined characteristic points stored in a predetermined storage section, a characteristic-point information extraction section extracting the characteristic-point information related to the characteristic points located in the vicinity of the current position and in a range shown in the direction; and

a control section displaying the captured image on a predetermined display section,

wherein the control section

displays a predetermined direction line indicating a distance from the current position on the captured image, obtains a distance and a direction from the current position to the characteristic point, and displays the characteristic-point information at a position corresponding to the distance and the direction on the captured image.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the characteristic-point information extraction section extracts, from a predetermined storage section, the characteristic-point information related to the characteristic point located in the vicinity of the current position and in a range shown in the direction determined by the direction and an imaging angle of view of the camera section.

3. The navigation apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein if the extracted characteristic-point information is a predetermined number of pieces or less, the characteristic-point information extraction section expands a predetermined distance range set as the vicinity of the current position, and extracts the characteristic-point information related to the characteristic point located in a range of the expanded distance range and in a range shown in the direction.

4. The navigation apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the control section displays the current position on the captured image, and displays a line segment connecting the current position and the characteristic-point information.

5. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1,

further comprising a direction determination section determining whether the direction in which the camera section obtained the captured image is a front or not,

wherein if the direction determination section has determined that the direction is the front, the control section displays the captured image and the characteristic-point information on a predetermined display section, and if the direction determination section has determined that the direction is not the front, the control section obtains map information in the vicinity of the current position from a predetermined storage section on the basis of the current position information, and displays a map screen based on the map information on a predetermined display section.

6. The navigation apparatus according to claim 3,

further comprising an operation section accepting a user operation,

wherein the characteristic-point information extraction section expands or contacts the distance range in accordance with the user operation.

7. A method of navigation, comprising the steps of:

obtaining current-position information of a current position, measured by a current-position measuring section, from a current-position information acquisition section;

obtaining a captured image of a subject by a camera section;

detecting a direction by a direction detection section at the time of obtaining the captured image by the camera section;

from characteristic-point information related to a large number of predetermined characteristic points stored in a predetermined storage section, extracting the characteristic-point information related to the characteristic points located in the vicinity of the current position and in a range shown in the direction; and

displaying the captured image on a predetermined display section by a control section, displaying a predetermined direction line indicating a distance from the current position on the captured image, obtaining a distance and a direction from the current position to the characteristic point, and displaying the characteristic-point information at a position corresponding to the distance and the direction on the captured image.