Map Display Device and Map Display Method

• US 20110175928A1
• Filed: 10/26/2010
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: HASHIMOTO, Daisuke
• Application Number:
  US12/912,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20110175928A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A map display device, including a map display control unit that causes a map to be displayed on a display monitor and causes a facility icon to be displayed being superimposed on a map; an indication unit that indicates a portion of an area of a map displayed on the display monitor; a specification unit that specifies a facility icon existing in an indicated area indicated by the indication unit from among facility icons displayed on the display monitor; and a changer that changes a display mode of a specified facility icon specified by the specification unit into a display mode in which a visibility of image information on a map is not disturbed.

Claims

1. A map display device, comprising:

a map display control unit that causes a map to be displayed on a display monitor and causes a facility icon to be displayed being superimposed on a map;

an indication unit that indicates a portion of an area of a map displayed on the display monitor;

a specification unit that specifies a facility icon existing in an indicated area indicated by the indication unit from among facility icons displayed on the display monitor; and

a changer that changes a display mode of a specified facility icon specified by the specification unit into a display mode in which a visibility of image information on a map is not disturbed.

2. A map display device according to claim 1, wherein:

until the indicated area is indicated by the indication unit, the map display control unit causes a facility icon displayed on the display monitor to be displayed in a display mode in which the facility icon masks a map.

3. A map display device according to claim 1, wherein:

a display mode of the specified facility icon is any of a mode in which the specified facility icon is displayed translucent, a mode in which the specified facility icon is displayed blinking, and a mode in which the facility icon is hidden.

4. A map display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an icon discriminator that discriminates a facility icon that overlaps with a road of a map from a facility icon that does not overlap therewith among the specified facility icons, wherein;

the changer changes a display mode only of a facility icon that overlaps with a road among the specified facility icons into a display mode in which a road superimposed with the facility icon can be identified.

5. A map display device according to claim 4, wherein:

based upon a size of the specified facility icon, a distance from the specified facility icon to a neighborhood road, and a scale of a map displayed on the display monitor, the icon discriminator distinguishes whether the specified facility icon overlaps with the road.

6. A map display device according to claim 1, comprising:

a touch screen that is built into the display monitor;

a map scrolling unit that, when a touch screen on the display monitor is pressed, scrolls a map in a touch scroll mode in which a map is scrolled so that the pressed position becomes a center of a screen, and

a disable instruction output unit that outputs an instruction to disable an operation of the map scrolling unit, wherein;

the indication unit sets the indicated area based upon a position touched on the touch screen while a disable instruction is being output from the disable instruction output unit.

7. A map display device according to claim 1, comprising:

a character discriminator that discriminates a character that overlaps with the road of a map from a character that does not overlap therewith among characters displayed in the designated area; and

a character display control unit that causes the character that overlaps with the road of a map to be displayed in a display mode in which a road that is superimposed with the character can be identified when a character is displayed being superimposed on the map.

8. A map display device according to claim 7, wherein:

a display mode of the character that overlaps with the road is any of a mode in which the character overlapping with the road is displayed translucent, a mode in which the character overlapping with the road is displayed blinking, and a mode in which the character overlapping with the road is hidden.

9. A map display device according to claim 1, wherein:

when any position on a map displayed on the display monitor is indicated by a user, the indication unit indicates a predetermined range around the position as the indicated area.

10. A map display method, comprising:

a first step in which a map is displayed on a display monitor and a facility icon is displayed being superimposed on a map;

a second step in which a part of an area of a map displayed on the display monitor is indicated;

a third step in which a facility icon existing in an area indicated in the second step is specified from among facility icons displayed on the display monitor; and

a fourth step in which, a display mode of the specified facility icon specified in the third step is changed into a display mode in which a visibility of image information on a map is not disturbed.

11. A map display method according to claim 10, wherein:

in the first step, the facility icon is displayed in a display mode in which a map portion that is superimposed with the facility icon is hidden; and

in the fourth step, the specified facility icon is displayed in a display mode in which a map that is superimposed with the specified facility icon can be identified.

12. A map display method according to claim 10, further comprising:

a step in which a facility icon that overlaps with a road of a map and a facility icon that does not overlap therewith are discriminated among the specified facility icons, wherein;

in the fourth step, among the specified facility icons, only a facility icon that is superimposed on a road is displayed in a display mode in which a map that is superimposed with the facility icon can be identified.