MAP DISPLAY CONTROL APPARATUS, MAP DISPLAY CONTROL METHOD AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM

• US 20110234634A1
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: NISHIYA, Akihiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,723,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/636
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

There is provided a map display control apparatus. The apparatus includes: an accepting section configured to accept a search character; a search section configured to search for a landmark on a map, a name of the landmark at least partly matching the search character; a position adjusting section configured to adjust a display position of the map such that the searched landmark appears in the map; a search refining section configured to perform a new search for the landmark and refine the landmark whenever a new character is added to the search character; and a position movement section configured to move the display position of the map, depending on the number of the refined landmark or a position of the refined landmark.

Claims

1. A map display control apparatus comprising:

an accepting section configured to accept a search character;

a search section configured to search for a landmark on a map, a name of the landmark at least partly matching the search character;

a position adjusting section configured to adjust a display position of the map such that the searched landmark appears in the map;

a search refining section configured to perform a new search for the landmark and refine the landmark whenever a new character is added to the search character; and

a position movement section configured to move the display position of the map, depending on the number of the refined landmark or a position of the refined landmark.

2. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the position movement section is configured to move the display position of the map such that the refined landmark appears in the map.

3. The apparatus of claim 2,

wherein the position movement section is configured to move the display position of the map such that a landmark positioned closest to the center of the map is positioned in the center of the map.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second search refining section configured to refine the landmark through a method other than character input, when the refined landmark comprises a plurality of landmark.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a third search refining section configured to refine all of the landmarks in response to a user operation concerning the display position of the map, when at least one of the landmarks does not appear in the map.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a selector configured to select either one of the search refining section and the second search refining section so as to refine the landmarks either by adding the new character to the search character or by the method other than the character input in response to a user'"'"'s operation, when the searched landmark comprises a plurality of landmarks.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein when the searched landmark comprises a plurality of landmarks, the landmarks are refined by a distance or a direction from a center of the map to each of the landmarks.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the landmarks are refined to a landmark positioned closest to the center of the map.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the landmarks are refined to a landmark positioned in a designate direction from the center of the map.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the map is divided by a plurality of lines extending from the center of the map into a plurality of ranges, and

the landmarks are refined to a landmark positioned in a designate range of the ranges.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the map is divided by four lines extending from the center of the map into four ranges, and

the landmarks are refined to a landmark positioned in a designate range of the ranges, the designate range being designated by a cursor key.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the searched landmarks are divided into a plurality of groups, each of the groups corresponding to one of operations, and

wherein, in response to a certain operation, the landmarks are refined to a landmark belonging to a group corresponding to the certain operation.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position movement section is configured to move the display position of the map continuously.

14. A map display control method comprising:

(a) accepting a search character;

(b) searching for a landmark on a map, a name of the landmark at least partly matching the search character;

(c) adjusting a display position of the map such that the searched landmark appears in the map;

(d) performing a new search for the landmark and refining the landmark whenever a new character is added to the search character; and

(e) moving the display position of the map, depending on the number of the refined landmark or a position of the refined landmark.

15. A computer-readable medium storing a program for causing the computer to perform operations comprising:

(a) accepting a search character;

(b) searching for a landmark on a map, a name of the landmark at least partly matching the search character;

(c) adjusting a display position of the map such that the searched landmark appears in the map;

(d) performing a new search for the landmark and refining the landmark whenever a new character is added to the search character; and

(e) moving the display position of the map, depending on the number of the refined landmark or a position of the refined landmark.