Device for displaying cartographic information, method for displaying cartographic information, navigation system provided with the device and vehicle provided with the navigation system

• US 5,629,854 A
• Filed: 03/03/1995
• Issued: 05/13/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Schulte, Hans H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walker, Tyrone V.
• Application Number:
  US08/400,317
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 364/443, 364/449, 463/31, 473/407
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence

Abstract

A device for displaying cartographic information, such as traffic situations with navigation data in the case of use in a navigation system, contains a memory for cartographic data, a location-determining unit and a display, is provided with a selection unit for the repeated selection, on the basis of data from the location-determining unit, from the memory of data relating to a traffic situation to be anticipated and is provided with a processing unit for an analysis of the selected data and the generation, on the basis of the analysis, of a stylised display, which can be interpreted rapidly, of the traffic situation to be anticipated, optionally incorporating a symbol which indicates the route to be followed.

Claims

1. Device for displaying cartographic information, comprising:

a memory for storing cartographic data in the form of a network of road segments,

a location-determining unit for determining the location of a user with respect to said network,

a selection unit for repeated selection from the memory, on the basis of data from the location-determining unit, of data representing an upcoming elementary road configuration presenting a decision to the user as to a change in road segment to be taken or a change in speed,

a classification unit for analyzing the selected data representing the upcoming elementary road configuration and based on said selected data assigning from a set of basic pictograms depicting different elementary road configurations in a stylized easy-to-interpret way a basic pictogram that best corresponds to the selected data representing the upcoming elementary road configuration,

an adaptation unit for geometrically adapting the assigned basic pictogram to conform to the selected data representing the upcoming elementary road configuration, and

a display for displaying the adapted pictogram.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the adaptation unit comprises:

means for rounding-off angles of road segments in a pictogram to multiples of a standard angle with respect to a reference axis.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the adaptation unit comprises:

means for creating a predetermined minimum distance between virtually parallel road segments in a pictogram which are less than said minimum distance apart.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein the adaptation unit also comprises:

transformation means for converting a pictogram in perspective, by means of coordinate transformation.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein the adaptation unit comprises:

means for relocating a road segment in a pictogram; and

means for adding a road segment to a pictogram.

6. Device according to claim 5, wherein the adaptation unit comprises:

means for creating a predetermined minimum distance between virtually parallel road segments in a pictogram which are less than said minimum distance apart.

7. Device according to claim 5, wherein the adaptation unit comprises:

means for rounding-off angles of road segments in a pictogram to multiples of a standard angle with respect to a reference axis.

8. Device according to claim 7, wherein the adaptation unit comprises:

means for creating a predetermined minimum distance between virtually parallel road segments in a pictogram which are less than said minimum distance apart.

9. Navigation system comprising a device for displaying cartographic information, comprising:

a memory for storing cartographic data representing a network of road segments,

a location-determining unit for determining location of a user with respect to said network,

a selection unit for repeated selection from the memory, on the basis of data from the location-determining unit, of data representing an upcoming elementary road configuration presenting a decision to the user as to a change in road segment to be taken or a change in speed,

a classification unit for analyzing the selected data representing the upcoming elementary road configuration and for assigning from a set of basic pictograms depicting different elementary traffic situations in a stylized easy-to-interpret way a basic pictogram that best corresponds to the selected data representing the upcoming elementary road configuration,

an adaptation unit for geometrically adapting the assigned basic pictogram to conform to the upcoming elementary road configuration, said adaptation unit including at least one of means for relocating a road segment in a pictogram and means for adding a road segment to a pictogram,

a display for displaying the adapted pictogram, and

a navigation unit for navigating a user along a predetermined route on the basis of an input starting point and destination, with the aid of cartographic data in said memory,

the adaptation unit also being provided with means for adapting a pictogram to show a direction to be taken through the upcoming elementary road configuration in order to follow the predetermined route.

10. Vehicle provided with a navigation system according to claim 9.

11. Method for displaying cartographic information on a display of a navigation system which repeatedly determines a current position of a vehicle in relation to a network of road segments stored in digitized form and navigates the vehicle along a predetermined route, comprising the steps of:

analyzing every upcoming elementary road configuration traversed on the predetermined route presenting a decision to the user as to a change in road segment to be taken or a change in speed using selected data from the stored road map, classifying the selected data representing the upcoming elementary road configuration and assigning from a set of basic pictograms depicting different elementary road configurations in a stylized easy-to-interpret way a basic pictogram that best corresponds to the selected data representing the upcoming elementary road configuration, geometrically adapting the assigned basic pictogram to conform to the upcoming elementary road configuration, displaying the assigned basic pictogram of each upcoming elementary road configuration that requires a change in road segment to be taken when the vehicle traverses said each upcoming elementary road configuration in order to follow the predetermined route, and showing an arrow on each said displayed pictogram indicating a road segment to be taken to follow the predetermined route.

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein pictograms are displayed only for upcoming elementary road configurations along the predetermined route which require the vehicle to change direction.

13. Method according to claim 11, wherein two or more upcoming elementary road configurations which are closer to one another than a threshold value are all displayed in a single pictogram.