Cardinal-up graphic map display system

• US 5,745,866 A
• Filed: 01/09/1996
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Steiner, Glenn C.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US08/584,347
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 364/443, 364/449.1, 364/449.2, 364/449.3, 364/449.4, 364/449.6, 364/449.7, 364/449.95, 364/450, 340/990, 340/988, 340/995, 342/357, 342/457, 395/137, 345/126
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus for displaying map information in a cardinal direction-up setting. In one embodiment, map information is displayed on a display terminal. Next, an icon representing the position and heading of an item with respect to the displayed map information is placed over the displayed map information. In the present invention, the map information is displayed in a cardinal direction-up setting corresponding to the heading of the icon. Thus, if the heading of the icon is directed in a substantially eastern direction, the map information is displayed in an east-up orientation. The present invention further includes hysteresis logic which regulates when a different cardinal direction is oriented upward.

Claims

1. An apparatus for graphically displaying navigational information comprising:

a display;

a database containing navigational information;

a display generator coupled to said database and said display, said display generator generating a graphical display of said navigational information on said display;

an icon generator coupled to said display, said icon generator providing on said graphical display of said navigational information an icon representing the position and heading of an item; and

a cardinal direction selector coupled to said icon generator and said display generator, said cardinal direction selector causing said graphical display of said navigational information to be displayed in a cardinal direction-up setting wherein said cardinal direction-up setting corresponds to said heading of said icon, said cardinal direction selector including hysteresis logic regulating which cardinal direction is displayed in an upward orientation as said heading of said icon changes, said hysteresis logic preventing said graphical display of said navigational information from changing to a different cardinal direction-up setting until said heading of icon is directed greater than 60 degrees in a clockwise direction from the cardinal direction presently being displayed in an upward orientation or until said heading of said icon is directed greater than 60 degrees in a counter-clockwise direction from said cardinal direction presently being displayed in an upward orientation.

2. An apparatus for graphically displaying navigational information comprising:

a display;

a database containing navigational information;

a display generator coupled to said database and said display, said display generator generating a graphical display of said navigational information on said display;

an icon generator coupled to said display, said icon generator providing on said graphical display of said navigational information an icon representing the position and heading of an item; and

a cardinal direction selector coupled to said icon generator and said display generator, said cardinal direction selector causing said graphical display of said navigational information to be displayed in a cardinal direction-up setting wherein said cardinal direction-up setting corresponds to said heading of said icon, said cardinal direction selector including hysteresis logic regulating which cardinal direction is displayed in an upward orientation as said heading of said icon changes, said hysteresis logic preventing said graphical display of said navigational information from changing to a different cardinal direction-up setting until said heading of icon varies by more than 2/3 of the degrees separating said selected cardinal directions.

3. A system for displaying map information comprising:

a display;

a database containing map information;

a display generator coupled to said database and said display, said display generator generating a visual display of said map information on said display;

an icon generator coupled to said display, said icon generator providing on said visual display of said map information an icon representing the position and heading of an item with respect to said visually displayed map information; and

a cardinal direction selector coupled to said icon generator and said display generator, said cardinal direction selector causing said visual display of said map information to be displayed in a cardinal direction-up setting wherein said cardinal direction-up setting corresponds to said heading of said icon, said cardinal direction selector including hysteresis logic regulating which cardinal direction is displayed in an upward orientation as said heading of said icon changes, said hysteresis logic preventing said visual display of said map information from changing to a different cardinal direction-up setting until said heading of icon is directed greater than 60 degrees in a clockwise direction from the cardinal direction presently being displayed in an upward orientation or until said heading of said icon is directed greater than 60 degrees in a counter-clockwise direction from said cardinal direction presently being displayed in an upward orientation.

4. A system for displaying map information comprising:

a display;

a database containing map information;

a display generator coupled to said database and said display, said display generator generating a visual display of said map information on said display;

an icon generator coupled to said display, said icon generator providing on said visual display of said map information an icon representing the position and heading of an item with respect to said visually displayed map information; and

a cardinal direction selector coupled to said icon generator and said display generator, said cardinal direction selector causing said visual display of said map information to be displayed in a cardinal direction-up setting wherein said cardinal direction-up setting corresponds to said heading of said icon, said cardinal direction selector including hysteresis logic regulating which cardinal direction is displayed in an upward orientation as said heading of said icon changes, said hysteresis logic preventing said visual display of said map navigational information from changing to a different cardinal direction-up setting until said heading of icon varies by more than 2/3 of the degrees separating said selected cardinal directions.

5. A method for displaying navigational information on a display comprising the steps of:

displaying map information on a display;

generating an icon on said display, said icon representing the position and heading of an item with respect to said displayed map information; and

orienting said displayed map information in a cardinal direction-up setting, said cardinal direction-up setting corresponding to said heading of said icon, said orienting of said displayed map information in a cardinal direction-up setting further comprising the step of;

applying hysteresis factors in determining which cardinal direction is displayed in an upward orientation as said heading of said icon changes, said step of applying hysteresis factors further comprising;

preventing said map information displayed on said display from changing to a different cardinal direction-up setting until said heading of icon is directed greater than 60 degrees in a clockwise direction from the cardinal direction presently being displayed in an upward orientation or until said heading of said icon is directed greater than 60 degrees in a counter-clockwise direction from said cardinal direction presently being displayed in an upward orientation.

6. A method for displaying navigational information on a display comprising the steps of:

displaying map information on a display;

generating an icon on said display, said icon representing the position and heading of an item with respect to said displayed map information; and

orienting said displayed map information in a cardinal direction-up setting, said cardinal direction-up setting corresponding to said heading of said icon, said orienting of said displayed map information in a cardinal direction-up setting further comprising the step of;

applying hysteresis factors in determining which cardinal direction is displayed in an upward orientation as said heading of said icon changes, said step of applying hysteresis factors further comprising the step of;

preventing said map information displayed on said display from changing to a different cardinal direction-up setting until said heading of icon varies by more than 2/3 of the degrees separating said selected cardinal directions.