Apparatus and method for navigating vehicle to destination using display unit

• US 5,945,927 A
• Filed: 12/29/1997
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tsuda, Hiroshi, Yamada, Kiyomichi, Watanabe, Masaki, Nakayama, Okihiko, Kishi, Norimasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US08/998,843
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995, 340/990, 340/974, 340/988, 701/200, 701/212, 701/210, 701/208, 701/220, 73/178 R, 33/356, 342/457, 345/457, 345/113, 345/132, 345/426, 345/435, 345/502, 345/508, 345/516
• US Class Current: 340/995.14
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3635 Guidance using 3D or perspective road maps
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A bird'"'"'s eye view commonly used in a flight simulation is applicable to an apparatus and method for navigating a vehicle running on a set route of travel to a set destination using a (color) display unit according to the present invention. The bird'"'"'s eye view of a road map surrounding a present position of the vehicle has a viewing point placed at a predetermined position on an upper sky in a direction opposite to the set destination with the present position of the vehicle as a reference and has a line of sight looking down over the road map so that a part of the road map surrounding the present position of the vehicle can be viewed in an extended scale form and the remaining part of the road map remote from the present position and nearer to the set destination can be viewed in a gradually reduction scale form.

Claims

1. An apparatus for navigating a vehicle displaying a map in a perspective view, comprising:

a road map memory for storing a road map in a plan view;

a position sensor for detecting a present position of the vehicle;

a display unit disposed on the vehicle to display the road map data on an image screen thereof;

a navigation controller including;

a destination setting part for setting a destination on the map to which the vehicle aims;

a route setting part for setting an optimum route of travel from the present position of the vehicle to the destination;

a display controller for controlling a road map image including the set route on the display unit, the display controller including;

a viewing point setting part for setting at least one viewing point for the perspective view of the road map, the viewing point being located on a point on an oblique upper sky higher than a height of the vehicle;

a viewing direction setting part for setting a viewing direction from the set viewing point to a display reference point on the road map data; and

a transform calculator for transforming the plan view road map including the present position of the vehicle, the set optimum route of travel, and the destination into the perspective view looked down from the set viewing point along the set viewing direction on the set optimum route with at least the set viewing direction being varied so that a displayed distance of the set optimum route to be displayed in the perspective view on the display unit gives as maximum as possible.

2. An apparatus for navigating a vehicle displaying a map in a perspective view as claimed in claim 1, wherein the viewing point is also varied so that the displayed distance of the set optimum route to be displayed in the perspective view on the display unit gives as maximum as possible.

3. An apparatus for navigating a vehicle displaying a map in a perspective view as claimed in claim 2, wherein the viewing direction setting part sets a plurality of viewing points so as to vary the set viewing point and wherein the transform calculator transforms the plan view road map including the present position of the vehicle, the set optimum route of travel, and the destination into a plurality of the perspective views looked down from the set viewing point along the set viewing direction on the set optimum route, the number of the perspective views being according to the number of the viewing points, and which further comprises:

a distance calculator for calculating the distance of the set optimum route of travel to be displayed in each of the perspective views; and

a perspective view selector for selecting one of the perspective views including the longest distance of the set optimum route to be displayed on the display unit.

4. An apparatus for navigating a vehicle displaying a map in a perspective view as claimed in claim 1, wherein the viewing direction setting part sets a plurality of viewing directions so as to vary the set viewing direction and wherein the transform calculator transforms the plan view road map including the present position of the vehicle, the set optimum route of travel, and the destination into a plurality of the perspective views looked down from the set viewing point along the set viewing direction on the set optimum route, the number of the perspective views being according to the number of the viewing directions, and which further comprises:

a distance calculator for calculating the distance of the set optimum route of travel to be displayed in each of the perspective views; and

a perspective view selector for selecting one of the perspective views including the longest distance of the set optimum route to be displayed on the display unit.

5. An apparatus for navigating a vehicle displaying a map in a perspective view as claimed in claim 4, wherein the transform calculator frames a plurality of areas of the road map data according to the viewing point and the plurality of viewing directions, the area corresponding to the range to be displayed on the display unit, and the distance calculator calculates each distance of the set route in the plurality of the framed areas.

6. An apparatus for navigating a vehicle displaying a map in a perspective view as claimed in claim 5, wherein the framed areas are located in a predetermined angle with each other around the location on the road map data above which the viewing point is located.

7. An apparatus for navigating a vehicle displaying a map in a perspective view as claimed in claim 5, wherein the road map includes a plurality of links, each link representing one of the roads, respectively, and a distance data corresponding to each link, and the distance calculator retrieves links representing the set route within each frame in correspondence with each direction, and adds the distance of the links within the frame.

8. An apparatus for navigating a vehicle displaying a map in a perspective view as claimed in claim 1, wherein the viewing point setting part sets the viewing point on a higher point above a location which is on the opposite direction to the set destination with respect to the vehicle.

9. An apparatus for navigating a vehicle displaying a map in a perspective view as claimed in claim 1, which further comprises an operation device for generating a signal representing the operation by the driver of the vehicle, wherein the viewing point setting part corrects the viewing point position in response to the signal from the operation device, and wherein the direction setting part corrects the direction in response to the signal from the operation device.

10. An apparatus for navigating a vehicle displaying a map in a perspective view, comprising:

a road map memory for storing a road map in plan view;

a position sensor for detecting a present position of the vehicle;

a display unit disposed on the vehicle to display the road map data on an image screen thereof;

a navigation controller including;

a destination setting part for setting a destination on the map to which the vehicle aims;

a route setting part for setting an optimum route of travel from the present position of the vehicle to the destination;

a display controller for controlling a road map image including the set route on the display unit, the display controller including;

a viewing point setting part for setting at least one viewing point for the perspective view of the road map, the viewing point being located on a point on an oblique upper sky higher than a height of the vehicle;

a viewing direction setting part for setting a viewing direction from the set viewing point to a display reference point on the road map data; and

a transform calculator for transforming the plan view road map including the present position of the vehicle, the set optimum route of travel, and the destination into the perspective view looked down from the set viewing point along the set viewing direction on the set optimum route with at least the set viewing point being varied so that a displayed distance of the set optimum route to be displayed in the perspective view on the display unit gives as maximum as possible.

11. A method for navigating a vehicle displaying a map in a perspective view, comprising the steps of:

storing a road map in a plan view;

detecting a present position of the vehicle;

setting a destination on the road map to which the vehicle is desired to finally reach;

setting an optimum route of travel from the present position of the vehicle to the destination;

setting at least one viewing point for the perspective view of the road map, the viewing point being located on a point on an oblique upper sky higher than a height of the vehicle;

setting a viewing direction from the set viewing point to a display reference point on the road map data;

varying either or both of the set viewing direction and the viewing point so that a displayed distance of the set optimum route to be displayed in the perspective view on a display unit gives as maximum as possible;

transforming the plan view road map including the present position of the vehicle, the set optimum route of travel, and the destination into the perspective view looked down from the set viewing point along the set viewing direction on the set optimum route; and

displaying the transformed perspective view on an image screen of the display unit, the displayed distance of the set optimum route which is displayed in the perspective view giving maximum.