Map displaying method and apparatus, and navigation system having the map displaying apparatus

• US 6,175,802 B1
• Filed: 10/31/1997
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Xanavi Informatics Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Endo, Yoshinori, Nakamura, Kozo, Okude, Mariko, Gunji, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US08/963,607
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/200, 701/212, 340/995, 340/990, 434/38, 434/43, 348/123, 348/118, 345/139, 345/425, 345/422
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3635 Guidance using 3D or perspective road maps
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied

Abstract

The method entails using three dimensional map data including information Indicating horizontal locations of map constituent elements such as topographical features, roads, buildings and information indicating heights or elevations or altitudes of at least some of the map constituent elements located in parts of available horizontal map area. A perspective map looking from a view point toward a ground plane is generated by executing coordinate transformation procedures on the map information, and a scenery Image corresponding to the perspective map is displayed on a display device. The view point for generating the perspective map Is established above a height of a map element existing at a location specified in response to the current location of the moving object, and the height of the view point Is renewed with movement of the object. The view point setting unit repeats Its view point setting procedure when renewed location information has movement of the moving object.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising a map database device for storing map information at least including information regarding topographical features and roads;

a current location detection device for detecting a current location of an automobile on which said navigation system is mounted;

a map display device for fetching map information in an area specified in response to said detected current location of said automobile, generating a perspective map viewing the ground plane from a view point using said obtained map information, and generating graphic data for displaying a scenery image corresponding said perspective map; and

a display device for displaying a map image according to said graphic data, wherein

said map display device comprises a view point setting unit for executing at least setting procedures of said view point among variables to be set for generating said perspective map; and

a display processing unit for generating graphic data for displaying a scenery image corresponding to said perspective map generated in response to said view point established by said view point setting unit,

said map database includes height information of a topographic feature existing at least in a part of an available map area, and

said view point setting unit establishes said view point based on said height information in a display area or an area including the display area which is specified in response to said detected current location of said automobile when said height information of a topographical feature is included in the display area or the area including the display area.

2. A map display apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising

a user interface for accepting requests to set at least one of a type and a height of said automobile, wherein

said map display device establishes said view point using said established variables in response to the accepted request, and generates graphic data for displaying a scenery image corresponding to said perspective map generated using said established view point.

3. A map display apparatus connecting to a map database and a display device for displaying a map, in which map information in an area specified in response to a location indicated by an input location information is read from the map database;

a perspective map looking from a view point toward a ground plane is generated using said obtained map information;

graphic data for displaying a scenery image corresponding to said perspective map is generated; and

the graphic data is outputted to said display device, comprising

a view point setting unit for setting at least a height of said view point among variables to be set for generating said perspective map, and

a display processing unit for generating graphic data for displaying a scenery image corresponding to said perspective map generated in response to said view point established by said view point setting unit, wherein said map database includes height information of map constituent elements existing at least in a part of an available map area, and

said view point setting unit establishes said view point based on said height information when said height information is available for the map including the constituent elements in a display area or an area including the display of said perspective map.

4. A map display apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein

said location indicated by said input location information is a current location of a moving object, and

said view point setting unit repeats its view point setting procedure when renewed location information is provided with movement of said moving object.

5. A map display apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein said view point setting unit establishes and maintains said view point so as to keep a predetermined relative spatial relationship to a current location of the moving object.

6. A map display apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein

said view point setting unit keeps the previous view point position, and reestablishes a line of sight so as to be able to capture said moving object in the current location within its field of view if a relative spatial relationship between the newly-provided current location of said moving object and the previously-established view point satisfies a predetermined condition range.

7. A map display apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein said view point setting unit fixes the height of said view point when said moving object is located within a part of an area extending a predetermined range from the current location of said moving object if an amount of topographic variation in the area is not larger than a predetermined value.

9. A map display apparatus in accordance with claim 3, further comprising

input means for accepting requests from a user regarding the height of said view point to be set, wherein

said input location information is a current location of an automobile, and

when said requested height of said view point is not larger than the first predetermined value, said view point setting unit establishes said view point inside of said automobile, and

when said requested height of said view point is larger than the second predetermined value, said view point setting unit establishes said view point above and behind said automobile.

10. A map display apparatus in accordance with claim 3, further comprising

input means for accepting requests from a user regarding a display scale to be set, wherein

said moving object is an automobile, and

when said requested display scale is not larger than the third predetermined value, said view point setting unit establishes said view point inside of said automobile, and

when said requested display scale is larger than the fourth predetermined value, said viewpoint setting unit establishes said view point above and behind said automobile.

11. A map display apparatus in accordance with claim 4, further comprising

input means for accepting requests regarding a view angle to be set for generating said perspective map, wherein

said display processing unit sets a value of a view angle to one of a predetermined normal value and a wide value larger than said normal value according to said accepted request, and generates graphic data for displaying said perspective map in accordance with said established view angle.

12. A map display apparatus in accordance with claim 5, further comprising

selection means for accepting requests regarding a selection of a display method between a pseudo three dimensional display method which makes it possible to give a distinctive impression of distance by executing perspective transformation procedures on two dimensional horizontal data containing said map information, and a three dimensional display method which displays a scenery image using two dimensional horizontal data and said height information of map constituent elements included in said map information, wherein

when said pseudo three dimensional display method is selected, said view point setting unit establishes said view point at a predetermined height with respect to the ground plane at sea level and

when said three dimensional display method is selected, said view point setting unit establishes said view point based on said height information of the map constituent element at said input location or a location which is separated from said input location for a predetermined distance.

13. A map display apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein

said view point setting unit establishes a height of said view point so as to maintain a predetermined spatial relationship to said input location before and after the chance when said display method is changed by said selection means between said pseudo three dimensional display method and said three dimensional display method.

14. A map display apparatus in accordance with claim 3, further comprising

decision means for deciding if said height information said obtained map information, wherein

said view point setting unit establishes said view point based on said height information when said decision means decides that said height information is included in said map information, and establishes said view point at a predetermined height with respect to the ground plane at sea level when said decision means decides that said height information is not included.

15. A map display apparatus in accordance with claim 3, further comprising

decision means for deciding if said height information is included in said obtained map information, wherein

said view point setting unit establishes said view point at a predetermined height with respect to the ground plane at sea level for displaying the map using a pseudo three dimensional display method if a plurality of map meshes to be displayed are further included in said map information, and said decision means decides that at least one of said map meshes contains no height information.

8. A map display apparatus connecting to a map database and a display device for displaying a map, in which map information in an area specified in response to a location indicated by an input location information is read from the map database;

a perspective map looking from a view point toward a ground plane is generated using said obtained map information;

graphic data for displaying a scenery image corresponding to said perspective map is generated; and

the graphic data is outputted to said display device, comprising

a view point setting unit for setting at least a height of said view point among variables to be set for generating said perspective map, and

a display processing unit for generating graphic data for displaying a scenery image corresponding to said perspective map generated in response to said view point established by said view point setting unit, wherein

said map database includes height information of map constituent elements existing at least in a part of an available map area, wherein

said location indicated by said input location information is a current location of an automobile, and

said view point setting unit establishes said view point for generating said perspective map looking from inside of said automobile based on said height information of the map constituent element at the current location of said automobile and a height of said automobile'"'"'s body.

16. A map display apparatus connecting to a map database and a display device for displaying a map, in which map information in an area specified in response to a location indicated by an input location information is read from the map database;

a perspective map looking from a view point toward a ground plane is generated using said obtained map information;

graphic data for displaying a scenery image corresponding to said perspective map is generated; and

the graphic data is outputted to said display device, comprising

a view point setting unit for setting at least a height of said view point among variables to be set for generating said perspective map, and

a display processing unit for generating graphic data for displaying a scenery image corresponding to said perspective map generated in response to said view point established by said view point setting unit, wherein

said view point setting unit establishes said view point based on height information of map constituent element when said height information exists for the map constituent element in a display area specified in response to a location indicated by the input location information or an area including the display area,

said display processing unit generates graphic data for displaying a graphic image illustrating said moving object superposed on a scenery image to be displayed, and changes said graphic image of said moving object in response to a change of a relative spatial relationship between said established view point and said moving object due to a change in the setting condition of said view point setting unit.

17. A map display method in which map information in an area specified in response to a location indicated by an input location information is read from a map database;

a perspective map looking toward a ground plane from a view point is generated using said obtained map information; and

a scenery image corresponding to said perspective map is displayed on a display device, wherein said map database includes height information of map constituent elements in a display area or an area including the display area of said perspective map, and

said view point for generating said perspective map is established based on said height information.

18. A map display method in accordance with claim 17, wherein

said view point is renewed every time a new input location information is provided.

19. A map display method in accordance with claim 17, wherein

said input location information is a current location of a moving object, and

a new height of said view point is established every time said current location of the moving object is renewed.

20. A medium storing programs for realizing a display apparatus with a computer system by reading out the programs from said medium and executing the programs in which map information in an area specified in response to a location indicated by an input location information is read from a map database;

a perspective map looking from a view point toward the ground plane is generated using said obtained map information; and

a scenery image corresponding to said perspective map is displayed on a display device, wherein

said view point for generating said perspective map is established above a height of a map constituent element existing at a map location specified in response to said location indicated by said input location information when information regarding said height of said constituent element is included in said map database, and

said height of said view point is reset when new input information is provided.

21. A map display apparatus connecting to a map database and a display device for displaying a map, in which map information in an area specified in response to a location indicated by an input location information is read from the map database;

a perspective map looking from a view point toward a ground plane is generated using said obtained map information;

graphic data for displaying a scenery image corresponding to said perspective map is generated; and

the graphic data is outputted to said display device, comprising

a view point setting unit for setting at least a height of said view point among variables to be set for generating said perspective map, and

a display processing unit for generating graphic data for displaying a scenery image corresponding to said perspective map generated in response to said view point established by said view point setting unit, wherein

said map database includes height information of map constituent elements existing at least in a part of an available map area, and

said view point setting unit establishes said view point based on said height information of map constituent elements at said input location or a location separating a predetermined distance from said input location when said height information is available for the map constituent elements in a display area or an area including the display area of said perspective map.

22. A map display apparatus in accordance with claim 21, further comprising

input means for accepting requests from a user regarding the height of said view point to be set, wherein said input location information is a current location of an automobile, and

when said requested height of said view point is not larger than a first predetermined value, said view point setting unit establishes said view point inside of said automobile, and

when said requested height of said view point is within a second predetermined range, said view point setting unit establishes said view point above and behind said automobile.

23. A map display apparatus in accordance with claim 21, further comprising

input means for accepting requests from a user regarding a display scale to be set, wherein

said input location information is a current location of an automobile, and

when said requested display scale is not larger than a third predetermined value, said view point setting unit establishes said view point inside of said automobile, and

when said requested display scale is within a fourth predetermined range, said view point setting unit establishes said view point above and behind said automobile.

24. A map display apparatus in accordance with claim 21, wherein

said view point is renewed every time a new input location information is provided.

25. A map display apparatus in accordance with claim 21, wherein

said input location information is a current location of a moving object, and

a new height of said view point is established every time said current location of the moving object is renewed.

26. A map display apparatus in accordance with claim 21, further comprising

decision means for deciding if said height information is included in said obtained map information, wherein

said view point setting unit establishes said view point based on said height information when said decision means decides that said height information is included in said map information, and establishes said view point at a predetermined height with respect to the ground plane at sea level when said decision means decides that said height information is not included.

27. A map display apparatus in accordance with claim 21, further comprising

decision means for deciding if said height information is included in said obtained map information, wherein

said view point setting unit establishes said view point at a predetermined height with respect to the ground plane at sea level for displaying the map using a pseudo three dimensional display method if a plurality of map meshes to be displayed are further included in said map information, and said decision means decides that at least one of said map meshes contains no height information.