Map editing apparatus enabling simplified editing through provision of user-selectable automatic editing functions

• US 6,246,417 B1
• Filed: 07/17/1998
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kambe, Nobuhiro, Nakano, Go, Shimada, Takanori, Abe, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chung, Daniel J
• Application Number:
  US09/118,066
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 345/433, 345/429, 345/443, 345/442, 345/441, 364/512, 395/326
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

A map editing apparatus is provided with various sections having respective editing functions which can be selectively specified for operating on one or more user-selected elements of a displayed map, with each editing function serving to automatically execute a specific editing operation, which may utilize one or more predetermined parameters. The apparatus includes a conformity management section having a function for detecting when execution of an editing operation will result in nonconformity in the map, such as mutual overlapping of map elements, and for automatically causing such an editing operation to be executed in a modified form, such as to prevent occurrence of the nonconformity.

Claims

1. A map editing apparatus operable for generating a display image of a selected map and for editing said map, having a map readout means (105) for reading out map data expressing said map from an externally provided database (102), display means (110) for displaying said map on an externally provided display apparatus (111), and input means (104) for specifying elements to be selected in said map and for specifying editing operations which are to be applied to said selected elements, in response to input data and commands supplied from an externally provided input apparatus (101);

wherein said map editing apparatus comprises means (109, 107) operable for executing transformation editing operations on selected elements of said map and conformity management means (106) having map conformity means (106a) for monitoring the effects of a transformation editing operation upon existing position relationships in said map, and for automatically modifying said transformation editing operation such as to prevent occurrence of nonconformity of said position relationships due to effects of said transformation editing operation.

2. The map editing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising portion transformation means (107) including right angle alignment means (107a) operable for selecting two connected line segments and for automatically arranging said line segments to meet at a right angle.

3. The map editing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising portion transformation means (107) including curvature formation means (107b) operable for selecting a junction point of two connected line segments and for automatically effecting curvature of said line segments such that said line segments meet along a curved line which is an arc of a circle having a diameter that is equal to a distance between respective mid-points of said connected line segments.

4. The map editing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising portion transformation means (107) including parallel alignment means (107c) operable for selecting two mutually adjacent line segments and for automatically arranging said line segments to be mutually parallel.

5. The map editing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising portion transformation means (107) including line shortening means (107d) operable for selecting a single line segment and for automatically effecting shortening of said line segment by a predetermined proportion.

6. The map editing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising portion transformation means (107) including straight line alignment means (107e) operable for selecting a plurality of successively connected line segments and for automatically arranging said line segments into a single straight line formed of all of said line segments.

7. The map editing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising portion transformation means (107) including street emphasizing means (107f) operable for selecting two mutually adjacent line segments and for automatically increasing a distance between said line segments by a predetermined proportion.

8. The map editing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising portion transformation means (107) including street abridgement means (107g) operable for selecting two mutually adjacent line segments and for automatically reducing a distance between said line segments by a predetermined proportion.

9. The map editing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising insertion picture generating means (108) including expanded picture generating means (108a ) operable for selecting an arbitrary ground point in said map and for automatically setting into said map an expanded-size picture of a portion of said map which surrounds said ground point within a specific range, said expanded-size picture being set into a location which is centered on said ground point.

10. The map editing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said expanded picture is generated using a predetermined range and using a predetermined degree of expansion to generate said expanded picture.

11. The map editing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said expanded picture generating means is operable for arbitrarily selecting said range, and wherein a predetermined degree of expansion is used to generate said expanded picture.

12. The map editing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said expanded picture generating means is operable for arbitrarily selecting a degree of expansion used to generate said expanded picture, and wherein said range is predetermined.

23. The map editing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising street emphasizing means (107f) operable for selecting a pair of mutually adjacent line segments and for increasing a distance between said line segments by a predetermined proportion through shifting of said line segments in opposite directions with respect to a median line, and street abridgement means operable for selecting a pair of mutually adjacent line segments and for reducing a distance between said line segments by a predetermined proportion, through shifting of said line segments in opposite directions with respect to a median line,

wherein said conformity management means includes map shifting means operable when a shift operation has been executed by said street enhancement means or by said street abridgement means and when said selected pair of line segments are respective opposing constituent segments of two street blocks, for dividing all elements of said map other than said selected pair of line segments into a first set of elements which are located on a first side of said median line and a second set of elements which are located on a second side of said median line, and for automatically shifting each of said first set of elements and said second set of elements by an amount and direction of shifting which are identical to those applied to a corresponding one of said selected pair of line segments, to thereby maintain conformity of position relationships throughout said map.

24. The map editing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising street emphasizing means (107f) operable for selecting a pair of mutually adjacent line segments and for increasing a distance between said line segments by a predetermined proportion through shifting of said line segments in opposite directions with respect to a median line, and street abridgement means (107g) operable for selecting a pair of mutually adjacent line segments and for reducing a distance between said line segments by a predetermined proportion, through shifting of said line segments in opposite directions with respect to a median line,

wherein said conformity management means includes map transformation means (106d) operable when a shift operation has been executed by said street emphasizing means or by said street abridgement means and when said selected pair of line segments are respective opposing constituent segments of two street blocks, for automatically compressing or expanding each of said street blocks along a direction in which a constituent one of said pair of line segments has been shifted, such as to maintain conformity of position relationships in said map.

25. The map editing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said compression or expansion of a street block is executed by holding one apex point of said street block as a fixed reference apex point while shifting remaining apex points of said street block by respective proportions which are determined in accordance with distance from said corresponding one of said selected pair of line segments, said fixed reference apex point being selected as a farthest apex point from said corresponding one of said selected pair of line segments.

26. The map editing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising street block aggregation means (109a) operable for selecting a plurality of street blocks and automatically combining said street blocks into a single street block.

27. The map editing apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said street block aggregation means comprises means for automatically defining a boundary line around said plurality of street blocks and wherein said single street block is configured to correspond to said boundary line.

28. The map editing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising railroad line aggregation means (109b) operable for automatically combining into a single representative railroad line section a plurality of sections of respective railroad lines which are located in mutual proximity within a region of said map with a concentration which exceeds a predetermined degree.

29. The map editing apparatus according to claim 1 comprising portion transformation means (107) operable for selectively executing a plurality of transformation editing operations upon elements of said map, wherein said conformity management means (106) includes transformation confirmation means (106d) for maintaining a record of data expressing transformation operations applied to respective elements of said map by said portion transformation means (107), for detecting a condition in which execution of a newly specified transformation editing operation to be performed by said portion transformation means upon a map element will conflict with a previously executed transformation editing operation performed on said element, and for causing said display means to display a result of executing said newly specified transformation editing operation, by said display apparatus.

30. The map editing apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said transformation confirmation means causes said display means to display by said display apparatus a request for selection of one of a plurality of different courses of action which are to be taken, when said newly specified transformation editing operation for a map element is judged to conflict with a transformation editing operation previously executed on said map element.

31. The map editing apparatus according to claim 30, wherein when said map element is a line segment, said courses of action comprise:

holding one end of said line segment fixed in position, when a transformation editing operation is performed,

holding said line segment fixed in length, when a transformation editing operation is performed,

holding a slope angle of said line segment fixed, when a transformation editing operation is performed,

holding said line segment in its current status, without executing a transformation editing operation which will affect that status, or

freely executing a transformation editing operation, irrespective of effects upon said results of editing operations previously executed by said portion transformation means,

and wherein when said map element is an apex point of a street block or is a position-indicating dot, said courses of action comprise;

holding said map element in its current position and orientation, or

freely executing a transformation editing operation, irrespective of effects upon said results of editing operations previously executed by said portion transformation means,

and wherein said effects of any transformation editing operation which is selected based on one of said courses of action are monitored by said map conformity means and said transformation editing operation is automatically modified by said map conformity means, if necessary, to prevent occurrence of nonconformity in said map due to said transformation editing operation.

13. A map editing apparatus operable for generating a display image of a selected map of streets or transport routes and for editing said map, having map readout means for reading out map data expressing said map from a database, display means for displaying said map on an externally provided display apparatus, and input means for selecting specific elements of said map and for specifying editing operations which are to be applied to said elements, in accordance with input data and commands supplied from an externally provided input apparatus;

wherein said map editing apparatus comprises insertion picture generating means (108) including birds-eye view picture generating means (108b) operable for selecting an arbitrary ground point and for automatically setting into said map a birds-eye view picture of a portion of said map which surrounds that designated ground point within a specific range, said birds-eye view picture being set into a location which is centered on said ground point.

14. The map editing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said birds-eye view picture is generated using a predetermined size of said range and using a predetermined visual point to generate said birds-eye view picture.

15. The map editing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said birds-eye view picture generating means is operable for arbitrarily selecting said range, and wherein a predetermined visual point is used to generate said birds-eye view picture.

16. The map editing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said birds-eye view picture generating means is operable for arbitrarily selecting a visual point which is used to generate said birds-eye view picture, and wherein said range is predetermined.

17. A map editing apparatus operable for generating a display image of a selected map of streets or transport routes and for editing said map, having map readout means for reading out map data expressing said map from a database, display means for displaying said map on an externally provided display apparatus, and input means for selecting specific elements of said map and for specifying editing operations which are to be applied to said elements, in accordance with input data and commands supplied from an externally provided input apparatus;

wherein said map editing apparatus comprises insertion picture generating means (108) including original picture generating means (108c) operable for selecting an arbitrary ground point, and for automatically setting into said displayed map an original picture of a portion of said map which surrounds that selected ground point within a specific range, said original picture being set into a location which is centered on said ground point.

18. The map editing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said original picture is generated using a predetermined range.

19. The map editing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said original picture generating means is operable for arbitrarily selecting said range.

20. The map editing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said original picture generating means is operable for arbitrarily selecting a visual point which is used to generate said original picture, and wherein said range is predetermined.

21. A map editing apparatus operable for generating a display image of a selected map of streets or transport routes and for editing said map, having map readout means for reading out map data expressing said map from a database, display means for displaying said map on an externally provided display apparatus, and input means for selecting specific elements of said map and for specifying editing operations which are to be applied to said elements, in accordance with input data and commands supplied from an externally provided input apparatus;

wherein said map editing apparatus comprises insertion picture generating means (108) operable for selecting a first arbitrary ground point of said map and for generating an insertion picture and automatically setting said insertion picture into said map, and wherein said insertion picture generating means comprises extraction line generating means (108d) operable for

selecting an insertion picture, a character string or a symbol in said map and for selecting an arbitrary ground point to which said selected insertion picture, character string or symbol is to be shifted,

automatically executing shifting of said selected insertion picture, character string or symbol from an initial location thereof to a shifted location which is centered on said arbitrary ground point, and

automatically generating an extraction line extending from a point at said initial location to a point at said shifted location.

22. The map editing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said extraction line is drawn from a point which is positioned at an opposite side of said initial location from said shifted location, to a corresponding position of said point in said shifted location.

32. A map editing apparatus operable for generating a display image of a selected map of streets or transport routes and for editing said map, having a map readout means (105) for reading out map data expressing said map from an externally provided database (102), display means (110) for displaying said map on an externally provided display apparatus (111), and input means (104) for specifying elements to be selected in said map and for specifying editing operations which are to be applied to said selected elements, in response to input data and commands supplied from an externally provided input apparatus (101);

wherein said map editing apparatus comprises means (109, 107) operable for executing transformation editing operations on selected elements of said map and conformity management means (106) having map conformity means (106a) for monitoring the effects of a transformation editing operation upon existing position relationships in said map, and for automatically modifying said transformation editing operation such as to prevent occurrence of nonconformity of said position relationships due to effects of said transformation editing operation.