Map information display system for movable bodies

• US 6,324,471 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2000
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Morita, Hiroyuki, Katayama, Mutsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/559,577
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/25, 701/208, 701/209, 701/212, 701/213, 731/78.R, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 342/357.12, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

To provide a map-information display system for a movable body capable of retrieving proper map information according to a route having been passed through by the movable body and/or a route to be traveled by the movable body and displaying the information. A limited-area map-information generation device for retrieving map information of only a limited area based on coordinate information of positions on a route on a map showing the positions on the route passed through and to be traveled by a movable body includes a route generation device for generating a route for the movable body based on the coordinate information of the positions on the route and the road information, and a retrieval device for converting banner-like shaped-area map information.

Claims

1. A map-information display system for a movable body, said system comprising:

a coordinate-information generation means for generating coordinate information of positions on a passed through route and a to be traveled route by said movable body on a map;

a limited-area map-information generation means for generating map information of a limited area by retrieving map information of only said limited area based on said coordinate information of positions on said passed through and to be traveled routes from map information which includes road information and is stored in a storage medium, said limited-area map-information generation means including;

a route generation means for generating a route for said movable body based on said coordinate information of positions on said route and said road information; and

a retrieval means for converting banner-shaped-area map information into said map information of said limited area; and

a display means for storing and displaying said map information of said limited area.

2. The map-information display system for a movable body according to claim 1, wherein said retrieval means adds searched-area map information of searched areas each surrounding a position located on said route for said movable body and specified by an operator of the map-display system to said map information of said limited-area.

3. The map-information display system for a movable body according to claim 1, further comprising:

a present-position coordinate-information detection means provided for detecting coordinates of the present position of said movable body; and

said retrieval means adds information on said coordinates of the present position of said movable body to said map information of said limited-area.

4. The map-information display system for a movable body according to claim 3, wherein said present position coordinate-information detection means is a Global Positioning System (GPS).

5. The map-information display system for a movable body according to claim 1, wherein said banner-shaped-area map information is map information of an area having a shape resembling a banner stretched along said to be traveled route by said movable body.

6. A map-information display system for a movable body, said system comprising:

a map-information supplying apparatus; and

a map-information display apparatus, said map-information display apparatus including;

a coordinate-information generation means for generating coordinate information of positions on a passed through route and a to be traveled route by said movable body on a map;

a limited-area map-information generation means for generating map information of a limited area by retrieving map information of only said limited area based on said coordinate information of positions on said passed through and to be traveled routes from map information which includes road information and is stored in a storage medium, said limited-area map-information generation means including;

a route generation means for generating a route for said movable body based on said coordinate information of positions on said route and said road information; and

a retrieval means for converting banner-shaped-area map information into said map information of said limited area; and

a display means for storing and displaying said map information of said limited area.

7. The map-information display system for a movable body according to claim 6, wherein said retrieval means adds searched-area map information of searched areas each surrounding a position located on said route for said movable body and specified by the operator to said map information of said limited-area.

8. The map-information display system for a movable body according to claim 6, further comprising:

a present-position coordinate-information detection means provided for detecting coordinates of the present position of said movable body; and

said retrieval means adds information on said coordinates of the present position of said movable body to said map information of said limited-area.

9. The map-information display system for a movable body according to claim 8, wherein said present position coordinate-information detection means is a Global Positioning System (GPS).

10. The map-information display system for a movable body according to claim 6, wherein said banner-shaped-area map information is map information of an area having a shape resembling a banner stretched along said to be traveled route by said movable body.

11. The map-information display system for a movable body according to claim 6, wherein said map-information supplying unit is a drive of a non-volatile storage medium, and map information stored in said map-information supplying unit is read out in response to a command issued by a CPU and supplied to an input/output bus by an interface circuit.