Navigation apparatus with navigation data processor and man-machine interface

• US 6,351,706 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2000
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Morimoto, Kyomi, Matsuba, Junzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/651,373
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/207, 701/206, 701/208, 701/212, 701/213, 701/214, 340/990, 340/995, 345/123, 345/124, 345/125, 345/133, 345/139, 345/421, 345/425, 345/433, 345/442
• US Class Current: 701/208
• 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: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names

Abstract

A navigation apparatus for displaying a map and including a data storage unit for storing map data, a man-machine interface having a display memory and picture drawing capability for expansion and visualization of display data, for acquiring display data to draw it into the display memory, and for setting up and displaying a display range of graphics; and a navigation data processor for reading map data out of the storage unit, for inputting of locations and present position tracking, and for outputting to the man-machine interface display data to be expanded and drawn in the display memory.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus for displaying a map for inputting of a location and tracking of a present position, said apparatus comprising:

data storage means for storing map data;

navigation data processor means for reading map data out of said data storage means, for location inputting and present position tracking, for editing the read map data to convert it into display data, and for outputting the display data, said navigation data processor means lacking drawing capability and a memory for storing drawn data;

a man-machine interface unit separate from said navigation data processor means and having a display memory and picture drawing means for receiving the display data from the navigation data processor means, for expansion and visualization of display data, for drawing expanded and visualized data into the display memory as a drawing range of visualized data, and for establishing a display range for a portion of the drawing range of data drawn into said display memory; and

a display unit for display of the visualized data within said display range, said display unit moving said display range.

2. The navigation apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said man-machine interface unit manages the drawing range and the display range of the display data and issues a request to said navigation data processor means for output of additional display data to change the drawing range before the display range moves out of said drawing range.

3. The navigation apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said navigation data processor means manages the drawing range and the display range of the display data and outputs additional display data to said man-machine interface unit before the display range moves out of said drawing range.

4. The navigation apparatus as recited in claim 1, said man-machine interface unit has input means for instructing movement of the display and for designation of the display range and is operable to establish said display range in response to an input of the input means.

5. The navigation apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said navigation data processor means sends a display range instruction to said man-machine interface unit on the basis of said location inputting and present position tracking.

6. The navigation apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said display data is edited by addition of information as to graphical images and display attributes including colors and line thicknesses.

7. The navigation apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said navigation data processor means outputs a display command indicating a display center, scale or size, and direction.

8. The navigation apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said man-machine interface unit and said navigation data processor means are separated from each other as separate software modules.

9. The navigation apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said navigation data processor means and said man-machine interface unit are separately arranged as separate hardware units linked by at least one communication line.

10. A navigation data processor for use in navigation data processing in a navigation apparatus including an independently arranged man-machine interface device for performing displaying, wherein said navigation data processor device is means for reading map data out of a storage unit, for location inputting and present position tracking and for outputting data to the man-machine interface device for expansion and visualization and storage in a display memory contained within said man-machine interface device, said navigation data processor lacking a drawing capability and a display memory for storing drawn data.

11. The navigation data processor as recited in claim 10, adapted to manage a drawing range for visualized data stored in the display memory and a display range or a display and adapted to read additional data from the storage unit and to output the additional data to the man-machine interface device to be rewritten before the display range goes out of the drawing range.

12. The navigation data processor as recited in claim 10, adapted to output to said man-machine interface device an instruction defining the display range on the basis of said location inputting and present position tracking.

13. A man-machine interface device for use with a navigation apparatus including an independently arranged navigation data processor, lacking a picture drawing capability and arranged separately from said man-machine interface device, for use in performing navigation data processing, said man-machine interface device comprising:

a display memory; and

picture drawing means for expansion and visualization of display data, said man-machine interface device acquiring said display data from said navigation data processor device and drawing it into said display memory while establishing and displaying a display range.

14. The man-machine interface device as recited in claim 13, adapted to manage a drawing range and the display range of said display data and to issue to said navigation data processor a request for transmission of additional display data before the display range moves out of said drawing range.

15. The man-machine interface device as recited in claim 13, wherein said input means controls movement of the display and provides for input of the display range and sets said display range responsive to said input.

16. The man-machine interface device as recited in claim 13, comprising two memories as said display memory, said two memories being switchable between use and non-use as a display memory, with one of said two memories being used as a source of data for said display while the remaining memory receives display data for future map display.

17. A navigation apparatus for tracking a traveling vehicle and for guiding it to a destination, comprising:

data storage means for storing map data;

navigation data processor means for reading map data out of said data storage means, for tracking the traveling vehicle, and for outputting display data and display commands for use in guidance to the destination;

a man-machine interface unit arranged separately from said navigation data processor means including a memory used to store drawn display data, and drawing means for acquiring display data and display commands as output from said navigation data processor means and for expanding and drawing the acquired data into said memory for an instructed display range; and

wherein said navigation data processor means includes means for converting the map data read out of said storage means into display data with a data size and graphical image type added thereto in a format as determined for a graphical image to be drawn by said man-machine interface unit, said navigation data processor means lacking a drawing capability.

18. The navigation apparatus as recited in claim 17 wherein said man-machine interface unit and said navigation data processor means are separated from each other as separate software modules.

19. The navigation apparatus as recited in claim 17 wherein said navigation data processor means and said man-machine interface unit are separately arranged as separate hardware units linked by at least one communication line.