Digital map display zooming method, digital map display zooming device, and storage medium for storing digital map display zooming program

• US 6,424,355 B2
• Filed: 06/01/1998
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Ryuichi, Minami, Masafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alphonse, Fritz
• Application Number:
  US09/088,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20010003453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,513 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995, 340/990, 345/668, 345/667, 345/670, 345/671, 345/163, 345/180, 345/440
• US Class Current: 345/668
• 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: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

In a digital map display zooming method for enlarging and reducing a displayed portion of a digital map as map information in digital form within a display screen, continuous enlarging operation and continuous reducing operation of the displayed portion of the digital map within the display screen are designated by operating the first designating part and the second designating part of a pointing device, respectively.

Claims

1. In a digital map display zooming method for enlarging and reducing a displayed portion of a digital map as map information in digital form within a display screen of a display device with a pointing means, an improvement wherein operations of a first designating part and a second designating part of said pointing means designate continuously enlarging operation and continuously reducing operation of said displayed portion of said digital map within said display screen, respectively.

2. The digital map display zooming method of claim 1, wherein said pointing means is a mouse, and a region of said displayed portion to be enlarged is designated by moving said mouse with said first designating part being pressed and a region of said displayed portion to be reduced is designated by moving said mouse with said second designating part being pressed.

3. A digital map display zooming device for enlarging and reducing a displayed portion of a digital map as map information in digital form within a display screen, said device comprising:

display means having a display screen for displaying said displayed portion of said digital map;

pointing means, having a first designating part and a second designating part, for carrying out continuously enlarging operation and continuously reducing operation of said displayed portion of said digital map within said display screen by operating said first designating part and said second designating part, respectively; and

arithmetic processing means for carrying out processing for performing continuously enlarging operation and continuously reducing operation of a displayed portion designated by operating said pointing means.

4. The digital map display zooming device of claim 3, wherein continuously enlarging operation of said displayed portion continues when said first designating part of said pointing means is kept being pressed and continuously reducing operation of said displayed portion continues when said second designating part of said pointing means is kept being pressed.

5. A storage medium for storing a digital map display zooming program for enlarging and reducing a displayed portion of a digital map as map information in digital form within a display screen of a display device with a pointing means, the improvement wherein said digital map display zooming program includes the steps of designating continuously enlarging operation and continuously reducing operation of said displayed portion of said digital map within said display screen by operations of a first designating part and a second designating part of said pointing means, respectively.

6. A digital map display zooming device for enlarging and reducing a displayed portion of a digital map as map information in digital form within a display screen, said device comprising:

a display having a display screen for displaying said displayed portion of said digital map;

a mouse having a first designating part and a second designating part, for carrying out continuously enlarging operation and continuously reducing operation of said displayed portion of said digital map within said display screen by operating said first designating part and said second designating part, respectively; and

a processor for carrying out processing for performing continuously enlarging operation and continuously reducing operation of a displayed portion designated by operating said mouse.

7. The digital map display zooming device of claim 6, wherein the continuously enlarging operation of said displayed portion continues when said first designating part of said mouse is kept pressed and the continuously reducing operation of said displayed portion continues when said second designating part of said mouse is kept pressed.

8. A storage medium for storing a digital map display zooming program for enlarging and reducing a displayed portion of a digital map as map information in digital form within a display screen of a display device with a mouse, the improvement wherein said digital map display zooming program includes the steps of designating continuously enlarging operation and continuously reducing operation of said displayed portion of said digital map within said display screen by operations of a first designating part and a second designating part of said mouse, respectively.

9. An apparatus for enlarging and reducing a displayed portion of an object image, comprising:

memory means storing a plurality of the object image data having different scale ratios;

display means having a display screen for displaying said displayed portion of the object image;

pointing means for accepting a user operation to specify a location or an area to be enlarged or reduced;

a first designating part and a second designating part for carrying out continuously enlarging operation and continuously reducing operation of said displayed portion of the object data based on the user operation applied on said first designating part and said second designating part, respectively; and

arithmetic processing means for carrying out processing for said enlarging operation and said reducing operation of said displayed portion of the object data within said display screen with said scale ratio set by a scale setting means.

10. A method for enlarging and reducing a displayed portion of an object image, comprising the following steps:

a step of storing a plurality of the object image data having different scale ratios in a memory means;

a step of displaying said displayed portion of the object image on a display screen of a display means;

a step of accepting a user operation to specify a location or an area to be enlarged or reduced by a pointing means;

a step of carrying out a continuously enlarging operation or a continuously reducing operation of said displayed portion of the object data based on said user operation applied on a first designating part or a second designating part, respectively, of said pointing means; and

a step of carrying out processing for said enlarging operation or said reducing operation of said displayed portion of the object data within said display screen with said scale ratio set by a scale setting means by an arithmetic processing means.

11. Computer program operable to enlarge and reduce a displayed portion of an object image, wherein:

the program utilizes a memory means to store a plurality of object image data having different scale ratios;

the program utilizes a display means having a display screen to display said displayed portion of the object image;

the program utilizes a pointing means to accept a user operation to specify a location or an area to be enlarged or reduced;

the program utilizes a first designating part and a second designating part to carry out continuously enlarging operation and continuously reducing operation of said displayed portion of the object data based on the user operation applied on said first designating part and said second designating part, respectively; and

the program utilizes an arithmetic processing means to carry out processing for said enlarging operation and said reducing operation of said displayed portion of the object data within said display screen with said scale ratio set by a scale setting means.