Map displaying apparatus and map displaying method

• US 6,462,676 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2000
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Increment P Corporation (Pioneer Corporation), Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Increment P Corporation (Pioneer Corporation), Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Koizumi, Isao
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US09/696,939
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995, 340/990, 340/988, 701/200, 701/201, 701/202, 701/208, 701/209, 701/210, 701/211, 701/212
• US Class Current: 340/995.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

A map displaying apparatus is provided with: a memory device for storing map data including road data and name data;. a map displaying device for displaying a map within a map display range by using the map data; a point determining device for determining one point or a plurality of points within the map display range; and a searching device for extracting the name data related to the specified point or points by searching the map data stored in the memory device. The map displaying apparatus is also provided with a name displaying device for displaying the extracted name data by superimposing the extracted name data on the map displayed by the map displaying device.

Claims

1. A map displaying apparatus comprising:

a memory device for storing map data including map data and name data;

a map displaying device for displaying a map within a map display range by using the map data;

a point determining device for determining one point or a plurality of points within the map display range displayed at the present time;

a direction determining device for determining an advancing direction;

a searching device for extracting the name data in the determined advancing direction, related to the determined point or points by searching the map data stored in said memory device; and

a name displaying device for displaying the extracted name data by superimposing the extracted name data on the map displayed by said map displaying device.

2. A map displaying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a name specifying device for specifying one of the name data displayed by said name displaying device, wherein

when one of the name data is specified by said name specifying device, said map displaying device displays the map around a point corresponding to the specified name.

3. A map displaying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a present position detecting device for detecting a present position of said map displaying apparatus, wherein

said point determining device determines a point of the detected present position as the point within the map display range.

4. A map displaying apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the map display range is determined on the basis of the point of the detected present position.

5. A map displaying apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a judging device for judging whether the point of the detected present position is in a predetermined area within the map display range, wherein the name displaying device displays the extracted name data if the point of the detected present position is in the predetermined area within the map display range.

6. A map displaying apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said searching device extracts the name data included within a search range determined on the basis of the point of the detected present position and the determined advancing direction.

7. A map displaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said point determining device comprises a point specifying device through which the point or points within the map display range and the advancing direction can be specified by a user.

8. A map displaying apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said searching device extracts the name data included in a search range determined on the basis of the point and the advancing direction specified through said point specifying device.

9. A map displaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the map data comprises:

node data indicating a point on the map;

link data as the road data indicating a road on the map; and

the name data indicating a name of a facility and a name of a place in correlation with the node data and the link data.

10. A map displaying method comprising:

a map displaying process of displaying a map within a map display range by using map data store din a memory device for storing the map data including road data and name data;

a point determining process of determining one point or a plurality of points within the map display range displayed at the present time;

a direction determining process of determining an advancing direction;

a searching process of extracting the name data in the determined advancing direction, related to the determined point or points by searching the map data stored in said memory device; and

a name displaying process of displaying the extracted name data by superimposing the extracted name data on the map displayed by said displaying process.

11. A map displaying method according to claim 10, further comprising a name specifying process of specifying one of the name data displayed by said name displaying process, wherein

when one of the name data is specified by said name specifying process, said map displaying process displays the map around a point corresponding to the specified name.

12. A map displaying method according to claim 10, further comprising a present position detecting process of continuously detecting a present position, wherein

said point determining process determines a point of the detected present position as the point within the map display range.

13. A map displaying method according to claim 12, wherein the map display range is determined on the basis of the point of the detected present position.

14. A map displaying method according to claim 12, further comprising:

ajudging process for judging whether the point of the detected present position is in a predetermined area within the map display range, wherein the name displaying process displays the extracted name data if the point of the detected present position is in the predetermined area within the map display range.

15. A map displaying method according to claim 12, wherein said searching process extracts the name data included within a search range determined on the basis of the point of the detected present position and the determined advancing direction.

16. A map displaying method according to claim 10, wherein said point determining process comprises a point specifying process through which the point or points within the map display range and the advancing direction can be specified by a user.

17. A map displaying method according to claim 16, wherein said searching process extracts the name data included in a search range determined on the basis of the point and the advancing direction specified through said point specifying process.

18. A map displaying method according to claim 10, wherein the map data comprises:

node data indicating a point on the map;

link data as the road data indicating a road on the map; and

the name data indicating a name of a facility and a name of a place in correlation with the node data and the link data.

19. A server connected to a user terminal through a network comprising:

a memory device for storing map data including road data and name data;

a point receiving device for receiving one point or a plurality of points transmitted from the user terminal through the network, wherein the point or points reflect a point or points within a map display range displayed at the present time in the user terminal;

a direction receiving device for receiving an advancing direction transmitted from the user terminal through the network;

a searching device for extracting the name data in the received advancing direction related to the received point or points by searching the map data stored in said memory device; and

transmitting device for transmitting the extracted name data to the user terminal through the network.

20. A server according to claim 19, wherein said searching device extracts the name data included within a search range determined on the basis of the received point or points and the received advancing direction.