Image display apparatus

• US 6,725,154 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Ota, Takashi, Kamikawa, Noriyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US10/442,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20030227469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 335 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/200, 701/211, 701/212, 701/23, 701/28, 731/78.R, 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/995.11, 340/995.14, 340/995.15, 340/995.19
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams

Abstract

An image display apparatus includes display control means for displaying a map image and a real image on a display screen on the same scale concerning the same region based on map data and real image data. The display control means has a function of superposing on either of the map image and the real image as a background, the other image in a predetermined area and combining the images so that only the other image is seen in the superposition area.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus comprising:

a display screen; and

a display control unit which displays a map image and a real image, which have the same scale and show the same area, on the display screen on the basis of map data and real image data, wherein;

the display control unit displays one of the map image and the real image as a background,

combines the map image and the real image in a predetermined region so that the other is seen through the one in at least a part of the predetermined region, and

displays the combined image in the predetermined region.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a composite degree setting unit which sets a composite degree of the map image and the real image, wherein:

the display control unit combines the map image and the real image on the basis of the composite degree.

3. The apparatus according t claim 1, wherein the display control unit combines the map image and the real image so that luminance value of the combined image increases as approaching to a boundary of the predetermined region.

4. A navigation apparatus for providing a user with information required reaching a destination to guide the user to the destination, the navigation apparatus comprising:

a display screen; and

an image display device including;

a display screen; and

a display control unit which displays a map image and a real image, which have the same scale and show the same area, on the display screen on the basis of map data and real image data, wherein;

the display control unit displays one of the map image and the real image as a background;

the display control unit combines the map image and the real image in a predetermined region so that the other is seen through the one in at least a part of the predetermined region; and

the display control unit displays the combined image in the predetermined region.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the image display device further includes a composite degree setting unit which sets a composite degree of the map image and the real image; and

the display control unit combines the map image and the real image on the basis of the composite degree.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display control unit combines the map image and the real image so that luminance value of the combined image increases as approaching to a boundary of the predetermined region.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined region is one of:

a peripheral region of a current position of a vehicle obtained on the basis of current position information;

a peripheral region of a predetermined facility obtained on the basis of predetermined facility position information; and

a peripheral region of a predetermined position obtained on the basis of predetermined position information specified by the user.

8. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined region is one of an upper portion of the display screen and a lower portion of the display screen.

9. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined region is a peripheral region of a route for the destination obtained on the basis of route information.