Navigation terminal device and navigation method

• US 6,871,142 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Kumada, Satoshi, Shirahama, Toshie
• Primary Examiner(s): BEHNCKE, CHRISTINE M
• Application Number:
  US10/132,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20020161516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 701/209, 701/200, 701/207, 701/208, 701/201, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• 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

Abstract

A navigation terminal device includes a map information display unit 771 for displaying, on a screen, the map information containing the location information retrieved by a web server 3, a destination display unit for displaying the destination searched from the map information displayed on the display screen by screen scrolling, a route drawing unit 773 for drawing the route connecting a reference point based on the location information retrieved by the web server 3 to the destination so as to be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed thereon, and a route searching unit 774 for exchanging the display between the reference point and the destination when the destination is displayed but the reference point disappears from the screen, thereby following the route from the reference point to the destination according to the drawn route information. In this configuration, the operability of a terminal device having a small capacity of screen can be improved and the burden for the user can be relaxed.

Claims

1. A navigation terminal device comprising:

map information displaying means for receiving, via a communication line, the map information containing location information retrieved by a server and display the received map information on a screen;

destination display means for searching a destination from the map information displayed on the screen by screen scrolling and displaying it on the screen;

route drawing means for drawing a route from a reference point of the retrieved location information to the searched destination so as to be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed thereon; and

route searching means for exchanging the display between the reference point and the destination if the reference point disappears from the screen when the destination is displayed by said destination display means, thereby permitting to follow the route from the displayed reference point to the destination according to the drawn route information.

2. A navigation terminal device according to claim 1, wherein said route drawing means includes a computing means for computing a direction from said reference point to the destination to create a vector having the direction and a length.

3. A navigation terminal device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a display exchanging means for exchanging the display between the reference point and the destination by detecting depression of a specific button.

4. A navigating method for a navigation system including a server for distributing map information and a navigation terminal device for displaying the map information containing location information retrieved by the server on a screen via a communication line, comprising the steps of:

searching a destination from the map information displayed on the screen by screen scrolling; and

drawing a route from a reference point of the retrieved location information to the searched destination so as to be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed thereon,

wherein, when the destination is displayed, if the reference point disappears from the screen, the display is exchanged between the reference point and the destination, thereby permitting to follow the route from the displayed reference point to the destination according to the drawn route.

5. A navigation method according to claim 4, characterized in that said route is drawn by computing a direction from said reference point to the destination to create a vector having the direction and a length.

6. A navigation method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the display is exchanged between the reference point and the destination by detecting depression of a specific button.

7. A navigation terminal program for a navigation system including a server for distributing map information and a navigation terminal device for displaying the map information containing location information retrieved by the server on a screen via a communication line, comprising:

a first step of searching a destination from the map information displayed on the screen by screen scrolling;

a second step of drawing a route from a reference point of the retrieved location information to the searched destination so as to be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed thereon;

a third step of exchanging the display between the reference point and the destination when the destination is displayed, if the reference point disappears from the screen; and

a fourth step of following the route from the displayed reference point to the destination according to the drawn route information.

8. A navigation terminal program according to claim 7, wherein said second step includes a step of computing a direction from said reference point to the destination to create a vector having the direction and a length.

9. A navigation method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the step of exchanging the display between the reference point and the destination by detecting depression of a specific button is executed by a computer.

10. A navigation terminal program according to claim 7, wherein said second step includes a step of computing a direction from said reference point to the destination to create a vector having the direction and a length.

11. A recording medium readable by a computer which stores a navigating terminal program for a navigation system including a server for distributing map information and a navigation terminal device for displaying the map information containing location information retrieved by the server on a screen via a communication line, comprising:

a first step of searching a destination from the map information displayed on the screen by screen scrolling;

a second step of drawing a route from a reference point of the retrieved location information to the searched destination so as to be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed thereon;

a third step of exchanging the display between the reference point and the destination when the destination is displayed, if the reference point disappears from the screen; and

a fourth step of following the route from the displayed reference point to the destination according to the drawn route information.

12. A recording medium according to claim 11, wherein said second step includes a step of computing a direction from said reference point to the destination to create a vector having the direction and a length.

13. A recording medium according to claim 12, characterized in that it stores a navigation terminal program which causes a computer to execute the step of exchanging the display between the reference point and the destination by detecting depression of a specific button is executed by a computer.

14. A navigation terminal device comprising:

map information displaying means for receiving, via a communication line, the map information containing location information retrieved by a server and display the received map information on a screen;

destination display means for searching a destination from the map information displayed on the screen by screen scrolling and displaying the destination on the screen;

route drawing means for drawing a route from a reference point of the retrieved location information to the searched destination so as to be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed thereon, wherein the route is shown as a straight line between the reference point and the searched destination; and

route searching means for exchanging the display on the screen between the reference point and the searched destination if the reference point disappears from the screen when the searched destination is displayed by the screen, thereby permitting to follow the route from the reference point to the searched destination according to the drawn route information.

15. A navigation terminal device comprising:

a display that displays map information;

a controller, which searches a destination from the displayed map information by scrolling and which displays the destination on the display,

wherein the controller determines a route from a reference point of the map information to the searched destination and superimposes the route on the displayed map information,

wherein the route is shown as a straight line between the reference point and the searched destination, and

wherein, when the searched destination is displayed, if the reference point disappears from the display, the display is exchanged between the reference point and the searched destination, thereby permitting to follow the route from the displayed reference point to the searched destination according to the drawn route.

16. A navigation terminal device comprising:

a display that displays map information; and

a controller, which searches a destination and which displays the destination on the display,

wherein the controller determines a route from a reference point of the map information to the searched destination and superimposes the route on the displayed map information;

wherein the controller changes the display between displaying the reference point and the destination when the reference point disappears from the screen and the destination is displayed.

17. The navigation terminal as claimed in claim 16, wherein the controller searches for the destination by scrolling the map information displayed on the display.