Navigation system and map display

• US 6,963,294 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kurosawa, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEHMOOD, JENNIFER
• Application Number:
  US10/325,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20030132862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995.1, 340/995.23, 340/995.2, 340/995.21, 340/995.17, 340/995.19, 340/995.24
• US Class Current: 340/995.19
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3635 Guidance using 3D or perspective road maps

Abstract

In order to intuitively recognize a display relating to a route on a map, data of character strings and figures to be displayed on the map are stored in advance by relating a target designated by a character string or a figure to an associated link or node. When a recommended route is computed, character strings and figures related to a link and node through which the recommended route runs are displayed on the map together with the recommended route with emphasis in comparison to the other character strings and figures.

Claims

1. A navigation system for displaying a route to a destination, comprising:

a memory unit for storing map data comprising road, figure, and character string information, the road information defining each road as at least one link with a node at each end and comprising a node list or a link table, or both, the figure and character string information for each figure or character string, respectively, comprising an associated link number or an associated node number, or both;

a drawing unit for drawing a map from the map data, the map including roads, figures, and character strings generated from the road, figure, and character string information, respectively;

a route retrieval unit for determining a route to a destination based upon the map data, the route being defined by route data comprising a route link list or a route node list, or both; and

a screen for displaying the route on the map;

wherein the drawing unit emphasizes figures and character strings displayed on the screen which are associated with the route, the figures and character strings displayed with emphasis are identified by matching the link numbers in the route link list with the associated link numbers in the figure and character string information for each figure or character string, respectively, or matching the node numbers in the route node list with the associated node numbers in the figure and character string information for each figure or character string, respectively, or both.

2. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the figure and character strings displayed on the screen that are not associated with the route are deemphasized, at least one of the emphasized figures represents an interchange, and one of the emphasized figures represents the destination of the recommended route.

3. A navigation system for displaying a route to a destination, comprising:

a memory unit for storing map data comprising road and object information, the road information defining each road as at least one link with a node at each end, the object information for each object comprising an associated link number or an associated node number, or both;

a drawing unit for drawing a map from the map data, the map including roads and objects generated from the road and object information, respectively;

a route retrieval unit for determining a route to a destination based upon the map data, the route being defined by route data comprising a route link list or a route node list, or both; and

a screen for displaying the route on the map;

wherein the drawing unit emphasizes objects displayed on the screen which are associated with the route, the objects displayed with emphasis are identified by matching the link numbers in the route link list with the associated link numbers in the object information for each object or matching the node numbers in the route node list with the associated node numbers in the object information for each object, or both.

4. The navigation system of claim 3, wherein the objects displayed on the screen that are not associated with the route are deemphasized while remaining discernible, the objects deemphasized comprise figures and character strings.

5. The navigation system of claim 3, wherein the node list comprises a node record for each node including a node number, node coordinates, and a number of a link in the link table to which the node is connected.

6. The navigation system of claim 3, wherein the link table comprises a link record for each link including a link number, a starting node number, a terminating node number, and the number of lanes.

7. The navigation system of claim 3, wherein the route node list is a list of node numbers of nodes through which the route runs in order.

8. The navigation system of claim 3, wherein the route link list is a list of link numbers of links through which the route runs in order.

9. The navigation system of claim 3, wherein at least one object is a character string displayed on the screen vertically or at an inclined angle.

10. A navigation system of claim 3, wherein the objects which are not associated with the route data are removed from the screen.

11. The navigation system of claim 3, wherein the object information includes standard, emphasis, and quiet drawing parameter data.

12. The navigation system of claim 3, wherein the emphasized objects are distinguished from other objects by size or blinking.

13. The navigation system of claim 3

wherein the drawing unit deemphasizes the objects displayed on the screen which are not associated with the route data and emphasizes every landmark figure and facility figure along the route simultaneously and every character string associated with the route.

14. The navigation system of claim 13, wherein the objects deemphasized include landmark figures, facility figures, and character strings.

15. A navigation system mounted on a vehicle for displaying a route to a destination, comprising:

a memory unit for storing map data comprising road and object information;

a drawing unit for drawing a map from the map data, the map including roads and objects generated from the road and object information, respectively;

a route retrieval unit for determining a route, defined by route data, to a destination based upon the map data; and

a screen for displaying the route on the map;

wherein the drawing unit emphasizes objects displayed on the screen that are associated with the route data regardless of vehicle speed and vehicle location as the vehicle travels along the route and independently of user-selected queries and alters non-route objects displayed on the screen that are not associated with the route without removing the non-route objects from the screen such that the non-route objects remain visibly recognizable, the non-route objects include interchange figures, service area figures, landmark figures, and character strings.

16. A navigation system of claim 15, wherein the objects displayed on the screen which are emphasized comprise facility figures, landmark figures, and character strings, the facility figures represent at least interchanges and service areas.

17. A navigation system of claim 15, wherein the character strings displayed on the screen correspond to road names, landmark names, and facility names, including interchange identifiers.

18. A navigation system for displaying a route to a destination, comprising:

a memory unit for storing map data comprising road and object information;

a drawing unit for drawing a map from the map data, the map including roads and objects generated from the road and object information, respectively, the objects comprise facility figures, landmark figures, and character strings;

a route retrieval unit for determining multiple recommended routes to a destination based upon the map data, each route defined by route data; and

a screen for simultaneously displaying the multiple routes on the map;

wherein the drawing unit illustrates the multiple routes on the screen simultaneously by distinguishing the objects which are associated with route data for at least one route from other objects, the objects distinguished for each route include facility figures, landmark figures, and character strings and are identified by matching link numbers in a route link list with associated link numbers in the object information for each object or matching node numbers in a route node list with associated node numbers in the object information for each object, and alters non-route objects displayed on the screen not associated with any route without erasing the non-route objects from the screen such that the non-route objects remain visibly recognizable, the non-route objects include interchange figures, service area figures, landmark figures, and character strings.

19. The navigation system of claim 18, wherein each route is displayed in a different color and the objects associated with each of the routes are displayed in the same color as that of the associated route.

20. A navigation system for displaying a route to a destination, comprising:

a memory unit for storing map data comprising road, figure, and character string information;

a drawing unit for drawing a map from the map data, the map including roads, facility figures, landmark figures, and character strings generated from the road, facility figure, landmark figure, and character string information, respectively, the facility figures represent at least interchanges and service areas;

a route retrieval unit for determining a route, defined by route data, to a destination based upon the map data; and

a screen for displaying the route on the map;

wherein the drawing unit emphasizes interchanges, service areas, landmark figures, and character strings displayed on the screen that are associated with the route data and at least one character string is displayed vertically or at an inclined angle, the character strings emphasized correspond to road names, landmark figures, interchanges, and service areas, and, simultaneously, the drawing unit alters non-route objects displayed on the screen that are not associated with the route data without removing the non-route objects from the screen such that the non-route objects remain visibly recognizable, the non-route objects include interchange figures, service area figures, landmark figures, and character strings.