Navigation apparatus

• US 7,107,145 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2003
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ichida, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/643,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20040138806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/207, 701/209, 701/210, 701/211, 701/213, 701/212, 701/217, 340/988, 340/990, 3409951-99528
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods

Abstract

The present invention provides a navigation apparatus capable of distinguishing characters displayed in a display screen. Names of objects to be displayed on a road map are respectively indicated with the characters of the font types corresponding to categories of the objects such as an administrative district, a facility, a natural feature and so on. Accordingly, a user of the navigation apparatus can readily distinguish and recognize the characters showing the various kinds of the objects.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a display part having a display screen;

character data storing means for storing character data including plural types of fonts with respect to each character to be displayed; and

display control means for differentiating a font type for the characters indicating an operating item to be highlighted from a font type for the characters indicating remaining operating items, when various kinds of operating items for operating the navigation apparatus are displayed in the display screen by using-the plural types of fonts stored in the character data storing means,

wherein the operating items are for setting on-state and off-state of functions of the navigation apparatus, and the display control means highlights the characters in the operating item corresponding to the function set to the on-state.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control means uses a font type having bolder lines for the characters in the operating item corresponding to the function set to the on-state.

3. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the font type used for highlighting the characters is capable of being determined by a user.

4. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a display part having a display screen;

character data storing means for storing character data including plural types of fonts with respect to each character to be displayed; and

display control means for differentiating a font type for the characters indicating an operating items, when be highlighted from a font type for the characters indicating remaining operating items, when various kinds of operating items for operating the navigation apparatus are displayed in the display screen by using-the plural types of fonts stored in the character data storing means,

wherein the operating items are for displaying names of objects to be selected, and the display control means highlights the characters representing an object name in the operating item with which a cursor matches among the operating items.

5. The navigation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display control means uses a font type having bolder lines for the characters in the operating item with which the cursor matches.

6. The navigation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the font type used for highlighting the characters is capable of being determined by a user.