Map information display apparatus and method thereof

• US 7,636,627 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2008
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tajima, Takashi, Kudoh, Takahiro, Ozawa, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): LI, CE LI
• Application Number:
  US12/170,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20080262713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995.1, 340/995.14, 340/995.24, 340/995.26, 340/995.27, 701/200, 701/201, 701/208, 701/213
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A map information display apparatus that displays a map for a mobile object includes: a grouping unit (111) that divides a map included in an image displayed by a map display unit (115) into a plurality of areas; a display position determination unit (113) that selects, for each of the plurality of areas, at most a predetermined number of points as points for displaying estimated transit times, the predetermined number being equal to or larger than 1; a time calculation unit (114) that calculates the estimated transit times of the selected points; and the map display unit (115) that displays an image including the map and the estimated transit times.

Claims

1. A map information display apparatus that displays a map for a mobile object, said map information display apparatus comprising:

a display unit configured to display an image that includes the map and an estimated transit time of a point on the map;

a candidate obtainment unit configured to obtain a plurality of candidate points each of which is a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time;

a selection unit configured to;

set a plurality of representative points in a map area displayed by said display unit so that (i) a distance between two adjacent representative points of the plurality of representative points which are in a travel direction of the mobile object is shorter than a distance between two adjacent representative points of the plurality of representative points which are in a direction other than the travel direction of the mobile object, and (ii) a distance between any two representative points of the plurality of representative points is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance; and

select, for each of the plurality of representative points that are set, a candidate point closest to the each of the plurality of representative points;

an estimated time calculation unit configured to calculate an estimated transit time of each of the selected candidate points; and

a display control unit configured to cause said display unit to display the image that includes the map, and the each of the selected candidate points and the estimated transit time which is calculated in association with the each of the selected candidate points.

2. A map information display method for displaying a map for a mobile object by using a map information display apparatus which includes a display unit, a candidate obtainment unit, a selection unit, an estimated time calculation unit, and a display control unit, said map information display method comprising:

displaying, by the display unit, an image that includes the map and an estimated transit time of a point on the map;

obtaining, by the candidate obtainment unit, a plurality of candidate points each of which is a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time;

setting, by the selection unit, a plurality of representative points in a map area displayed in said displaying so that (i) a distance between two adjacent representative points of the plurality of representative points which are in a travel direction of the mobile object is shorter than a distance between two adjacent representative points of the plurality of representative points which are in a direction other than the travel direction of the mobile object, and (ii) a distance between any two representative points of the plurality of representative points is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance;

selecting, by the selection unit, for each of the plurality of representative points that are set, a candidate point closest to the each of the plurality of representative points;

calculating, by the estimated time calculation unit, an estimated transit time of each of the selected candidate points; and

controlling, by the display control unit, the display unit so as to display, in said displaying, the image that includes the map, and the each of the selected candidate points and the estimated transit time which is calculated in association with the each of the selected candidate points.

3. A map information display program embodied on a computer-readable medium for displaying a map for a mobile object, said map information display program causing a computer to execute a method comprising:

displaying, by a display unit, an image that includes the map and an estimated transit time of a point on the map;

obtaining a plurality of candidate points each of which is a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time;

setting a plurality of representative points in a map area displayed in said displaying so that (i) a distance between two adjacent representative points of the plurality of representative points which are in a travel direction of the mobile object is shorter than a distance between two adjacent representative points of the plurality of representative points which are in a direction other than the travel direction of the mobile object, and (ii) a distance between any two representative points of the plurality of representative points is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance;

selecting, for each of the plurality of representative points that are set, a candidate point closest to the each of the plurality of representative points;

calculating an estimated transit time of each of the selected candidate points; and

controlling the display unit so as to display, in said displaying, the image that includes the map, and of the each of the selected candidate points and the estimated transit time which is calculated in association with the each of the selected candidate points.