Map information display apparatus and method thereof

• US 7,636,629 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2008
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tajima, Takashi, Ozawa, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): LI, CE LI
• Application Number:
  US12/178,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20080275634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 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 grouping unit configured to divide a map area of the map displayed by said display unit into a plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size so that a gap having at least a predetermined width is provided between the plurality of group areas and that at least one of the plurality of group areas includes a part of a road on which the mobile object is currently located, the part of the road being located in a travel direction of the mobile object, and to select, for each of the plurality of group areas divided from the map area, at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among the plurality of candidate points included in each of the plurality of group areas;

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 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;

an other image display position obtainment unit configured to obtain a display area of an image displayed on the map other than the estimated transmit time;

a grouping unit configured to divide an area which excludes the display area obtained by said other image display position obtainment unit from a map area of the map displayed by said display unit, into a plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size, and to select, for each of the plurality of group areas divided from the area, at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among the plurality of candidate points included in each of the plurality of group areas;

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.

3. 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 grouping unit configured to divide a map area of the map displayed by said display unit into a plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size so that a gap having at least a predetermined width is provided between the plurality of group areas, and to select, for each of the plurality of group areas divided from the map area, at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among the plurality of candidate points included in each of the plurality of group areas;

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.

4. 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 grouping 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;

dividing, by the grouping unit, a map area of the map displayed in said displaying into a plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size so that a gap having at least a predetermined width is provided between the plurality of group areas and that at least one of the plurality of group areas includes a part of a road on which the mobile object is currently located, the part of the road being located in a travel direction of the mobile object;

selecting, by the grouping unit, for each of the plurality of group areas divided from the map area, at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among the plurality of candidate points included in each of the plurality of group areas;

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 associated with the each of the selected candidate points.

5. 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 grouping unit, an estimated time calculation unit, a display control unit, and an other image display position obtainment 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;

obtaining, by the other image display position obtainment unit, a display area of an image displayed on the map other than the estimated transit time,

dividing, by the grouping unit, an area which excludes the display area obtained by the other image display position obtainment unit from a map area of the map displayed in said displaying, into a plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size;

selecting, by the grouping unit, for each of the plurality of group areas divided from the area, at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among the plurality of candidate points included in each of the plurality of group areas;

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.

6. 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 grouping 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;

dividing, by the grouping unit, a map area of the map displayed in said displaying into a plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size so that a gap having at least a predetermined width is provided between the plurality of group areas;

selecting, by the grouping unit, for each of the plurality of group areas divided from the map area, at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among the plurality of candidate points included in each of the plurality of group areas;

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.

7. 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;

dividing a map area of the map displayed in said displaying into a plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size so that a gap having at least a predetermined width is provided between the plurality of group areas and that at least one of the plurality of group areas includes a part of a road on which the mobile object is currently located, the part of the road being located in a travel direction of the mobile object;

selecting, for each of the plurality of group areas divided from the map area, at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among the plurality of candidate points included in each of the plurality of group areas;

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 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.

8. 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;

obtaining a display area of an image displayed on the map other than the estimated transit time,

dividing an area which excludes the display area obtained in said obtaining from a map area of the map displayed in said displaying, into a plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size;

selecting, for each of the plurality of group areas divided from the area, at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among the plurality of candidate points included in each of the plurality of group areas;

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 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.

9. 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;

dividing a map area of the map displayed in said displaying into a plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size so that a gap having at least a predetermined width is provided between the plurality of group areas;

selecting, for each of the plurality of group areas divided from the map area, at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among the plurality of candidate points included in each of the plurality of group areas;

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 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.