Electronic device and program for displaying map

• US 7,734,413 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sakashita, Naohiro, Abo, Masatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US11/902,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20080027628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701207-208, 382/100, 358/412, 358/474, 358/3.11, 358/530, 358/501, 358/515, 340/990, 340/995.1, 345/698
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/005 Map projections or methods associated specifically therewith
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/12 Relief maps relief models G09B25/06

Abstract

When a guiding route is included in a display target region at a photograph display mode, route data of the guiding route is also read. Within the read route data, information of a region for editing a photograph is stored. This information includes a road kind (color information), coordinates of the start/end points of the road, and a road width when editing is for a road. Next, photograph data is read, so that a color of the photograph data is edited based on the stored information of the route data. For instance, a color of the photograph data in a corresponding road region is changed to red that represents “national road.”

Claims

1. A computer program product embedded in a computer-readable medium for use in displaying a map using map data and photograph data photographing an earth surface, the computer program product implementing the steps of:

determining, within photograph data of a display target region, dot portions corresponding to a road or a facility, and chan in the dot portions corresponding to the road or the facility in respect of only a display attribute of the road or the facility from the photograph data that was formed by photographing an earth surface, by being determined based on the map data relative to the road or the facility, dot portions, other than the dot onions corresponding to the road or the facility in the modified photograph data remaining unchanged from the photograph data that was formed by photographing the earth surface, to generate modified photograph data; and

causing a display unit to display the modified photograph data after the display attribute of the determined dot portions is changed to modified data.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein

within photograph data of a display target region, the dot portions whose display attribute is to be changed is determined based on guiding route data obtained by using the map data.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising instructions for implementing the steps of:

inputting the photograph data, whose display attribute is previously changed after the determining step, from an external storage medium or via a communication with an outside,

wherein in the causing step, the display unit is caused to display the photograph data inputted in the inputting step.

4. The computer program product of claim 3, further comprising an instruction for implementing the step of:

receiving an instruction by a user, wherein

in the determining step, the dot portions, whose display attribute is to be changed, is determined according to the instruction received in the receiving step.

5. The computer program product of claim 4,

the display attribute of the dot portions being changed based on an occasional usage by the user.

6. The computer program product of claim 1,

the display attribute of the dot portions being changed depending on turning on or turning off of an in-vehicle lighting device.

7. An electronic device for displaying a map, the electronic device comprising:

a photograph data storing unit that generates modified photograph data, the modified photograph data containing dot portions corresponding to a road or a facility, the dot portions corresponding to the road or the facility having been changed in respect of only display attribute of the road or the facility from photographer data that was formed by photographing an earth surface, by being determined based on map data relative to the road or the facility, the dot portions other than the dot portions corresponding to the road or the facility in the modified photograph data remaining unchanged from the photograph data that was formed by photographing the earth surface; and

a display control unit that causes a display unit to display a display target region based on the modified photograph data read from the photograph data storing unit.

8. The electronic device of claim 7,

the electronic device including a navigation device.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, further comprising:

a data input unit configured to input the photograph data, whose display attribute is previously changed, from an external storage medium or via a communication with an outside, to the photograph data storing unit.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising:

a unit configured to receive an instruction by a user, the dot portions, whose display attribute is changed, being determined according to the received instruction.

11. The electronic device of claim 10,

the dot portions, whose display attribute is changed, being changed based on an occasional usage of the user.

12. The electronic device of claim 7,

the display attribute of the dot portions being changed depending on turning on or turning off of an in-vehicle lighting device.

13. The electronic device of claim 7,

the attribute including at least a display color.

14. The electronic device of claim 13,

the display color being changed while resultant color tones in dots corresponding to the dot portions determined by the changing portion determining unit are adjusted based on the photograph data.

15. A computer-implemented method for displaying a map using map data and photograph data photographing an earth surface, the method comprising steps of:

determining, in an electronic device for displaying map, within photograph data of a display target region, dot portions corresponding to a road or a facility, and changing the dot portions corresponding to the road or the facility in respect of only a display attribute of the road or the facility from the photograph data that was formed by photographing an earth surface, by being determined based on map data relative to the road or the facility dot portions, other than the dot portions corresponding to the road or the facility in the modified photograph data remaining unchanged from the photograph data that was formed by photographing the earth surface, to generate modified photograph data; and

causing a display unit to display the modified photograph data after the display attribute of the determined dot portions is changed to modified data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein

within photograph data of a display target region, the dot portions whose display attribute is to be changed is determined based on guiding route data obtained by using the map data.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising a step of:

inputting the photograph data, whose display attribute is previously changed after the determining step, from an external storage medium or via a communication with an outside,

wherein in the causing step, the display unit is caused to display the photograph data inputted in the inputting step.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising a step of receiving an instruction by a user, wherein in the determining step, the dot portions, whose display attribute is to be changed, is determined according to the instruction received in the receiving step.

19. The method of claim 18,

the display attribute of the dot portions being changed based on an occasional usage by the user.

20. The method of claim 15,

the display attribute of the dot portions being changed depending on turning on or turning off of an in-vehicle lighting device.