Map display method

• US 7,839,306 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2004
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Xanavi Informatics Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tanizaki, Masaaki, Shimada, Shigeru, Maruyama, Kishiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, SIGMUND N
• Application Number:
  US10/565,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20060220923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,288 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995.1, 340/995.2, 340/601, 340/539.2, 340/539.22, 701/200
• US Class Current: 340/995.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

A map display method whereby the contents of a road map displayed can be easily and clearly grasped regardless of the running conditions of a vehicle.

In a summarized map displayed on a display screen 10, an area including a vehicle position 11, a destination 13 and a guide route 12 between them is displayed in simplified fashion. At a position far from the destination, as shown in FIG. 2A, a summarized map of a wide area is displayed and objects including a road 14 and a facility 15 are limited to a greater degree. With the approach of the vehicle position 11 to the destination 13, as shown in FIG. 2B, the contraction scale is decreased and a summarized map of a middle area is displayed, while at the same time increasing the objects displayed. With a further approach of the vehicle position 11 to the destination 13, as shown in FIG. 2C, a narrower area is displayed in summarization, while at the same time displaying substantially all the objects, thereby making it possible to grasp the neighborhood of the destination 13 in detail.

Claims

1. A map display method for detecting the present position of a vehicle and displaying a road map including a vehicle position mark indicating the present position of the vehicle and a guide route along which the vehicle runs, comprising the steps of:

preparing a summarized map indicating the guide route with a summarization degree corresponding to a distance from the present vehicle position to a destination or a running speed of the vehicle;

displaying the summarized map thus prepared on a display screen; and

giving priorities to roads including each road traversed along the guide route, at least one main road and branch roads in that order in the summarized map;

storing an ID for identifying road data for each of the roads being given priorities, categories indicating road types for the roads, and the priorities set for the roads in a table,

wherein the priorities in said table set for the roads traversed along the guide route and crossing roads intersecting with the guide route in the main road and the branch roads are changed in accordance with a change in the guide route and the crossing roads existing in an area displayed in the summarized map due to a change in the present position and the running speed of the vehicle,

wherein the summarized map is prepared by selecting at least one road on the guide route and at least one road of the crossing roads from the roads based on the changed priorities, and

wherein each of the number of objects displayed in the display screen and the ratio of the occupied area of the displayed objects to the area of the display screen is changeable in accordance with the running speed of the vehicle by using the changing priorities.

2. A map display method according to claim 1,

wherein the objects are displayed in the summarized map always within a predetermined limit amount.

3. A map display method according to claim 1,

wherein a limit amount of the objects displayed in the summarized map is predetermined, and the summarized map is prepared with the objects displayed therein always not more than the limit amount.

4. A map display method according to claim 1, wherein a road map of another display form can be displayed in a second display screen.

5. A map display method according to claim 2, wherein a road map of another display form can be displayed in a second display screen.

6. A map display method according to claim 4, wherein the road map of the another display form is a local plane map of a neighborhood of the present vehicle position.

7. A map display method according to claim 5, wherein the road map of the another display form is a local plane map of a neighborhood of the present vehicle position.

8. A map display method according to claim 6, wherein a contraction scale of the local plane map is variable.

9. A map display method according to claim 7, wherein a contraction scale of the local plane map is variable.

10. A map display method according to claim 2,

wherein the limit amount is the number of the objects or a ratio of an area of the display screen occupied by the objects.

11. A map display method according to claim 1,

wherein a range of the area displayed in the summarized map is changed in accordance with the running speed of the vehicle.

12. A map display method for detecting a present position of a vehicle and displaying a road map including a vehicle position mark indicating the present position of the vehicle and a guide route along which the vehicle runs, comprising the steps of:

preparing a summarized map indicating the guide route with a summarization degree corresponding to a distance from the present position of the vehicle to a destination or a running speed of the vehicle;

displaying the summarized map prepared on a display screen;

giving priorities to roads including roads traversed along the guide route, a main road and a branch road in this order in the summarized map;

storing an ID for identifying road data for each of the roads being given priorities, categories indicating road types for the roads, and the priorities for the roads in a table,

changing the priorities in said table set for the roads traversed along the guide route and crossing roads intersecting with the guide route in the main road and the branch road in accordance with a change in the guide route and the crossing roads existing in an area displayed in the summarized map due to a change in the present position and the running speed of the vehicle; and

preparing the summarized map by selecting at least one road on the guide route and at least one road of the crossing roads from the roads based on the changed priorities,

changing a number of objects or an occupied area ratio of objects displayed in the display screen in accordance with the running speed of the vehicle by using the changing priorities, and

wherein a number of the selected roads does not exceed a limit number, the limit number being predetermined according to the summarization degree.

14. A map display method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

predetermining a limit amount of objects to be displayed in the summarized map; and

preparing the summarized map with the number of the objects displayed therein within the limit amount.

15. A map display method according to claim 12, wherein a road map are displayed in a second display screen, each of the two display screens being displayed in different display forms.

17. A map display method according to claim 15, wherein the road map is a local plane map of a neighborhood of the present position of the vehicle.

19. A map display method according to claim 17, wherein a contraction scale of the local plane map is variable.

21. A map display method according to claim 12, wherein a range of the area displayed in the summarized map is changed in accordance with the running speed of the vehicle.

13. A map display method for detecting a present position of a vehicle and displaying a road map including a vehicle position mark indicating the present position of the vehicle and a guide route along which the vehicle runs, comprising the steps of:

preparing a summarized map indicating the guide route with a summarization degree corresponding to a distance from the present position of the vehicle to a destination or a running speed of the vehicle;

displaying the summarized map prepared on a display screen;

giving priorities to roads including roads traversed along the guide route, a main road and a branch road in this order in the summarized map;

storing an ID for identifying road data for each of the roads being given priorities, categories indicating road types for the roads, and the priorities for the roads in a table,

changing the priorities in said table set for the roads traversed along the guide route and crossing roads intersecting with the guide route in the main road and the branch road in accordance with a change in the guide route and the crossing roads existing in an area displayed in the summarized map due to a change in the present position and the running speed of the vehicle; and

preparing the summarized map by selecting at least one road on the guide route and at least one road of the crossing roads from the roads based on the changed priorities,

allowing each of the number of objects and the ratio of the occupied area of the displayed objects to the area of the display screen to be changeable in accordance with the running speed of the vehicle by using the changing priorities, and

wherein a number of the selected roads does not exceed a limit number, the limit number being predetermined according to the summarization degree.

16. A map display method according to claim 13, wherein a road map are displayed in a second display screen, each of the two display screens being displayed in different display forms.

18. A map display method according to claim 16, wherein the road map is a local plane map of a neighborhood of the present position of the vehicle.

20. A map display method according to claim 18, wherein a contraction scale of the local plane map is variable.

22. A map display method according to claim 13, wherein a range of the area displayed in the summarized map is changed in accordance with the running speed of the vehicle.