Navigation device and map scroll processing method

• US 7,970,541 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ando, Yuichi, Yamazaki, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US12/123,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20080306683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/201, 701/211, 345/581, 345/619, 345/687
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

A navigation device that obtains the current position based on information from a satellite, and guides a travel path from the current position to the destination on a map image includes: a display unit that displays the map image; a touch sensor unit that is arranged on the front surface of the display unit; an icon generation unit that generates a smooth scroll operation icon which is available for continuous performs smooth scroll processing for the map image and displays the smooth scroll operation icon on the map image; and a scroll control unit that executes the smooth scroll processing when the touch sensor unit detects that the smooth scroll operation icon is touched to be operated, and executes a predetermined scroll processing when the touch sensor unit detects that a region other than the smooth scroll operation icon is touched to be operated on the screen of the display unit.

Claims

1. A navigation device that obtains the current position based on information from a satellite, and guides a travel path from the current position to the destination on a map image, comprising:

display means for displaying the map image;

touch sensor means arranged on the front surface of the display means;

icon generation means for generating a smooth scroll operation icon which is available for continuous smooth scroll processing for the map image and displaying the smooth scroll operation icon on the map image; and

scroll control means for executing the smooth scroll processing when the touch sensor means detects that the smooth scroll operation icon is touched to be operated and for executing a predetermined scroll processing when the touch sensor means detects that a region other than the smooth scroll operation icon is touched to be operated on the screen of the display means.

2. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein

when a region other than the smooth scroll operation icon is touched to be operated on the screen of the display means, the scroll control means performs touch scroll processing in case the distance between the point which is touched to be operated and a point which is currently touched to be operated is within a constant distance, and performs drag scroll processing in case the distance between the point which is touched to be operated and a point which is currently touched to be operated is over a constant distance.

3. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein

the icon generation means generates the smooth scroll operation icon representing the back and forth, and right and left directions, and oblique upper right, oblique lower right, oblique upper left, and oblique lower left directions, and displays the smooth scroll operation icon on the map image.

4. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein

the icon generation means displays the smooth scroll operation icon on the lower right or lower left of the map image according to the position of the driver'"'"'s seat.

5. A map scroll processing method for a navigation device that obtains the current position based on information from a satellite, and guides a travel path from the current position to the destination on a map image, comprising:

an icon generation step of generating a smooth scroll operation icon which is available for continuous smooth scroll processing on the map image displayed on display means using predetermined icon generation means, and displaying the smooth scroll operation icon on the map image; and

scroll control step of executing the smooth scroll processing using predetermined scroll control means when the touch sensor means arranged on the front surface of the display means detects that the smooth scroll operation icon is touched to be operated, and of executing a predetermined scroll processing using the scroll control means when the touch sensor means detects that a region other than the smooth scroll operation icon is touched to be operated on the screen of the display means.

6. The map scroll processing method according to claim 5, wherein

when a region other than the smooth scroll operation icon is touched to be operated on the screen of the display means, the scroll control step performs touch scroll processing in case the distance between the point which is touched to be operated and a point which is currently touched to be operated is within a constant distance, and performs drag scroll processing in case the distance between the point which is touched to be operated and a point which is currently touched to be operated is over a constant distance.

7. The map scroll processing method according to claim 5, wherein

the icon generation step generates the smooth scroll operation icon representing the back and forth, and right and left directions, and oblique upper right, oblique lower right, oblique upper left, and oblique lower left directions, and displays the smooth scroll operation icon on the map image.

8. The map scroll processing method according to claim 5, wherein

the icon generation step displays the smooth scroll operation icon on the lower right or lower left of the map image according to the position of the driver'"'"'s seat.

9. A navigation device that obtains the current position based on information from a satellite, and guides a travel path from the current position to the destination on a map image, comprising:

a display unit that displays the map image;

a touch sensor unit that is arranged on the front surface of the display unit;

an icon generation unit that generates a smooth scroll operation icon which is available for continuous smooth scroll processing for the map image and displays the smooth scroll operation icon on the map image; and

a scroll control unit that executes the smooth scroll processing when the touch sensor unit detects that the smooth scroll operation icon is touched to be operated, and executes a predetermined scroll processing when the touch sensor unit detects that a region other than the smooth scroll operation icon is touched to be operated on the screen of the display unit.