Map display system, map display, and map display method

• US 8,335,645 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navitime Japan Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Navitime Japan Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rocca, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): VERLEY, NICOLE T
• Application Number:
  US12/593,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20100168997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,092 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/440
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

Navigation-related information such as a road name or guidance is allowed to be dynamically displayed along a road on a map displayed on the display screen and the road displayed on the display screen, its road name, and the moving direction are also allowed to be made easy visual identification. A map display system for displaying the road name or the navigation-related information together with the road on a display means according to map data including data on the road and data on the road name comprises a display area determining means, a display direction determining means for determining the direction in which the display of a text displayed on a road image moves, a road-name extracting means, and a text data display control means. The road-name extracting means extracts the road and its road name which are to be displayed from the road data to display the road image in the display area determined by the display area determining means. The text data display control means moves the road name on to the road image at predetermined intervals to display it according to the display direction determined by the display direction determining means.

Claims

1. A map display system for displaying a road name or navigation-related information together with the road on a display on the basis of map data including road data and road name data;

the map display system comprising;

a processor configured to operate as

a display area determiner to determine a display area;

a display direction determiner for determining the direction in which the display of a text displayed on a road image moves;

a road-name extracter to extract the road and road name to be displayed from the road data, and to display the road image in the display area determined by the display area determiner; and

a text data display controller to move the road name along the road image at predetermined display intervals to display the road name according to the display direction determined by the display direction determiner.

3. The map display system according to claim 1, wherein in cases in which a starting point or ending point of the road to which said road name is associated is located within the display area, said text data display controller displays said road name so that the road name appears or terminates at said starting point.

4. The map display system according to claim 1, wherein in cases in which the road to which said road name is associated branches and said branching point is located within the display area, said text data display controller branches the road image branching from said branching point and moves and displays the road image at predetermined display intervals.

5. The map display system according to claim 1, wherein said processor of said map display system is further configured to operate as a road traffic information acquirer to acquire traffic congestion information, wherein, when the road name is moved and displayed at predetermined display intervals along said road image, said predetermined display intervals are varied according to the traffic congestion information acquired by said road traffic information acquirer.

6. The map display system according to claim 1, wherein said map data includes data and names of rivers, sea routes, and other linear natural landscape data;

images of said natural landscapes are displayed in the display area determined by said display area determiner; and

said text data display controller moves and displays said names at predetermined display intervals along the images of said natural landscapes.

2. A map display system for displaying a road name or navigation-related information together with the road on display on the basis of map data including road data and road name data;

the map display system comprising;

a processor configured to operate as

a display area determine a display area;

a display direction determiner for determining the direction in which the display of text displayed on the road image moves;

a navigation-related information editer to edit navigation-related information displayed together with said road image as text data;

a road-name extracter to extract from the road data the road to be displayed and displays the road image in the display area determined by said display area determiner; and

a text data display controller to move the text data edited by the navigation-related information editer along the road image at predetermined display intervals to display the text data according to the display direction determined by said display direction determiner.

7. The map display system according to claim 2, wherein the display direction determiner determines the direction in which said road name or the text data edited by said navigation-related information editer is displayed and moved to be the same direction as the direction of progression of said road.

8. A map display device for acquiring map data including road data and road name data from a map distribution server, and displaying the road name or navigation-related information together with the road on a display on the basis of said map data;

said map display device comprising;

a processor configured to operate as

a display area determiner to determine a display area;

a display direction determiner to determine the direction in which the display of text displayed on the road image moves;

a road-name extracter to extract the road and the road name which are to be displayed from the road data and to display the road image in the display area determined by said display area determiner; and

a text data display controller to move the road name along the road image at predetermined display intervals to display the road name according to the display direction determined by said display direction determiner.

9. The map display device according to claim 8, wherein in cases in which a starting point or ending point of the road to which said road name is associated is located within the display area, said text data display controller displays said road name so that the road name appears or terminates at said starting point.

10. The map display device according to claim 8, wherein in cases in which the road to which said road name is associated branches and the branching point is located within the display area, said text data display controller branches the road image branching from said branching point and moves and displays the road image at predetermined display intervals.

11. The map display device according to claim 8, wherein said processor of said map distribution server or said map display device further comprises a road traffic information acquirer to acquire traffic congestion information, wherein, when the road name is moved and displayed at predetermined display intervals along said road image, said predetermined display intervals are varied according to the traffic congestion information acquired by said road traffic information acquirer.

12. The map display device according to claim 8, wherein said map data includes data and names of rivers, sea routes, and other linear natural landscape data;

images of said natural landscapes are displayed in the display area determined by said display area determiner; and

said text data display controller moves and displays said names at predetermined display intervals along the images of said natural landscapes.

13. A map display device for acquiring map data including road data and road name data from a map distribution server, and displaying the road name or navigation-related information together with the road on a display on the basis of said map data;

said map display device comprising;

a processor configured to operate as

a display area determiner to determine a display area;

a display direction determiner to determine the direction in which the display of a text displayed on the road image moves;

a navigation-related information editer to edit navigation-related information displayed together with said road image as text data;

a road-name extracter to extract from the road data the road to be displayed and to display the road image in the display area determined by said display area determiner; and

a text data display controller to move the text data edited by the navigation-related information editer along the road image at predetermined display intervals to display the text data according to the display direction determined by said display direction determiner.

14. The map display device according to claim 13, wherein the display direction determiner determines the direction in which said road name or the text data edited by said navigation-related information editer is displayed and moved to be the same direction as the direction of progression of said road.

15. A map display method in a map display system for displaying a road name or navigation-related information together with the road on display on the basis of map data including road data and road name data;

the map display system comprising a display area determiner, a display direction determiner to determine the direction in which the display of text displayed on the road image moves, a road-name extracter, and a text data display controller; and

the map display method comprises a step wherein said road-name extracter extracts from the road data the road and the road name to be displayed and displays the road image in the display area determined by said display area determiner, and a step wherein said text data display controller moves the road name along the road image at predetermined display intervals to display the road name according to the display direction determined by said display direction determiner.

16. The map display method according to claim 15, further comprising a step wherein, in cases in which a starting point or ending point of the road to which said road name is associated is located within the display area, said text data display controller displays said road name so that the road name appears or terminates at said starting point.

17. The map display method according to claim 15, further comprising a step wherein, in cases in which the road to which said road name is associated branches and said branching point is located within the display area, said text data display controller branches the road image branching from said branching point and moves and displays the road image at predetermined display intervals.

18. The map display method according to claim 15, wherein said map display system further comprises a road traffic information acquirer to acquire traffic congestion information, and the map display method further comprises a step for varying said predetermined display intervals according to the traffic congestion information acquired by said road traffic information acquirer when the road name is moved and displayed at predetermined display intervals along said road image.

19. The map display method according to claim 15, wherein said map data includes data and names of rivers, sea routes, and other linear natural landscape data;

and the map display method further comprises a step for displaying images of said natural landscapes in the display area determined by said display area determiner, and a step wherein said text data display controller moves and displays said names at predetermined display intervals along the images of said natural landscapes.

20. A map display method in a map display system for displaying a road name or navigation-related information together with the road on display means on the basis of map data including road data and road name data;

the map display system comprises a display area determiner, a display direction determiner to determine the direction in which the display of text displayed on the road image moves, a navigation-related information editer, a road-name extracter, and a text data display controller; and

the map display method comprises a step wherein said road-name extracter extracts from the road data the road to be displayed and displays the road image in the display area determined by said display area determiner, a step wherein said navigation-related information editer edits navigation-related information displayed together with said road image as text data, and a step wherein said text data display controller moves the text data edited by the navigation-related information editer along the road image at predetermined display intervals to display the text data according to the display direction determined by said display direction determiner.

21. The map display method according to claim 20, further comprising a step wherein the display direction determiner determines the direction in which said road name or the text data edited by said navigation-related information editer is displayed and moved to be the same direction as the direction of progression of said road.