Map display apparatus and program for the same

• US 8,527,202 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yaguchi, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, SHARDUL D
• Application Number:
  US13/036,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20110238295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/527, 701/210, 701/208, 701/212, 701/432, 701/428, 340/438, 340/995.1
• US Class Current: 701/527
• 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: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map

Abstract

A map display apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus acquires present position information indicating a present position, and determines a route from the present position to a destination. The apparatus displays a map on a display screen based on map information acquired from a storage medium storing the map information, and displays the route in a form of a line on the map while switching a manner of displaying the route between multiple display modes including a first display mode and a second display mode. In the first display mode, the route is displayed to have a first transparency and a first width. In the second display mode, the route is displayed to have a second transparency more transparent than the first transparency and a second width larger than the first width.

Claims

1. A map display apparatus comprising:

a position information acquisition section configured to acquire present position information indicating a present position;

a route determination section configured to determine a route from the present position, which is indicated in the present position information acquired by the position information acquisition section, to a destination designated via an input from an external of the map display apparatus; and

a display section configured to display a map on a display screen based on map information acquired from a storage medium storing the map information, and configured to display the route, which is determined by the route determination section, in a form of a route line on the map,

wherein

the display section is further configured to display the route on the map while switching a manner of displaying the route between a plurality of display modes including a first display mode and a second display mode, such that;

in the first display mode, the route line is displayed to have a first transparency and a first width; and

in the second display mode, the route line is displayed to have a second transparency more transparent than the first transparency and a second width larger than the first width.

2. The map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of display modes further includes at least one intermediate display mode, which is intermediate between the first display mode and the second display mode; and

when switching the manner of displaying the route between the first display mode and the second display mode, the display section displays the route line further in the intermediate display mode to make a gradual change in appearance of the displayed route line.

3. The map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the map display apparatus is mountable to a vehicle and for use in the vehicle;

in accordance with speed of the vehicle, the display section changes speed of switching between the plurality of display modes.

4. The map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

based on a distance along the route between the present position on the map and a predetermined guidance point along the route, the display section changes speed of switching between the plurality of display modes.

5. The map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

based on the present position on the map, the display section changes speed of switching between the plurality of display modes.

7. The map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

while scale of the map on which the route line is displayed remains constant, the display section switches the manner of displaying the route in turn between the plurality of display modes including;

the first display mode, in which the route line is displayed to have the first transparency and the first width; and

the second display mode, in which the route line is displayed to have the second transparency more transparent than the first transparency and the second width larger than the first width.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to perform the steps of:

displaying a map on a display screen based on map information acquired from a storage medium storing the map information;

displaying a route from a present position to a destination in a form of a route line on the map; and

switching a manner of displaying the route in turn between a plurality of display modes including a first display mode and a second display mode, such that

in the first display mode, the route line is displayed to have a first characteristic;

in the second display mode, the route line is displayed to have a second characteristic;

the first characteristic includes a first transparency and a first width; and

the second characteristic includes a second transparency more transparent than the first transparency and a second width larger than the first width.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 6, wherein:

while scale of the map on which the route line is displayed remains constant, the manner of displaying the route is switched in turn between the plurality of display modes including

the first display mode in which the route line is displayed to have the first transparency and the first width; and

the second display mode in which the route line is displayed to have the second transparency more transparent than the first transparency and the second width larger than the first width.