Navigation device and traffic line display method

• US 8,645,065 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2010
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Technology Law Group LLC
• Inventors: Doi, Shinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): LI, CE LI
• Application Number:
  US12/703,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20100235081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 701/400, 701408-409, 701/431, 701/437, 701/439, 701117-119, 701/532, 340/995.27, 340/995.1, 34099513-99515
• US Class Current: 701/532
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3694 Output thereof on a road map

Abstract

A navigation device and a traffic line display method which make a user reliably recognize the relationships between traffic lines and roads when the traffic lines are displayed so as to correspond to the roads which are positioned near one another in a concentrated manner or connected to one another are provided. When the roads currently displayed include roads which belong to a certain road type and which are positioned near one another within a predetermined distance or connected to one another and when at least one of the roads has heavy traffic, the vicinity/connection roads positioned near one another within a predetermined distance or connected to one another and the corresponding traffic lines are clearly distinguished from one another by displaying the roads and the corresponding traffic lines so as to be visually separate from one another. Accordingly, the relationships between the traffic lines and roads are reliably recognized.

Claims

1. A navigation device which displays traffic lines representing traffic congestion levels along roads in a map image, the navigation device comprising:

a traffic information obtaining unit configured to obtain traffic information regarding roads;

a road condition determination unit configured to determine whether the roads which have been displayed in a screen include a plurality of roads which belong to a predetermined road type and which are positioned within a predetermined distance of one another or are connected to one another;

a traffic congestion determination unit configured to determine, when the road condition determination unit determines that the plurality of roads which are positioned within a predetermined distance of one another or which are connected to one another are included in the roads which have been displayed in the screen, whether at least one road of the plurality of roads has heavy traffic in accordance with the traffic information obtained by the traffic information obtaining unit; and

a simple-road-graphic-screen display controller configured to perform control for displaying a simple road graphic screen when the traffic congestion determination unit determines that at least one road of the plurality of roads has heavy traffic, the simple road graphic screen being a graphic screen comprising one window that is configured to display, as simple road graphics, the plurality of roads that the road condition determination unit determines to be positioned within a predetermined distance from one another or connected to one another;

wherein the simple-road-graphic-screen display controller is configured to perform control such that a group of a selected road of the plurality of roads and a traffic line corresponding to the selected road are displayed in an emphasized manner in the window of simple road graphic screen relative to other groups of road and their corresponding traffic lines.

2. The navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a road determination unit configured to determine whether at least one road of the plurality of roads is connected to a road in a direction of et travel in which a vehicle is currently traveling,

wherein the display controller performs control such that the roads of the plurality of roads are displayed so as to visually separate the roads of the plurality of roads from one another and the traffic lines corresponding to the plurality of roads are displayed so as to visually separate the traffic lines corresponding to the plurality of roads from one another only when the road determination unit determines that at least one road of the plurality of roads is connected to a road in a direction of travel in which a vehicle is currently traveling.

3. The navigation device according to claim 1,

wherein the simple-road-graphic-screen display controller is configured to perform control such that the selected road and the other roads are displayed so as to be different from each other by different colors, and only the traffic line, among the traffic lines, corresponding to the selected road is displayed.

4. The navigation device according to claim 1,

wherein the simple-road-graphic-screen display controller performs control such that a width of the selected road is displayed so as to be larger than those of the other roads and a width of the traffic line corresponding to the selected road is displayed so as to be larger than those of the other traffic lines.

5. The navigation device according to claim 1,

wherein the simple-road-graphic-screen display controller performs control such that the group of the selected road and the corresponding traffic line is displayed in a highlighted manner.

6. The navigation device according to claim 1,

wherein the simple-road-graphic-screen display controller performs control such that only the group of the selected road and the corresponding traffic line is displayed.

7. The navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an icon display controller configured to perform control such that an icon used to instruct display of the simple road graphic screen is displayed near the plurality of roads that the road condition determination unit determines to be positioned within a predetermined distance of one another or connected to one another; and

a selection determination unit configured to determine whether the icon which is controlled to be displayed by the icon display controller was selected,

wherein the simple-road-graphic-screen display controller performs control such that the simple road graphic screen is displayed when the selection determination unit determined that the icon is selected.

8. The navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an icon display controller configured to perform control such that an icon used to instruct enlargement of a display scale of the map image is displayed near the plurality of roads which are determined, by the road condition determination unit, to be positioned near to one another or connected to one another; and

a selection determination unit configured to determine whether the icon which is controlled to be displayed by the icon display controller was selected,

wherein the separate display controller performs, when the selection determination unit determined that the icon was selected, control such that the map image is displayed in an enlargement manner by changing the display scale of the map image which is being displayed to be smaller.

9. The navigation device according to claim 8,

wherein the display controller performs control such that the map image is displayed in an enlargement manner by changing the display scale to a predetermined display scale.

10. The navigation device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a display scale setting unit configured to set a display scale in accordance with the number of roads of the plurality of roads that the road condition determination unit determines to be positioned within a predetermined distance of one another or connected to one another,

wherein the display controller performs control such that the map image is displayed in an enlargement manner by changing the display scale to a display scale set by the display scale setting unit.

11. A traffic line display method of a navigation device which displays traffic lines representing traffic congestion levels along roads in a map image, the traffic line display method comprising:

obtaining traffic information associated with roads in a map image;

determining whether the roads which have been displayed in a screen include a plurality of roads which belong to a predetermined road type and which are positioned within a predetermined distance of one another or are connected to one another;

determining, when it is determined that the plurality of roads which are positioned within a predetermined distance of one another or which are connected to one another are included in the roads which have been displayed in the screen module, whether at least one of the plurality of roads has heavy traffic in accordance with the obtained traffic information; and

performing control for displaying a simple road graphic screen when it is determined that at least one of the plurality of roads has heavy traffic, the simple road graphic screen being a graphic screen comprising one window that displays, as simple road graphics, the plurality of road that are determined to be positioned within a predetermined distance from one another or connected to one another, and performing control such that a group of a selected road of the plurality of roads and a traffic line corresponding to the selected road are displayed in an emphasized manner in the window of the simple road graphic screen relative to other groups of roads and their corresponding traffic lines.

12. The traffic line display method according to claim 11, further comprising:

when it is determined that the plurality of roads which are positioned near one another or which are connected to one another are included in the roads which have been displayed in the screen, determining whether at least one of the plurality of roads is connected to a road in which a vehicle is currently traveling in a direction of travel; and

wherein controlling display of the screen is performed such that the plurality of roads are displayed so as to be visually separate from one another and the traffic lines corresponding to the plurality of roads are displayed so as to be visually separate from one another only when it is determined that at least one road of the plurality of roads is connected to a road on which a vehicle is currently traveling in a direction of travel.

13. The traffic line display method according to claim 11,

wherein controlling display of the screen is performed such that the selected road and the other roads are displayed so as to be different from each other by different colors, and only the traffic line, among the traffic lines, corresponding to the selected road is displayed.

14. The traffic line display method according to claim 11,

wherein controlling display of the screen is performed such that a width of the selected road is displayed so as to be larger than those of the other roads and a width of the traffic line corresponding to the selected road is displayed so as to be larger than those of the other traffic lines.

15. The traffic line display method according to claim 11,

wherein controlling display of the screen is performed such that the group of the selected road and the corresponding traffic line is displayed in a highlighted manner.

16. The traffic line display method according to claim 11,

wherein controlling display of the screen is performed such that only the group of the selected road and the corresponding traffic line is displayed.

17. The traffic line display method according to claim 11, further comprising:

performing control such that an icon used to instruct display of the simple road graphic screen is displayed near the plurality of roads which are determined to be positioned within a predetermined distance of one another or connected to one another; and

determining whether the icon is selected,

wherein controlling display of the screen is performed such that the simple road graphic screen is displayed when it is determined that the icon is selected.