Navigation apparatus

• US 8,700,329 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Hideto, Sempuku, Tsuyoshi, Tanaka, Shoji, Ieda, Kuniyo, Sadahiro, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, CALVIN K
• Application Number:
  US13/266,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20120109516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: 701/430, 701/432, 701/455, 701/408, 701/533
• US Class Current: 701/533
• 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: G09B 29/102 using electrical means

Abstract

A navigation apparatus is provided that is highly convenient for a user to view a map screen and a menu window. A display controller 15 determines a view mode of each of a map screen and a menu window, based on information about a travel condition of a moving object from a route search unit 12 and an own-vehicle location identification unit, when the menu window is displayed according to information entered from an input unit 10. A display map generator 16 generates a map screen according to information about the view mode from the display controller 15. A display menu generator 17 generates a menu window according to information about the view mode from the display controller 15. A display unit 21 displays the map screen from the display map generator 16 and the menu window from the menu generator 17.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus, comprising:

a position identification unit that identifies a travel speed of a moving object and a current location thereof;

an input unit that receives a user input instruction;

a map database that stores map data;

a route search unit that searches for a route from an origin to a destination;

a display controller that determines a view mode of a map screen or a menu window, based on information about a travel condition of the moving object obtained from the route search unit or the position identification unit, when the menu window is displayed according to information entered from the input unit;

a display map generator that generates a map screen according to information about the view mode from the display controller;

a display menu generator that generates a menu window according to information about the view mode from the display controller; and

a display unit that displays the menu window from the display menu generator on the map screen from the display map generator;

wherein the display controller varies a screen area for displaying the map screen or the menu window, based on the information of the travel condition,

wherein the display controller uses, as the information on the travel condition, the travel speed of the moving object,

wherein when the travel speed exceeds a predetermined value, the display controller makes the screen area of displaying the menu window smaller than that where the travel speed is the predetermined value or less, and

wherein when the screen area of the menu window is decreased, characters and letters appearing on a menu window displayed in a larger screen area are removed.

2. The navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the distance between the current location and the intersection on the guided route is within a predetermined range, the display controller makes the screen area of displaying the menu window smaller than that where the distance between the intersection on the guided route and the current location is larger than the predetermined range.

3. The navigation apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the menu window is displayed to cause the map screen to be seen through the menu window.

4. A navigation apparatus, comprising:

a position identification unit that identifies a travel speed of a moving object and a current location thereof;

an input unit that receives a user input instruction;

a map database that stores map data;

a route search unit that searches for a route from an origin to a destination;

a display controller that determines a view mode of a map screen or a menu window, based on information about a travel condition of the moving object obtained from the route search unit or the position identification unit, when the menu window is displayed according to information entered from the input unit;

a display map generator that generates a map screen according to information about the view mode from the display controller;

a display menu generator that generates a menu window according to information about the view mode from the display controller; and

a display unit that displays the menu window from the display menu generator on the map screen from the display map generator;

wherein the display controller varies a screen area of displaying the menu window, based on the information of the travel condition,

wherein the display controller uses, as the information on the travel condition, if the route is established, a distance between the current location of the moving object and an intersection on the guided route, and

wherein when the screen area of the menu window is decreased, characters and letters appearing on a menu window displayed in a larger screen area are removed.

5. The navigation apparatus of claim 4, wherein when the distance between the current location and the intersection on the guided route is within a predetermined range, the display controller makes the screen area of displaying the menu window smaller than that where the distance between the intersection on the guided route and the current location is larger than the predetermined range.

6. The navigation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the menu window is displayed to cause the map screen to be seen through the menu window.