Information display device, information display method, and radar apparatus

• US 9,030,353 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Original Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Inventors: Kubota, Yugo
• Primary Examiner(s): GREGORY, BERNARR E
• Application Number:
  US13/458,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20120274504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 342175-186, 342/195, 342 29- 51, 701/400, 701/408, 701/467, 701/1, 701/3, 701/4, 701/5, 701/14, 701/120, 701/409, 701/410, 701/445, 701/446, 701/448, 382/100, 382/103, 715/700, 715/764, 715/781, 715/804, 715/805, 340/945, 340/961, 340971-980, 375/240, 375/240.01, 375/240.08, 345/418, 345/581, 345/589, 345/592, 345/619, 345/629, 345/632, 345/633
• US Class Current: 342/176
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/02 Systems using reflection of radio waves, e.g. primary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/937 of marine craft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/12 Plan-position indicators, i.e. P.P.I.
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/22 Producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 3/02 Anti-collision systems

Abstract

This disclosure provides an information display device. The information display device includes an acquirer for acquiring positional information on one or more display targets including at least one of a landmark serving as a reference mark used when a movable body is in move, another movable body, and a location registered by an operator, and a controller for displaying positional information and circumferential information on the movable body in an information display area, associating at least one of the one or more display targets of which a position is outside the information display area with a direction to which the at least one of the one or more display targets is located centering on the movable body, and displaying the at least one of the one or more display targets in an outer circumferential area of the information display area.

Claims

1. An information display device installed in a movable body, comprising:

an acquirer configured to acquire information about a location of at least one display target, the at least one display target including at least one of a landmark, another movable body, and a location designated by a user of the device; and

a controller configured to display, in an information display area, information about a location of the movable body and information about an area surrounding the location of the movable body, wherein, in response to determining that the location of the at least one display target is outside of the information display area, the controller displays the at least one display target at a location in an outer circumferential area of the information display area indicating a relative position of the at least one display target with respect to the location of the movable body which is indicated by a center of the information display area.

2. The information display device of claim 1, wherein the controller extracts the at least one display target to be displayed in the outer circumferential area of the information display area based on a predetermined display condition.

3. The information display device of claim 2, wherein the predetermined display condition includes a geographical distance between a location corresponding to the center of the information display area and the location of the at least one display target.

4. The information display device of claim 2, wherein the predetermined display condition includes a direction of the location of the at least one display target with respect to a location corresponding to the center of the information display area.

5. The information display device of claim 2, wherein the predetermined display condition includes a kind of the at least one display target.

6. The information display device of claim 1, wherein a display format of the at least one display target to be displayed in the outer circumferential area of the information display area is changed based on a geographical distance between the location of the at least one display target and a location corresponding to the center of the information display area.

7. The information display device of claim 6, wherein the display format includes at least one of size, color and transparency of the at least one display target to be displayed in the outer circumferential area of the information display area.

8. The information display device of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface configured to select the at least one display target displayed in the outer circumferential area of the information display area,

wherein, in response to the at least one display target being selected, the controller displays a geographical distance between the location of the at least one display target and a location corresponding to the center of the information display area.

9. The information display device of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface configured to change a display state of the at least one display target between an ON state of being displayed in the outer circumferential area of the information display area and an OFF state of not being displayed in the outer circumferential area of the information display area.

10. The information display device of claim 9, wherein changing the display state of the at least one display target includes changing at least one of size, color and transparency of the at least one display target.

11. The information display device of claim 1, further comprising a display target information storage configured to store a terrestrial reference position of the landmark in advance.

12. The information display device of claim 1, wherein in response to determining that the location of the at least one display target is inside of the information display area, the controller displays the at least one display target in the information display area.

13. A radar apparatus comprising:

a radar antenna; and

an information display device, wherein the information display device comprises;

an acquirer configured to acquire information about a location of at least one display target with respect to a movable body, the at least one display target including at least one of a landmark serving as a reference mark used when the movable body is in motion, another movable body, and a location designated by a user of the device; and

a controller configured to display, in an information display area of the information display device, information about a location of the movable body and information about an area surrounding the location of the movable body,

wherein, in response to determining that the location of the at least one display target is outside of the information display area, the controller displays the at least one display target in an outer circumferential area of the information display area, and

wherein the at least one display target is displayed in the outer circumferential area of the information display area so as to be superimposed on a radar image.

14. The radar apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller extracts the at least one display target to be displayed in the outer circumferential area of the information display area based on a predetermined display condition.

15. The radar apparatus of claim 13, wherein in response to determining that the location of the at least one display target is inside of the information display area, the controller displays the at least one display target in the information display area.

16. A method of displaying information, comprising:

acquiring information about a location of at least one display target with respect to a movable body, the at least one display target including at least one of a landmark serving as a reference mark used when the movable body is in motion, another movable body, and a location designated by an operator of the movable body; and

displaying, in an information display area of an information display device, information about a location of the movable body and information about an area surrounding the location of the movable body,

wherein, in response to determining that the location of the at least one display target is outside of the information display area, displaying the at least one display target in an outer circumferential area of the information display area.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one display target being displayed in the outer circumferential area of the information display area is extracted based on a predetermined display condition.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein in response to determining that the location of the at least one display target is inside of the information display area, the controller displays the at least one display target in the information display area.