Navigation device and display control method

• US 9,423,267 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2014
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Original Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Inventors: Tomizawa, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fei, Jordan S
• Application Number:
  US14/231,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20140297174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/365 Guidance using head up displays or projectors, e.g. virtual vehicles or arrows projected on the windscreen or on the road itself

Abstract

A position detector is configured to detect a current position of a moving body. A condition detector is configured to detect moving conditions including a forward direction of the moving body. A display unit is configured to display a predetermined image overlaid on the landscape in front of the moving body. A storage unit is configured to store the position of each intersection in a route along which the moving body moves and the position and shape of each object existing around the intersection. A selector is configured to select any one of the objects existing around an intersection for which guidance is needed when the moving body nears the intersection. A drawing controller is configured to draw on the display unit, a guide figure indicating the object selected by the selector.

Claims

1. A navigation device comprising:

a position detector configured to detect a current position of a moving body;

a condition detector configured to detect moving conditions including a forward direction of the moving body;

a display unit configured to display on a head-up display a predetermined image overlaid on the view of the landscape in front of the moving body;

a storage unit configured to store the position of each intersection in a route along which the moving body moves and the position and shape of each stationary object existing around each intersection at the point when the objects were stored;

a selector configured to select only one of the objects existing around an intersection for which guidance is needed when the moving body nears the intersection; and

a drawing controller configured to draw on the display unit, a guide figure indicating the object selected by the selector, wherein

the drawing controller draws the guide figure so that the guide figure is seen on a head-up display on the corresponding object in the view of the landscape in front of the vehicle, based on the current position detected by the position detector, the moving condition detected by the condition detector, and the position and shape stored in the storage unit for the object selected by the selector;

the selector selects the objects based on priorities determined according to a positional relationship between the moving body and each object around the intersection for which guidance is needed, the priorities being set so that the objects located on a far side of the intersection for which guidance is needed have a higher priority and the objects located on a near side of the intersection for which guidance is needed have a lower priority with respect to the position of the moving body.

2. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the drawing controller draws the guide figure at a display position which is corrected based on a difference in altitude between the current position of the moving body and the position of the intersection for which guidance is needed.

3. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the moving body being either one of a right-hand drive vehicle or a left-hand drive vehicle,

the selector selects only one of the objects based on priorities which are set so that the objects located on a left side have a higher priority and the objects located on a right side have a lower priority with respect to the position of the right-hand drive vehicle, and that the objects located on the right side have a higher priority and the objects located on the left side have a lower priority with respect to the position of the left-hand drive vehicle.

4. A display control method for a navigation device with a processor comprising:

detecting a current position of a moving body;

detecting moving conditions including a forward direction of the moving body;

selecting only one of objects existing around an intersection for which guidance is needed when the moving body nears the intersection, based on priorities determined according to a positional relationship between the moving body and each object around the intersection, the priorities being set so that the objects located on a far side have a higher priority and the objects located on a near side have a lower priority with respect to the position of the moving body, wherein a storage medium is configured to store the position of each intersection and the position and shape of each stationary object existing around each intersection at the point when the objects were stored; and

drawing a guide figure indicating the selected object on a head-up display unit so that the guide figure is overlaid on the view of the landscape in front of the moving body, and that the guide figure is seen on the corresponding object in the landscape in front of the vehicle, based on the current position of the moving body, the moving condition of the moving body, and the position and shape for the selected object.

5. The display control method according to claim 4, wherein the moving body being either one of a right-hand drive vehicle or a left-hand drive vehicle,

the priorities are set so that the objects located on a left side have a higher priority and the objects located on a right side have a lower priority with respect to the position of the right-hand drive vehicle, and that the objects located on the right side have a higher priority and the objects located on the left side have a lower priority with respect to the position of the left-hand drive vehicle.