Navigation apparatus

• US 9,470,543 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Arita, Hidekazu, Shimotani, Mitsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US14/414,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20150211880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 701/409
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• 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: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A navigation apparatus that acquires position information regarding a specific information device enables its own position relative to the specific information device to be easily grasped. The navigation apparatus includes a communication unit that communicates with the specific information device, an own position calculator that calculates its own position, an other person'"'"'s position acquiring unit that acquires the position of the specific information device via the communication unit, an other person'"'"'s moving direction acquiring unit that obtains a moving direction of the specific information device, and a display/input unit configured to display a map. The display/input unit displays a map with the moving direction of the specific information device oriented up.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a processor (CPU) that executes a program; and

a memory that stores the program, the program when executed by the processor performing a process of

exchanging data with a communication unit that communicates with a specific information device;

acquiring an own position;

acquiring a position of said specific information device via said communication unit;

acquiring a moving direction of said specific information device; and

outputting display data to a display configured to display a map,

wherein said display is configured to display a map in which the moving direction of said specific information device is oriented up, and

in a state where the navigation apparatus is mounted in a vehicle, the map in which the moving direction of said specific information device is oriented up is allowed to be displayed only while the vehicle is stopped.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said display is configured to display a plurality of sub-screens simultaneously,

a first sub-screen displays a map with the moving direction of said specific information device oriented up, and

a second sub-screen displays a map with an own moving direction or a specific bearing oriented up.

3. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said display is configured to display a sub-screen superimposed on a main screen,

one of said main screen and said sub-screen displays a map with the moving direction of said specific information device oriented up, and

the other of said main screen and said sub-screen displays a map with an own moving direction or a specific bearing oriented up.

4. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distance and direction from the position of said specific information device to the own position is displayed with the map in which the moving direction of said specific information device is oriented up.

5. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquired moving direction of said specific information device is calculated by said specific information device.

6. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the navigation apparatus is a portable navigation apparatus, and

the map displayed on said display rotates depending on an orientation of the navigation apparatus.

7. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the map in which the moving direction of said specific information device is oriented up is displayed using map data that is different from own map data used for route guidance.

8. The navigation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said map data different from said own map data used for route guidance is obtained through communication.

9. The navigation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said map data different from said own map data used for route guidance is more simplified or exaggerated than said own map data used for route guidance.

10. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a processor (CPU) that executes a program; and

a memory that stores the program, the program when executed by the processor performing a process of

exchanging data with a communication unit that communicates with a specific information device;

acquiring an own position;

acquiring a position of said specific information device via said communication unit;

obtaining a moving direction of said specific information device; and

outputting display data to a display configured to display a map,

wherein said display is configured to display a first map in which an own moving direction or a specific bearing is oriented up and a second map in which the moving direction of said specific information device is oriented up at the same time, and

the second map, in which the moving direction of said specific information device is oriented up, is displayed only while the first map, in which the own moving direction or the specific bearing is oriented up, is displayed.

11. The navigation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

said display is configured to display a plurality of sub-screens simultaneously,

a first sub-screen displays the second map with the moving direction of said specific information device oriented up, and

a second sub-screen displays the second map with an own moving direction or a specific bearing oriented up.

12. The navigation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

said display is configured to display a sub-screen superimposed on a main screen,

one of said main screen and said sub-screen displays the second map with the moving direction of said specific information device oriented up, and

the other of said main screen and said sub-screen displays the first map with an own moving direction or a specific bearing oriented up.

13. The navigation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the distance and direction from the position of said specific information device to the own position is displayed with the second map in which the moving direction of said specific information device is oriented up.

14. The navigation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the acquired moving direction of said specific information device is calculated by said specific information device.

15. The navigation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the navigation apparatus is a portable navigation apparatus, and

a map displayed on said display rotates depending on an orientation of the navigation apparatus.

16. The navigation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second map in which the moving direction of said specific information device is oriented up is displayed using map data that is different from own map data used for route guidance.

17. The navigation apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said map data different from said own map data used for route guidance is obtained through communication.

18. The navigation apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said map data different from said own map data used for route guidance is more simplified or exaggerated than said own map data used for route guidance.