Electronic chart display device and method of displaying information relating to electronic chart

• US 9,842,567 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2015
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Original Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Inventors: Shimizutani, Ryu, Okuda, Masato, Tagawa, Masami, Oda, Tomihiko, Morita, Takatoshi, Turkulainen, Petri
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttram, Todd
• Application Number:
  US14/921,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20160042716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/203 Specially adapted for sailing ships
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/22 Plotting boards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence

Abstract

An electronic map display device is provided. The device acquires electronic maps and displays the electronic maps, each electronic map being acquired per acquisition unit. The electronic map display device may include a map information display determiner for determining whether the electronic map is currently available per acquisition unit, and a map information display interface for displaying information relating to the electronic map per the acquisition unit depending on whether the electronic map is currently available. The map information display interface varies the exterior edge of each of the electronic maps depending on the status of the electronic map.

Claims

1. An electronic map display device for displaying a status for each of a plurality of electronic maps, comprising:

a license key acquirer configured to acquire a license key having a period of validity to use at least one of the electronic maps,

a map information display determiner configured to determine whether each of the electronic maps is currently available for acquisition based on the license key; and

a map information display interface configured to display electronic map information for each of the electronic maps showing an exterior edge of a range recorded in each of the electronic maps, wherein the exterior edge indicates that the electronic map is currently available as determined by the map information display determiner, or the exterior edge indicates that the electronic map is currently not available as determined by the map information display determiner,

wherein the map information display interface varies the exterior edge of each of the electronic maps depending on the status of the electronic map.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the status of the electronic map includes at least one of a license status of the electronic map, an acquisition status of electronic map data, and update information of the electronic map.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory which stores data of the electronic maps,

an update information acquirer configured to acquire update information data and update the data of the electronic maps stored in the memory to a latest state,

wherein a new license key is required to use the updated electronic maps.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the map information display interface displays statuses of the respective electronic maps into a list, as the information relating to the electronic maps.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a route setter configured to set a scheduled route as well as displaying the scheduled route by superimposing on displayed electronic map data; and

a passing schedule map information display controller configured to graphically display the exterior edge of each of the electronic maps showing at least a part of an area where the scheduled route passes,

wherein the passing schedule map information display controller varies the display mode depending on whether the electronic map corresponding to the area on the route is currently available.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a route setter configured to set a scheduled route; and

a passing schedule map information display controller configured to display statuses of the respective electronic maps into a list, each electronic map recording at least a part of an area where the scheduled route passes.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the exterior edge of the range recorded in each of the electronic maps and the information about whether the electronic map is currently available are displayed by Mercator projection when a scale of a rough map is larger than a predetermined scale, and are displayed by orthographic projection when the scale of the rough map is smaller than the predetermined scale.

8. An electronic map display method for displaying a status for each of a plurality of electronic maps, comprising:

acquiring a license key having a period of validity to use at least one of the electronic maps,

determining whether each of the electronic maps is currently available for acquisition based on the license key;

displaying electronic map information for each of the electronic maps showing an exterior edge of a range recorded in each of the electronic maps, wherein the exterior edge indicates that the electronic map is currently available, or the exterior edge indicates that the electronic map is currently not available; and

varying the exterior edge of each of the electronic maps depending on the status of the electronic map.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the status of the electronic map includes at least one of a license status of the electronic map, an acquisition status of electronic map data, and update information of the electronic map.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

storing data of the electronic maps;

acquiring update information data and updating the data of the electronic maps stored in the memory to a latest state; and

requiring a new license key to use the updated electronic maps.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein statuses of the respective electronic maps are displayed into a list, as the information relating to the electronic maps.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

setting a scheduled route as well as displaying the scheduled route by superimposing on displayed electronic map data;

graphically displaying the exterior edge of each of the electronic maps showing at least a part of an area where the scheduled route passes; and

varying the display mode depending on whether the electronic map corresponding to the area on the route is currently available.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

setting a scheduled route; and

displaying statuses of the respective electronic maps into a list, each electronic map recording at least a part of an area where the scheduled route passes.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the exterior edge of the range recorded in each of the electronic maps and the information about whether the electronic map is currently available are displayed by Mercator projection when a scale of a rough map is larger than a predetermined scale, and are displayed by orthographic projection when the scale of the rough map is smaller than the predetermined scale.

15. An electronic map display device for displaying a status for each of a plurality of electronic maps, comprising:

processing circuitry configured

to acquire a license key having a period of validity to use at least one of the electronic maps,

to determine whether each of the electronic maps is currently available; and

to display electronic map information for each of the electronic maps showing an exterior edge of a range recorded in each of the electronic maps,

wherein the exterior edge conveys information about whether the electronic map is currently available, and

wherein, for a first electronic map that is available, the processing circuitry is further configured to vary the exterior edge of the first electronic map by displaying the exterior edge with a first line type indicating that the first electronic map is available, and for a second electronic map that is not available, the processing circuitry is further configured to vary the exterior edge of the second electronic map by displaying the exterior edge with a second line type indicating that the second electronic map is not available.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the first line type further indicates that data of the first electronic map is a latest version.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to vary the exterior edge of the first electronic map by displaying the exterior edge with a third line type indicating that data of the first electronic map is pending an update.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the second line type further indicates that the license key is valid.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to vary the exterior edge of the second electronic map by displaying the exterior edge with a fourth line type indicating that the license key is invalid.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to vary the exterior edge of the second electronic map by displaying the exterior edge with a fifth line type indicating an installation error of the second electronic map.