DISPLAY CONTROL WITH MOVABLE OR UPDATABLE AUXILIARY INFORMATION

• US 20020180802A1
• Filed: 07/09/1999
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: OGAWA, HIDEAKI, TANIGAWA, HIDEKAZU
• Granted Patent: US 6,529,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/809
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A display controller according to the present invention includes: an output device with a display and an audio output port; external storage; an external input device; and a key input device. On the external storage, menu for map information, positional coordinates of the menu when displayed on the screen, and positional coordinates of the map information when displayed on the screen are stored. The external input device includes a navigation controller and a GPS receiver. When an image scrolling instruction is input through the key input device, the menu moves in the direction in which the display image is moving.

Claims

1. A display controller comprising:

a display screen for presenting thereon at least part of display information as a display image, part of the display screen being allocated for an auxiliary information display area; and

means for moving the auxiliary information display area on the display screen in a direction in which the display image is scrolled.

2. A display controller comprising:

a display screen for presenting thereon at least part of display information as a display image;

an external input device for receiving and outputting a scroll instruction signal, which is externally supplied to scroll the display image;

information storage for storing thereon auxiliary information to be presented on the display screen and information about a location at which the auxiliary information is to be displayed; and

means, responsive to the scroll instruction signal supplied from the external input device, for updating the display location information such that the location of the auxiliary information displayed moves on the display screen in a direction in which the display image moves,

wherein the display screen presents the auxiliary information as part of the display image based on the updated display location information.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the display information is map information, and

wherein the scroll instruction signal is generated by a key input device, a navigation controller or a GPS receiver.

4. A display controlling method comprising the steps of:

a) presenting at least part of display information as a display image on a display screen;

b) defining an auxiliary information display area on part of the display screen;

c) scrolling the display image in response to a scroll instruction signal externally supplied; and

d) moving the auxiliary information display area on the display screen in a direction in which the display image is scrolled in response to the scroll instruction signal.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the display information is map information, and

wherein the step c) comprises the step of generating the scroll instruction signal using a key input device, a navigation controller or a GPS receiver.

6. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a display control program for presenting at least part of display information on a display screen, the display control program being executable in a computer for performing the steps of:

a) presenting at least part of the display information as a display image on the display screen;

b) defining an auxiliary information display area on part of the display screen;

c) scrolling the display image in response to a scroll instruction signal externally supplied; and

d) moving the auxiliary information display area on the display screen in a direction in which the display image is scrolled in response to the scroll instruction signal.