Abridged map generating apparatus, on-vehicle information terminal, abridged map distribution system and abridged map generating method

• US 20060085126A1
• Filed: 10/17/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Xanavi Informatics Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sumizawa, Akio, Morita, Manabu, Asahara, Akinori, Maruyama, Kishiko, Hiroike, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,477,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map

Abstract

An abridged map generating apparatus includes a polygon shape data extraction unit that extracts from map data polygon shape data specifying the shape of a polygon, a polygon shape simplification unit that simplifies the shape of the polygon based upon the polygon shape data which is extracted by the polygon shape data extraction unit, and a polygon drawing unit that draws upon a map the polygon whose shape has been simplified by the polygon shape simplification unit.

Claims

1. An abridged map generating apparatus, comprising:

a polygon shape data extraction unit that extracts from map data polygon shape data specifying a shape of a polygon;

a polygon shape simplification unit that simplifies the shape of the polygon based upon the polygon shape data which is extracted by the polygon shape data extraction unit; and

a polygon drawing unit that draws upon a map the polygon whose shape has been simplified by the polygon shape simplification unit.

2. An abridged map generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an integration unit that integrates a part of a polygon and a part of a road which are mutually adjacent and creates an integrated link for indicating the both parts of the polygon and the road by common data;

an integrated link shape simplification unit that simplifies a shape of the integrated link created by the integration unit;

a separation unit that separates the integrated link whose shape is simplified by the integrated link shape simplification unit into a polygon separation link and a road separation link; and

a separated link drawing unit that draws the polygon separation link and the road separation link which are separated by the separation unit upon the map.

3. An abridged map generating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the integrated link shape simplification unit simplifies the shape of the integrated link with fixed positions of both end points of the integrated link.

4. An abridged map generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the polygon corresponds to a shoreline, pond, lake, or river.

5. An abridged map generating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the polygon corresponds to a shoreline, pond, lake, or river.

6. An abridged map generating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the polygon corresponds to a shoreline, pond, lake, or river.

7. An abridged map generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

an abridged map which is generated by simplifying a road shape based upon the map data is displayed as the map.

8. An abridged map generating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

an abridged map which is generated by simplifying a road shape based upon the map data is displayed as the map.

9. An abridged map generating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

an abridged map which is generated by simplifying a road shape based upon the map data is displayed as the map.

10. An abridged map generating apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

an abridged map which is generated by simplifying a road shape based upon the map data is displayed as the map.

11. An abridged map generating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

an abridged map which is generated by simplifying a road shape based upon the map data is displayed as the map.

12. An abridged map generating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

an abridged map which is generated by simplifying a road shape based upon the map data is displayed as the map.

13. An on-vehicle information terminal, comprising:

an abridged map generating apparatus according to claim 1;

and

a display control unit that causes an abridged map generated by the abridged map generating apparatus to be displayed upon a display monitor.

14. An abridged map distribution system, comprising:

an abridged map generating apparatus according to claim 1;

a distribution apparatus that distributes an abridged map generated by the abridged map generating apparatus; and

a navigation apparatus that receives the abridged map distributed by the distribution apparatus.

15. An abridged map generating method, comprising:

extracting polygon shape data specifying a shape of a polygon from map data;

simplifying the shape of the polygon based upon the polygon shape data which has been extracted; and

drawing the polygon whose shape has been simplified upon a map.