Map display method

• US 20060220923A1
• Filed: 08/18/2004
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: Tanizaki, Masaaki, Shimada, Shigeru, Maruyama, Kishiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,839,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/995.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

A map display method whereby the contents of a road map displayed can be easily and clearly grasped regardless of the running conditions of a vehicle.

In a summarized map displayed on a display screen 10, an area including a vehicle position 11, a destination 13 and a guide route 12 between them is displayed in simplified fashion. At a position far from the destination, as shown in FIG. 2A, a summarized map of a wide area is displayed and objects including a road 14 and a facility 15 are limited to a greater degree. With the approach of the vehicle position 11 to the destination 13, as shown in FIG. 2B, the contraction scale is decreased and a summarized map of a middle area is displayed, while at the same time increasing the objects displayed. With a further approach of the vehicle position 11 to the destination 13, as shown in FIG. 2C, a narrower area is displayed in summarization, while at the same time displaying substantially all the objects, thereby making it possible to grasp the neighborhood of the destination 13 in detail.

Claims

1. A map display method for detecting the present position of a vehicle and displaying a road map including a vehicle position mark indicating the present position of the vehicle and a guide route along which the vehicle runs,

characterized in that a summarized map indicating the guide route from the present position of the vehicle to the destination is displayed, and the summarized map is a map summarized with a summarization degree corresponding to the distance from the present position of the vehicle to the destination.

2. A map display method according to claim 1,

characterized in that the limited number of the roads and the display elements to be displayed in the summarized map is changed in accordance with the summarization degree.

3. A map display method according to claim 2,

characterized in that the priority is set for each type of the roads and the display elements, and the roads and the display elements displayed in the summarized map are selected based on the priority in accordance with the summarization degree.

4. A map display method according to claim 1,

characterized in that a two-screen display of the summarized map and a road map of another form is possible.

5. A map display method according to claim 2,

characterized in that a two-screen display of the summarized map and a road map of another form is possible.

6. A map display method according to claim 3,

characterized in that a two-screen display of the summarized map and a road map of another form is possible.

7. A map display method according to claim 4,

characterized in that the road map of another form of display is a local plane map of the neighborhood of the present position of the vehicle.

8. A map display method according to claim 7,

characterized in that the contraction scale of the local plane map can be changed.

9. A map display method for detecting the present position of a vehicle and displaying a road map including a vehicle position mark indicating the present position of the vehicle and a guide route along which the vehicle runs,

characterized in that a summarized map indicating a local area including the guide route from the present position of the vehicle is displayed, and

the limited amount of the roads and the display elements to be displayed in the summarized map is changed in accordance with the running speed of the vehicle.

10. A map display method according to claim 9, characterized in that the range of the map display area of the summarized map is changed in accordance with the running speed of the vehicle.