Navigation apparatus, image display method, and program for the image display method

• US 20070150180A1
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Xanavi Informatics Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Matsuo, Shigeru, Miyazawa, Hirohisa
• Granted Patent: US 7,706,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3635 Guidance using 3D or perspective road maps
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3688 Systems comprising multiple parts or multiple output devices (not client-server), e.g. detachable faceplates, key fobs or multiple output screens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/27 involving lenticular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/30 involving parallax barriers

Abstract

A navigation apparatus which includes a front image display displaying an image of a front side and a back image display displaying an image of a back side, the each image being one of images stereoscopically overlapped along the line of sight; a front image signal; a measuring unit for measuring a current position of own vehicle; a map storage unit; a controller for controlling each unit, wherein the controller reads map data of a predetermined area and determines if an elevated road exists in the area, wherein when the elevated road exists, the controller checks whether or not the current position of the own vehicle is on the elevated road, and wherein when the current position is not on the elevated road, the front image display draws the image of the elevated road so that an image drawn on the back image display can be visually percepted.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus, comprising:

front side image display means for displaying an image of a front side and back side image display means for displaying an image of a back side, the each image being one of images which stereoscopically overlap along a line of sight;

measuring means for measuring a current position of an own vehicle;

map storage means for storing map data which includes information indicating whether or not a feature is an elevated road and data of an image of a road; and

control means for controlling each means,

wherein the control means reads the map data of a predetermined area, where the current position of the own vehicle is included, from the map storage means, based on the current position of the own vehicle measured by the measuring means;

wherein the control means determines whether or not the elevated road exists in the predetermined area, based on information indicating whether or not the feature, which is registered as the map data, is the elevated road, and

wherein when the control means determines that the elevated road exists in the predetermined area, the control means determines whether or not the current position of the own vehicle is on the elevated road, based on the current position of the own vehicle measured by the measuring means, and

wherein when the current position of the own vehicle is not on the elevated road,

the control means inserts an image of the elevated road included in the map data into a front side image signal for displaying the image of the front side;

the control means transmits the front side image signal to the front side image display means; and

the front side image display means draws the image of the elevated road so that an image drawn on the back side image display means can be visually percepted, based on the front side image signal.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein to draw the image of the elevated road so that an image drawn on the back side image display means can be visually percepted is to draw the image of the elevated road semi-transmissively.

3. The navigation apparatus according to claims 1,

wherein the front side image display means and the back side image display means are disposed with a predetermined distance at a front side and back side along the line of sight.

4. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control means inserts information of a leading guide map into the front side image signal, and transmits the front side image signal to the front side image display means;

wherein the front side image display means displays the leading guide map on the front side image display means if the current position of the own vehicle is in a predetermined position.

5. The navigation apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the leading guide map is a quarter guide map or an enlarged intersection map.

6. A navigation apparatus, comprising:

right eye image display means for displaying an image for a right eye;

left eye image display means for displaying an image for a left eye;

measuring means for measuring a current position of an own vehicle;

map storage means for storing map data which includes information indicating whether or not a feature is an elevated road and data of an image of a road; and

control means for controlling each means,

wherein the control means reads the map data of a predetermined area, where the current position of the own vehicle is included, from the map storage means, based on the current position of the own vehicle measured by the measuring means;

wherein the control means determines whether or not an elevated road exists in the predetermined area, based on information indicating whether or not the feature, which is registered as the map data, is the elevated road, and

wherein when the control means determines that the elevated road exists in the predetermined area, the control means determines whether or not the current position of the own vehicle is on the elevated road, based on the current position of the own vehicle measured by the measuring means, and

wherein when the current position of the own vehicle is not on the elevated road,

the control means inserts image data of the elevated road included in the map data in a right eye image signal for displaying the image for the right eye and a left eye image signal for displaying the image for the left eye;

the control means transmits the right eye image signal to the right eye image display means;

the control means transmits the left eye image signal, of which drawing position of the image is displaced against the right eye image signal, to the left eye image display means; and

the right eye image display means and left eye image display means draw an image of a road under an elevated road so that the image can be visually percepted, based on the right eye image signal and left eye image signal, respectively.

7. An image display method for a navigation apparatus, comprising:

front side image display means for displaying an image of a front side and back side image display means for displaying an image of a back side, the each image being one of images which stereoscopically overlap along the line of sight;

measuring means for measuring a current position of an own vehicle;

map storage means for storing map data which includes information indicating whether or not a feature is an elevated road and data of an image of a road; and

control means for controlling each means,

wherein the control means, comprising steps of;

reading the map data of a predetermined area where the current position of the own vehicle is included from the map storage means, based on the current position of the own vehicle measured by the measuring means; and

determining whether or not an elevated road exists in the predetermined area, based on information indicating whether or not the feature, which is registered as the map data, is the elevated road, and

wherein when the control means determines that an elevated road exists in the predetermined area, the control means, comprising a step of;

determining whether or not the current position of the own vehicle is on the elevated road, based on the current position of the own vehicle measured by the measuring means, and

wherein when the current position of the own vehicle is not on the elevated road, the control means, comprising steps of;

inserting an image of the elevated road included in the map data in a front side image signal for displaying the image of the front side; and

transmitting the front side image signal to the front side image display means; and

the front side image display means, comprising a step of;

drawing the image of the elevated road so that an image drawn on the back side image display means can be visually percepted, based on the front side image signal.

8. The image display method for a navigation apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein to draw the image of the elevated road so that an image drawn on the back side image display means can be visually percepted is to draw the image of the elevated road semi-transmissively.

9. The image display method for a navigation apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the front side image display means and the back side image display means are disposed with a predetermined distance at a front side and back side along the line of sight.

10. The image display method for a navigation apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the control means, comprising steps of:

inserting information of a leading guide map in the front side image signal; and

transmitting the front side image signal to the front side image display means, and

the front side image display means, comprising a step of;

displaying the leading guide map on the front side image display means if the current position of the own vehicle is in a predetermined position.

11. The image display method for a navigation apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the leading guide map is a quarter guide map or an enlarged intersection map.

13. An image display program product comprising a program, readable by a computer, that causes the computer for executing the image display method according to claim 7, comprising:

a first sub-module program for functioning the front side image display means for displaying the image of the front side and back side image display means for displaying the image of the back side, the each image being one of images which stereoscopically overlap along the line of sight;

a second sub-module program for generating the front side image signal for displaying the image of the front side;

a third sub-module program for functioning the measuring means for measuring the current position of the own vehicle;

a fourth sub-module program for functioning the map storage means for storing the map data which includes the information indicating whether or not the feature is the elevated road and data of the image of the road; and

a fifth sub-module program for functioning the control means for controlling the each means,

wherein the control means, comprising the steps of;

reading the map data of the predetermined area where the current position of the own vehicle is included from the map storage means, based on the current position of the own vehicle measured by the measuring means;

determining whether or not the elevated road exists in the predetermined area, based on information indicating whether or not the feature, which is registered as the map data, is the elevated road, and

wherein when the control means determines that the elevated road exists in the predetermined area, the control means, comprising the step of;

determining whether or not the current position of the own vehicle is on the elevated road, based on the current position of the own vehicle measured by the measuring means, and

wherein when the current position of the own vehicle is not on the elevated road, the control means, comprising the steps of;

inserting the image of the elevated road included in the map data in the front side image signal;

transmitting the front side image signal to the front side image display means; and

wherein the front side image display means, comprising the step of;

drawing the image of the elevated road so that the image drawn on the back side image display means can be visually percepted, based on the front side image signal.

12. An image display method for a navigation apparatus, comprising:

right eye image display means for displaying an image for a right eye;

left eye image display means for displaying an image for a left eye; and

map storage means for storing map data which includes information indicating whether or not a feature is an elevated road and data of an image of a road,

wherein the navigation apparatus, comprising steps of;

reading the map data of a predetermined area where the current position of an own vehicle is included from the map storage means, based on the current position of the own vehicle measured by the measuring means; and

determining whether or not the elevated road exists in the predetermined area, based on information indicating whether or not the feature, which is registered as the map data, is the elevated road, and

wherein when determined that an elevated road exists in the predetermined area, the control means, comprising a step of;

determining whether or not the current position of the own vehicle is on the elevated road, based on the current position of the own vehicle measured by the measuring means, and

wherein when the current position of the own vehicle is not on the elevated road, comprising steps of;

inserting image data of an elevated road included in the map data in a right eye image signal for displaying the image for the right eye and a left eye image signal for displaying the image for the left eye;

transmitting the right eye image signal to the right eye image display means for displaying the image for the right eye; and

transmitting a left eye image signal for displaying the image for the left eye, of which drawing position of the image is displaced against the right eye image signal, to the left eye image display means for displaying an image for a left eye, and

the right eye image display means and left eye image display means, comprising a step of;

drawing an image of a road under an elevated road so that the image can be visually percepted, based on the right eye image signal and left eye image signal, respectively.

14. An image display program product comprising a program, readable by a computer, that causes the computer for executing the image display method according to claim 12, comprising:

a first sub-module program for functioning the right eye image display means for displaying the image for the right eye;

a second sub-module program for functioning the left eye image display means for displaying the image for the left eye;

a third sub-module program for functioning the right eye image signal for displaying the image for the right eye;

a fourth sub-module program for functioning the left eye image signal for displaying the image for the left eye;

a fifth sub-module program for functioning the measuring means for measuring the current position of the own vehicle;

a sixth sub-module program for functioning the map storage means for storing the map data which includes the information indicating whether or not the feature is the elevated road and the data of the image of the road; and

a seventh sub-module program for functioning the control means for controlling the each means,

wherein the control means, comprising steps of;

reading the map data of the predetermined area where the current position of the own vehicle is included from the map storage means, based on the current position of the own vehicle measured by the measuring means;

determining whether or not the elevated road exists in the predetermined area, based on information indicating whether or not the feature, which is registered as the map data, is the elevated road, and

wherein when the control means determines that the elevated road exists in the predetermined area, the control means, comprising the step of;

determining whether or not the current position of the own vehicle is on the elevated road, based on the current position of the own vehicle measured by the measuring means, and

wherein when the current position of the own vehicle is not on the elevated road, the control means, comprising steps of;

inserting image data of the elevated road included in the map data in the right eye image signal and left eye image signal;

transmitting the right eye image signal to the right eye image display means;

transmitting the left eye image signal, of which drawing position of the image is displaced against the right eye image signal, to the left eye image display means, and

wherein the right eye image display means and left eye image display means, comprising the step of;

drawing the image of the road under the elevated road so that the image can be visually percepted, based on the right eye image signal and left eye image signal, respectively.