MAP INFORMATION DISPLAY APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20080262713A1
• Filed: 07/10/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tajima, Takashi, Kudoh, Takahiro, Ozawa, Jun
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A map information display apparatus that displays a map for a mobile object includes: a grouping unit (111) that divides a map included in an image displayed by a map display unit (115) into a plurality of areas; a display position determination unit (113) that selects, for each of the plurality of areas, at most a predetermined number of points as points for displaying estimated transit times, the predetermined number being equal to or larger than 1; a time calculation unit (114) that calculates the estimated transit times of the selected points; and the map display unit (115) that displays an image including the map and the estimated transit times.

Claims

1. A map information display apparatus that displays a map for a mobile object, said map information display apparatus comprising:

a display unit configured to display an image that includes the map and an estimated transit time of a point on the map;

a candidate obtainment unit configured to obtain a plurality of candidate points each of which is a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time;

a selection unit configured to select at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among candidate points, of the plurality of candidate points, that are included in a part of a map area of the map displayed by said display unit;

an estimated time calculation unit configured to calculate an estimated transit time of each of the selected candidate points; and

a display control unit configured to cause said display unit to display the image that includes the map and a combination of the each of selected candidate points and the estimated transit time calculated for the each of selected candidate points,

wherein said selection unit includes a representative point setting unit configured to set a plurality of representative points in the map area of the map included in the displayed image so that a distance between any two representative points which are in a travel direction of the mobile object is shorter than a distance between any two representative points which are in a direction other than the travel direction of the mobile object, the plurality of representative points being separated from each other by at least a predetermined distance, and

said selection unit is configured to, for each of the plurality of representative points, select a candidate point that is closest to the each of plurality of representative points.

2. A map information display method for displaying a map for a mobile object, said map information display method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of candidate points each of which is a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time;

selecting at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among candidate points, of the plurality of candidate points, that are included in a part of a map area of the map to be displayed;

calculating an estimated transit time of each of the selected candidate points; and

displaying the image that includes the map and a combination of the each of selected candidate points and the estimated transit time calculated for the each of selected candidate points,

wherein said selecting includes setting a plurality of representative points in the map area of the map included in the displayed image so that a distance between any two representative points which are in a travel direction of the mobile object is shorter than a distance between any two representative points which are in a direction other than the travel direction of the mobile object, the plurality of representative points being separated from each other by at least a predetermined distance, and

a candidate point that is closest to each of the plurality of representative points is selected for each of the plurality of representative points in said selecting.

3. A map information display program for displaying a map for a mobile object, said map information display program causing a computer to execute:

obtaining a plurality of candidate points each of which is a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time;

selecting at most a predetermined number of candidate points from among candidate points, of the plurality of candidate points, that are included in a part of a map area of the map to be displayed;

calculating an estimated transit time of each of the selected candidate points; and

displaying the image that includes the map and a combination of the each of selected candidate points and the estimated transit time calculated for the each of selected candidate points,

wherein said selecting includes setting a plurality of representative points in the map area of the map included in the displayed image so that a distance between any two representative points which are in a travel direction of the mobile object is shorter than a distance between any two representative points which are in a direction other than the travel direction of the mobile object, the plurality of representative points being separated from each other by at least a predetermined distance, and

a candidate point that is closest to each of the plurality of representative points is selected for each of the plurality of representative points in said selecting.