MAP INFORMATION DISPLAY APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20080272938A1
• Filed: 07/23/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Jun Ozawa, Takashi Tajima
• Inventors: OZAWA, Jun, TAJIMA, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,628 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/995.27
• 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 candidate obtainment unit includes an event history storage unit in which event history information is stored, the event history information associating types of events with points at which the types of events occurred, each of the types of events being a predetermined change occurring as the mobile object travels, and each of the points being a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time,

said selection unit further includes;

an impression value calculation unit configured to count, for each of the types of events, the number of event occurrence points at which the each of types of events occurred using the event history information, and to calculate a higher impression value when the number of event occurrence points is smaller, as an impression value which shows a degree of impression a user receives from the each of points; and

a division unit configured to divide the map area of the map displayed by said display unit into the plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size, and

said selection unit is configured to select, for each of the plurality of group areas, at most the predetermined number of points in decreasing order of impression value from among points that are included in the each of plurality of group areas.

2. The map information display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a departure position detection unit configured to detect a departure point of the mobile object in current travel,

wherein said event history storage unit stores event history information that associates the types of events, the points at which the types of events occurred, and a departure point of travel in which the types of events occurred, with each other, and

said impression value calculation unit is configured to calculate an impression value of each of the points, using the event history information relating to a same departure point as the departure point detected by said departure position detection unit.

3. 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 candidate obtainment unit includes an event history storage unit in which event history information is stored, the event history information associating types of events with points at which the types of events occurred, each of the types of events being a predetermined change occurring as the mobile object travels, and each of the points being a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time,

said selection unit further includes;

a rare point extraction unit configured to count, for each of the types of events, the number of event occurrence points at which the each of types of events occurred using the event history information, and extract each point at which a type of event whose number of event occurrence points is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold occurred; and

a division unit configured to divide the map area of the map displayed by said display unit into the plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size, and

said selection unit is configured to, when any of the plurality of group areas obtained by said division unit includes a larger number of points extracted by said rare point extraction unit than a predetermined number, calculate, for each combination of the predetermined number of points in the group area, a minimum distance between points included in each combination, and select the predetermined number of points included in a combination corresponding to a largest minimum distance, each as a point for displaying an estimated transit time.

4. 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 obtaining includes referring to event history information associating types of events with points at which the types of events occurred, each of the types of events being a predetermined change occurring as the mobile object travels, and each of the points being a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time,

said selecting further includes;

counting, for each of the types of events, the number of event occurrence points at which the each of types of events occurred using the event history information, and calculating a higher impression value when the number of event occurrence points is smaller, as an impression value which shows a degree of impression a user receives from the each of points; and

dividing the map area of the map displayed in said displaying into the plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size, and

for each of the plurality of group areas, at most the predetermined number of points in decreasing order of impression value is selected from among points that are included in the each of plurality of group areas in said selecting.

5. 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 obtaining includes referring to event history information associating types of events with points at which the types of events occurred, each of the types of events being a predetermined change occurring as the mobile object travels, and each of the points being a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time,

said selecting further includes;

counting, for each of the types of events, the number of event occurrence points at which the each of types of events occurred using the event history information, and extracting each point at which a type of event whose number of event occurrence points is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold occurred; and

dividing the map area of the map displayed in said displaying into the plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size, and

in said selecting, when any of the plurality of group areas obtained in said diving includes a larger number of points extracted by said rare point extraction unit than a predetermined number, a minimum distance between points included in each combination is calculated for each combination of the predetermined number of points in the group area, and the predetermined number of points included in a combination corresponding to a largest minimum distance is selected, each as a point for displaying an estimated transit time.

6. 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 obtaining includes referring to event history information associating types of events with points at which the types of events occurred, each of the types of events being a predetermined change occurring as the mobile object travels, and each of the points being a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time,

said selecting further includes;

counting, for each of the types of events, the number of event occurrence points at which the each of types of events occurred using the event history information, and calculating a higher impression value when the number of event occurrence points is smaller, as an impression value which shows a degree of impression a user receives from the each of points; and

dividing the map area of the map displayed in said displaying into the plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size, and

for each of the plurality of group areas, at most the predetermined number of points in decreasing order of impression value is selected from among points that are included in the each of plurality of group areas in said selecting.

7. 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 obtaining includes referring to event history information associating types of events with points at which the types of events occurred, each of the types of events being a predetermined change occurring as the mobile object travels, and each of the points being a candidate for displaying an estimated transit time,

said selecting further includes;

counting, for each of the types of events, the number of event occurrence points at which the each of types of events occurred using the event history information, and extracting each point at which a type of event whose number of event occurrence points is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold occurred; and

dividing the map area of the map displayed in said displaying into the plurality of group areas each of which is larger than a predetermined size, and

in said selecting, when any of the plurality of group areas obtained in said diving includes a larger number of points extracted by said rare point extraction unit than a predetermined number, a minimum distance between points included in each combination is calculated for each combination of the predetermined number of points in the group area, and the predetermined number of points included in a combination corresponding to a largest minimum distance is selected, each as a point for displaying an estimated transit time.