Map displaying apparatus

• US 5,635,953 A
• Filed: 02/03/1995
• Issued: 06/03/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Hayami, Katsuro, Yoshida, Chisato, Yokouchi, Kazuhiro, Goto, Hirofumi, Fujii, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stoll, Kara Farnandez
• Application Number:
  US08/384,599
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 340/712, 340/723, 340/990, 340/995, 340/525, 379/45, 364/443, 395/161, 345/173, 345/146, 345/113, 345/115, 345/133
• US Class Current: 715/855
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27485 Appending a prefix to or inserting a pause into a dialling sequence

Abstract

A map displaying apparatus for displaying a map and a destination on a display screen. A map memory stores a map data to be displayed on a displayer. A telephone number, an area code, or postal code is inputted through an inputting panel. A second memory stores information on telephone numbers and the coordinates of positions on a map corresponding to the respective telephone numbers, information on area codes and the coordinates of positions on a map corresponding to the respective area codes, and information on postal codes and the coordinates of positions on a map corresponding to the respective postal codes. A position retrieval section reads from the second memory the coordinate of a position on a map corresponding to the telephone number inputted through the inputting panel, the coordinate of positions on a map corresponding to the area code inputted through the inputting panel, the coordinate of positions on a map corresponding to the postal code inputted through the inputting panel. The position retrieval section then retrieves map data stored in the map memory according to the telephone number, area code, or postal code and displays the map on the displayer. The map region on display may be shown highlighted when the map region is specified by information such as an area code and a postal code.

Claims

1. A map displaying apparatus comprising:

first memory means for storing map data, including a plurality of map regions;

input means for inputting information, specifying a destination located in one of the plurality of map regions, said information including only a telephone area code of the destination or an entire telephone number, including area code, of the destination;

second memory means for storing first map-region-specifying data, indicating a relation between said entire telephone number and a map region in which said entire telephone number is located, and for storing second map-region-specifying data indicating a relation between said telephone area code and a map region assigned to said telephone area code;

map-region-retrieving means for retrieving from said first memory means, the map region in which said telephone number is located according to said first map-region-specifying data when said entire telephone number is input, and for retrieving from said first memory means, a map region assigned to said telephone area code according to said second map-region-specifying data when only said telephone area code is input; and

display means for displaying the map region in which said entire telephone number is located, retrieved from said first memory means according to said first map-region-specifying data, with a location corresponding to said entire telephone number superimposed onto the map region in which said entire telephone number is located when said entire telephone number is input, and for displaying the map region assigned to said telephone area code and adjacent map regions and highlighting the map region assigned to said telephone area code according to said second map-region-specifying data, when only said telephone area code is input.

2. The map displaying apparatus of claim 1, wherein a location indicated by said entire telephone number is located at a center of a display.

3. The map displaying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the map region in which said entire telephone number is located and the map region including said telephone area code are displayed on a touch sensitive screen and said entire telephone number and said telephone area code are input via the touch sensitive screen.

4. A map displaying apparatus comprising:

first memory means for storing map data, including a plurality of map regions;

input means for inputting postal zip code information, specifying a destination region located in one of the plurality of map regions;

second memory means for storing map-region-specifying data, indicating a relation between the postal zip code information and a map region assigned to the postal zip code;

map-region-retrieving means for retrieving from said first memory means, the map region assigned to the postal zip code and adjacent map regions according to said map-region-specifying data; and

display means for displaying the map region assigned to the postal zip code and adjacent map regions, retrieved from said first memory means according to said map-region-specifying data and highlighting the map region assigned to said postal zip code.