On-vehicle information terminal, abridged map generating apparatus, abridged map display method and display apparatus

• US 7,668,650 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Xanavi Informatics Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sumizawa, Akio, Morita, Manabu, Tanizaki, Masaaki, Shimada, Shigeru, Oikubo, Wataru, Maruyama, Kishiko, Hiroike, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US11/087,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,797 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/211, 340/995.1, 340/995.21, 340/995, 340/438, 342/191, 345/694
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names

Abstract

The on-vehicle information terminal according to the present invention comprises an abridged road generating device that generates abridged roads by abridging a road map based upon map data, a road decision-making device that makes a decision as to whether or not a road is a special shape road having a predetermined special shape based upon the map data, a substituting device for substitutes a specific road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for a road determined by the road decision-making device to have a special shape and a display control device that displays at the display device an abridged map containing specific road shape patterns used to substitute for special shape roads by the substituting device and the abridged roads generated by the abridged road generating device.

Claims

1. An on-vehicle information terminal comprising:

an abridged road generating device configured to generate an abridged road by abridging a road map based upon a map data;

a road decision-making device configured to make a decision as to whether or not a road is a special shape road having a predetermined special shape based upon the map data;

a substituting device configured to substitute a specific road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for the road judged to be the special shape road by the road decision-making device; and

a display control device configured to display at a display device an abridged map containing the specific road shape pattern substituted for the special shape road by the substituting device and the abridged road generated by the abridged road generating device.

2. An on-vehicle information terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

the abridged road generating device generates the abridged roads through streamline processing for simplifying road shapes by linearizing and orthogonalizing the road shapes based upon the map data.

3. An on-vehicle information terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

a road in the map data is constituted with a plurality of links for each of which a link type indicating a road type is set; and

the road decision-making device makes a decision as to whether or not a road is the special shape road based upon the link type.

4. An on-vehicle information terminal according to claim 3, wherein:

the special shape road includes a circular intersection;

the road decision-making device makes a decision as to whether or not a road is the circular intersection based upon the link type; and

the substituting device substitutes a circular or elliptical road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for the road judged to be the circular intersection by the road decision-making device.

5. An on-vehicle information terminal according to claim 3, wherein:

the special shape road includes a side road;

the road decision-making device makes a decision as to whether or not a road is the side road based upon the link type; and

the substituting device substitutes a trapezoidal road shape pattern, a triangular road shape pattern or a circular arc road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for the road judged to be the side road by the road decision-making device.

6. An on-vehicle information terminal according to claim 3, wherein:

the special shape road includes a bidirectional lane;

the road decision-making device makes a decision as to whether or not a road is the bidirectional lane based upon the link type; and

the substituting device substitutes a single-line linear road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for the road judged to be the bidirectional lane by the road decision-making device to represent a traffic moving in both directions together.

7. An on-vehicle information terminal according to claim 2, wherein:

a road in the map data is constituted with a plurality of links for each of which a link type indicating a road type is set; and

the road decision-making device makes a decision as to whether or not a road is the special shape road based upon the link type.

8. An on-vehicle information terminal according to claim 7, wherein:

the special shape road includes a circular intersection;

the road decision-making device makes a decision as to whether or not a road is the circular intersection based upon the link type; and

the substituting device substitutes a circular or elliptical road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for the road judged to be the circular intersection by the road decision-making device.

9. An on-vehicle information terminal according to claim 4, wherein:

the special shape road includes a side road;

the road decision-making device makes a decision as to whether or not a road is the side road based upon the link type; and

the substituting device substitutes a trapezoidal road shape pattern, a triangular road shape pattern or a circular arc road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for the road judged to be the side road by the road decision-making device.

10. An on-vehicle information terminal according to claim 7, wherein:

the special shape road includes a side road;

the road decision-making device makes a decision as to whether or not a road is the side road based upon the link type; and

the substituting device substitutes a trapezoidal road shape pattern, a triangular road shape pattern or a circular arc road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for the road judged to be the side road by the road decision-making device.

11. An on-vehicle information terminal according to claim 8, wherein:

the special shape road includes a side road;

the road decision-making device makes a decision as to whether or not a road is the side road based upon the link type; and

the substituting device substitutes a trapezoidal road shape pattern, a triangular road shape pattern or a circular arc road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for the road judged to be the side road by the road decision-making device.

12. An on-vehicle information terminal according to claim 4, wherein:

the special shape road includes a bidirectional lane;

the road decision-making device makes a decision as to whether or not a road is the bidirectional lane based upon the link type; and

the substituting device substitutes a single-line linear road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for the road judged to be the bidirectional lane by the road decision-making device to represent a traffic moving in both directions together.

13. An on-vehicle information terminal according to claim 5, wherein:

the special shape road includes a bidirectional lane;

the road decision-making device makes a decision as to whether or not a road is the bidirectional lane based upon the link type; and

the substituting device substitutes a single-line linear road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for the road judged to be the bidirectional lane by the road decision-making device to represent a traffic moving in both directions together.

14. An on-vehicle information terminal according to claim 7, wherein:

the special shape road includes a bidirectional lane;

the road decision-making device makes a decision as to whether or not a road is the bidirectional lane based upon the link type; and

the substituting device substitutes a single-line linear road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for the road judged to be the bidirectional lane by the road decision-making device to represent a traffic moving in both directions together.

15. An on-vehicle information terminal according to claim 8, wherein:

the special shape road includes a bidirectional lane;

the road decision-making device makes a decision as to whether or not a road is the bidirectional lane based upon the link type; and

the substituting device substitutes a single-line linear road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for the road judged to be the bidirectional lane by the road decision-making device to represent a traffic moving in both directions together.

16. An on-vehicle information terminal according to claim 9, wherein:

the special shape road includes a bidirectional lane;

the road decision-making device makes a decision as to whether or not a road is the bidirectional lane based upon the link type; and

the substituting device substitutes a single-line linear road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for the road judged to be the bidirectional lane by the road decision-making device to represent a traffic moving in both directions together.

17. An on-vehicle information terminal according to claim 10, wherein:

the special shape road includes a bidirectional lane;

the road decision-making device makes a decision as to whether or not a road is the bidirectional lane based upon the link type; and

the substituting device substitutes a single-line linear road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for the road judged to be the bidirectional lane by the road decision-making device to represent a traffic moving in both directions together.

18. An on-vehicle information terminal according to claim 11, wherein:

the special shape road includes a bidirectional lane;

the road decision-making device makes a decision as to whether or not a road is the bidirectional lane based upon the link type; and

the substituting device substitutes a single-line linear road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for the road judged to be the bidirectional lane by the road decision-making device to represent a traffic moving in both directions together.

19. An abridged map generating apparatus, comprising:

an abridged road generating device configured to generate an abridged road by abridging a road map based upon a map data;

a road decision-making device configured to make a decision as to whether or not a road is a special shape road having a predetermined special shape based upon the map data;

a substituting device configured to substitute a specific road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for the road judged to be the special shape road by the road decision-making device; and

an abridged map output device configured to output to an external recipient a signal constituting an abridged map containing the specific road shape pattern substituted for the special shape road by the substituting device and the abridged road generated by the abridged road generating device.

20. An abridged map display method, comprising:

generating, by an abridged road generating device, an abridged road by abridging a road map based upon a map data;

making a decision, by a road decision making device, as to whether or not a road is a special shape road having a predetermined special shape based upon the map data;

substituting, by a substituting device, a specific road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for the road judged to be the special shape road; and

displaying, by a display control device, an abridged map containing the specific road shape pattern substituted for the special shape road and the abridged road.

21. An abridged map display method, comprising:

generating, by an abridged road generating device, an abridged road by abridging a road map based upon a map data;

making a decision, by a road decision making device, as to whether or not a road is a special shape road having a predetermined special shape based upon the map data;

substituting, by a substituting device, a specific road shape pattern stored in memory in advance for the road judged to be the special shape road; and

outputting, by an abridged map output device, to an external recipient a signal constituting an abridged map containing the specific road shape patterns substituted for the special shaped by the substituting device and the abridged road generated by the abridged road generating device.