JP2011099969A - Icon display method in map display system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To overcome the disadvantage that when overlapping icons are expanded at random, overlapping of icons is eliminated, but the position of a map indicated by the icon is not correct so that wrong information is given to a user. <P>SOLUTION: An icon display method includes: an icon data read part for selecting a reference icon, and listing the reference icon and icons displayed overlapping the reference icon; an expansion priority processing part for setting weighting to the icons of the icon overlapping list created by the icon data read part and setting the priority; an icon priority plotting processing part for plotting the icons according to the priority set by the expansion priority processing part; and an expansion plotting processing part for expanding the plotting pattern of the icons according to the priority set by the expansion priority processing part concerning the icons plotted by the icon priority plotting processing part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for providing a viewer with various icons on a map in a device that displays a map on a computer screen, such as a navigation system or an electronic map.

The map display system is provided in various forms such as a system that operates on a PC, an in-vehicle navigation system, a portable information terminal with a communication function, information distribution in a server / client format, and a WEB server format. This is a system that draws predetermined map information on a display based on position information obtained based on GPS or by GPS or the like.

In addition, when displaying this map information, various information that has (or is linked to) a geographical location, such as real estate information such as buildings, movable property information such as stockpiling supplies, and sensor information such as rain gauges, is based on the geographical location. By doing so, it can be displayed without being limited to the type of information.

These pieces of information to be displayed are roughly expressed by arranging and displaying marks (= icons) characteristically representing information that is easy to visually visualize and roughly representing the information at appropriate geographical positions on the map.

In this way, there are many devices that emit information toward the viewer by displaying icons on the map, but when icons are densely packed as shown in FIG. 1, it is difficult to discriminate because the icons overlap. There is.

Several methods have been proposed for solving the difficulty of discrimination due to overlapping icons. For example, Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 3 are means for collectively generating and displaying a plurality of icons as representative icons.

Further, in Patent Document 2, when a plurality of icons are overlapped, the user's preference is converted into data by analyzing facility information browsed by the user in the past, and an icon to be displayed is determined based on the data. Means.

Further, as an existing method, in order to avoid overlapping of icons, a method of scattering icons using a leader line at the time of an interrupt event such as a mouse click as shown in FIG. 4 is often employed.

JP 2007-206608 A JP 2004-355075 A JP 2003-337041 A

However, for example, the means for generating a representative icon has a drawback that a specific icon cannot be selected although it is easy to see the map.

In addition, when the display means considering the user's preference is used, there is a drawback that when information that is different from past browsing icons is desired, it is not displayed.

Also, according to the means for uniformly distributing the icons, the scattered icons are not given superiority or inferiority, and all the icons are scattered to prevent overlapping, so the icon that you want to select from among the scattered icons There is a disadvantage that the user has to search.

In addition, with regard to general countermeasures for the difficulty of identification due to overlapping of icons, the conventional methods are roughly divided into a method of shifting icons in advance as described above and a method of displaying a list by characters. It was.

The method of shifting the icons in advance is to remove the overlap of icons in advance as shown in FIG. According to this method, there is no overlap of icons, but the map position indicated by the icons is not accurate, and there is a drawback in that incorrect information is given to the user.

In the display method using characters, when a pointing operation is performed on overlapping icons by a pointing device, a list display is performed using characters as shown in FIG. According to this method, all information can be displayed, but there is a drawback that visibility such as graphic information is lost. In addition, there is a drawback that the relationship between the character string and the icon position becomes unclear.

In order to solve these problems, the present invention
An icon that displays a map on a display device and displays information characteristically is also a map display system that displays the map together on the map. In the icon display method to expand,
An icon data reading unit for selecting a reference icon and listing the reference icon and an icon displayed overlapping the reference icon;
An expansion priority processing unit that sets weights and sets priorities for icons included in the icon overlap list created by the icon data reading unit;
An icon priority drawing processing unit for drawing icons in the priority order set by the development priority processing unit;
A development drawing processing unit that develops a drawing pattern of the icons according to the priority set by the development priority processing unit with respect to the icon drawn by the icon priority drawing processing unit;
An icon display method characterized by comprising:

By this means, it is possible to make the overlapped icons temporarily unfolded, that is, unfold, while considering the position so that the user can easily grasp the position.

Further, according to the present invention, the development drawing processing unit is centered on the first priority icon set by the development priority processing unit, and other icons included in the icon overlap list are arranged around the first priority. An icon display method characterized by being developed in a spiral shape.

By this means, it is possible to uniquely define a method for expanding overlapping icons.

Further, according to the present invention, the development drawing processing unit is centered on the first priority icon set by the development priority processing unit, and other icons included in the icon overlap list are arranged around the first priority. An icon display method characterized by expanding radially.

Also by this means, it is possible to uniquely define a method for expanding overlapping icons.

Further, in the present invention, when the expansion priority processing unit weights each icon in order to determine the expansion priority, the expansion of the weight of the icon indicating the geographical position is performed at the position. A method of displaying an icon, characterized by reducing a weight of an icon indicating information other than the position where it is present.

By this means, for example, by increasing the weight of the icon of the building itself and reducing the weight of the icon of each function installed inside the building, the icon indicating the geographical position and the other icons The deployment position can be determined.

When a plurality of icons on the map are geographically close to each other, their displays overlap, making it difficult for the user to select a specific icon and obtain detailed information. Since the icon is expanded so that the user can easily recognize it, it is easy to find and select a desired icon.

The icons are so dense that it is difficult to distinguish An example of displaying icons so that they do not overlap An example of displaying characters when icons overlap An example of making icons easy to see An example of using the law to scatter icons Overall configuration diagram Computer configuration example Configuration example with server and client devices Configuration example by computer program An example of weighted icon expansion An example of expanding icons spirally by weighting order Drawing overall processing flowchart Icon data reading process flowchart Flowchart of deployment priority processing Icon priority drawing process flowchart Flow chart of icon expansion drawing process

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention uses the means for scattering overlapping icons as described above, but the difference from the conventional means is that it is not randomly scattered.

That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, when an icon indicating a building overlaps with an icon of a company that is in the building, the amount of movement of the building icon is assumed to be a small amount or not to be moved. It is to make it easy for map users to grasp the geographical location by scattering company icons.

Similarly, for example, if the apartment icon and the resident icon overlap, the resident icon is scattered, and if the stockpile warehouse icon and the stockpile icon overlap, the stockpile icon is scattered. It becomes easy for the person to grasp the geographical position.

As described above, the present invention adopts a means for scattering (developing) overlapping icons in order to prevent it from becoming difficult for a user to identify a desired icon due to overlapping icons on a map. At that time, the drawing process that uses the characteristics of the icon is performed by performing order processing (weighting) that determines the priority of development based on the information (icon data) that the icon has and by devising how to spread the icon. There is a special feature.

The present invention is implemented by the following four means. That is, icon data reading means for reading icon data of icons displayed together with the map, rank processing means for determining the development priority based on the icon data read by the icon data reading means, and the rank Priority drawing means for drawing icons superimposed in the order based on the priority order by the processing means, and development drawing means for temporarily expanding the icons based on the order processing means when the user selects an icon. .

These means can be easily added to a map display function in a PC, a portable terminal, a car navigation system, or the like.

As an embodiment, a form in which a program is stored in a predetermined memory and the above-mentioned means is executed is conceivable. As the means for storing, a means for reading from an external medium such as a CD-ROM or a means for reading from a hard disk is available. There are conceivable forms, such as a method of reading from a server device via a network or the like, and a method performed by sharing roles between the server device and the client device.

FIG. 6 shows the overall configuration of a map display system to which this embodiment method is applied.

As shown in FIG. 6, a processing unit 601 that processes each function according to a predetermined program, a storage unit 611 that stores a control program executed by the processing unit, a working memory for the processing unit, and the like. A development unit 603; an input / output control unit 605 that controls various devices; a display development unit 607 that is used as a working memory in which an image to be displayed on the display unit is written; a communication unit 609 that performs communication between the server and the client; An operation input unit 613 and a display unit 615 are included.

It should be noted that the aggregate of these functions can be constituted by a single device or a plurality of devices, and not all of them are physically mounted on one device.

For example, FIG. 7 shows an example in which each function is configured by one microcomputer. Most of the functions are processed in one device, and such a shape can be adopted in a portable terminal, an in-vehicle navigation device, or the like.

An example of a system configured by combining a server device and a client device is shown in FIG.

For example, the function of reading map data and icon data and determining the development priority is performed on the server device side, each data and the deployment priority are transferred to the client side via the communication unit, and priority drawing and development drawing are performed on the client device side. Thus, a system is constructed with a plurality of devices. Such a form can be adopted when a server client type configuration by various computers or a system is constructed in a WEB server format.

In FIG. 8, the processing unit 601 executes various processes using the expansion unit 603 as a working memory based on a program stored in the storage unit 611. Also, map data, icon data, etc. are read from the information storage unit in the storage unit 611, and the processing unit 601 performs conversion of geographic coordinates and display coordinates, management of location information, etc., and displays map data, icon data, etc. Expands to the expansion unit 607.

The map data and the icon data are not only read from the storage unit 611 but also those supplied by an external system may be taken in via the communication unit 609. Similarly, the program may be downloaded via the communication unit 609. Further, the information developed on the display development unit 607 is visualized by the display unit 615 for the user.

From the operation input unit 613, various operation inputs of the user such as scrolling of the display geolocation of the map image displayed on the display unit 615, changing display contents, and icon selection information are transferred to the input / output control unit 605. It is.

The processing unit 601 captures such information via the input / output control unit 605 and the communication unit 609, and executes various processes such as scrolling and display of detailed information based on the captured information.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the above-described implementation method. As a representative configuration, the apparatus constituting the map display system is a personal computer, and the problem is solved by using a program. A personal computer 901 is operated by a program 903, an operation instruction is given by an input device 613 such as a mouse, and the monitor 615 displays it.

In the configuration as described above, when the user wants to obtain detailed information of a specific icon from the overlapped icons, the user selects the overlapped icon with a pointing device such as a mouse as shown in FIG. In addition, the icons are temporarily expanded, and there is no overlap of icons. In FIG. 9, when an icon is selected using a mouse 613 connected to a personal computer, the icon is displayed in an expanded manner on a monitor 615 connected to the personal computer.

As described above, since the icons are not overlapped by expanding the icons, the user can easily select a desired icon and obtain detailed information thereof.

However, as described with reference to FIG. 4, when the expansion process is performed randomly, there is a problem that the user must search for an icon that the user originally wants to select among the expanded icons. Therefore, in the present invention, as described with reference to FIG. 5, this problem is solved by giving priority to the development.

In FIG. 10, for example, if 1001 (square icon) is a place icon and 1003 (triangle icon) is an icon of an object at that place, the place icon 1001 does not move the geographical position on the map. That is.

In addition, the weighting of each icon at the time of icon expansion is not limited to simple things such as places and objects in this way, but can also be based on the narrowed-down state of icon display by the user or weighting by the user's instruction Is possible.

FIG. 11 shows an example in which each icon has an expansion priority based on a weighting coefficient, and the icon is expanded near the position of the original icon as the priority is higher (the smaller the number in the circle). .

The icon having the highest priority order has the smallest movement amount from the original icon position, or is not moved from the original icon position. In FIG. 11, the icons are expanded spirally in order of priority, but the present invention is not limited to this means.

As described so far, in the present invention, in order to prevent an icon on the map from being overlapped and an arbitrary icon cannot be selected, the expansion, that is, the process of shifting the position of the icon is performed. It is characterized by making it easy for a user to find a desired icon by expanding the icon based on the ranking.

Next, the implementation procedure of this invention is demonstrated using a flowchart. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the entire drawing process.

First, map data is read (S101) and map drawing is performed (S102). Next, the icon data is read (S103), and the development priority processing is performed based on the read icon data (S104). The icon is preferentially drawn on the already drawn map so that the icon with the highest priority is displayed in the top layer according to the development priority (S105).

When the user selects an icon, that is, when a mouse click (pointing operation) is performed, icon expansion drawing (S107) is performed. As long as no icon is selected, icon expansion drawing is not performed, and the process ends (S106). In the entire map display system, the entire drawing process shown in this flowchart is repeatedly executed together with each process such as the change of the drawing geographical position and the change of the drawing scale.

FIG. 13 details the icon data reading process S103 in FIG. The display area (geographic range) of the drawn map is confirmed (S201). Next, the icon data having the geographic information in the display area confirmed in S201 is picked up from all the icon data and registered as a display all icon list (S202). Thus, all icons to be displayed are prepared as a list.

Next, the determination that the icons are overlapping is that the geographic information positions of the icons are the same or approximate, but the approximation changes relatively according to the map display scale, so the map By setting an overlap determination distance corresponding to the display scale (display magnification) (S203), the accuracy of the overlap determination is increased.

Next, the icon of the youngest record is selected as the reference icon from the unchecked icons in the displayed all icon list (S204). The icon selected as the reference icon is registered as checked in the displayed all icon list (S205). Also, a new icon overlap list is created and the reference icon is registered in the created icon overlap list (S206).

Next, it is checked whether or not it overlaps the reference icon in order from the icon of the youngest record among the unchecked icons among all displayed icons (S207). Data is registered (S208), and the corresponding icon is registered as checked in all icon lists (S209). If the overlap check for all the unchecked icons with respect to the reference icon is completed, S207 becomes false and the process proceeds to S210. Note that the determination of the event that the icons are overlapping determines that the icons are overlapping if the difference in the geographical position information (latitude and longitude) between the corresponding icon and the reference icon is smaller than the overlap determination distance set in S203. .

Next, it is determined whether all the icons in the displayed all icon list have been checked (S210). If there is an unchecked icon, the process proceeds to S204. If everything has been checked, the process ends.

FIG. 14 details the expansion priority order processing S104 in FIG. A weighting setting is acquired (S301). This weighting setting is a ranking of superiority or inferiority for the attribute values (type, data amount, flag value, etc.) of icon data based on the predetermined setting at the time of starting the system or the setting by the user prioritizing instruction as described above. Is in a predetermined state.

Specifically, the type of real estate has higher priority than movable property, and the higher the stored food tonnage data value, the higher the priority, and the higher the priority when the vacancy status flag is ON, all icon data Weighting is set in a form linked to the attribute value of.

Next, priorities in the list are determined by applying weighting settings to the icons registered in the same overlap list (S302). The priority order is registered in the icon overlap list (S303).

Next, it is determined whether or not the priority order has been determined for all icon overlap lists (S304). If there is an unchecked list, the process proceeds to S302. If all the lists have been checked, the process ends.

FIG. 15 details the icon preferential drawing process S105 in FIG. Icons are drawn in order according to the priority order in the overlap list (S401). The icons with the lowest priority order are drawn in order so that the icon with the highest priority level is the top layer.

Next, it is determined whether icon drawing has been performed for all icon overlap lists (S402). If there is an unchecked list, the process proceeds to S401. If the icons have been drawn for all the lists, the process ends.

FIG. 16 details the icon expansion drawing process S107 in FIG. A drawing development pattern is read (S501). In this drawing development pattern, the icon with the highest priority is set to a relative position 0 from the reference position, and relative positions (± X, ± Y) on the display screen are set in the order corresponding to the lowering of the priority. . That is, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the circle 1 is the highest priority icon, so the relative position is 0, and the circle 2 having the next highest priority is 2 (0, -1). It is.

Next, an overlap list including an icon selected from the entire overlap list is extracted as a corresponding overlap list (S502). The icon with the highest priority (first priority) in the corresponding overlap list is drawn as it is based on the geographic position of the icon data, and this drawing position is registered as the reference position of the drawing pattern (S503).

Next, icons are drawn in the relative position of the developed drawing pattern from the reference position in order according to the priority order in the overlap list (S504). Next, it is determined whether drawing has been performed for all icons registered in the overlap list (S505). If there is an undrawn icon, the process proceeds to S504. If all icons have been drawn, the process ends.

In the present invention, when other icons are developed around the icon having the highest weighting priority, the developing means is not limited to the above method.

In the present invention, the weighting priority determination method is not limited to the above method.

601 ... Processing unit, 603 ... Developing unit,
605 ... Input / output control unit, 607 ... Display development unit,
609 ... communication unit, 611 ... storage unit,
613 ... operation input part, 615 ... display part,
901 ... Personal computer, 903 ... Program,
1001 ... The icon with the most weight, 1003 ... The icon with the light weight,

Claims (4)

An icon that displays a map on a display device and displays information characteristically is also a map display system that displays the map together on the map. In the icon display method to expand,
An icon data reading unit for selecting a reference icon and listing the reference icon and an icon displayed overlapping the reference icon;
An expansion priority processing unit that sets weights and sets priorities for icons included in the icon overlap list created by the icon data reading unit;
An icon priority drawing processing unit for drawing icons in the priority order set by the development priority processing unit;
A development drawing processing unit that develops a drawing pattern of the icons according to the priority set by the development priority processing unit with respect to the icon drawn by the icon priority drawing processing unit;
An icon display method characterized by comprising: The development drawing processing unit according to claim 1, wherein the other icons of the icon overlap list are swirled around the priority number 1 around the first priority icon set by the development priority processing unit. The icon display method characterized by expanding into a shape. The development drawing processing unit according to claim 1, centering on the first priority icon set by the development priority processing unit, the other icons of the icon overlap list are radially distributed around the first priority. The icon display method characterized by expanding to. The expansion priority order processing unit according to claim 1 is configured to increase the weight of an icon indicating a geographical position when weighting each icon in order to determine the expansion priority order. An icon display method characterized by lightening the weight of an icon indicating information other than a position.