JPH0728979A - Map data generation method and device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily generate multicolor high definition map data for displaying map information even when the capacity of a storage medium is small by inputting time map information recorded on a map by a scanner and generating the map data. CONSTITUTION:The map information recorded on the map of a required area is inputted from a flat head scanner 14 as picture data and input picture data are color-corrected so as to let the map information be easily visible when it is displayed on a display 12 and are picture-compressed in a picture compression part 42. In a map data input processing part 44, the map data inputtable to a navigation processing part 34 are generated based on the compressed picture data and the data of latitude and longitude, etc., inputted from a key input device 20 and are written in a map data storage part 46. Then, the required map data are read from the map data storage part 46 to the navigation processing part 34, they are outputted to a display control part 48 and displayed on the display 12 and also a map display device is made to function as a navigation system.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is suitable for use in a method and apparatus for creating map data, particularly when creating map data for displaying map information on the display of a map display device used as a navigation system. The present invention relates to a map data creation method and device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional map display devices used in navigation systems include, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-982.
It is known that the desired map information is searched and read from the map information storage medium according to the information such as the place name input from the operation panel, which is disclosed in 87, and the information is displayed on the screen.

[0003]

However, the conventional navigation system including the map display device disclosed in the above publication stores a digital map of a wide area, for example, the whole country in a CD-ROM or an IC memory card. In addition, since map data of a required area is taken out from the map and displayed on the display, there is a problem that the display content lacks vividness and the number of colors that can be used is small due to the limitation of the storage capacity.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems. Even if the capacity of a storage medium for storing map data for map display provided in a map display device is small, a multicolor display is provided on the display. It is an object of the present invention to provide a map data creating method and an apparatus thereof that can easily create map data capable of displaying high-definition map information.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a map data creating method for creating map data for displaying map information on a display of a map display device, wherein the map data is the map information recorded in the map. The above-mentioned problem is solved by inputting with a scanner and creating.

The present invention is also a map data creating apparatus for creating map data for displaying map information on a display of a map display apparatus, and a scanner for inputting map information recorded on a map, and a scanner. Image compression means for compressing the image data input in step 1, image processing means for creating map data for display display from the image compressed image data, and map data storage means for storing the created map data. The above-mentioned problems are similarly solved by adopting the above configuration.

According to the present invention, the map data creating apparatus further comprises color correcting means for correcting the color of the image data input by the scanner.

[0008]

In the present invention, the map data for displaying the map information on the display of the map display device can be created by inputting the map information recorded on a general-purpose map such as a road map with a scanner. Therefore, it is possible to create only the map data for the necessary map information, store it in the storage medium of the map display device, and take it out appropriately to display the map information on the display. Therefore, it is possible to display, for example, map information of the same quality as the printed map information on the display without being restricted by the storage capacity.

In the present invention, the map data creating apparatus further includes a scanner for inputting the map information recorded on the map, an image compression means for compressing the image data input by the scanner, and an image compressed image. Image processing means for creating map data for display from image data,
Since the map data storage means for storing the created map data is provided, the map data for displaying the high-definition map information on the display without being restricted by the storage capacity is surely created. It is possible.

When the map data creating device is provided with a color correcting means for correcting the color of the image data input by the scanner, the map information can be displayed in a color easy to see and displayed on the display. It is possible.

Further, by using the map data created according to the present invention, the map information is displayed on the display of the map display device, and the current position measured by the position measuring means for detecting the current position and generating the position information is displayed. By displaying the position information over the map information on the display, the map display device can function as a navigation system displaying high-quality map information.

As a position measuring means for detecting the current position and generating position information, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) can be used, and the current position is detected by this GPS and displayed. By displaying it above, the current location can be displayed by being superimposed on the map information.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a portable map display device (navigation system) to which a map data creation device according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied.

In the map display device 10 of this embodiment, in order to create map data for displaying map information on the display 12, the map information recorded on the map M by printing or the like is read as image data. Scanner 14 of
GPS antenna 1 for acquiring position information such as the current location, which is displayed by being superimposed on the map information displayed on the display 12.
6 and 6 are connected.

The scanner 14 is connected to the map display device 10 with a connector 18 and is removable, and the map display device 10 is provided with a data input key 20 and is required by the input key 20. Data can be entered.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control function unit for causing the map display device to function as a navigation system, and a portion surrounded by a two-dot chain line in the drawing creates map data of this embodiment. Corresponds to the device.

The control function unit of the map display device is a GPS
When the position information is input as a satellite signal from the antenna 16, the signal is amplified by the amplifier 30 and input to the GPS signal processing unit (position measuring means) 32, where the current position data is calculated and the position data is calculated. Navigation processing unit 34
It is designed to output to.

Scheduled course data is transmitted to and received from the scheduled course storage section 36 in the navigation processing section 34, and a pointing device 38 designates a point on the display 12 corresponding to a predetermined position of the map information. By doing so, the data of that point can be input. The map data created here is input to the navigation processing unit 34 from the map data creation device 40.

The map data creation device 40 includes an image compression unit 42 for compressing the image data input by the scanner 14, compressed image data input from the image compression unit 42, and a key input device ( A map data input processing unit (image processing means) 44 that creates map data for displaying a map on the display 12 based on data such as latitude, longitude, and map scale input from the data input key 20. And a map data storage unit 46 for storing the map data created by the map data input processing unit 44. The map data storage unit 46 is composed of a rewritable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, an IC-memory card, and a floppy disk.

The navigation processing unit 34 displays a map of a predetermined area based on the information input from the key input device 20, the GPS signal processing unit 32, the planned course storage unit 36, the pointing device and the map data creation device 40. The display controller 48 displays the map data to be displayed on the display device 12, and the position information such as the current location and the planned course.
It has a function to output to.

The display control unit 48, based on the input map data, position information, etc.
2 has a function of displaying map information (map) and displaying the above-mentioned position information on the map information.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS.

First, the map data creating method by the map data creating device 40 will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 3. As shown in FIG.
The map information recorded in the map M of the required area from 4 is input as image data (step 110). In addition,
As the map M, any map can be used as long as the map information is recorded on paper or the like by printing or the like.

In step 110, when the map information recorded on the map M is input by a scanner, when the map information is displayed on the display 12 for the input image data, the color information is displayed in order to make the map information easy to see. Correction is made as necessary (step 112). Note that this color correction can be executed by software.

Next, in order to make the color-corrected image data into an appropriate amount of information, the image compression section 42 performs image compression (step 114) and outputs the compressed image data to the map data input processing section 44. Together with the map data input processing unit 44, the key input device 20 is used to execute the step 1
Latitude and longitude related to the map information input by the scanner in 10.
Data such as map scale is input (step 116).
The image compression can be executed by software.

In the map data input processing section 44, the navigation processing section 34 is sent to the navigation processing section 34 based on the compressed image data input from the image compression section 42 and the latitude and longitude data input by the key input device 20. Inputtable map data is created and the map data is written in the map data storage unit 46 (step 118).

At the stage where the writing of the map data is completed,
When inputting map information for another map such as a map of an adjacent area, the process returns to step 110,
The processes of steps 110 to 118 are similarly performed on the other map, and when the map information is not input from the other map, the map data creation process is terminated (step 1).
20).

After the above map data creation processing is completed,
Necessary map data is read from the map data storage unit 46 into the navigation processing unit 34, is output to the display control unit 48 and is displayed on the display 12, and the map display device is made to function as a navigation system according to the flowchart of FIG. .

That is, first, GPS data is acquired (step 210). To acquire the GPS data, a satellite signal is received by the GPS antenna 16, the signal is amplified by the amplifier 30, and the amplified signal is input to the GPS signal processing unit 32. Here, the current position data is calculated from the GPS signal, and the current position data is calculated. It is performed by outputting to the navigation processing unit 34.

When the current position is acquired as GPS data in step 210, it is determined whether or not the current position is at the boundary of the map displayed on the display 12 at that time (step 212).

If the current position is located at the map boundary in step 212, the map data for displaying the map information corresponding to the adjacent area is read from the map data storage 46 to the navigation processor 34 (step 214). ,
It is displayed on the display 12 via the display control unit 48 (step 216).

Next, when the planned passing point is displayed (step 218), the pointing device 38 is used.
To display that point (step 220), then
The current location is displayed at the corresponding position on the map information displayed on the display 12 (step 222).

If the current position is not at the boundary of the map in step 212 and if the planned passing point is not displayed in step 218, the process jumps to step 222 and the current position is displayed on the display 12.

If the current position display is to be continued, the process returns to step 210 and the processes of steps 210 to 222 are repeated to cause the map display device to function as a navigation system (step 224).

According to this embodiment described in detail above, it is possible to easily and surely create map data for displaying a map on the display by using a general-purpose map. In addition, map data is created only for a map of a necessary area, the map data is stored in the map data storage unit 46, the connector 18 is removed, and the scanner 14 is separated from the map display device 10. It is possible to make it function as a navigation system in a destination or a car that is driving.

Therefore, it is not necessary to store the map data for displaying the map information for a wide range of maps in the map display device in advance, so that the storage capacity of the map data storage unit 46 can be reduced and the printing can be performed. Since the map data is created by inputting a map recorded in high definition with a scanner or the like to create map data, it is possible to display a map as high in color as a printed map on the display 12 in multiple colors.

When the map data is created, the map information of the adjacent areas can be continuously inputted by the scanner so that the map information can be pseudo-scrolled on the display 12.

FIG. 5 is an external perspective view showing a map data creation device of the second embodiment according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a map display device to which map data created by the map data creation device of this embodiment is applied ( 3 is an external perspective view showing a navigation system) 10. FIG.

Unlike the first embodiment, the map data creation apparatus of this embodiment has a structure independent of the navigation system.

The map data creating apparatus of this embodiment causes the display 14 of the navigation system 10 to display the map data obtained by the scanner 14 and the image data obtained by the scanner 14 inputting the map information from the map M. And a scanner input processing computer 50 for converting the map data into the map data.

The computer 50 can input necessary data from the data input key 20.
Also, a CD-ROM or I for storing the created map data
A storage medium such as a C memory card is a storage medium slot 52.
It is possible to insert by inserting from.

The function control section of the scanner input processing computer 50 in this embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the map data creating apparatus 40 in the first embodiment.
Moreover, the map data storage unit 46 is removable.

The map display device (navigation system) 10 of FIG. 6 is the same as the first embodiment except that the scanner 14 is removed and a storage medium slot 52 for mounting a storage medium is provided. The map display device of FIG.

Similar to the first embodiment, in this embodiment, necessary map data can be created according to the flowchart of FIG. 3 and inserted into the storage medium slot 52 to be stored in the attached storage medium. At the same time, the storage medium in which the map data is stored is taken out, and it is displayed in
By mounting the same in the storage medium slot 52A of the map display device 10, it is possible to function as a navigation system according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 as in the first embodiment.

According to this embodiment, for example, it is possible to create necessary map data in advance at home and store it in a storage medium, so that only this can be carried and the storage medium slot of the in-vehicle navigation system 10 can be carried. 52
The navigation system 10 can be made to function in the same manner as in the first embodiment just by inserting it in A.

The present invention has been specifically described above, but the present invention is not limited to the one shown in the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, the scanner is not limited to the flatbed scanner shown in the above embodiment.

[0049]

As described above, according to the present invention, even if the capacity of the storage medium for storing map data for map display provided in the map display device is small, a multicolored and highly detailed map is displayed on the display. It becomes possible to easily create map data capable of displaying information.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a map display device to which a map data creation device of a first embodiment is applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control function unit of the map display device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is another flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an external perspective view showing a map data creation device according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an external perspective view showing a map display device to which the map data created in the second embodiment is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Map display device 12 ... Display 14 ... Scanner 16 ... GPS antenna 40 ... Map data creation device 42 ... Image compression unit 44 ... Map data input processing unit 46 ... Map data storage unit 50 ... Scanner input processing computer

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Office reference number FI technical display location G09B 29/00 8125-5L G06F 15/62 310 K 15/64 A

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A map data creation method for creating map data for displaying map information on a display of a map display device, wherein map data is created by inputting the map information recorded on the map with a scanner. A method for creating map data characterized by. 2. A map data creation device for creating map data for displaying map information on a display of a map display device, and a scanner for inputting map information recorded on a map, and an image input by the scanner. An image compression unit for compressing data, an image processing unit for creating map data for display display from the image data compressed by the image, and a map data storage unit for storing the created map data. Characteristic map data creation device. 3. The map data creating apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a color correcting unit for correcting the color of the image data input by the scanner.