JP2007279427A - Map display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To display a highly realistic three-dimensional map so as not to cause the a sense of incongruity to be generated in the user. <P>SOLUTION: The own vehicle position is detected, and in accordance with the detected own vehicle position, a three-dimensional map is created, on the basis of three-dimensional polygon data wherein the three-dimensional shape of each building is made into data, beforehand, and recorded in a part of map data. By displaying the three-dimensional map created in this way, the highly realistic three-dimensional map three-dimensionally showing the shape of buildings around own vehicle position, in matching with the landscape viewed from own vehicle is displayed. When such a three-dimensional map is displayed, unlike the case of displaying bird's-eye view map, own vehicle position mark, for indicating the present position of own vehicle, is not displayed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for displaying a three-dimensional map.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, navigation devices for vehicles that display a three-dimensional map are widely known. For example, Patent Document 1 displays a three-dimensional map that three-dimensionally represents the shape of surrounding buildings and the like in accordance with the scenery in front of the host vehicle, and displays a vehicle position mark indicating the current position of the host vehicle on the three-dimensional map. A navigation device for displaying is disclosed.

JP 2000-112343 A

  Like the navigation device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the shape of the surrounding building is three-dimensionally represented in accordance with the scenery in front of the host vehicle, thereby improving the realism of the three-dimensional map, that is, the real feeling of appearance. The shine can be improved and the visibility of the three-dimensional map can be improved. However, in a normal navigation device, the current position of the host vehicle is detected using various sensors such as GPS (Global Positioning System) and a vibration gyro, and the current position detected using these is An error corresponding to GPS accuracy or sensor accuracy occurs. Therefore, the vehicle position mark displayed on the three-dimensional map may not represent the actual vehicle position. In such a case, a user may feel uncomfortable with a three-dimensional map having a high degree of realism as displayed on the navigation device of Patent Document 1.

The map display device according to the first aspect of the present invention is a present location detecting means for detecting a current location, and a 3D map display means for displaying on a screen a 3D map that three-dimensionally represents the shape of a building around the current location detected by the current location detecting means. And a bird's-eye view map display means for displaying a bird's-eye view map around the current location detected by the current location detection means, and a current location display means for displaying a current location mark representing the current location detected by the current location detection means on the map, The current location display means displays the current location mark on the bird's-eye view map and does not display the current location mark on the three-dimensional map.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a map display device comprising: a current position detecting means for detecting a current position; and a three-dimensional map display means for displaying on a screen a three-dimensional map that three-dimensionally represents the shape of a building around the current position detected by the current position detecting means. A bird's-eye view map display means for displaying a bird's-eye view map around the current location detected by the current location detection means; a current location display means for displaying a current location mark representing the current location detected by the current location detection means on the map; and a three-dimensional map Scale change means for changing the scale of the current position, and when displaying the 3D map at a predetermined scale or higher, the current location display means does not display the current location mark on the 3D map and displays the 3D map at a predetermined scale. When displaying with less than, the present location mark is displayed on the three-dimensional map.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to display a three-dimensional map with high realism so that the user does not feel uncomfortable.

  A configuration of a navigation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 includes a control circuit 11, a ROM 12, a RAM 13, a current location detection device 14, an image memory 15, a display monitor 16, an input device 17, and a disk drive 18. The disc drive 18 is loaded with a DVD-ROM 19 in which map data is recorded.

  The control circuit 11 includes a microprocessor and its peripheral circuits, and performs various processes and controls by executing a control program stored in the ROM 12 using the RAM 13 as a work area. By the processing executed in the control circuit 11, a map around the host vehicle is displayed on the display monitor 16 based on the map data recorded on the DVD-ROM 19, and a recommended route to the destination is searched.

  The current location detection device 14 is a device that detects the current location of the host vehicle, that is, the location of the host vehicle. For example, a vibration gyro 14a that detects the traveling direction of the host vehicle, a vehicle speed sensor 14b that detects the vehicle speed, and a GPS signal from a GPS satellite. It consists of a GPS sensor 14c to be detected. The navigation device 1 determines the content of the map to be displayed as a map around the host vehicle based on the current location of the host vehicle detected by the present location detection device 14, and sets a route search start point when searching for a recommended route. Can be determined.

  The image memory 15 temporarily stores image data to be displayed on the display monitor 16. The image data includes road map drawing data for displaying a map image, various graphic data, and the like, and is created by the control circuit 11 based on the map data recorded on the DVD-ROM 19. Using the image data stored in the image memory 15, a map image around the host vehicle is displayed on the display monitor 16.

  The input device 17 has various input switches for the user to set a destination and the like, which is realized by an operation panel, a remote controller, or the like. The user operates the input device 17 in accordance with a screen instruction displayed on the display monitor 16 to set a destination by designating a place name, a position on the map, a facility name, etc., and search for a route to the destination. The navigation device 1 can be started. The contents of the map displayed on the display monitor 16 can also be selected.

  The disk drive 18 reads map data for displaying a map around the host vehicle on the display monitor 16 from the loaded DVD-ROM 19. Although an example using a DVD-ROM is described here, the map data may be read from a recording medium other than the DVD-ROM, such as a CD-ROM or a hard disk. This map data includes route calculation data used for calculating a recommended route, route guidance data used to guide the vehicle to a destination according to the recommended route, such as an intersection name and a road name, and a road representing a road. This includes data, background data representing map shapes other than roads, such as coastlines, rivers, railways, various facilities (landmarks) and buildings on the map.

  In the road data, the smallest unit representing a road section is called a link. That is, each road is composed of a plurality of links set for each predetermined road section. In addition, the length of the road section set by a link differs, and the length of a link is not constant. A point connecting the links is called a node, and each node has position information (coordinate information). Also, a point called a shape interpolation point may be set between nodes in the link. Each shape interpolation point also has position information (coordinate information) like each node. The link shape, that is, the shape of the road is determined based on the position information of the node and the shape interpolation point. In the route calculation data, a value called a link cost for representing the time required for passing the vehicle is set corresponding to each of the links.

  When the destination is set as described above according to the operation of the input device 17 by the user, the route calculation to the set destination is calculated using the current location detected by the current location detection device 14 as a route search start point. Based on the data, a predetermined algorithm is used to obtain a recommended route to the destination. By displaying the recommended route thus obtained on the map, the user can recognize on the map which road is set as the route.

  In the navigation apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, two types of maps can be displayed in accordance with a user's selection operation. One of them is a so-called bird's-eye view map, which shows a state around the own vehicle position as a map when the front of the own vehicle is viewed from above. The user can easily confirm the state of the road far from the bird's eye view map. The bird's-eye view map is created by performing a predetermined conversion process based on the planar map in accordance with the vehicle position detected by the current location detection device 14.

  FIG. 2 is an example of a bird's eye map displayed on the navigation device 1. Reference numeral 20 denotes an own vehicle position mark, which represents the current position of the own vehicle detected by the current position detection device 14. Each figure represented by reference numerals 21 and 22 shown in the shaded area represents a planar shape of a building such as a building around the own vehicle. In this way, the planar shape of the building is displayed on the bird's eye view map.

  In addition to the bird's-eye view map as described above, another map displayed on the navigation device 1 is a map that three-dimensionally represents the shape of the building around the vehicle position in accordance with the scenery seen from the vehicle. Such a map will be referred to as a three-dimensional map in the following description. The user can know the three-dimensional shape of a building around the host vehicle from the three-dimensional map. The three-dimensional map is created based on the three-dimensional shape of each building that has been converted into data in advance and recorded in a part of the map data (three-dimensional polygon data) according to the vehicle position detected by the current location detection device 14. The

  FIG. 3 is an example of a three-dimensional map displayed on the navigation device 1. Thus, the three-dimensional shape of the building is displayed on the three-dimensional map. The shape, color, arrangement, and the like of each building in the three-dimensional map are matched with the scenery seen from the own vehicle by a predetermined calculation process performed based on the detection result of the own vehicle position and the three-dimensional polygon data in the control circuit 11. Determined at the time of creation.

  As described above, a three-dimensional map with a high degree of realism is displayed by three-dimensionally expressing the shape of surrounding buildings in accordance with the scenery seen from the host vehicle. However, since the vehicle position detected by the current location detection device 14 includes an error, it does not necessarily match the actual vehicle position. If the vehicle position mark is displayed on the three-dimensional map in such a case, the user feels uncomfortable on the three-dimensional map with high realism.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, when displaying a three-dimensional map in the navigation device 1, unlike the bird's-eye view map, the vehicle position mark is not displayed. As a result, even if there is a slight error in the detection result of the vehicle position by the current position detection device 14, it is possible to display a three-dimensional map with high realism so that the user does not feel uncomfortable.

  However, even when displaying a three-dimensional map, if the map scale is not so large and the displayed building is small, even if there is some error in the detection result of the vehicle position, When the vehicle position mark is displayed, the user may not feel uncomfortable. Therefore, in the three-dimensional map smaller than the predetermined map scale, the vehicle position mark is displayed in the same manner as the bird's-eye view map so that the vehicle position on the map can be known. The map scale serving as a threshold for switching between displaying and hiding the vehicle position mark can be determined from the detection accuracy of the current location detection device 14.

  FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of processing executed in the control circuit 11 when displaying a bird's-eye view map or a three-dimensional map as described above. In step S10, it is determined whether the currently selected map display mode is the three-dimensional map display mode or the bird's-eye view map display mode. When the 3D map display mode for displaying the 3D map is selected, the process proceeds to step S20. If it is a bird's-eye view display mode for displaying a bird's-eye view map, the process proceeds to step S50. Note that the user can select either the three-dimensional map display mode or the bird's-eye view map display mode by operating the input device 17.

  In step S20, a three-dimensional map as shown in FIG. At this time, a three-dimensional map having contents corresponding to the vehicle position detected by the current position detection device 14 is created based on the three-dimensional polygon data recorded in the map data.

  In step S30, it is determined whether or not the three-dimensional map displayed in step S20 is greater than or equal to a predetermined map scale. At this time, the predetermined map scale can be determined from the detection accuracy of the current location detection device 14 as described above. Alternatively, the user may arbitrarily set it. In addition, the user can change the map scale when displaying a three-dimensional map by operating the input device 17.

  If it is greater than or equal to the predetermined map scale in step S30, the next step S40 is not executed and the flowchart of FIG. 4 is terminated. In this case, the vehicle position mark is not displayed. Thereby, when displaying a three-dimensional map at a predetermined map scale or more, the vehicle position mark is not displayed on the three-dimensional map. As a result, a three-dimensional map as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed. On the other hand, if it is less than the predetermined map scale in step S30, step S40 is executed to display the vehicle position mark. Thereby, when displaying a three-dimensional map below a predetermined map scale, the vehicle position mark is displayed on the three-dimensional map. If step S40 is performed, the flowchart of FIG. 4 will be complete | finished.

  When the process proceeds from step S10 to S50, a bird's eye view map as shown in FIG. 2 is displayed on the display monitor 16 in step S50. In the next step S60, the vehicle position mark is displayed on the bird's eye view map displayed in step S50. Thereby, a bird's-eye view map as shown in FIG. 2 is displayed. If step S60 is performed, the flowchart of FIG. 4 will be complete | finished.

According to the embodiment described above, the following operational effects can be achieved.
(1) The vehicle location is detected by the current location detection device 14, and according to the user's selection (step S10), a three-dimensional map that three-dimensionally represents the shape of the building around the vehicle location, or the neighborhood of the vehicle location Is displayed on the display monitor 16 (steps S20 and S50). When the 3D map is displayed at a predetermined map scale or larger, the vehicle position mark is displayed on the bird's eye view map (step S60), and the vehicle position mark is not displayed on the 3D map. Since it did in this way, a solid map with high realism can be displayed so that a user may not feel strange.

(2) It is determined whether or not the 3D map is greater than or equal to a predetermined map scale (step S30), and the vehicle position is displayed on the 3D map when the 3D map is displayed at a predetermined scale or more according to the determination result. When displaying the 3D map at a scale smaller than the predetermined scale without displaying the mark, the vehicle position mark is displayed on the 3D map (step S40). Since it did in this way, a 3D map with high realism can be displayed so that a discomfort may not arise for a user like the above.

  In the above bird's-eye view map, only the position of the building may be displayed using icons, characters, symbol marks, etc. without displaying the planar shape of the building. For example, a part of a building such as a famous facility may be displayed in a three-dimensional shape like a three-dimensional map even in a bird's-eye view map.

  In the above description, the 3D map created based on the 3D polygon data recorded in advance in the map data is displayed, but a 3D map created by other methods may be displayed. For example, select an appropriate image according to the position of the vehicle from the image actually captured by a camera or the image data obtained by processing the captured image, and display it as a three-dimensional map. Also good. Any three-dimensional map may be displayed as long as the shape of the surrounding building is three-dimensionally represented according to the scenery seen from the host vehicle.

  The target of a building that displays a three-dimensional shape in the above three-dimensional map is not limited to a building or a house. For example, various structures and structures such as bridges, steel towers, elevated roads, and railways are included.

  In the navigation device described above, in addition to the bird's-eye view map and the three-dimensional map, other types of maps such as a planar map may be displayed as necessary. Further, for example, different types of maps such as a bird's-eye view map and a three-dimensional map may be displayed simultaneously in one screen instead of being switched and displayed.

  Note that the map display method as described above can be applied to other than the vehicle navigation device. That is, the present invention can be applied to a map display device that detects a current location and displays a map around the detected current location using a three-dimensional map and a bird's-eye view map.

  Each embodiment and various modifications described above are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these contents as long as the features of the invention are not impaired.

  In the above embodiment, the current position detection means is realized by the current position detection device 14, and other means of the present invention are realized by the processing of the control circuit 11. Specifically, the three-dimensional map display unit is realized by step S20, the bird's-eye view map display unit is realized by step S50, and the current location display unit is realized by step S40 or S60. Further, the scale changing means is realized by changing the map scale of the three-dimensional map by the processing of the control circuit 11 in accordance with the user's operation on the input device 17. In addition, the above description is an example to the last, and when interpreting invention, the correspondence of the description matter of said embodiment and the description matter of a claim is not limited or restrained at all.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the navigation apparatus by one Embodiment of this invention. It is an example of the bird's-eye view map displayed. It is an example of the three-dimensional map displayed. It is a flowchart performed when displaying a bird's-eye view map or a three-dimensional map.

Explanation of symbols

1 Navigation device 11 Control circuit 12 ROM
13 RAM
14 Current location detection device 15 Image memory 16 Display monitor 17 Input device 18 Disk drive 19 DVD-ROM
20 Vehicle position mark

Claims (2)

Current location detection means for detecting the current location;
3D map display means for displaying on a screen a 3D map that three-dimensionally represents the shape of a building around the current location detected by the current location detection means;
A bird's-eye view map display means for displaying a bird's-eye view map around the current location detected by the current location detection means;
A current location display means for displaying a current location mark representing the current location detected by the current location detection means on a map;
The map display device, wherein the current location display means displays the current location mark on the bird's eye view map and does not display the current location mark on the three-dimensional map. Current location detection means for detecting the current location;
3D map display means for displaying on a screen a 3D map that three-dimensionally represents the shape of a building around the current location detected by the current location detection means;
A bird's-eye view map display means for displaying a bird's-eye view map around the current location detected by the current location detection means;
Current location display means for displaying a current location mark representing the current location detected by the current location detection means on a map;
Scale changing means for changing the scale of the three-dimensional map,
The current location display means does not display the current location mark on the three-dimensional map when displaying the three-dimensional map at a predetermined scale or higher, and displays the three-dimensional map at a lower scale than the predetermined scale. A map display device that displays the current location mark on the three-dimensional map.

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