JP5098835B2 - Map display device - Google Patents

Description

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

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when displaying a map on a screen of a display device mounted on a vehicle, a method for allowing a user to freely rotate a direction of a map displayed upward (hereinafter referred to as an “upper corner”) is known. (For example, Patent Document 1). Here, the upward direction is not limited to the upward direction in the vertical direction and the like, but refers to the direction in which the user intuitively feels upward when viewing the map.

  In the first place, when displaying a map, it is necessary to determine the upper corner. For this purpose, a method often used is to display the north direction or the traveling direction as an upper angle. However, it is not always easy for the user to see that the north direction or the traveling direction is the upper corner. Therefore, by using a method such as Patent Document 1, the upper angle can be set so that it is easy for the user to see.

FIG. 18 shows a specific example of a screen as a graphical user interface for realizing the above-described method. Since this screen is configured as a touch panel, the user can input the upper corner by sliding the screen while touching it with a finger.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-75909

  The problem with the technology described above is that the user himself / herself wanted to change the upper angle, and at that time, it was necessary to input information for realizing it. Such input takes time. In particular, it is inconvenient for the driver because it is difficult to execute with a short stoppage time.

  The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus capable of displaying a map with an upper angle that is easy for the user to view without making the user troublesome.

A map display device according to a first invention made to solve the above-described problem includes a position acquisition unit, a display unit, a storage unit, and a selection unit. The position acquisition unit acquires current position information. The display means displays a map including the current position indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition means on the screen based on the map information acquired from the storage medium storing the map information.

  The storage means stores information of at least one reference point in association with each of at least one reference direction. The selection means selects a specific reference point from the reference points stored by the storage means based on the positional relationship between the point indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition unit and each of the at least one reference point. To do. Then, the display unit displays a map on the screen by aligning a reference direction stored in association with the specific reference point selected by the selection unit in a display direction predetermined with respect to the screen.

According to this map display device, it is possible to display a map with an upper corner that is easy for the user to view without making the user troublesome. For example, if a reference point and a reference direction that the user feels are stored in the vicinity of this point, it is easy to see when the map is displayed at this upper angle. Because it can.

Note that when selecting a plurality of reference points, the selection means may select only the reference points associated with the same reference direction.
By the way, the map display device according to the first aspect of the invention can be configured to include a judging means. The determination means determines whether or not to display the map based on the reference direction based on the distance between the point indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition means and the specific reference point selected by the selection means. Judgment.

  The display means displays the map on the screen by matching the reference direction stored in association with the specific reference point selected by the selection means in accordance with the display direction only when the determination means determines to execute the display. indicate.

According to this map display device, when the current position is far from the reference point, display of a map based on the reference direction can be prevented. Such a configuration is desirable because when the current position is far from the reference point, even if the map display based on the reference direction associated with the reference point is not easy to see for the user.

The map display device according to the second invention comprises a position acquisition means, a display means, a storage means, and a selection means. The position acquisition unit acquires current position information. The display means displays a map including the current position indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition means on the screen based on the map information acquired from the storage medium storing the map information. The storage means stores information of one reference line in association with each of at least one reference direction. Then, the selection unit selects a specific reference line from the reference lines stored in the storage unit based on the positional relationship between the point indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition unit and each of the reference lines stored in the storage unit. Select.

Then, the display unit displays a map on the screen by aligning a reference direction stored in association with the specific reference line selected by the selection unit in a display direction predetermined with respect to the screen.
According to this map display device, the reference direction is determined based on the line rather than the point. Therefore, for example, the map can be displayed with the orientation of the map with respect to the traveling road of the vehicle being fixed. Therefore, for a user who grasps a space based on a linear terrain such as a road, a map can be displayed with an easy-to-see upper angle.

  Note that the specific method of “selecting a specific reference line based on the positional relationship between the current location and the reference line” is to acquire, for example, each point on each reference line as a reference point that is closest to the current location. Then, the present location can be used again, and a specific reference point can be selected based on the positional relationship between the current location and these reference points.

And the map display apparatus which concerns on 2nd invention can be set as the structure provided with a judgment means. This determination means determines whether or not to display the map based on the reference direction based on the distance between the point indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition means and the specific reference line selected by the selection means. Judgment.

  The display means displays the map on the screen in accordance with the display direction with the reference direction stored in association with the specific reference line selected by the selection means only when the determination means determines that the display is to be executed. indicate.

According to this map display device, when the current position is far from the reference line, display of a map based on the reference direction associated with the reference line can be prevented.

In addition, the map display device according to the first invention can be configured to include a direction setting means and a registration means. The direction setting means causes the display means to display a map in accordance with the setting direction input through the user interface in accordance with the display direction.

  The registration unit stores a specific point included in the map displayed on the display unit by the direction setting unit in the storage unit as a reference point, and associates the setting direction input through the user interface with the reference point. It memorize | stores in a memory | storage means as a reference direction.

According to this map display device, it is possible to store a reference point and a reference direction that can be displayed easily for the user. This is because the reference point and the reference direction are stored so that the displayed screen can be reproduced based on the information input through the user interface.

The map display device according to the first invention, the direction setting means, a specific place registration means, and determination means, determining means may be configured to include a place registration means.

  The direction setting means causes the display means to display a map in accordance with the setting direction input through the user interface in accordance with the display direction. The specific point registration unit stores the specific point included in the map displayed on the display unit by the direction setting unit in the storage unit in association with the current date and time and the setting direction information. The determination means stores in the storage means whether or not a predetermined number or more of predetermined points located in the predetermined area are stored for the specific points stored within the predetermined period by the operation of the specific point registration means. Judgment is made based on the stored specific point and date / time information.

  The determining means determines the reference point based on the position of each of the specific points located in the predetermined area when the determining means determines that the predetermined number or more is stored in advance. The setting direction corresponding to the determined reference point is determined based on the setting direction information associated with the specific point and stored in the storage unit. The point registration unit stores information on the reference point and the setting direction determined by the determination unit in the storage unit in association with each other.

According to this map display device, the reference point and the reference direction corresponding to the display method frequently set through the user interface can be automatically stored. Accordingly, it is possible to display the map in a direction preferable for the user while saving the user's trouble.

Moreover, display means definitive map display equipment according to the first invention, when displaying a map on the screen to match the reference direction in the display direction, the point indicated by the current position information position acquisition means has acquired and, scale map including at least one reference point associated with the reference direction, e Bei scale calculating means for calculating a maximum scale value a scale value of the map can be displayed on a screen, the scale calculation means has calculated a map scale corresponding to the value can be a configuration that displays on the screen.

The reference point mentioned here includes at least a specific reference point selected by the selection unit.
According to this map display device, it is possible to display a map that is easy to see for a user who grasps a space with reference to a reference point.

Moreover, display means definitive map display equipment according to the first invention, it can be configured to display the information indicating the position of the reference point.

According to this map display device, a map that is easy to see for the user can be displayed. For example, when the reference point that is determined by the determination unit is not the target of map display, the user can check the position. In addition, when the reference point that is determined by the determination unit is a map display target, the user can more easily check the reference point. Note that the display mode may display information superimposed on a map, or display information in a different area from the map.

The storage means definitive in this map display equipment stores attribute information indicating an attribute of the reference point, the display means can be configured to display the attribute information of the reference point position is indicated.

According to this map display device, the attribute information is displayed together with the reference point, so that more information can be provided to the user. The attribute information can include the name of the facility installed at the reference point and the type of facility (station, convenience store, etc.).

Further, the display means in the map display device according to the second aspect of the present invention provides the point indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition means and the reference direction when displaying the map on the screen with the reference direction aligned with the display direction. at least one of a map including a predetermined a section of the reference line or reference lines, e Bei scale calculating means for calculating a maximum scale value a scale value of the map can be displayed on a screen, the scale associated with the A map of a scale corresponding to the scale value calculated by the calculation means can be displayed on the screen .

Moreover, display means definitive map display equipment according to the second invention can be configured to display the information indicating the position of a predetermined point of the reference line.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a map display device 1 to which the present invention is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the map display device 1 includes a positioning device 11 that measures the current location of the vehicle, an operation switch group 12 that functions as a user interface, a voice input unit 13 that receives voice input, and exchanges information with external devices. An external information input / output unit 16, a map data input device 17 for reading out map data and the like from the storage medium and inputting them to the control unit 20, a display unit 14 for displaying a map, a route guidance screen, etc. A voice output unit 15 and a control unit 20 are provided. The map display device 1 also has a route guidance function.

  The positioning device 11 receives a radio wave transmitted from an artificial satellite for GPS (Global Positioning System) via a GPS antenna, and measures a position, a traveling direction, and the like of the vehicle, and a rotation generated in the vehicle. A gyroscope 11b that measures the magnitude of motion, a distance sensor 11c that measures the travel distance of the vehicle, and a geomagnetic sensor 11d that measures the traveling direction from geomagnetism are provided.

  The operation switch group 12 includes a touch panel configured integrally with the display unit 14 and mechanical key switches provided around the display unit 14. The voice input unit 13 is configured with a microphone so that voice information emitted by the user can be acquired.

  The display unit 14 is a color display device and includes a liquid crystal monitor or the like. Under the control of the control unit 20, the display unit 14 displays a map around the current location of the vehicle, a route to the destination specified by the user, and the like.

  The voice output unit 15 includes a speaker and the like, and is controlled by the control unit 20 and is based on guide voice related to route guidance to the destination and road traffic information received via the external information input / output unit 16. Outputs a guide voice.

  The external information input / output unit 16 is configured to exchange information with a beacon laid on a road as an external device, and acquires road traffic information and the like from a VICS (Vehicle Information Communication System) center through the beacon.

  The map data input device 17 reads map data and the like stored in a storage medium (not shown) from the recording medium, and inputs this to the control unit 20. The storage medium stores road connection data (link and node data), terrain data, facility data, etc. as map data, as well as map matching data for improving positioning accuracy and route guidance. Audio data for use is stored. The storage medium is a CD-ROM, DVD, hard disk, or the like.

  The control unit 20 includes a CPU 20a, a RAM 20b, a ROM 20c, an NVRAM 20d for storing various setting information, and the like. The CPU 20a executes various programs stored in the ROM 20c, thereby controlling each unit in the apparatus. Realize functions such as map display and route guidance.

  As a specific example of this function, the current location of the vehicle is calculated as a set of position coordinates (latitude / longitude) and traveling direction based on various signals from the positioning device 11. Based on this calculation result, map data around the current location of the vehicle is acquired from the map data input device 17. Further, based on this map data, a map around the current location of the vehicle is displayed on the display unit 14.

  Further, the control unit 20 receives a route guidance command from the user through the operation switch group 12, the voice input unit 13, and the like. Then, the optimum route from the point where the vehicle is located at the time of command input to the destination specified by this command is calculated using a known technique such as the Dijkstra method. Then, this route guidance is performed through the display unit 14 and the voice output unit 15.

  As described above, the control unit 20 causes the display unit 14 to display the map data input from the map data input device 17. At this time, it is necessary to determine the latitude / longitude at the center of the screen, the scale, and the upper angle as a direction to be aligned with the screen upward direction. First, the difference between this embodiment and the prior art regarding these determination methods will be briefly described.

  First, the latitude and longitude at the center of the screen will be described. In the prior art, the latitude / longitude of the center of the screen is determined based on only the current location. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the latitude / longitude of the screen center is determined in consideration of a reference point registered in advance in addition to the current location.

  In the prior art, the upper angle is determined in the north direction or the traveling direction as an initial setting, or is determined based on a direct instruction from the user. In contrast, in this embodiment, the upper angle is determined based on the reference direction stored in advance in association with the reference point. First, a process for storing the reference point and the reference direction will be described.

  Similar to the prior art, as shown in FIG. 18, the map display device 1 is configured such that the user can freely rotate and set the upper corner through the touch panel. That is, when the direction to be set as the upper angle is set by the user through the screen shown in FIG. 18 by the operation through the user interface, the control unit 20 sets the direction set by the user as the upper angle, 14 is configured to execute a process of displaying a map with the current location as the display center point on the 14 screens. In addition, when an instruction to register this direction is input, the first registration process shown in FIG. 2 is executed.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the first registration process. As described above, this process is a process used after the control unit 20 changes the upper corner of the map displayed on the display unit 14 based on the map rotation instruction through the operation switch group 12. That is, in this process, when the user thinks “I want to register this display method” after changing the upper angle through the screen as shown in FIG. 18, the user can change the reference direction through the operation switch group 12. When the registration instruction is given, execution is started by the control unit 20 as a main body.

  First, when the start of the first registration process is instructed through the operation switch group 12, it is determined whether or not a landmark is displayed on the map currently displayed on the display unit 14 (S110). Usually, a landmark refers to a building that serves as a landmark in route guidance. In the present embodiment, which building is used as the landmark can be freely determined by the designer, and the map display device 1 may be configured as follows. That is, whether or not it is a landmark is determined for each building at the design stage. And the flag which shows whether it is a landmark is linked | related with facility data, and it memorize | stores in a storage medium beforehand as map data. Then, the determination of S110 may be made with reference to this flag.

  If it is determined that the landmark is displayed (Yes in S110), the latitude / longitude of each of the displayed landmarks is stored in the RAM 20b as reference point information. Specifically, all the reference point information stored here is stored together as group data (S130).

  Then, the centroids of latitudes / longitudes of all landmarks stored in S130 are obtained (S140). Then, the obtained center of gravity is associated with the group data (in other words, included in the group data) and stored in the RAM 20b (S150). However, if there is one landmark, the position of the one landmark is used as the center of gravity, and if there are two landmarks, the center position of the two landmarks is used as the center of gravity. Then, the process proceeds to S160.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the landmark is not displayed (No in S110), the center point of the map currently displayed on the display unit 14 is set as the reference point and the center of gravity, and the position coordinates thereof are stored in the RAM 20b. (S120). Specifically, here, group data describing the reference point information and the center of gravity is generated in the same data format as the processing in S130 and S140. That is, there is only one set of reference point information stored in S120, but this set is stored in the RAM 20b as group data. Then, the process proceeds to S160. The reason why the center point of the map is also stored as the center of gravity is to match the processing after determining Yes in S110.

  In S160, the upper angle of the currently displayed map is determined as the reference direction, and this reference direction is stored in the RAM 20b in association with the group data. Further, the group data name and scale value information are associated with the group data, and the additional information is associated with the reference point information and stored in the RAM 20b, and the group data stored in the previous steps is stored in the reference point file of the NVRAM 20d. (S170) (FIG. 3), and the first registration process is completed. Note that the scale value registered in the reference point file is the scale value of the map displayed at the start of the first registration process. The additional information will be described later with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 3 shows the information structure of the reference point file. As shown in FIG. 3, the reference point file is composed of a set of group data. The group data includes a name, latitude / longitude of the center of gravity, reference direction, scale value, and reference point information. The reference point information includes latitude / longitude and additional information.

  In addition, the additional information includes information on the name, mark, address, telephone number, and type of the reference point. The additional information is acquired from the map information and registered in the reference point file when the process of S170 is executed.

  4 to 6 show how the information shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the display unit 14. The display screen shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on the display unit 14 by the processing of the control unit 20 when an instruction to edit the reference point file is input through the operation switch group 12, and this display screen includes Information included in the group data stored by one registration process is displayed. Further, this screen also functions as a GUI (graphical user interface), and when the “change” or “new” icon displayed on this screen is selected by the user, the control unit 20 is shown in FIG. The screen is displayed on the display unit 14. Furthermore, when the “change” or “new” icon displayed on the screen shown in FIG. 5 is selected by the user, the control unit 20 displays the screen shown in FIG. Through these display screens, the user can correct the group data or register a new one.

Specifically, FIG. 4 shows a state in which the name of each group data registered in the reference point file is displayed on the display unit 14.
FIG. 5 shows a state in which a reference point, a reference direction, and a scale corresponding to certain group data are displayed on the display unit 14.

  In the example of FIG. 5, “Home” and “Nagoya Station” are displayed as corresponding to the group data of “Near Home” described in FIG. Further, it is displayed that the map is displayed by reducing the reference direction to 113.1 ° and the scale information to 200 m as a predetermined length. However, the scale information is not necessarily stored. This is because there is a step (S385 / S485) for determining the scale in later processing.

FIG. 6 shows a state where the additional information of the reference point is displayed on the display unit 14. This detailed data corresponds to “Nagoya Station” described in FIG.
Next, the second registration process will be described with reference to FIG. This process is started by the control unit 20 as a trigger when the map display device 1 is activated in accordance with activation of a prime mover such as a vehicle engine or motor. This process stores a parking spot as a place where the user frequently stops, and if the user has changed the upper corner at the parking spot, the parking spot and the upper corner are stored. According to this process, the reference point and the reference direction are registered even if the user does not instruct registration.

  First, based on the information input to the operation switch group 12, it is determined whether the upper angle has already been changed before the prime mover is activated (S205). Specifically, whether the north direction or the direction of travel is currently displayed as an upper angle, or whether it is displayed based on information entered through the user interface so that the other direction is set as the upper angle Every time the upper corner is switched, it is stored in the NVRAM 20d. Then, in S205, the determination is made by reading the information.

  If it is determined that the upper angle has not been changed based on the information input to the operation switch group 12 (No in S205), the second registration process is terminated. The reason is that there is no target to be registered if the user has not changed the upper corner.

  If it is determined that the upper angle has already been changed based on the information input to the operation switch group 12 (Yes in S205), the latitude / longitude of the current location is set as a parking spot (specific point) and associated with the upper angle and the date and time. It memorize | stores in the parking log | history file in NVRAM20d (S210) (FIG. 8).

  And the information of the parking spot memorize | stored before the predetermined period is discarded (S220). Next, it is determined whether there is a reference point stored in the reference point file whose distance from the current location is within a predetermined threshold (S230). If it is determined that there is a reference point stored in the reference point file whose distance from the current location is within a predetermined threshold (Yes in S230), the second registration process is terminated. The reason is that if the reference point is already registered in the vicinity, there is no need to register the current location again.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that there are no reference points stored in the reference point file that are within a predetermined threshold distance from the current location (No in S230), among the parking points stored in the parking history file, It is determined whether or not the number of objects whose distance from the current location is within a predetermined threshold is greater than or equal to the threshold (S240). If it is determined that the number of parking spots stored in the parking history file whose distance from the current location is within the threshold is not greater than or equal to the threshold (No in S240), the second registration process is terminated. The reason is that if the frequency at which the user changes the upper corner near the current parking spot is low, it is not suitable for registration as a reference spot.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the number of parking points stored in the parking history file whose distance from the current location is within the threshold is greater than or equal to the threshold (Yes in S240), the distance from the current location is within the threshold. It is determined whether or not the difference between the average of the upper angles associated with the respective parking spots and the currently displayed upper angle is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold (S250). If it is determined that the angle difference between the upper angles is not less than or equal to the predetermined threshold (No in S250), the second registration process is terminated. The reason is that it is presumed that it is not determined for the user which upper corner is easy to see, and the direction to be stored cannot be determined.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the difference in the upper angle is equal to or smaller than the predetermined threshold value (Yes in S250), it is determined whether there is a landmark within a predetermined distance from the current location (S260). If it is determined that there is a landmark within a predetermined distance from the current location (Yes in S260), the landmark closest to the current location is stored in the RAM 20b as a reference point (S270). On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no landmark within a predetermined distance from the current location (No in S260), the current location is stored in the RAM 20b as a reference point (S280).

  Finally, in association with the stored reference point, the upper corner of the currently displayed map is stored in the RAM 20b as the reference direction. Further, the position of the reference point stored in S270 or S280 is also stored in the RAM 20b as the center of gravity position, and further, the group data obtained by associating the information stored in the RAM 20b in the previous steps is stored in the reference point file. (S290), the second registration process is terminated. Also in the second registration process, the information of the reference point file shown in FIG. 3 is stored as in the first registration process.

  According to the second registration process, only one reference point is stored for the group data. In addition, the name of the group data is “group N” (N: the smallest natural number that does not overlap with the already stored group name), and the name of the reference point is “reference point M” (M: the already stored reference) The smallest natural number that does not overlap with the spot name), the scale information is stored as blank, and the type is stored as spot. The mark and the telephone number store information acquired from the map information. In addition, the address stores information obtained from the latitude / longitude of the reference point and the correspondence between the latitude / longitude and the address included in the map information.

  Next, the first display process will be described with reference to FIG. This processing is started by the control unit 20 as a trigger when triggered by the switching instruction of the upper angle input through the operation switch group 12. In the first display process, the center point, the upper angle, and the scale value of the map to be displayed are determined based on the reference point and the reference direction stored in the reference point file.

  First, the distance from the current location to the center of gravity indicated by each group data registered in the reference point file is calculated (S310). Then, only the group data whose distance from the current location to the center of gravity is smaller than a predetermined threshold is set as the target of the following process (S320). However, when no group data is stored in the reference point file, the processes of S310 and S320 are not performed.

  Next, the counter C is set to zero (S330), and 1 is added to the counter C (S340). Then, it is determined whether or not the counter C is larger than the number of target group data (S350). If it is determined that the counter C is larger than the target group data number (Yes in S350), the control unit 20 displays a screen before starting the first display process on the display unit 14 (S398). Finish the display process. A specific example of the “screen before starting the first display process” is a map in which the north and the traveling direction are upper corners.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the counter C is not larger than the number of target group data (No in S350), the group data whose distance from the current location to the center of gravity indicated by the group data is the Cth closest is specified (S360).

  Then, the center of gravity between the position indicated by each reference point information included in the identified group data and the current location is calculated as the display center point (S370). Then, when the calculated display center point is the center of the screen and the reference direction indicated by the group data is displayed as the upper angle, all the points indicated by the reference point information included in the specified group data and the current location are displayed. The maximum scale value that can be displayed is selected from the predetermined scale value candidates (S380).

  Then, a map of the selected scale value centered on the display center point calculated so far and having a reference direction associated with the specified group data as an upper angle is displayed on the display unit 14 ( S385). Then, the name and icon of the point indicated by the reference point information included in the specified group data are superimposed on the map and displayed on the display unit 14 as attribute information as shown in FIG. 11 (S390).

  Then, it is determined whether or not a group data switching instruction is input through the operation switch group 12 (S393). If it is determined that a group data switching instruction has been input (Yes in S393), the process returns to S340. That is, by repeatedly executing the processing of S340 to S393, each time a group data switching instruction is input, a map based on the group data is displayed in order from the group data having a short distance from the current location to the center of gravity.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the group data switching instruction has not been input (No in S393), it is determined whether an instruction to end the first display process has been input through the operation switch group 12 (S395). If it is determined that the instruction to end the first display process has not been input through the operation switch group 12 (No in S395), the distance from the center of gravity included in the same group data as the reference direction currently used for display to the current location Is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value (S397).

  If it is determined that the distance from the center of gravity included in the same group data as the reference direction currently used for display to the current location is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold (Yes in S397), the process returns to S395. That is, it waits until it determines Yes in S395 or No in S397.

  When it is determined that an instruction to end the first display process is input through the operation switch group 12 (Yes in S395), or from the center of gravity included in the same group data as the reference direction currently used for display, to the current location If it is determined that the distance is not less than or equal to the predetermined threshold (No in S397), the original screen is displayed (S398), and the first display process is terminated.

  Note that while waiting until it is determined Yes in S395 or No in S397, S370 for calculating the display center point is not executed. Therefore, even if the current location is moved, the display center point is fixed without moving. At this time, a threshold value used in S397 is determined so that the current location is not displayed.

Note that when displaying a map regardless of the first display process, the control unit 20 is configured so that the display center point of the map moves in accordance with the movement of the current location, as in the prior art.
Next, the second display process will be described with reference to FIG. This process is repeatedly executed mainly by the control unit 20. Then, similarly to the first display process, the center point, the upper angle, and the scale value of the map to be displayed are determined based on the reference point and the reference direction stored in the reference point file.

  The second display process is a process independent of the first display process. Specifically, the first display process is executed in response to a command from the operation switch group 12. On the other hand, the second display process is always executed while the map display device 1 is activated. However, the second display process is not executed while a process such as the first display process that cannot be performed in parallel is activated.

  When the second display process is started, it is first determined whether or not a map is displayed on the display unit 14 (S410). If it is determined that no map is displayed (No in S410), the second display process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the map is displayed (Yes in S410), it is determined whether or not the reference direction associated with any of the group data registered in the reference point file is displayed as the upper angle (S420). ).

  If it is determined that the reference direction is displayed as an upper angle (Yes in S420), is the distance from the center of gravity included in the same group data as the reference direction used for display to the current location equal to or less than a predetermined threshold? Is determined (S440).

  If it is determined that the distance from the center of gravity included in the same group data as the reference direction used for display to the current location is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold (Yes in S440), the second upper angle is not changed without changing the current upper angle. Finish the display process. On the other hand, if it is determined that the distance from the center of gravity included in the same group data as the reference direction used for display to the current location is not less than or equal to a predetermined threshold (No in S440), the north or the traveling direction is the upper angle, and the current location is A map to be displayed at the display center point is displayed on the display unit 14 (S450), and the second display process is completed.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the reference direction is not displayed as an upper angle (No in S420), among the group data stored in the reference point file, the group data having the nearest center of gravity from the current location is specified ( S430).

  Then, it is determined whether or not the distance from the center of gravity of the specified group data to the current location is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold (S460) (the predetermined threshold here is the same as the threshold used in S440). No need.) If it is determined that the distance from the center of gravity of the identified group data to the current location is not less than or equal to a predetermined threshold (No in S460), the second display process is terminated without changing the current display.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the distance from the center of gravity of the specified group data to the current location is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold (Yes in S460), the position indicated by each reference point information included in the specified group data and the current location The center of gravity is calculated as the display center point (S470).

  When the reference direction indicated by the group data is an upper angle, all the reference points indicated by the specified group data and the current location can be displayed, and the maximum scale value is determined as a predetermined scale value candidate. Select from among them (S480). And a map is displayed on the display part 14 based on the information determined so far (S485). Specifically, the previously determined display center point and scale are used. The upper angle is matched with the reference direction associated with the specified group data.

  Finally, the attribute information and the information indicating the position of the reference point included in the specified group data are superimposed on the map and displayed on the display unit 14 (S490), and the second display process is finished. The attribute information here is the name of a point. And the information indicating the position is the icon shown in the position of the reference point in the case of the reference point displayed on the map, and the position in the case of the reference point not displayed on the map. A pointing arrow (see FIG. 12) is displayed at the end of the map.

  In addition, unlike the first display process, the second display process repeatedly calculates the display center point by repeating the flow. Therefore, the display center point moves as the current location moves.

  As described above, according to each process according to the present embodiment, a map with the direction easy to see for the user facing upward can be easily displayed. This is because the display method that the user feels easy to see is stored and executed.

  In particular, since the second registration process and the second display process are automatically executed by the control unit 20 without requiring any registration or display instruction from the user, it is possible to greatly save the user's trouble. In addition, since the display method is determined based on the user's operation and the traveling history of the vehicle, the screen that the user wants to display can be accurately displayed.

  FIG. 11 shows a specific example of a map displayed on the display unit 14 by the first or second display process. The reference points in this case are home and Nagoya Station. A direction in which the road connecting the home and Nagoya station is displayed directly beside the Nagoya station on the left with respect to the home is used as the reference direction. In addition, icons and names representing the home and Nagoya station are displayed as attribute information.

  FIG. 12 shows a specific example of a map displayed on the display unit 14 when Nagoya Station is removed from the display in accordance with the movement of the current location from the state shown in FIG. 11 in the second display process. Information indicating the position of Nagoya Station is displayed by an arrow indicating a direction, a name, and a distance. This arrow is a part of a line segment connecting the current location on the map and the position of the target reference point indicating the position, and only the part located at the end of the displayed map is displayed as an arrow, The arrowhead is displayed on the reference point side.

If displayed as shown in FIG. 12, it is easy to see and convenient for the user who knows the positional relationship with reference to the reference point.
The information indicating the position is not limited to the arrow and the distance, but may be information such as latitude / longitude that can be known. Further, the information indicating the position may be displayed in a list in a display area different from the map by dividing the screen display without overlapping on the map.

  Further, as described above, the apparatus according to the present embodiment is configured to be able to register group data in the reference point file by direct user input. Specifically, the user inputs information constituting the group data through the screens shown in FIGS.

  First, the control unit 20 displays the screen shown in FIG. 4 on the display unit 14 based on an instruction input through the operation switch group 12. Then, the user selects “change” through the operation switch group 12 to change the already stored group data and “new” to add new group data.

  Then, the control unit 20 displays the screen shown in FIG. Then, the user inputs an arbitrary number of reference points. For this purpose, the “change” or “new” icon on the screen shown in FIG.

  Then, the control unit 20 displays the screen illustrated in FIG. 6 on the display unit 14. Then, the user inputs each item through the operation switch group 12. Further, on the screen shown in FIG. 5, the user inputs the upper angle and scale through the operation switch group 12.

Also by the method described above, information similar to the information stored by the first or second registration process is stored. According to this method, the user can conveniently register an arbitrary position as a reference point.
[Modification 1]
Subsequently, Modification 1 will be described. In the first modification, a reference road is stored instead of a reference point, and a map is displayed based on a reference direction associated with the reference road.

  Further, the map display device 1 according to the first modification has the same hardware configuration as the above-described embodiment. The difference is that the third registration process is executed instead of the first and second registration processes, and the third display process is executed instead of the first and second display processes.

  First, the third registration process will be described with reference to FIG. This process is a process used after the control unit 20 changes in advance the upper angle displayed on the display unit 14 based on a map rotation instruction through the operation switch group 12. That is, when the user thinks “I want to register this display method” after the user changes the upper angle through the screen as shown in FIG. 18, the user gives an instruction to register the reference road through the operation switch group 12. In response to this, the control unit 20 starts execution.

  First, information for specifying a road is acquired and stored in the RAM 20b (S610). Specifically, it is acquired based on an instruction input through the operation switch group 12. For this purpose, the user inputs the name of the road (for example, national highway No. 1) through the operation switch group 12, or inputs a point on the road displayed on the display unit 14 through the operation switch group 12. Enter information that identifies

  Next, the upper corner of the currently displayed map is stored in the RAM 20b as a reference direction (S620). Then, the reference direction type is acquired based on the instruction input through the operation switch group 12 and stored in the RAM 20b, and the information stored in the steps so far is stored in the NVRAM 20d (S630). There are two types of reference directions: those based on latitude and longitude, and those based on roads. Details will be described in the description of the third display process.

FIG. 14 shows a table of information stored by the third registration process. The items are road name, reference direction, and reference direction type.
FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the third display process. This process is executed repeatedly by the control unit 20 as a main component.

  First, it is determined whether or not the map screen is displayed on the display unit 14 (S510). If it is determined that the map screen is not displayed (No in S510), the third display process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the map screen is displayed (Yes in S510), the road including the point with the shortest distance from the current location and the point among the points included in the road stored as the reference road are specified (S530). ).

  And it is judged whether the distance from the specified point to the present location is below a threshold (S560). If it is determined that the distance from the identified point to the current location is not less than the threshold value (No in S560), a map to be displayed with the north or traveling direction as an upper corner is displayed on the display unit 14 (S570), and the third display Finish the process.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the distance from the identified point to the current location is equal to or less than the threshold (Yes in S560), it is determined whether the type of the reference direction associated with the road including the identified point is latitude / longitude. (S563). If it is determined that the type of the reference direction is latitude / longitude (Yes in S563), the display center point is not changed, the map is displayed with the reference direction as the upper angle (S585), and the process proceeds to S590.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the type of the reference direction is a road (No in S563), an upper angle is calculated based on the road to which the identified point belongs and the reference direction (S565) (see FIG. 16 for details). Then, using the calculated upper angle, the display center point is not changed, the map is displayed (S567), and the process proceeds to S590.

  If it progresses to S590, the name and icon of the reference | standard road containing the specified point will be displayed on the display part 14 so that it may overlap with a map. Then, it is determined whether or not a reference road switching instruction is input through the operation switch group 12 (S593). If it is determined that the reference road switching instruction has been input (Yes in S593), the next shortest point from the current location among the points included in the road stored as the reference road and the road including the point are specified (S597). ). Then, the process proceeds to S560.

  That is, by repeatedly executing the processing of S560 to S593, each time a reference road switching instruction is input, a map based on the reference road is displayed in order from the reference road having a short distance from the current location. The “next shortest point” is considered excluding the points belonging to the reference road associated with the reference direction displayed earlier in the repetition.

  If it is determined that the instruction to end the third display process has not been input through the operation switch group 12 (No in S595), the process returns to S593. On the other hand, if it is determined that an instruction to end the third display process is input through the operation switch group 12 (Yes in S595), the original screen is displayed (S598), and the third display process ends.

  A specific example of the map displayed by the third display process is shown in FIG. As mentioned above, there are two types of reference directions. First, a specific example of a type based on latitude and longitude is shown in FIG. In this case, the reference direction is the same as the case where the landmark described above is handled as a reference point, and is a direction based on the parallels and meridians.

  As a second example, a specific example of a type based on a road is shown in FIG. First, a tangent as a half line with respect to the reference road is virtually drawn so as to pass through the specified point. The direction of extending the half line is closer to the north. Then, the direction obtained by turning the angle indicated by the reference direction counterclockwise from the tangent line is displayed as the upper angle.

  Further, the reference may not be a road, but may be a track, a river, a coastline, a boundary line of an administrative district, or the like. According to this method, not only a point but also a road can be displayed as a reference, which is convenient.

  Further, the scale used for the map display may be determined as in the above-described embodiment. However, “reference point” is read as “reference line or a predetermined section on the reference line”. A map including a reference line displays the entire reference line. Moreover, one section with a reference line is, for example, a link representing a reference line (such as a road) including a point closest to the current location. That is, a point on the reference line closest to the current location is acquired, and the scale value is determined so that the link including the point and the current location are displayed on the same map screen.

Further, the predetermined point on the predetermined one section determined in this way may be indicated by an arrow as in FIG. The predetermined point on the predetermined section (predetermined point on the reference line) is a point closest to the current location, for example, as in the above-described embodiment.
[Other variations]
Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the examples described above. For example, the midpoint point of the display may be obtained or the scale may be obtained based on the information on the destination and waypoint acquired for route guidance. Further, instead of S385 and S485, a map may be displayed based on a scale value stored in advance in association with a scale value corresponding to a reference point and a reference direction. Moreover, you may apply to a bird's-eye view. In this case, “upward on the map” is a direction toward the back of the screen.

  Further, the second display process may not be executed during route guidance. The reason is that the user may be confused if the map display method suddenly changes during route guidance. When displaying based on the upper corner, if any of the reference points corresponding to the upper corner deviates from the display, the scale value may be changed so that the deviated reference point can be displayed. The display by the upper corner may be interrupted.

  In S280 of the second registration process, the position of the reference point may be determined in consideration of the position of the stored parking spot instead of the current location. You may make it move a display center point with the movement of a present location by a 1st display process. Further, the display center point may not be moved with the movement of the current location in the second display process.

The attribute information may display business hours if the reference point is a commercial facility, or may display and display an advertisement of the facility by communication. Further, the entire apparatus may be realized by hardware, or may be applied to a mobile phone or the like.
[Correspondence]
The correspondence between each means described in the claims and the embodiments will be described. However, explanations are omitted for obvious ones. The storage means is the first and second registration processing, the judgment means is S310 to S350, S460 and S560, the selection means is S360, S430 and S530 and S597, the display means is S370 to S390, S470 to S490 and S585 to S590, the registration means. Are S110 to S160 and S205 to S290, the specific point registration unit is S210, the determination unit is S230 and S240, the determination unit and the point registration unit are S260 to S290, the scale calculation unit is S380 and S480, and the point acquisition unit is S530. Realized.

Further, the attribute information corresponds to the facility name in FIG. 11, and “information indicating the position of the reference point” corresponds to the arrow and distance associated with “Nagoya Station” in FIG.
Finally, the description of the claims will be conceptually explained with reference to FIG. FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing the relationship between the means described in the claims. Arrows indicate transmission / reception of information. The operation of each means can be classified into two related to display and related to storage.

  In FIG. 17, information related to operations related to display is represented by dashed arrows, and information related to operations related to storage is represented by solid arrows. However, the illustration of the position acquisition means is omitted. This is because the position acquisition means transmits position information to a number of means, and thus becomes complicated in the figure.

  The description of the claims is roughly described based on FIG. 17. The display means determines whether or not to perform display based on the reference direction based on information from the determination means. And when displaying, a display is performed based on the information from a selection means or a point acquisition means, a memory | storage means (not shown arrow), and a scale calculation means. The display means changes the reference direction based on information from the direction setting means.

  On the other hand, the operation related to the information related to storage is executed in two patterns triggered by the operation of the direction setting means. First, the registration unit registers the direction set by the direction setting unit. Second, the determination unit, the determination unit, and the point acquisition unit operate based on information stored in the storage unit by the specific point registration unit. In this way, information on the reference point and the reference direction is stored in the storage means.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a map display device 1. FIG. It is a flowchart showing a 1st registration process. It is a table showing the structure of the data registered. It is a figure showing the mode of a group data registration screen. It is a figure showing the mode of a reference | standard point registration screen. It is a figure showing the mode of a reference point detailed setting screen. It is a flowchart showing a 2nd registration process. It is a table showing the data structure of a parking spot. It is a flowchart showing a 1st display process. It is a flowchart showing a 2nd display process. It is a specific example of a map displayed based on a reference point and a reference direction. It is a specific example of a map displayed based on a reference point and a reference direction. It is a flowchart showing a 3rd registration process. It is a table showing the information memorize | stored by the 3rd registration process. It is a flowchart showing a 3rd display process. It is a figure showing the mode of the map displayed based on a reference | standard road. It is the figure which represented notionally the relationship of each means as described in a claim. It is a figure showing the display screen for setting an upper angle.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Map display apparatus, 11 ... Positioning device, 11a ... GPS receiver, 11b ... Gyroscope, 11c ... Distance sensor, 11d ... Geomagnetic sensor, 12 ... Operation switch group, 13 ... Voice input part, 14 ... Display part, 15 ... voice output unit, 16 ... external information input / output unit, 17 ... map data input device, 20 ... control unit, 20a ... CPU, 20b ... RAM, 20c ... ROM, 20d ... NVRAM

Claims (11)

Position acquisition means for acquiring current position information;
Display means for displaying a map including the current position indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition means on the screen based on the map information acquired from the storage medium storing the map information;
Storage means for storing at least one reference direction information, and storing at least one reference point information in association with each of the reference directions;
A specific reference point is selected from the reference points stored by the storage unit based on the positional relationship between the point indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition unit and each of the reference points stored by the storage unit. A selection means;
Whether or not to display the map based on the reference direction is determined based on the distance between the point indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition unit and the specific reference point selected by the selection unit. A judging means for judging;
With
The display means stores the reference stored in association with a specific reference point selected by the selection means in a predetermined display direction with respect to the screen when the determination means determines to execute display. A map display device that displays the map on the screen according to a direction. Position acquisition means for acquiring current position information;
Display means for displaying a map including the current position indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition means on the screen based on the map information acquired from the storage medium storing the map information;
Storage means for storing information on at least one reference direction and storing information on one reference line in association with each of the reference directions;
Based on the positional relationship between the point indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition unit and each of the reference lines stored by the storage unit, a specific reference line is selected from the reference lines stored by the storage unit. A selection means;
Whether or not to display the map based on the reference direction is determined based on the distance between the point indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition unit and the specific reference line selected by the selection unit. A judging means for judging;
With
The display means stores the reference stored in association with a specific reference line selected by the selection means in a predetermined display direction with respect to the screen when the determination means determines to execute display. A map display device that displays the map on the screen according to a direction. Direction setting means for displaying the map on the display means in accordance with the display direction input through the user interface,
A specific point included in the map displayed on the display unit by the direction setting unit is stored in the storage unit as the reference point, and the setting direction input through the user interface in association with the reference point Is registered in the storage means as the reference direction,
The map display device according to claim 1 , further comprising: Direction setting means for displaying the map on the display means in accordance with the display direction input through the user interface,
A specific point registration unit for storing the specific point included in the map displayed on the display unit by the direction setting unit in association with the current date and time and the information on the setting direction, and storing the specific point in the storage unit;
Whether or not more than a predetermined number of the specific points located in a predetermined area are stored for the specific points stored within a predetermined period is stored in the storage unit by the operation of the specific point registration unit. Determination means for determining based on the stored information on the specific point and date and time;
When the determination unit determines that the number of the specific points or more is stored, the reference point is determined based on the position of the specific point located in the predetermined area, and corresponds to the determined reference point Determining means for determining the setting direction to be performed based on the setting direction information associated with the specific point and stored in the storage means;
Point registration means for storing information on the reference point and the setting direction determined by the determination means in association with each other and stored in the storage means;
The map display device according to claim 1 , further comprising: A map display device,
Position acquisition means for acquiring current position information;
Display means for displaying a map including the current position indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition means on the screen based on the map information acquired from the storage medium storing the map information;
Storage means for storing at least one reference direction information, and storing at least one reference point information in association with each of the reference directions;
A specific reference point is selected from the reference points stored by the storage unit based on the positional relationship between the point indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition unit and each of the reference points stored by the storage unit. A selection means;
With
The display means displays the map on the screen by aligning the reference direction stored in association with the specific reference point selected by the selection means in a predetermined display direction with respect to the screen. Configured,
Furthermore, the map display device
Direction setting means for displaying the map on the display means in accordance with the display direction input through the user interface,
A specific point included in the map displayed on the display unit by the direction setting unit is stored in the storage unit as the reference point, and the setting direction input through the user interface in association with the reference point Is registered in the storage means as the reference direction,
MAP DISPLAY device you comprising: a. A map display device,
Position acquisition means for acquiring current position information;
Display means for displaying a map including the current position indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition means on the screen based on the map information acquired from the storage medium storing the map information;
Storage means for storing at least one reference direction information, and storing at least one reference point information in association with each of the reference directions;
A specific reference point is selected from the reference points stored by the storage unit based on the positional relationship between the point indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition unit and each of the reference points stored by the storage unit. A selection means;
With
The display means displays the map on the screen by aligning the reference direction stored in association with the specific reference point selected by the selection means in a predetermined display direction with respect to the screen. Configured,
Furthermore, the map display device
Direction setting means for displaying the map on the display means in accordance with the display direction input through the user interface,
A specific point registration unit for storing the specific point included in the map displayed on the display unit by the direction setting unit in association with the current date and time and the information on the setting direction, and storing the specific point in the storage unit;
Whether or not more than a predetermined number of the specific points located in a predetermined area are stored for the specific points stored within a predetermined period is stored in the storage unit by the operation of the specific point registration unit. Determination means for determining based on the stored information on the specific point and date and time;
When the determination unit determines that the number of the specific points or more is stored, the reference point is determined based on the position of the specific point located in the predetermined area, and corresponds to the determined reference point Determining means for determining the setting direction to be performed based on the setting direction information associated with the specific point and stored in the storage means;
Point registration means for storing information on the reference point and the setting direction determined by the determination means in association with each other and stored in the storage means;
MAP DISPLAY device you comprising: a. Position acquisition means for acquiring current position information;
Storage means for storing at least one reference direction information, and storing at least one reference point information in association with each of the reference directions;
A specific reference point is selected from the reference points stored by the storage unit based on the positional relationship between the point indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition unit and each of the reference points stored by the storage unit. A selection means;
A means for displaying a map including the current position indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition means on the screen based on the map information acquired from the storage medium storing the map information, and is predetermined for the screen Display means for displaying the map on the screen by matching the reference direction stored in association with the specific reference point selected by the selection means in the displayed direction;
In addition,
The display means includes
When displaying the map on the screen by aligning the reference direction with the display direction, the point indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition unit, and at least one reference point associated with the reference direction A scale calculation means for calculating a maximum scale value that is a map scale value that can be displayed on the screen.
MAP DISPLAY device means displays the map scale values the scale calculation means has calculated the screen. Position acquisition means for acquiring current position information;
Display means for displaying a map including the current position indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition means on the screen based on the map information acquired from the storage medium storing the map information;
Storage means for storing at least one reference direction information, and storing at least one reference point information in association with each of the reference directions;
A specific reference point is selected from the reference points stored by the storage unit based on the positional relationship between the point indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition unit and each of the reference points stored by the storage unit. A selection means;
With
The display unit displays the map on the screen by aligning the reference direction stored in association with the specific reference point selected by the selection unit in a predetermined display direction with respect to the screen. further, maps display you and displaying the information indicating the position of the reference point on the screen. The storage means stores attribute information indicating an attribute of the reference point,
The map display device according to claim 8, wherein the display unit displays attribute information of a reference point to which the position is indicated on the screen. Position acquisition means for acquiring current position information;
Storage means for storing information on at least one reference direction and storing information on one reference line in association with each of the reference directions;
Based on the positional relationship between the point indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition unit and each of the reference lines stored by the storage unit, a specific reference line is selected from the reference lines stored by the storage unit. A selection means;
A means for displaying a map including the current position indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition means on the screen based on the map information acquired from the storage medium storing the map information, and is predetermined for the screen Display means for displaying the map on the screen by matching the reference direction stored in association with the specific reference line selected by the selection means in the displayed direction;
In addition,
The display means includes
When displaying the map on the screen with the reference direction aligned with the display direction, the point indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition means, and at least one reference line associated with the reference direction or A scale calculation means for calculating a map including a predetermined section on the reference line, which is a scale value of a map that can be displayed on the screen, and which calculates a maximum scale value;
MAP DISPLAY device means displays the map scale values the scale calculation means has calculated the screen. Position acquisition means for acquiring current position information;
Display means for displaying a map including the current position indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition means on the screen based on the map information acquired from the storage medium storing the map information;
Storage means for storing information on at least one reference direction and storing information on one reference line in association with each of the reference directions;
Based on the positional relationship between the point indicated by the current position information acquired by the position acquisition unit and each of the reference lines stored by the storage unit, a specific reference line is selected from the reference lines stored by the storage unit. A selection means;
With
The display means displays the map on the screen by aligning the reference direction stored in association with the specific reference line selected by the selection means in a predetermined display direction with respect to the screen. further, maps display you wherein the information indicating the position of the predetermined point may be displayed on the screen of the reference line.