JP5385450B2 - Map display device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for displaying a point on a map.

  Conventionally, in a state where an image is displayed on the touch panel, when the user touches two points on the touch panel with a finger and moves at least one of the two points, the portion displayed on the two points on the touch panel is the fingertip. There are techniques for enlarging, moving, and rotating the image on the touch panel.

JP 2008-70968 A

  However, the user does not always touch the two points on the touch panel with the fingertip accurately and move the fingertip accurately so that the desired result is correctly displayed. Therefore, for example, when trying to enlarge an image, the part of the image that the user wants to see may be out of the screen display range as a result of the enlargement. In particular, when operating the touch panel using two fingers of one hand, part of the screen is hidden by the palm of the hand, so that the operation can be performed so that the desired result is accurately displayed. The user needs to operate with great care.

  An object of the present invention is to deal with at least a part of the above-described problem, and an object of the present invention is to make it easy to obtain a display of a portion desired by a user when displaying a map.

First aspect:
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following configuration as one aspect.
A map display device,
A point determination unit capable of determining a reference point;
An output unit capable of displaying an image and receiving an input from a user by being in contact with a part of a region displaying the image;
A controller capable of controlling the output unit to display a map image and displaying a mark representing the reference point on the map image;
The control unit is configured to maintain at least one of the two portions in contact with the output unit from the first state in which the output unit is in contact with the two portions of the region displaying the map image. When moving to the second state,
(I) A distance between representative points respectively included in the two portions in the first state is defined as a first distance L1, and representative points included in the two portions in the second state are When the distance between them is the second distance L2, the line segment connecting the representative points of the two portions in the first state and the representative points of the two portions in the second state are The map image in the first state is rotated around the center point of the area displaying the map image by the angle formed by the connecting line segment, and further, the map image of the map image is centered on the center point. A first operation mode for displaying a map image representing a range of a map image obtained by multiplying the display by L2 / L1,
(Ii) The position of the mark at the reference point displayed in the first state is not moved, the map image in the first state is rotated by the angle around the reference point, and And a second operation mode for displaying a map image representing a range of a map image obtained by multiplying the display of the map image by L2 / L1 around a reference point.

  In such an aspect, in the first operation mode, the user can enlarge or reduce the map image without losing sight of the portion near the center point of the area displaying the map image on the map display device. There is a high possibility that the rotation operation can be performed. On the other hand, in the second operation mode, the user is likely to be able to perform enlargement, reduction, and rotation operations on the map image without losing sight of the reference point displayed on the output unit. For this reason, according to said aspect, when displaying a map, the display of the part which a user calculates | requires can be obtained easily.

In addition, in order to achieve the said objective, this invention can also employ | adopt the following structures as one aspect | mode.
A map display device,
A point determination unit capable of determining a reference point;
An output unit capable of displaying an image and receiving an input from a user by being in contact with a part of a region displaying the image;
A controller capable of controlling the output unit to display a map image and displaying a mark representing the reference point on the map image;
The control unit is configured to maintain at least one of the two portions in contact with the output unit from the first state in which the output unit is in contact with the two portions of the region displaying the map image. When moving to the second state,
(I) The map so that the same points on the map that were respectively displayed in the two portions in the first state are displayed in the two portions in the second state, respectively. A first operation mode for controlling display of an image;
(Ii) The distance between the representative points respectively included in the two portions in the first state is defined as a first distance L1, and the representative points included in the two portions in the second state When the distance between them is the second distance L2, the position of the mark at the reference point displayed in the first state is not moved in the output unit, and the map image is centered on the reference point. And a second operation mode for multiplying the display by L2 / L1.

  In such an aspect, in the first operation mode, the user can intuitively perform operations such as enlargement, reduction, and rotation of the map image on the map display device. On the other hand, in the second operation mode, there is a high possibility that the user can enlarge and reduce the map image without losing sight of the reference point displayed on the output unit. For this reason, according to said aspect, when displaying a map, the display of the part which a user calculates | requires can be obtained easily.

Second aspect:
In the first aspect, it is preferable to further adopt the following configuration.
The point determination unit may acquire a current position using a global positioning system and determine the current position as the reference point.

  With this aspect, the user can enlarge and reduce the map image without losing sight of the current position in the second operation mode.

Third aspect:
In the first or second aspect, it is preferable to further adopt the following configuration.
The point determination unit
The search point information determined by searching the database based on information input by the user can be obtained.
The search point can be determined as the reference point.

  With this aspect, the user can enlarge and reduce the map image without losing sight of the searched point in the second operation mode.

Fourth aspect:
In the third aspect, it is preferable to further adopt the following configuration.
The point determination unit can obtain information on a plurality of the search points,
The control unit can display a mark representing each of two or more search points of the plurality of search points on the map image,
The point determination unit determines, as the reference point, a search point closest to a midpoint of the representative points of the two portions in the first state among the two or more search points. The operation mode can be processed.

  According to such an aspect, even when a plurality of points are obtained as a result of the search, the user can enlarge and reduce the map image so as not to lose sight of the desired point.

In addition, it is also preferable to set it as the following aspects.
The control unit can display a mark representing each of the search point and the current position on the map image,
The point determination unit determines, as the reference point, a search point closest to a midpoint of the representative points of the two portions in the first state among the search point and the current position, Processing in the second operation mode can be performed.
Further, the control unit can display a mark representing each of the two or more search points and the current position on the map image,
The point determination unit determines, as the reference point, a search point closest to a midpoint of the representative points of the two portions in the first state among the two or more search points and the current position. Thus, the processing in the second operation mode can be performed.

  According to such an aspect, the user can select a desired point from the point obtained as a result of the search and the current position, and can enlarge and reduce the map image so that the point is not lost. it can.

Fifth aspect:
In the first aspect, it is preferable to further adopt the following configuration.
The controller is
From the third state where the output unit is in contact with one part of the area displaying the map image, the one part is moved while maintaining the contact state with the output unit, and the fourth state. So that the same point on the map that was displayed in the one portion in the third state is displayed in the one portion in the fourth state The display range of the map image can be moved,
In the second operation mode, when the one portion moves more than a predetermined distance threshold while maintaining a contact state with the output unit, the first operation mode is switched.

  When the user greatly moves the display range of the map in the output unit, the user often wants to see a point other than the point such as the current position or a point obtained as a result of the search. In the above aspect, in the second operation mode, when the user moves the display range of the map by a predetermined distance or more, the mode is switched to the first operation mode. For this reason, when the user wants to see a point other than the reference point on the map, the user wants to intuitively perform operations such as enlargement, reduction, and rotation of the map image without being restricted by the reference point. You can see the spot.

Sixth aspect:
In the fifth aspect, it is preferable to further adopt the following configuration.
In the first operation mode, the control unit is switched in the first operation mode that has been switched as a result of the movement of the one portion in the second operation mode by more than the distance threshold while maintaining a contact state with the output unit. When there is no input from the user to the map display device after exceeding the threshold time, the mode is switched to the second operation mode.

  After the user has moved the display range of the map over a predetermined distance and switched to the first operation mode, if there is no input from the user beyond the predetermined threshold time, the user has already confirmed the desired point sufficiently However, there is a high possibility that you do not want to see the point any further. According to the aspect as described above, in such a case, the operation shifts to the second operation mode in which the user is likely to see the map image in enlargement or reduction of the map image without losing sight of the reference position. To do. For this reason, after switching to a 1st operation mode, a user's convenience is high compared with the aspect which keeps a 1st operation mode.

Seventh aspect:
Moreover, it is preferable to employ the following configuration. A map display device,
A display unit that displays a map image, and a detection unit that detects movement while the two parts are in contact with each other while the map image is displayed on the display unit;
When the detection unit detects movement, the map display device includes control means for controlling display of a map image using a predetermined point as a reference point.
The present invention can be realized in various forms, for example, a map display method and a map display device, an image display method and an image display device, and a computer program for realizing the functions of these methods or devices. It can be realized in the form of a recording medium recording the computer program, a data signal including the computer program and embodied in a carrier wave, and the like.

The figure which shows the hardware constitutions of the map display system which is 1st Example of this invention. The flowchart which shows the process at the time of displaying a map in a present Example. The figure explaining the process in step S20. The figure which shows map image DM2 displayed on the display panel 202 in a 2nd state. The figure explaining an example of a process when a process progresses to step S70 from step S60. The figure which shows map image DM4 displayed on the display panel 202 in the 2nd state of a 2nd operation mode. The figure which shows map image DM5 displayed on the display panel 202 in a 2nd state, when the process of 2nd Example is performed.

A. First embodiment:
A1. overall structure:
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of a map display system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The map display system of the first embodiment includes a mobile phone 200 and a server 170.

  The mobile phone 200 includes a GPS unit 201, a display panel 202, an audio output unit 203, a vibration mechanism 204, a communication unit 205, a command input unit 206, a main control unit 210, and a call control unit 220. doing.

  The GPS unit 201 is a unit including an antenna for receiving radio waves from a GPS (Global Positioning System / Global Positioning System) satellite. Based on the radio wave received by the GPS antenna, the GPS unit 201 can generate current position information indicating the current position of the mobile phone 200.

  The display panel 202 is a liquid crystal display that can display an image. The display panel 202 functions as a touch panel that can receive an instruction from a user by touching a part of the panel according to a displayed image. For example, the user can perform an operation for controlling the display of an image by pressing the surface of the display panel 202 with a finger or moving the finger in contact with the surface of the display panel 202. In this specification, “image” is a concept that includes characters, symbols, and the like in addition to narrowly defined images. That is, in this specification, “image” includes any object that can be expressed in two dimensions.

  Note that as the display panel 202, various types of touch panels such as a pressure-sensitive type and an electrostatic type can be employed. For example, “resistance film method (analog resistance film method)”, “capacitance method”, “ultrasonic surface acoustic wave method” using surface acoustic waves that propagate as physical vibrations on the surface of glass, etc., glass surface `` Acoustic pulse recognition method '' that detects the touch position using acoustic waves that propagate through the screen, `` Vibration detection method (DST) '' that detects the physical vibration caused by touch on the touch surface, and finds the position "Infrared light shielding method" that detects light-shielded parts by providing light-emitting and light-receiving parts on the vertical and horizontal walls of the panel, and receives the electromagnetic energy on the panel side by touching with a special pen that can generate a magnetic field. "Electromagnetic induction method" to detect the position of the finger, and images such as a finger touching with a plurality of image sensors located mainly in the corner near the screen, and the touch position and touch from the image analysis results The “image recognition method” that determines whether the object has changed, the “electrostatic sensor method” that uses the characteristic that the capacitance of the electrode increases when an object whose capacitance changes near the sensor electrode, and the LCD itself is directly connected to the image sensor. Various methods such as “LCD with built-in optical sensor” can be adopted.

  The command input unit 206 is a key realized by software on the display panel 202. The user inputs character information to the mobile phone 200 via a key displayed on the display panel 202. For example, in the search screen shown in FIG. 1, the user who is prompted to input by looking at the display Me “point search” and “keyword” inputs the keyword for point search via the command input unit 206. To do. The information is displayed in the input window IW input via the command input unit 206. Then, the user can cause the map display system to perform a search by pressing a search button Bs realized in software on the display panel 202.

  The voice output unit 203 is a device that includes a speaker, and is a device that can output a message to a user such as route guidance, a melody, and the like by voice. The vibration mechanism 204 is a device that can prompt the user's attention with a predetermined pattern of vibration.

  The communication unit 205 can communicate with the server 170 and transmit / receive information via the Internet INT as a communication network. In addition to the Internet, the communication network includes a LAN, a WAN, a public line, and the like. The call control unit 220 is a circuit that performs an incoming call for a call, a voice / electrical signal conversion, and the like.

  The main control unit 210 is a control unit for controlling each unit of the mobile phone 200. The main control unit 210 includes a CPU 211, a RAM 212, and a ROM 213 that are used for these controls. For example, the main control unit 210 can control each unit of the mobile phone 200 by executing the application software 230 on the CPU to perform various processes, and can transmit information from the mobile phone 200 to the server 170. Thus, the server 170 can perform various processes.

  The server 170 includes a communication unit 172, a control unit 174, and a storage unit 176. The storage unit 176 stores a point database 177 and a map database 178.

  The point database 177 stores “target information regarding facilities”. The “target information regarding the facility” includes (a) the telephone number of the facility, (b) information on the location of the facility, and (c) related information on the facility. The “point information” of the facility is the latitude and longitude of the point where the facility exists. The “related information” of the facility includes, for example, (i) the name and address of the facility as character information, (ii) the category, (iii) available time including regular holidays, (iv) budget (facility entrance fee and average Budget). The “category” of the facility is, for example, “restaurant”, “accommodation facility”, “station”, “interchange”, and the like. The character information included in the target information is referred to as “target character information”.

  The server 170 can communicate with the mobile phone 200 via the communication unit 172 and the Internet INT. The control unit 174 of the server 170 can identify target information related to the input character information by searching for the target character information in the location database 177 based on the input character information transmitted from the mobile phone 200. it can. The control unit 174 generates target data based on the specified target information, and transmits the target data to the mobile phone 200 via the communication unit 172. The target data may include all information for each target information, or may include only a part of the information. However, the target data includes at least the address, the location information, and the facility name for the facility target information among the target information.

  Note that the function of the main control unit 210 that causes the server 170 to search for target information related to a point and acquire target data including information about the point of the facility is shown as a first search unit 231 in FIG. Further, a function unit of the control unit 174 that receives information from the mobile phone 200, performs a search in the location database 177, generates target data, and transmits it to the mobile phone 200 is referred to as a “second search unit 175”. As shown in FIG.

  Further, the control unit 174 refers to the map image data in the map database 178 based on the data received from the mobile phone 200, and cuts out map image data representing the map of the area requested by the mobile phone 200. Then, the cut map image data is transmitted to the mobile phone 200 via the communication unit 172.

A2. Map display:
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a process for displaying a map in the present embodiment. In the mobile phone 200, various processes such as point search and route guidance are performed in parallel with the process of FIG. That is, the process in FIG. 2 is performed when an instruction is input from the user by simultaneously touching two portions of the display panel 202 displaying the map image among various processes performed in the mobile phone 200. This is processing relating to how to display a map image.

  When the two portions of the display panel 202 displaying the map image are simultaneously touched, the main control unit 210 starts the process of FIG. In step S <b> 15, the main control unit 210 displays a point obtained as a result of the search performed using the point database 177 (hereinafter referred to as “search point”) on the map image on the display panel 202. And whether or not the current position obtained via the GPS unit 201 is displayed on the map image on the display panel 202 is determined. If neither the search point nor the current position is displayed on the display panel 202, the process proceeds to step S20. If the search point or the current position is displayed, the process proceeds to step S45. The operation state in which the main control unit 210 performs the processes of steps S20 to S35 in FIG. 2 is referred to as a “first operation mode”. The operation state in which the main control unit 210 performs the processes of steps S45 to S85 in FIG. 2 is referred to as a “second operation mode”.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the process in step S20. In FIG. 3, a map image DM1 is displayed in the area DA where the image of the display panel 202 can be displayed. The map image DM1 includes road displays R01 to R05. Note that the current position PP1 indicated by a broken line in FIG. 3 is shown for comparison with the processing of steps S35 to S70 described later, and is actually displayed on the display panel 202. It has not been.

  In step S20 of FIG. 2, it is assumed that the user has touched two portions on the display panel 202 with, for example, the thumb and the index finger. A portion pressed by the thumb is a first portion F11, and a portion pressed by the index finger is a second portion F21. Then, it is assumed that the user slides the thumb and index finger in contact with the display panel 202 and moves them to the third portion F12 and the fourth portion F22 in FIG. 3, respectively. Note that, here, a case where both of the two portions that are in contact with the display panel 202 move will be described, but the same processing is performed when only one of them moves.

  In the example of FIG. 3, a state in which the first part F11 is touched with the thumb and the second part F21 is touched with the index finger is referred to as a “first state”. The state in which the third part F12 is touched with the thumb and the fourth part F22 is touched with the index finger is referred to as a “second state”. In FIG. 3, the first portion F11 and the second portion F12 corresponding to the first state, and the line segment Ls1 connecting their center points are indicated by broken lines. Further, the third portion F21 and the fourth portion F22 corresponding to the second state, and a line segment Ls2 connecting the center points thereof are indicated by a one-dot chain line. In order to facilitate understanding of the technology, a portion where the user's thumb is in contact with the display panel 202 is hereinafter abbreviated as a “thumb portion”. The portion where the user's index finger is in contact with the display panel 202 is abbreviated as “index finger portion”.

  In the second state, the display panel 202 displays an image different from the image of FIG. 3 displayed in the first state. However, here, in order to facilitate understanding of the technology, first, an operation by the user will be described using FIG. 3, and then an image display by the main control unit 210 according to the user's operation will be described.

  The main control unit 210 determines the center of gravity of the region pressed by a pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined reference value for each portion (first to fourth portions F11, F21, F12, F22) pressed by the user. This center of gravity is referred to as a “center point” for convenience in this specification. In FIG. 3, the center points of the first to fourth portions F11, F21, F12, and F22 are indicated by crosses.

  Further, the main control unit 210 determines the midpoint of the center point of the thumb part and the center point of the index finger part. In the first state, the center point of the thumb part F11 and the center point of the index finger part F21 is Pc1. In the second state, the center point of the thumb part F12 and the center point of the index finger part F22 is Pc2.

  Further, the main control unit 210 determines the length and angular displacement of the line segment having the center point of the thumb part and the center point of the index finger part as both ends. In the first state, the length of the line segment Ls1 having the center point of the thumb part F11 and the center point of the index finger part F21 as both ends is L1. In the second state, the length of the line segment Ls2 having the center point of the thumb part F12 and the center point of the index finger part F22 as both ends is L2. The line segment Ls2 forms an angle θ1 counterclockwise with respect to the line segment Ls1. In step S20, the main controller 210 calculates each of these parameters.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a map image DM2 displayed on the display panel 202 in the second state. The main control unit 210 that has received the above-described operation by the user via the display panel 202 (see the first to fourth portions F11, F21, F12, and F22 in FIGS. 3 and 4) is in the first state. The display of the map image is controlled such that the same points on the map that are respectively displayed on the thumb part F11 and the index finger part F21 are displayed on the thumb part F12 and the index finger part F22 in the second state. As a result, in the second state, the map image DM2 shown in FIG. That is, the point of the center point of the thumb part F12 in the map image DM2 is the point of the center point of the thumb part F11 in the map image DM1. The point of the center point of the index finger part F21 in the map image DM2 is the point of the center point of the index finger part F22 in the map image DM1.

  The map image DM2, for example, (i) in the map image DM1 of FIG. 3, the point on the map at the midpoint Pc1 between the thumb part F11 and the index finger part F21 is the position of the thumb part F12 and the index finger part F22. The map image DM1 is moved so as to be positioned at the midpoint Pc2, and (ii) the map image DM1 is rotated around the point by θ1 in the rotation direction of the line segment Ls2 with respect to the line segment Ls1 (FIGS. 3 and 4). And (iii) the map image can be obtained by multiplying the center point Pc2 by (L2 / L1).

  However, the image DM2 displayed in the second state is not obtained by simply performing the processes (i) to (iii). That is, the main control unit 210 performs the above processing to reduce the scale and range of the map image to be displayed in the image display area DA in the second state (see (i) and (iii) above) and the direction (above (ii) above). See). The main control unit 210 newly generates a map image DM2 according to the scale, range, and orientation of the map image to be displayed determined as described above. The main control unit 210 newly acquires a map image in the map database 178 from the server 170 as necessary so that the map image is displayed in the image display area DA. In the case where the map image DM2 to be displayed in the second state includes characters, and these characters indicate the same elements as those displayed in the map image DM1, those characters are the map. It is displayed in the same size as the image DM1. In addition, the direction of the arrangement of characters is determined according to the direction of the elements displayed in the map image. Further, the width of the road included in the map image is not simply enlarged or reduced when the image DM2 is generated, but is displayed with a predetermined width according to the scale of the map image.

  In this specification, when “magnify a map image”, “reduce a map image”, “rotate a map image”, or “move a map image”, it should be newly displayed as described above. This means that the scale, range and orientation of the map image are determined, and a new map image corresponding to the scale, range and orientation is generated or acquired.

  In step S <b> 20 of FIG. 2, when the user touches two portions of the display panel 202 and operates the display panel 202, the above processing is performed. Here, the image has been described by comparing the state of FIG. 3 with the state of FIG. 4, but in actuality, the modification of the map image as described above may cause the thumb part and the index finger part to be displayed on the display panel 202. As you move up. That is, each time the two contact portions of the display panel 202 move by a minute distance, the above processing is performed, and the displayed map image is changed. As a result, the map image is displayed so that the points on the map respectively displayed on the thumb part F11 and the index finger part F21 follow the movement of the user's thumb and index finger.

  By performing such processing, the user can enlarge, reduce, move, and rotate the map image by an intuitive operation. A functional unit of the main control unit 210 that realizes the process of step S20 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as a first display control unit 232.

  In step S25 of FIG. 2, the main control unit 210 determines whether an instruction to end the process of displaying the map has been issued by the user or by another process. If an instruction to end the map display process is given, the process ends. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S35.

  In step S35 of FIG. 2, a time when the process proceeds directly to step S20 from step S85 described later (that is, without passing through step S15) and there is no input from the user to the mobile phone 200. It is determined whether or not a predetermined time Tth (for example, 20 seconds) has been exceeded. If the determination result of step S35 is Yes, the process proceeds to step S45. That is, when the determination result of step S35 is Yes, the process is switched from the first operation mode to the second operation mode. On the other hand, when the determination result of step S35 is No, the process returns to step S15.

  In step S <b> 45, main controller 210 checks the total number of search points and current positions displayed on display panel 202. If the total number of search points and current positions is 1, the process proceeds to step S50. If the total number of search points and current positions is 2 or more, the process proceeds to step S60.

  In step S50, the main control unit 210 determines the search point or the current position displayed on the display panel as the reference point. For example, when the current position is displayed on the display panel 202, the current position is determined as the reference point. When only one search point is displayed on the display panel 202, the search point is determined as a reference point.

  In step S60, the main control unit 210 selects a point closest to the midpoint of the center points of the two portions on the display panel 202 that are touched by the user among the search points and the current position displayed on the display panel. Decide on the reference point.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of processing when the processing proceeds from step S60 to step S70. In FIG. 5, a map image DM3 is displayed in an area DA where the image on the display panel 202 can be displayed. The map image DM3 includes, in addition to road displays R01 to R05, a mark PP representing the current position and marks M1 to M3 representing the search points. The search point marks M1 to M3 have a pin shape and are displayed on the map image as if the search point is pinned. Note that the search points where the mark is displayed on the display panel 202 may be all search points or some search points. The mark representing the search point may have another shape as long as the search point can be specified.

  Hereinafter, the marks M1 to M3 representing the search points in the map image or the points in the map image represented by the marks M1 to M3 may be simply expressed as “search points Mi” (i = 1 to 3). is there. In addition, the mark PP representing the current position in the map image or the point in the map image represented by the mark PP may be simply referred to as “current position PP”.

  The state of FIG. 5 is a state in which the user searches for facilities around the current position and displays the facility points (search points) obtained as a result. In order to facilitate understanding of the technology, the range of the map image DM3 shown in FIG. 5 is the same as the range of the map image DM1 shown in FIG. 3 (the road displays R01 to R05 in FIGS. 3 and 5). reference). For reference, the current position PP1 indicated by a broken line in FIG. 3 is at a position that matches the current position PP shown in FIG.

  The display on the display panel 202 will be described below assuming that the user touches two portions on the display panel 202 with the thumb and forefinger and performs the same operation as described with reference to FIGS. To 1st to 4th portions F11, F21, F12, and F22 of FIG. 5). It should be noted that reference numerals in the drawing relating to user operations and names such as “first state” and “second state” are the same as in the examples of FIGS.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a map image DM4 displayed on the display panel 202 in the second state of the second operation mode. In step S60, the main control unit 210 that has received an operation of contacting the first part F11 and the second part F21 by the user via the display panel 202 includes the first part F11 among the search point and the current position. The point closest to the midpoint Pc1 of the second portion F21 is determined as the reference point. In the examples of FIGS. 5 and 6, the current position PP is set as the reference point among the search points M1 to M3 and the current position PP. A functional unit of the main control unit 210 that realizes the processes of steps S45, S50, and S60 is shown as a point determination unit 234 in FIG.

  In step S70, the main control unit 210 determines the midpoint of the center point of the thumb portion and the center point of the index finger portion as in step S20 (see Pc1 and Pc2 in FIGS. 5 and 6). Further, the main control unit 210 determines the length of the line segment having the center point of the thumb part and the center point of the index finger part as both ends, and the relative angle between them (see L1, L2, and θ1 in FIGS. 5 and 6). .

  Then, the main control unit 210 modifies the map image displayed on the display panel 202 so that the position of the reference point displayed in the first state does not move on the display panel 202. The map image DM4 (see FIG. 6) displayed in the second state is, for example, (i) the display of the reference point (here, the current position PP) in the map image DM3 of FIG. (Ii) rotate the map image DM1 counterclockwise by θ1 around the reference point (see arrow Aθ1 in FIGS. 5 and 6), and (iii) The map image can be obtained by multiplying the map image by (L2 / L1) around the reference point. The main controller 210 determines the scale and range (see (i) and (iii) above) and orientation (see (ii) above) of the map image to be displayed in the image display area DA in the second state. The point that a map image DM2 is newly generated according to the scale, range, and orientation of the map image to be displayed determined as described above is the same as in step S20.

  In steps S60 and S70 of FIG. 2, when the user touches two portions of the display panel 202 and operates the display panel 202, the above processing is performed. Here, the image has been described by comparing the state of FIG. 5 with the state of FIG. 6, but actually, the modification of the map image as described above is performed when the thumb part and the index finger part are displayed on the display panel 202. As you move up. That is, each time the two contact portions of the display panel 202 move by a minute distance, the above processing is performed, and the displayed map image is changed. As a result, the display panel 202 displays the map image so as to be continuously modified.

  For example, in the process of step S20 in the first operation mode, the current position PP1 indicated by the broken line in FIG. 3 moves to the position PP2 indicated by the broken line in FIG. For reference, in FIG. 4, the position that coincides with the current position PP1 of FIG. 3 in the image display area DA of the display panel 202 is also denoted by PP1. Here, the “matching position” means the same position in comparison with the hardware configuration of the display panel 202 (for example, the pixel or the outer frame of the image display area DA).

  The amount of movement of such a point in the first operation mode increases as the point moves away from the thumb part and the index finger part on the map image. Therefore, when the search point is displayed or the current position is displayed, the point that is likely to be noticed by the user is the image display area of the display panel 202 as a result of the operation by the user. If the user moves significantly within the DA and is out of the image display area DA, the user's convenience is greatly impaired.

  However, in this embodiment, when the search point is displayed or the current position is displayed, one of them is fixed, and the map image is enlarged, reduced, and rotated. (See steps S15 and S70 in FIG. 2). For this reason, the user can enlarge, reduce, move, and rotate the map image without losing sight of the point of interest.

  In addition, the user usually performs processing such as enlargement and rotation of the map image by placing two fingers near the point of interest. For this reason, by determining the point close to the midpoint of the center point of each of the thumb part and the index finger part as the reference point and performing the above-described processing (steps S60 and S70 in FIG. 2), the user's convenience is further improved. Can be increased. A functional unit of the main control unit 210 that realizes the process of step S70 is shown as a second display control unit 233 in FIG.

  In step S75 of FIG. 2, the main control unit 210 determines whether or not an instruction to end the process of displaying the map has been issued. If an instruction to end the map display process is given, the process ends. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S85.

  In the mobile phone 200, when one portion in the image display area DA of the display panel 202 is pressed and the one portion moves while maintaining the contact state with the display panel 202, the touched portion The map image is displayed so that the point on the map that was displayed in FIG. That is, the point on the map displayed in the touched part is displayed in the touched part after movement, and the other part is also displayed as a map image so that the map image is displayed in the image display area DA. The range on the map will be changed.

  In step S85 in FIG. 2, it is determined whether or not one portion of the display panel 202 has been pushed and moved by a predetermined distance or more while maintaining the contact state with the display panel 202. If one portion in contact has moved a predetermined distance or more on the display panel 202, the process proceeds to step S20. That is, when the determination result of step S85 is Yes, the process is switched from the second operation mode to the first operation mode. On the other hand, when the determination result of step S85 is No, the process returns to step S15.

  The case where the user moves the display range of the map image by a predetermined distance or more means that the user wants to see a point that is not displayed near the center of the display panel 202, for example, a point that is not displayed on the display panel 202. It is. In such a case, if the map image is enlarged, reduced, or rotated with reference to the point displayed on the display panel (see step S70 in FIG. 2 and FIGS. 5 and 6), the user wants to see it. There is a possibility that the point that has been displayed is not displayed on the display panel 202. Even if such a point is displayed on the display panel 202, it may move greatly in the image display area DA and the user may lose sight of it.

  For this reason, when the user tries to see a point that is not displayed near the center of the display panel 202, the point on the map displayed on the thumb part F11 and the index finger part F21 respectively is the user's thumb and index finger. It is preferable to display the map image so as to follow the movement (see step S20 in FIG. 2 as well as FIGS. 3 and 4). In the present embodiment, by performing the processing in step S85, when the user wants to see a point that is not displayed near the center of the display panel 202, a map image is displayed in accordance with the user's intention. be able to.

  On the other hand, as described above, when the process proceeds from step S85 to step S20 without passing through step S15, and the time when the user does not input to the mobile phone 200 exceeds the predetermined time Tth. The process proceeds to step S45 (see step S35). That is, when the second operation mode is switched to the first operation mode through the process of step S85, if there is no input to the mobile phone 200 from the user for a predetermined time Tth, the process is the second Return to operation mode.

  If there is no input from the user for a predetermined time or more, it is highly likely that the user has no intention to see the spot (see step S85) displayed on the display panel after moving the range of the map image. In such a case, it is more convenient for the user to perform image display (see step S70) that makes it difficult to lose sight of the search point and the current position. In the present embodiment, the convenience of the user when displaying the map image can be enhanced by performing the process as in step S35.

  5 and 6, a case where the current position PP and a plurality of search points M1 to M3 are displayed and two portions F11 and F21 are pressed in the vicinity of the current position PP will be described. did. However, when the two portions F11 and F21 are pressed at a position closer to any of the search points M1 to M3 than the current position PP, in step S60, the two portions F11 that were initially pressed are selected. , F21 is determined as a reference point closest to the midpoint Pc1.

  5 and 6 describe the case where the process of step S70 is performed after step S60. However, even when the process of step S70 is performed after step S50, the map image process is the same as that described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 except for the process of determining the reference point (step S50). Done.

  Note that the GPS unit 201, the communication unit 205, the first search unit 231 and the point determination unit 234 in the present embodiment correspond to a “point determination unit”. The display panel 202 in this embodiment corresponds to an “output unit”. The first display control unit 232 and the second display control unit 233 in this embodiment correspond to a “control unit”.

  In the above description, it is assumed that the current position is stationary. However, when the mobile phone 200 is moving, it is preferable to generate a map image in consideration of the movement of the current position. In such a case, for example, the current position PP is displayed at the center point Pcp, which is the center of the rectangular image display area DA in the vertical and horizontal directions, and the range of the map image to be displayed is determined based on the current position. It is preferable to determine. The scale and orientation at that time are preferably determined based on two contact portions of the display panel 202 (see, for example, F11 and F21 and F12 and F22 in FIGS. 5 and 6). The relative position between the map image to be displayed and the current position can be determined based on the current position information acquired by the GPS unit 201.

B. Second embodiment:
In the first embodiment, in step S20 of FIG. 2, the map image is displayed so that the points on the map respectively displayed on the thumb part F11 and the index finger part F21 follow the movement of the user's thumb and index finger. . In the second embodiment, the display mode of the map image according to the operation of the two contact portions of the display panel 202 in step S20 of FIG. 2 is different from that of the first embodiment. The other points of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  FIG. 7 is displayed on the display panel 202 in the second state (the thumb portion has moved from F11 to F12 and the index finger portion has moved from F21 to F22) when the processing of the second embodiment is performed. It is a figure which shows map image DM5. The map image DM5 is, for example, (i) the rotation of the line segment Ls2 with respect to the line segment Ls1 around the center point Pcp that is the center of the rectangular image display area DA in the vertical and horizontal directions in the map image DM1 of FIG. The map image DM1 is rotated in the direction by θ1 (see arrow Aθ1 in FIGS. 3 and 7), and (ii) the map image is multiplied by (L2 / L1) around the center point Pc of the image display area DA. Can be obtained.

  In the second embodiment, when the user touches two portions of the display panel 202 and operates the display panel 202 in step S20 of FIG. 2, the above processing is performed. Here, the image has been described by comparing the state of FIG. 3 with the state of FIG. 7, but in actuality, the modification of the map image as described above may cause the thumb portion and the index finger portion to be displayed on the display panel 202. As you move up. That is, each time the two contact portions of the display panel 202 move by a minute distance, the above processing is performed, and the displayed map image is changed. As a result, the display panel 202 displays the map image so as to be continuously modified.

  By performing such processing, the user can enlarge, reduce, move, and rotate the map image without losing sight of the portion displayed near the center point Pcp of the image display area DA. The functional unit of the main control unit 210 that realizes the processing described above is the first display control unit 232.

C. Variations:
The present invention is not limited to the above-described examples and embodiments, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the following modifications are possible.

C1. Modification 1:
In the above embodiment, the “center point” of the contact portion is the center of gravity of the region pressed with a pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined reference value. However, the point serving as the reference for the position of the contact portion can be determined by other methods such as one point having the strongest pressure. The representative point serving as a reference for the position of the contact portion is a point included in a continuous region pressed with a pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined reference value, and can be a point determined by a predetermined method.

C2. Modification 2:
In the above embodiment, the current position is displayed on the right side of the center of the map image. This is because, in the state of FIG. 5, the main control unit 210 has determined the display range of the map image based on the distribution of the search point and the current position. However, when the search point is not displayed, the current position is the center of the screen in the vertical and horizontal directions, or the center in the horizontal direction, and the vertical direction is displayed below the center. Is preferred. It is preferable to employ the former display when, for example, route guidance is performed with a display with north facing up. The latter display is preferably employed, for example, when the route guidance is performed with a display in which the traveling direction is up.

  That is, when the current position is displayed on the screen and the search point is not displayed, and the current position is displayed at the center in the vertical and horizontal directions of the rectangular image display area, the display panel The enlargement, reduction, and rotation of the map image by operating the two contact portions are performed around the center point in the vertical and horizontal directions of the rectangular image display area. In addition, when the current position is displayed on the screen and the search point is not displayed, the current position is the center in the horizontal direction of the rectangular screen and is lower than the center in the vertical direction. When the map image is displayed, the enlargement, reduction, and rotation of the map image by operating the two contact portions of the display panel are the points located at the center in the horizontal direction of the rectangular screen, and the current position is This is done centering on the point contained in the displayed part.

  Even in the case of displaying northward or displaying the traveling direction upward, the user touches two locations on the display panel and rotates them by a predetermined angle or more (θ1 in FIGS. 3 to 7). In the case of performing (see), it is preferable to cancel the display. In such a case, it is preferable that the current position is displayed at the center of the screen in the vertical and horizontal directions.

  Further, in the above embodiment, when the current position or the search point is displayed on the display panel, processing such as enlargement, reduction, rotation, etc. is performed around the reference point determined based on the two contact portions. (See step 15 in FIG. 2). However, even when the search point is displayed on the display panel, the map image is enlarged, reduced, rotated, etc., with the center point Pcp in the vertical and horizontal directions of the image display area as the center. You can also. In addition, when the current position is displayed in addition to the center point PcP of the image display area, the map image can be enlarged, reduced, or rotated around the center point Pcp. Furthermore, when the current position and the search point are displayed on the display panel, the map image can be enlarged, reduced, rotated, etc. with the current position as the center.

C3. Modification 3:
In the above embodiment, the reference point is selected from the search point and the current position based on the positional relationship with the two contact portions. However, the reference point may be selected based on the positional relationship with the two contact portions from a set of a plurality of search points that do not include the current position.

  In the above embodiment, the reference point that is closest to the midpoint of the two contact portions is selected from a plurality of points. However, the reference point can also be determined by other methods, such as selecting a point closest to one representative point of the two contact portions from a plurality of points.

  Furthermore, the reference point is not selected from the search point and the current position, but can be, for example, the center of gravity of a plurality of search points, or the center of gravity of a plurality of search points and the current position. However, the reference point is preferably determined based on at least one of the search point and the current position.

C4. Modification 4:
In the first embodiment, in the process of step S20 of the first operation mode, the modification of the display range of the map image such as movement, enlargement, and reduction is described with reference to the midpoint of the two contact portions. However, in the first operation mode, for example, the display range of the map image can be modified based on one representative point of the two contact portions. In other words, the modification of the display range of the map image can be performed by a predetermined method based on the two contact portions.

C5. Modification 5:
In the above embodiment, the comparison between the moving distance and the threshold value in step S85 is performed based on the absolute moving distance on the display panel 202. However, the process of step S85 can also be performed based on a comparison between a distance on the map and a threshold value. In such embodiments,
The moving distance on the map can be obtained by multiplying the actual moving distance of the contact portion by the scale of the map displayed on the display panel as the output unit at that time.

C6. Modification 6:
Furthermore, in the said Example, the modification of a map image is performed continuously (refer step S20, S70 of FIG. 2). However, by sequentially displaying a plurality of images that can be recognized by the user as being different from each other, the map image DM1 in FIG. 3 is changed to the map image DM2 in FIG. 4, and the map image DM1 in FIG. The map image may be modified from the map image DM5 shown in FIG. 7 or from the map image DM3 shown in FIG. 5 to the map image DM4 shown in FIG.

C7. Modification 7:
In the above embodiment, when two portions of the display panel are pressed, any of enlargement, reduction, movement, and rotation of the map image can be performed. However, the mobile phone 200 as a map display device can be provided with a mode that does not allow rotation of the map image but allows only enlargement and reduction and movement. For example, when the display with north up is selected, or when the display with the traveling direction up is selected in the route guidance, such a mode is preferable.

  In addition, the map display device may include a mode in which the map image is not allowed to be enlarged or reduced and moved, and only the rotation is allowed. That is, the map display device performs only one of (i) enlargement and reduction of the map image, (ii) movement of the map image, and (iii) rotation of the map image, or only a combination of any two of them. It can be set as the aspect which performs the operation | movement permitted. Moreover, it can also be set as the aspect provided with several operation modes from which said 1 operation | movement or the combination of operation | movement differs among said (i)-(iii).

C8. Modification 8:
In the above embodiment, switching between the first operation mode and the second operation mode is automatically performed by the main control unit 210 (see steps S35 and S85 in FIG. 2). However, mode switching can also be performed manually according to a user instruction. For example, it is also preferable to display a button implemented in software on the display panel and switch the operation mode when the button is pressed. In addition, the operation mode can be switched when a button as hardware is pressed.

C9. Modification 9:
In the second embodiment, the map image representing the range of the map image obtained by rotating the map image is displayed around the center point Pcp which is the center of the image display area DA in the vertical and horizontal directions. The map image is displayed in the entire image display area DA in the first and second states. However, when the map image is displayed in a part of the rectangular area of the image display area DA in the first and second states, the map image is displayed at the center in the vertical and horizontal directions of the range in which the map image is displayed. It is preferable that a map image representing a range of the map image obtained by rotating the map image around a certain center point is displayed.

  A map display device, a map display method, or a computer program having an operation mode for performing the process of step S20 in the first embodiment and an operation mode for performing a process corresponding to step S20 in the second embodiment. It can also be configured.

C10. Modification 10:
Map image data as image data stored in the map database 178 of the server 170 may be stored as raster data or may be stored as vector data. The map image data transmitted to the mobile phone 200 as a terminal device carried by the user may be raster data or vector data. Further, either one of the map image data in the map database 178 and the map image data transmitted to the terminal device can be vector data and the other can be raster data.

C11. Modification 11:
In the said Example, a map display system contains the server 170 and the mobile telephone 200 as the component. However, the mobile phone 200 as a terminal includes, for example, a PDA (Personal Data Assistant), a portable image display device having an image display function, a notebook computer, or the like as a device that does not have a telephone function or a GPS unit. You can also However, the terminal preferably includes a position information acquisition unit that can acquire information on the current position.

  Moreover, it can also be set as the aspect provided with a part or all of the function of the server 170 in the portable terminal which a position information acquisition part carries and a user carries. Each function may be provided in the mobile terminal from the beginning. For example, by downloading a part or all of a program or data from the server 170, the mobile terminal can acquire each function afterwards. You can also As in the above-described embodiment, in an aspect in which an external server performs a database search, a component that transmits information necessary for the search to the external server and receives a search result from the external server is referred to as a “point determination unit. As part of "." On the other hand, when the mobile terminal itself searches the database, the control unit that performs such a search is grasped as a part of the “point determination unit”. Further, when the search device is realized as a system, for example, in the aspect of the above embodiment, the first search unit 231 and the second search unit 175 are grasped as part of the “point determination unit”. Can do.

  The server 170 may be a single server or a plurality of servers connected via a network. That is, the search device may be one device in which each component is housed in one housing. The search device can also be configured as two or more devices whose constituent elements are connected to each other by a data communication line. For each function realized by the search device, one or more arbitrary functions can be assigned to each device. Each function may be realized by one device, or two or more devices may be realized in cooperation. In an aspect in which two or more components are connected by a communication line, the output unit that outputs information to the user is preferably carried by the user.

C12. Modification 12:
In the above embodiment, a part of the configuration realized by hardware may be replaced with software, and conversely, a part of the configuration realized by software may be replaced by hardware. For example, the mobile phone 200 may include a keyboard as hardware instead of the software keyboard as the command input unit 206 realized by the function of the main control unit 210.

  A computer program for realizing such a function is provided in a form recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a floppy disk or a CD-ROM. The host computer reads the computer program from the recording medium and transfers it to the internal storage device or the external storage device. Alternatively, the computer program may be supplied from the program supply device to the host computer via a communication path. When realizing the function of the computer program, the computer program stored in the internal storage device is executed by the microprocessor of the host computer. Further, the host computer may directly execute the computer program recorded on the recording medium.

  In this specification, the host computer is a concept including a hardware device and an operation system, and means a hardware device that operates under the control of the operation system. The computer program causes such a host computer to realize the functions of the above-described units. Note that some of the functions described above may be realized by an operation system instead of an application program.

  In the present invention, the “computer-readable recording medium” is not limited to a portable recording medium such as a flexible disk or a CD-ROM, but an internal storage device in a computer such as various RAMs and ROMs, An external storage device fixed to a computer such as a hard disk is also included.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 170 ... Server 172 ... Communication part 174 ... Control part 175 ... 2nd search part 176 ... Memory | storage part 177 ... Point database 178 ... Map database 200 ... Mobile phone 201 ... GPS unit 202 ... Display panel 203 ... Audio | voice output part 204 ... Vibration Mechanism 205 ... Communication unit 206 ... Command input unit 210 ... Main control unit 211 ... CPU
212 ... RAM
213 ... ROM
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 220 ... Call control part 230 ... Application software 231 ... 1st search part A (theta) 1 ... Arrow which shows rotation of map image Bs ... Search button DA ... Image display area DM1-DM4 ... Map image F11 ... 1st part (thumb part)
F12 ... Third part (thumb part)
F21 ... 2nd part (index finger part)
F22 ... 4th part (index finger part)
INT ... Internet IW ... Input window L1 ... First distance between the center point of the first part F11 and the center point of the second part F21 L2 ... The center point of the third part F12 and the center of the fourth part F22 Second distance to point Ls1 ... Line segment connecting the center point of the first part F11 and the center point of the second part F21 Ls2 ... The center point of the third part F12 and the center point of the fourth part F22 Connecting line segments M1 to M3 ... Mark indicating the search point PP ... Mark indicating the current position PP1 ... Position corresponding to the current position Pc1 ... Midpoint of the center point of the first part F11 and the center point of the second part F21 Pc2 ... Midpoint between the center point of the third part F12 and the center point of the fourth part F22 R01 to R05 ... Display indicating the road

Claims (8)

A map display device,
A point determination unit capable of determining a reference point;
An output unit capable of displaying an image and receiving an input from a user by being in contact with a part of a region displaying the image;
A controller capable of controlling the output unit to display a map image and displaying a mark representing the reference point on the map image;
The control unit is configured to maintain at least one of the two portions in contact with the output unit from the first state in which the output unit is in contact with the two portions of the region displaying the map image. When moving to the second state,
(I) A map image is displayed so that the points on the map respectively displayed in the two portions in the first state are displayed in the two portions in the second state, respectively. A first operating mode;
(Ii) The distance between the representative points respectively included in the two portions in the first state is defined as a first distance L1, and the representative points included in the two portions in the second state When the distance between them is the second distance L2, the position of the mark at the reference point displayed in the first state is not moved, and the representative of the two portions in the first state a line segment connecting the points, and a line segment connecting the representative points of the two locations of portions in the second state, only the angle formed, rotates the map image in the first state about said reference point And a second operation mode for displaying a map image representing a range of the map image obtained by multiplying the display of the map image by L2 / L1 with the reference point as the center. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:
The said point determination part is an apparatus which can acquire a present position using a global positioning system, and can determine the said present position as the said reference point. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
The point determination unit
The search point information determined by searching the database based on information input by the user can be obtained.
An apparatus capable of determining the search point as the reference point. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
The point determination unit
Information on one or more search points determined by searching the database based on information input from the user can be obtained,
Using the global positioning system, you can get the current position,
The point determining section, the point closest to the midpoint of the representative point of the search point and the two positions of parts in the first state of the current position, determined as the reference point, the second A device capable of operating mode processing. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
The controller is
From the third state where the output unit is in contact with one part of the area displaying the map image, the one part is moved while maintaining the contact state with the output unit, and the fourth state. So that the same point on the map that was displayed in the one portion in the third state is displayed in the one portion in the fourth state The display range of the map image can be moved,
In the second operation mode, the apparatus switches to the first operation mode when the one portion moves more than a predetermined distance threshold while maintaining a contact state with the output unit. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
The controller is
From the third state where the output unit is in contact with one part of the area displaying the map image, the one part is moved while maintaining the contact state with the output unit, and the fourth state. So that the same point on the map that was displayed in the one portion in the third state is displayed in the one portion in the fourth state The display range of the map image can be moved,
In the second operation mode, when the one portion moves more than a distance threshold corresponding to a predetermined distance on the map while maintaining a contact state with the output unit, the first operation A device that switches to mode. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
The point determination unit
The search point information determined by searching the database based on information input by the user can be obtained.
Using the global positioning system, you can get the current position,
The control unit, for the search point and the current position, it is possible to display a mark representing each on the map image,
The point determination unit
When both the search point and the current position are displayed on the map image, the current position can be determined as the reference point, and the process of the second operation mode can be performed.
If the current position is not displayed on the map image and the search point is displayed on the map image, the reference point is determined based on the search point, and the second operation A device that can perform mode processing. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
The point determination unit
Information on one or more search points determined by searching the database based on information input from the user can be obtained,
Using the global positioning system, you can get the current position,
The control unit, for the search point and the current position, it is possible to display a mark representing each on the map image,
The said point determination part can determine the point of the gravity center of the point where the said mark is displayed as the said reference point, and can perform the process of a said 2nd operation mode.

Images