JPH06281467A - Map display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a present position and the like to be indicated over a map by providing the device with a display control means which not only indicates the present position over a liquid crystal screen but also makes the present position coincide with the corresponding position over a film map. CONSTITUTION:A control means 18 generates position information such as a present position, an intended course, a designated position and the like based on satellite signals inputted from a GPS antenna 20. Information thus generated is outputted to a display control section, and the display control section allows the present position and the like to be indicated over a liquid crystal screen 12, outputs a control signal to a map moving motor 28, and thereby allows an installation frame 22, that is, a map sheet 10 to be moved in such a way that the present position and the like indicated over the screen 12 coincides with the map information corresponding to the aforesaid present position and the like. Lighting a projection light source 16 in a state that the present position and the like indicated over the screen 12 thus coincides with map information over the sheet 10 as mentioned above, enables the present position to be put on the map information which is enlarged at a desired magnifying power, while being projected over a screen 14 so as to be indicated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a map display device, and more particularly to a map display device that can be used as a navigation system by enlarging map information recorded on a film map and projecting it together with the current position on a screen. Regarding

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a map display device used in a navigation system is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-98287.
It is known that a desired map is searched from a map information storage medium in accordance with information such as a map place name input from an operation panel and is read and displayed on a screen.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional map display device, a CD is used as the map information storage medium.
-Because a ROM or IC card is used, the access time is short, but since the storage capacity is always restricted, the vividness of the displayed contents and the number of colors that can be used are limited. There is a problem that the price of the storage medium and the device itself is high.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and enlarges and displays a high-definition map using an arbitrary number of colors and displays the current position and the like on the map. An object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive map display device capable of achieving excellent map reproducibility.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a map display device using a film map in which map information is recorded on a support, and a liquid crystal screen arranged opposite to the film map and position information displayed on the liquid crystal screen. Projection means for projecting the map information recorded in the film map on the screen in an overlapping manner, position measuring means for detecting the current position and generating position information, and position information from the position measuring means. The present invention is achieved by providing a display control means for displaying the current position on the liquid crystal screen and matching the current position with the corresponding position on the film map.

The present invention is also the map display device, wherein at least one of the map information corresponding to the map information on the film map is used.
Storage means for storing one target position or a route to the target position, and means for displaying, on the liquid crystal screen, deviation information between the target position or the route read from the storage means and the current position detected by the position measuring means. It is equipped with.

According to the present invention, in the map display device, the film map is formed by one sheet, and it is provided with a moving means for moving the film map vertically and horizontally.

In the map display device according to the present invention, further, the film map is formed in an elongated shape, and the moving means for moving the film map in the longitudinal direction, and the film map along with the movement of the film map. It is provided with a payout / windup means for paying out the map and winding it up.

[0009]

In the present invention, the position information displayed on the liquid crystal screen and the map information recorded on the film map are projected on the screen by the projection means, and the measured current position is displayed on the liquid crystal screen. Since the current position is displayed at the same time as the corresponding position on the film map, the map information is enlarged to any magnification by the principle of the liquid crystal projector, and the current position is matched to the corresponding map information. It can be projected on the screen.

Therefore, according to the present invention, since the map information recorded on the film map can be enlarged and projected on the screen so that the map information can be viewed, a high quality image can be obtained without being affected by the resolution of the monitor. It is possible to obtain a map of the above, and it is possible to use a film map in which map information is reduced and recorded, so that it is possible to save space in storing the film map.

That is, since the film map can be manufactured by printing, the film map is not restricted by the storage capacity.
It is possible to obtain high-quality and high-definition map information, and further, by printing the map information with a large number of lines, it is possible to significantly reduce and record.

Normally, in offset printing, the number of halftone dots (1
175 lines are mainly used as the number of halftone dots per inch), but it is 30 due to the improvement in precision of plate making equipment and printing machines.
Multi-line printing of 0 to 900 lines is also possible. For example, a film map printed with 900 lines has about 25 times the number of dots (information amount) as that printed with 175 lines, and a reduced print of 1/5 size is enlarged 5 times. Sometimes the amount of information is the same as the film map printed with 175 lines.

Therefore, in this case, it is sufficient to prepare a map medium having a size of ⅕ of the size of the map information to be actually projected on the screen and to be small, such as a microfilm or a microfiche. It becomes possible to use the film map, and in order to reduce the number of required film maps, it is possible to save space when storing it, and at the same time, it is displayed by changing the enlargement ratio. It is also possible to change the scale of the map.

Position measuring means for detecting the current position and generating position information, for example, a global positioning system (Globa)
l Positioning System (GPS) is used to detect the current position and display it on a liquid crystal screen to project the current position on the screen by superimposing the current position on the map information.
Since the map can be displayed, the map display device can be made to function as an inexpensive navigation system with excellent reproducibility of the map display.

Further, in the present invention, at least one target position corresponding to the map information on the film map, or a storage means for storing a route to the target position, and a position measurement for the target position or the route read from the storage means. If a means for displaying the deviation information from the current position detected by the means on the liquid crystal screen is provided, it can be used for route guidance in the navigation system, for example, displaying a planned course and guiding the car to the target position. It becomes possible to do.

Further, in the present invention, when the film map is formed by one sheet and the moving means for moving the film map in the vertical and horizontal directions is provided, the map information of a wide area is reduced and recorded. A wide range of map information can be displayed on the screen by using only one film map (map sheet).

At that time, by linking the movement of the film map with the moving speed of the automobile, one map sheet
It becomes possible to support wide area navigation. or,
As the film map, it is possible to use a map sheet in which the reduced and recorded map information of a predetermined area is printed in a matrix on one sheet.

Further, in the present invention, the film map is formed in a long shape, and the moving means for moving the film map in the longitudinal direction, and the film map is paid out and wound in association with the movement of the film map. When equipped with a take-out / rewinding means, by moving the film map in the length direction, it is possible to continuously display a very wide range of map information, so it is possible to support wide area navigation and store the film map. It is possible to further reduce the space required for the operation.

[0019]

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

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the main part of a map display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The map display device of this embodiment comprises a transparent map sheet (film map) 10 in which map information is reduced and printed on a transparent support, a liquid crystal screen 12 arranged to face the transparent map sheet 10, and a liquid crystal screen. A projection light source 16 for projecting the displayed position information and the map information recorded on the map sheet on the screen 14 in an overlapping manner.
And a control device (computer) 18 for causing the map display device to function as a navigation system. A GPS antenna 20 is connected to the control device 18 and a received GPS signal is input. There is.

The map sheet 10 can be positioned at a predetermined position by mounting it on the mounting frame 22, and the mounting frame 22 also has a rack 24.
Attached to the rack 24 and meshed with the pinion 26
By rotating the motor 28 with the mounting frame 2
2 can be moved up and down, and although not shown, the mounting frame 22 can also be moved laterally by a similar mechanism. Therefore, the map sheet 10 can be set at a desired position by moving the mounting frame 22 up and down (top and bottom) and left and right (XY direction) of the map sheet 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, an example of this map sheet 10 is a transparent support such as a polyester film on which map information is color-printed, and a map area 10A,
The barcode 10B is printed.

In the map area A, although not shown, the map information of the reduced and recorded predetermined area is printed in a matrix. However, the map sheet 10 may be one in which wide area map information is continuously printed in the map area A.

Position information (latitude and longitude) of two reference points (points A and B) and information such as the scale of the map are recorded in the bar code 10B. This barcode 10
B can be formed by printing, and thus can be formed simultaneously when the map information is printed on the map printing unit 10A. However, the barcode 10B may be formed by attaching a sheet on which a barcode has been formed in advance by printing or by another method. As the map sheet 10, the one disclosed in JP-A-58-1178 can be used.

Further, in the mounting frame 22 for mounting the above-mentioned map sheet 10, the map sheet 10 can be replaced from the upper part thereof, and the bar code 10B printed on the end portion of the mounting frame 22 is associated with the map peculiar to the map. A bar code reader (not shown) for reading information (map number, position information of reference points A and B in FIG. 2, etc.) is attached.

In the map display device, the projection lens 30 is arranged behind the map sheet 10, and the information displayed on the liquid crystal screen 12 by the shutter mechanism is turned on by turning on the projection light source 16. And the map information reduced and printed on the map sheet 10 can both be enlarged and projected on the screen 14 to form an image.

Further, in the control device 18, the GPS antenna 2
Based on the current position information input as satellite signals from 0, various control signals for displaying position information such as the current position on the liquid crystal screen 12 are generated, and the shutter mechanism on the liquid crystal screen 12 is generated based on the control signals. By displaying the current position, the drive motor 28 is driven to move the mounting frame 22, so that the current position on the liquid crystal screen 12 and the corresponding map information can be matched. There is.

Next, each functional unit included in the control device 18 will be described with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG.

When position information is input as a satellite signal from the GPS antenna 20, the signal is amplified by the amplifier 32,
The GPS signal processing unit (position measuring means) 34 converts the data into the current position data and outputs it to the navigation processing unit 36. The GPS signal processing unit 34 has a function of, for example, receiving a radio wave emitted from the MAVSTAR satellite launched by the United States by the GPS antenna 20, analyzing the radio wave, and detecting the current position.

The bar code reader attached to the mounting frame 22 reads the bar code 10B of the map sheet 10 inserted in the frame 22 and converts it into an electric signal by a decoder (not shown). , To the navigation processing unit 36.

The navigation processing unit 36 also includes
The scheduled course data can be transmitted / received to / from the scheduled course storage unit 38, and the pointing device 40 can input data designating points on the map.

The navigation processing unit 36 uses the GPS
The position information such as the current position, the planned course, and the designated position is generated based on the information input from the signal processing unit 34, the decoder, the planned course storage unit 38, and the pointing device 40, and the positional information is output to the display control unit 42. The display control unit 42 displays the current position and the like on the liquid crystal screen (display) 12 and outputs a control signal to the map moving motor 28 so that the current position and the like displayed on the liquid crystal screen 12 and the corresponding The mounting frame 22, that is, the map sheet 10 is moved so as to match the map information.

In this way, in the state where the current position on the liquid crystal screen 12 and the map information on the map sheet 10 match,
By turning on the projection light source 16, it becomes possible to project and display the map information enlarged to a desired magnification and the current position on the screen 14 in an overlapping manner.
It becomes possible to function as a navigation system.

Although illustration is omitted, the map display device of this embodiment is housed in a predetermined case, and the map sheet insertion slot for inserting the map sheet 10 and the map-related information are inserted in the case. It has an insertion slot for inserting the recorded IC card, and also has an operation part with a numeric keypad and operation keys, a display adjustment part such as a brightness adjustment knob and a contrast adjustment knob, a related information display part and a start switch. It is provided.

A related information reading / writing unit is provided inside the case. The related information reading / writing unit stores map related information such as characters corresponding to a plurality of types of map sheets 10. Read that information from the IC card
It also has a function to write the target position and the route to it.

The related information reading / writing unit,
The outputs of the bar code reader, the operation unit, the display adjustment unit, etc. are also input to the control device 18.

The liquid crystal screen 12 has a map sheet 10
Has a function of selectively displaying position information such as a current position and a target position from the back surface. For example, a monochrome liquid crystal panel with a fast response, high contrast, and resolution of about 640 × 300 dots is used. Can be used.

When the map display device of this embodiment is mounted on a car, it can be installed and used at a position easy to see from the driver's seat, for example, on a console box. At that time, the screen 14 is For example, it can be attached to the windshield for use.

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

The map display device of this embodiment has three modes: a map lighting mode, a position display mode, and a route guidance mode, and the route guidance mode further has a setting mode and an execution mode.

When the activation switch is turned on (step 101), a screen prompting the user to select a mode appears on the related information display section (step 102).

When the map illumination mode is selected by operating the keys of the operation unit (step 103), the projection light source 16 is turned on (step 104).
All areas of the liquid crystal screen 12 remain open by the shutter mechanism (step 105). Therefore, since the map information is displayed on the screen 14 by being illuminated from the back surface of the map sheet 10, the map information can be viewed even in a dark place.

When the position display mode is selected (step 103), first, the related information reading / writing unit causes the I
The related information in the C card is read (step 10)
7). Then, the current position is measured by the GPS signal processing unit 34 (step 108), the number of the corresponding map sheet 10 is searched, and the map sheet insertion message and the map number are displayed on the related information display unit (step). 10
9).

When the designated map sheet 10 is inserted, the bar code 10B of the map sheet 10 is read by the bar code reader (step 110).

Again, the GPS signal processing unit 34 measures the current position (step 111), and the calculation is performed to make the current position on the designated map sheet 10 correspond to the coordinates on the screen of the liquid crystal screen 12 (step 112). ), The shutter of the liquid crystal screen 12 at that position is opened / closed, and the cursor (not shown) blinks to display the current position (step 113). At the same time, the related information display section displays character information related to the position, for example, nearby tourist spots, gas stations, and other facilities.

If it is within the display range of the map sheet 10 of the designated number (step 116), the GPS signal processing unit 3
The position measurement is performed according to step 4, and the operations of steps 111 to 114 are repeated. When the map sheet 10 of the designated number is out of the display range, the process returns to step 108 to prompt the insertion of the map sheet 10 of the corresponding display range, and the same operation is performed (steps 108 to 114).

Even if the map number is out of the display range, if the specified number is not replaced with the map sheet 10, the mode is switched to the route guidance mode or the traveling direction display. Even if the map sheet 10 cannot be replaced, it can be dealt with.

When the route guidance mode is selected, as shown in the flow chart of FIG. 5, a display prompting the user to select whether the setting mode is the execution mode appears (step 117).

When the setting mode is selected, the IC card is read (step 119), the cursor appears on the screen 14, and blinking starts (step 120).
A predetermined map sheet 10 is inserted, the cursor is moved to the display of the map sheet 10 using the operation unit, and the target position and the route are set (step 121). A mouse, a trackball, a touch panel, or the like may be used instead of the operation unit. Further, this setting information is written in the IC card by the related information reading / writing unit in association with the map number (step 122).

When the execution mode is selected in step 103, the same operation as in the position display mode shown in FIG. 4 is performed, but the target position is read from the IC card between step 114 and step 115 (step 125). The target position is displayed (step 126), the deviation between the target position and the current position is calculated (step 127), and the deviation information is displayed on the liquid crystal screen 12 (step 128).

According to the present embodiment described in detail above, simply by mounting the map sheet 10 on the frame 22, the map such as the latitude and longitude of the reference point and the scale of the map recorded on the barcode 10B can be obtained. Since the related information can be automatically read, a map display device capable of enlarging and displaying high-definition map information at an arbitrary magnification without requiring a large-capacity recording medium can be easily and surely provided over a wide area. It becomes possible to function as a navigation system.

Further, since the planned course and the deviation from the planned course can be displayed on the map projected on the screen 14, it can be used as a route guidance system.

Further, since the liquid crystal screen 12 can be made small, there is an advantage that the map display device itself can be made compact.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the main structure of the map display device of the second embodiment according to the present invention.

In the map display device of this embodiment, instead of the map sheet 10 mounted on the frame 22 shown in FIG. 1, a long film map 10 is rotated at both ends in the length direction. The map display device is substantially the same as the map display device of the first embodiment except that it is housed in the form of a reel wound around the shafts 44A and 44B and is movable in the length direction by a winding motor 46.

According to this embodiment, as in the case of the first embodiment, position information such as the current position and the film map 10 are displayed.
The film map 10 can be displayed on the screen 14 in an overlapping manner with the above map information, and can be linked to the vehicle speed, for example,
Only by moving in the length direction, it is possible to continuously display the map information over an extremely wide range on the screen 14. Therefore, it can be used as a wider-area navigation system as compared with the first embodiment.

Further, since the film map 10 is wound into a reel and accommodated therein, a large amount of map information can be accommodated in an extremely small space, and a significant space saving can be achieved. It can be miniaturized.

Although the present invention has been specifically described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, the film map used in the present invention is not limited to the one in which the map information is continuously recorded by printing or the like, and the map information divided into predetermined regions is arranged in a matrix. It may be one.
The film map may be created by a method other than printing.

Further, the IC card does not necessarily have to be used, and an alternative, for example, an optical card or an internal storage device may be used.

Further, the specific structure of the map display device is not limited to that shown in the above embodiment. For example, the second
Needless to say, the film map 10 may be moved laterally in the embodiment as well.

[0063]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to provide an inexpensive map display device excellent in map reproducibility, which can enlarge and display a high-definition map using an arbitrary number of colors and display the current position and the like on the map. It will be possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a map display device according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a map sheet used for the map display device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of functional units of the map display device.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is another flowchart explaining the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a map display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Map sheet 12 ... Liquid crystal screen 14 ... Screen 16 ... Production light source 18 ... Control device 20 ... GPS antenna 22 ... Mounting frame 24 ... Rack 26 ... Pinion 28 ... Map moving motor 30 ... Projection lens 34 ... GPS signal processing unit 36 ... Navigation processing unit 38 ... Scheduled course storage unit 40 ... Pointing device 42 ... Display control unit 46 ... Winding motor

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A map display device using a film map in which map information is recorded on a support, a liquid crystal screen facing the film map, position information displayed on the liquid crystal screen, and a map recorded on the film map. Projection means for superimposing information on the screen, position measuring means for detecting the current position and generating position information, and the current position on the liquid crystal screen based on the position information from the position measuring means. A map display device comprising: a display control unit that displays the current position and matches the current position with the corresponding position on the film map. 2. The storage device for storing at least one target position corresponding to map information on a film map or a route to the target position according to claim 1, and a target position read from the storage device or a position for the route. The deviation information from the current position detected by the measuring means,
A map display device comprising: means for displaying on a liquid crystal screen. 3. The map display device according to claim 1, wherein the film map is formed of one sheet, and a moving means is provided for moving the film map vertically and horizontally. 4. The film map according to claim 1, wherein the film map is formed in an elongated shape, and moving means for moving the film map in the longitudinal direction, and paying out the film map as the film map moves. A map display device, comprising: a payout / winding means for winding.