JPH06281472A - Place name display device and conversion device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a place name display device which can indicate the place name, the address and the like of a present spot while being easy to carry. CONSTITUTION:The device is equipped with a GPS signal process section 22 in which position information inputted by a GPS antenna 18 as a satellite signal, is amplified by an amplifier 20 so as to be converted into data on a present spot, and with a navigation process section 26 in which a corresponding place name is read out of a conversion table inputted from a place name-latitude/ longitude conversion table memory section 24 based on the latitude/longitude data on the present spot, and the resultant is outputted to a display process section 28 so as to be indicated on a display 12.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a place name display device and a conversion device, and in particular, a place name display device and a general-purpose liquid crystal display device capable of displaying place names, addresses, etc. corresponding to the present place on a liquid crystal screen in characters. The present invention relates to a conversion device that allows a display device to function as a place name display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a geographically unfamiliar place, there is a case where it is desired to know where the user is currently located and whether or not it is a destination by using a specific place name or address.

As a device for knowing the present location, for example, a desired map is searched from a map information storage medium according to information such as a place name input from an operation panel, which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-98287, There is known a vehicle-mounted navigation system that reads in and displays on a screen.

[0004]

However, in the above navigation system, the map is displayed on the screen and the current position is displayed on the map, and the purpose is to specifically display the current position in characters. Moreover, there is a problem that it cannot be carried easily.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and provides a place name display device capable of displaying the place name, address, etc. of the present place in characters and being convenient to carry and inexpensive. This is the first issue.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a conversion device capable of causing a general-purpose liquid crystal display device to function as the place name display device.

[0007]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a place name display device for displaying a current location in characters on a liquid crystal screen, and a position measuring means for detecting the current location and generating position information, and a position from the position measuring means. Based on the information, place name conversion means for converting place name information such as place name and address corresponding to the current location, and based on the place name information from the place name conversion means, the place name and address etc. corresponding to the current location are displayed in characters on the LCD screen. The first object is achieved by the configuration including the character display processing means.

The present invention is also a conversion device which is connected to a liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal screen and displays the current position in characters on the liquid crystal screen, and position measuring means for detecting the current position and generating position information. , A place name conversion means for converting place name information corresponding to the current place into place name information based on the position information from the position measurement means, and a place name corresponding to the current place on the liquid crystal screen based on the place name information from the place name conversion means The second object is achieved by a configuration including a character display processing unit that displays characters, addresses, etc. in characters.

[0009]

According to the present invention, the current position is measured by the position measuring means, the current position is searched from a conversion table or the like based on, for example, its latitude and longitude, and converted to the corresponding place name by the read place name converting means. Since it can be displayed in characters on the liquid crystal screen of the place name display device, it is possible to know the current position concretely even in a geographically unfamiliar place. As a position measuring means for detecting the current position (ground) and generating position information, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) can be used.

Further, in the present invention, by connecting a conversion device having substantially the same function as that of the place name display device to the liquid crystal display device, the liquid crystal display device can be made to function as the place name display device. Thus, a general-purpose liquid crystal display device that is convenient to carry, such as an electronic notebook, a palmtop personal computer, a notebook personal computer, a book personal computer, or a word processor, can be easily used as the place name display device.

[0011]

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

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the place name display device of the first embodiment according to the present invention.

The place name display device 10 of this embodiment is provided with a liquid crystal screen 12 for displaying the place name, address, etc. of the present place in characters on the upper surface in the figure, and a power switch 1 for turning on the power.
4 and a scale selection switch 16 for selecting the degree of detail of the display range in the place name displayed on the liquid crystal screen 12.

A GPS antenna 18 for receiving satellite signals when measuring the current position is connected to the place name display device 10. The GPS antenna may be built in the main body of the place name display device 10.

In the place name display device 10 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the present location (A town) is displayed at the center, and the place names (town names) around the present location are shown in the north on the map. It is designed to be displayed at the top.

Next, the schematic structure of the functional portion of the place name display device will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

When position information is input as a satellite signal from the GPS antenna 18, the signal is amplified by the amplifier 20,
The GPS reception processing unit (position measuring means) 22 converts it into current position data and outputs it to the navigation processing unit 26. The GPS reception processing unit 22 uses, for example, the radio waves emitted from the MAVSTAR satellite launched by the US to GP.
It has a function of receiving the S antenna 18 and analyzing it to detect the current position.

Further, the navigation processing unit 26 has
A place name-latitude / longitude conversion table storage unit 24 is connected, and when the current position data measured by the GPS reception processing unit 22 is input, the conversion table storage unit 26 corresponds to the current position from the latitude and longitude. It has a function of retrieving and reading a place name, an address, and place names in the vicinity thereof from the conversion table storage unit 24.

The place name data is input to the display processing unit 28 from the navigation processing unit 26, and the place name is displayed on the display 12 by the display processing unit 28.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In the place name display device 10, assuming that the power switch 14 is in the ON state, first, the scale selection switch 1
The desired scale (detail level) to be displayed by 6 is specified by displaying it on the liquid crystal screen 12 (step 11).
0), the GPS reception processing unit 22 performs position measurement of the current position (step 112), and the result is output to the navigation processing unit 26.

When the current position data is input to the navigation processing unit 26, the navigation processing unit 26 refers to the conversion table input from the conversion table storage unit 24 based on the latitude and longitude of the current position (step 11).
4) The current place and the place names around it are read out and output to the display processing unit 28. When the place name is input to the display processing unit 28, the display processing unit 28 adjusts the corresponding place name to the designated scale, for example, the current location (A town) and its surroundings as shown in FIG. Place names near 8 are displayed on the liquid crystal screen 12 (step 116).

Further, when it is desired to know the present location of A town, for example, what number and what address, the process returns to the step 110 to change the scale of the display range, and the steps 110 to 116 described above are executed. Then, when the processing is completed (step 118), the power switch 14 is turned off (step 120).

According to this embodiment described in detail above, it is possible to easily and surely know the current location even on a land that is not geographically guided. Therefore, in the case of displaying in 9 divisions as shown in FIG. 1, it is possible to easily know in which direction the destination name, for example, F town can be reached.

Further, when the user approaches the destination, the area can be enlarged by displaying the address by changing the scale, so that the destination can be reliably reached. .

Since the place name display device of the present embodiment only needs to have a function of displaying characters, the device itself can be made extremely small and therefore can be easily carried.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a place name display device to which the conversion device of the second embodiment according to the present invention is applied.

This embodiment is an example in which the general-purpose liquid crystal display device 30 is used as a place name display device, and a card-type conversion device 32 to which the GPS antenna 18 is connected is inserted into the liquid crystal display device 30 in a predetermined manner. The liquid crystal display device 30 can be made to function as a place name display device by inserting the liquid crystal display device 30 into the part and attaching it. Here, a so-called electronic notebook is used as the liquid crystal display device 30, but the other liquid crystal display device described above can also be used.

The conversion device 32 of this embodiment has substantially the same function as that shown in the block diagram of FIG. 2 provided in the place name display device of the first embodiment, and
It has a function to display digits on the LCD screen.

According to the conversion apparatus of this embodiment, the navigation processing unit 26 shown in FIG. 2 generates the data corresponding to the place names from the prefecture to the address so that the liquid crystal screen 12 shown in FIG. It is possible to display the current position as a digit as shown.

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

For example, the place name display device of the first embodiment may also be capable of displaying digits as in the second embodiment, and conversely in the second embodiment as well, divided display as in the first embodiment. You may be allowed to.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to display the place name and street address of the current position in characters,
In addition, it is possible to provide a place name display device which is convenient to carry and inexpensive.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a conversion device capable of causing a general-purpose liquid crystal display device to function as the place name display device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a place name display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a functional unit of the place name display device.

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

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a place name display device to which a conversion device according to a second embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Place name display device 12 ... Liquid crystal screen 16 ... Scale selection switch 18 ... GPS antenna 22 ... GPS reception processing unit 24 ... Place name-latitude / longitude conversion table storage unit 26 ... Navigation processing unit 28 ... Display processing unit 30 ... Liquid crystal display device 32 ... Converter

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A place name display device for displaying a current position in characters on a liquid crystal screen, the position measuring means for detecting the current position and generating position information, and the current position based on the position information from the position measuring means. A place name conversion means for converting place name information such as a corresponding place name or address, and a character display processing means for displaying the place name, address, etc. corresponding to the current place on the liquid crystal screen in characters based on the place name information from the place name conversion means, A place name display device comprising: 2. Connected to a liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal screen,
A conversion device that displays the current location in characters on the liquid crystal screen, and a position measuring means that detects the current location and generates position information, and a place name or address corresponding to the current location based on the position information from the position measuring means. The place name conversion means for converting the place name information into the place name information, and the character display processing means for displaying the place name, address, etc. corresponding to the present place in characters on the liquid crystal screen based on the place name information from the place name conversion means. Characterizing converter.