JPH10187034A - Map display method, map display device, navigation device, and automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to display characters satisfactorily in any direction when displaying a map of an arbitrary orientation, by arranging a corresponding character string with respect to a character display range and also setting the head of the character string to be at the left or the top of the character display range. SOLUTION: A system controller 13 reads road map data from a CDROM driver 15 and sets a range of the map to be displayed. The system controller reads data in the display range of the character string existing in the range to be displayed and judges a center of the display range of the character string. Next, the system controller 13 judges a starting point of the character in the case of arranging the character string in the range of the display. As a judgment of the starting point, a top or a left end position of the display range is read in a state in which the range is displayed on a display unit 30, and the position is made to be starting point. After the starting point is judged, a character string to be displayed along the prepared display range is located. Then, the character string to be displayed is matched to the center of the display range.

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 a map display method for displaying various maps such as a road map.
The present invention relates to a navigation device to which the map display device is applied and an automobile provided with the navigation device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various navigation devices to be mounted on automobiles and the like have been developed. This navigation device is, for example, a CD RO storing road map data.
It comprises a large-capacity data storage means such as M, a current position detection means, and a display device for displaying a road map near the detected current position based on the data read from the data storage means. In this case, as a means for detecting the current position, a means using a positioning system (hereinafter simply referred to as GPS) using a positioning satellite called a GPS (Global Positioning System), a traveling direction of the vehicle, and a traveling direction are used. There is an autonomous navigation method that tracks a change in the current position from a departure point based on information such as speed.

[0003] The data of a road map near the current position detected by the current position detecting means is stored in a CD.
A video signal for displaying a road map is read out from a large-capacity data storage means such as a ROM, and this video signal is supplied to a display device to display a road map near the current position. In some cases, the navigation device main body and the display device may be configured separately. Further, it is also possible to display a road map or the like at a desired position in a home or the like without mounting it on a moving body such as an automobile.

[0004]

By the way, as a display mode of a road map in such a navigation device, there is one in which a map display in which the traveling direction of a mounted moving body is always upward is provided. That is, when a road map is shown in a printed matter such as an atlas, it is generally displayed as a map with the north side facing up, but when mounted on a moving body such as an automobile, the road map is displayed. In order to make it easy to understand the correspondence between the traveling direction and the displayed map, the traveling direction of the moving object is detected, and the display direction is set so that the detected traveling direction is above the displayed map. (JP-A-58-178213). In order to perform the display in which the traveling direction and the upward direction on the map coincide, it is necessary to change the display direction of the displayed map as needed.

Here, in a map displayed as a road map, it is necessary to display main place names, intersection names, building names, and the like in addition to roads in characters. It is necessary to consider the setting of the display direction. That is, in order to display the upper and lower sides of the characters so as to match the upper and lower sides of the map display screen, it is necessary to appropriately set the display direction of the characters.

FIG. 8 shows a conventional display example in which the direction of the map displayed in this manner is changed. FIGS. 8A and 8B show an example in which maps of almost the same range are displayed. FIG. 8A shows an example in which north is displayed upward, and FIG. 8B shows a display in which north is displayed right. (That is, the map of FIG. 8A is rotated by about 90 °), and the display b showing the current position allows the position and traveling direction of the own vehicle to be known. There is an orientation display c. Here, the names of two buildings on the map (the buildings shown with diagonal lines in the figure) are displayed. For example, when the display is made with north facing up, one building is displayed as shown in FIG. for, to display the mark x ₁ on the side of the building,
The right side of the mark x ₁ as the name of the building as the "○○ Agency" is displayed with the letter y _1. Then, to display the mark x ₂ on the side of another building which is located on the south side of the building, to be displayed as "××× Building" as the name of the building on the right side of the mark x ₂ with the letter y _2. These character displays y ₁ and y ₂ are displayed by setting the display range starting from the marks x ₁ and x ₂ indicating the buildings, respectively, and the coordinate positions at which the marks x ₁ and x ₂ are displayed. Is determined by map data.

When the traveling direction of the vehicle equipped with this navigation device changes by about 90 °, the map shown in FIG. 8B is displayed, but the marks of the two buildings in the map are displayed. Since there is little change in the position of x ₁ and x _{2 in} the east-west direction, “○○ displayed on the right side of each mark x ₁ and x ₂
The character y ₁ of the Office ", will overlap and the character y ₂ of" ××× building ".

[0008] As described above, when the characters in the display map overlap, it becomes difficult to distinguish the characters, and the map becomes very difficult to see.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to display characters in any direction so that characters and the like are displayed well in any direction.

[0010]

In order to solve such a problem, the present invention provides a method for changing the character display range in a displayed map.
Regardless of the display direction of the map to be displayed, which is determined in advance by map data prepared in advance, the corresponding character string is arranged based on this character display range, and the beginning of the character string is set to the character display range. Is set to the left or upper end of the.

According to the present invention, since the display range of the character is determined in advance, the character does not overlap in the displayed map even when the map is displayed in any direction. Also, by setting the beginning of the character string to the left or upper end of the character display range, characters can be satisfactorily arranged within the display range.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIGS.

In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a navigation device mounted and used on a moving body (here, an automobile), and FIG. 1 shows the entire configuration thereof. This navigation device is used by being mounted on a moving body such as an automobile, but can be used as a map display device at an arbitrary location even when installed in a fixed location.

Referring to FIG. 1, the configuration of the navigation apparatus of the present embodiment will be described. A GPS antenna 11 is connected to the navigation apparatus 10, and a signal received by the antenna 11 is processed by a GPS signal processing. Part 12
To supply. In the GPS signal processing unit 12, the GPS (Glob
al Positioning System), which performs reception processing for the positioning system. That is, a GPS positioning signal transmitted from a plurality of positioning artificial satellites is received, data included in the signal is analyzed, and the current position (latitude, longitude, altitude) is determined.
To get the data. The data of the current position obtained by the GPS signal processing unit 12 is supplied to the system controller 13.

The system controller 13 controls the display of a road map in the vicinity of the measured current position. When the positioning data of the position is obtained from the GPS signal processing unit 12, the system controller 13 corresponds to the CD ROM control unit 14. A command to read a road map near the position to be read is sent. CD
The ROM control unit 14 controls reading of map data from a CD ROM (here, a map disk on which road map data is recorded) 16 mounted on a CD ROM driver 15. Is stored in the memory 17 connected to the system controller 13.

The road map data stored in the map disk 16 includes, for example, data on the coordinate positions of the start point and end point of each road, and vector data connecting the start point and end point. The additional data required for displaying the road map is also stored in the map disk 16. The attached data includes, for example, data of the shape of a main building that needs to be displayed together with a road, and data of characters that need to be displayed on a map, such as the name of the building. Here, if there is a character to be displayed in this map, the map disk 16 of this example also stores data on a display range of the character string in the map. Details of this display range data will be described later.

When the map data read from the map disk 16 is transferred to the memory 17, the system controller 13 performs a process of drawing a predetermined range of a road map in the map data. Then, the road map data that has been rendered into the predetermined image data is supplied to the video processing unit 19, and the video signal is used as a video signal of a predetermined format (for example, an RGB signal) for display. And a road map is displayed on the display device 30.

The system controller 13 is connected to a key 18 which is an operation input unit of the navigation device, and displays a road map based on a mode set by operating the key 18. For example, a display range, a display scale, a display direction, and the like of the map can be set by key input.

An autonomous navigation unit 20 is connected to the navigation apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, so that positioning can be performed even when a GPS positioning signal from an artificial satellite cannot be received for some reason. That is, the autonomous navigation unit 20 includes a vehicle speed sensor 21 that counts a vehicle speed pulse proportional to the speed of the vehicle output from a computer for controlling the engine of the vehicle, an angular speed sensor 22 including a gyro sensor, and both sensors 21. An autonomous navigation control unit 23 that measures the current position based on the output of the current position 22 is provided to measure the current position. The positioning result is supplied to the system controller 13 of the navigation device 10.

The navigation device 10 of the present embodiment
When drawing a road map under the control of the system controller 13, the traveling direction of the car at that time is determined,
A road map can be drawn with the determined progress being upward. In this case, as the determination of the traveling direction, in addition to the determination based on the change in the position measured by the GPS signal processing unit 12, when the autonomous navigation unit 20 is connected, the The traveling direction can also be determined based on the detection data of the angular velocity sensor 22.

Here, an example of a state in which the navigation device 10 of the present embodiment is installed in an automobile will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. Navigation unit 2
0 is fixed, and a display device 30 including a liquid crystal image display device or the like is arranged on a dashboard beside a steering wheel 51 in front of a driver's seat 52. Key 18 is
Here, it is attached to the side of the handle 51. The vehicle speed sensor 21 of the autonomous navigation unit 20 is attached to an engine control computer (not shown) in the engine room.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state near the driver's seat 52. The display device 30 is displayed so that a person sitting in the driver's seat 52 can check the display on the display device 30 without obstructing the front view. Has been installed. Also, key 1
Reference numeral 8 denotes a so-called joystick type, which is installed beside the handle 51 so that it can be easily operated during driving.

Next, processing performed when a road map is displayed by the navigation device of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, in the system controller 13,
When the road map data is read from the map disk 16 by the CDROM driver 15 and the road map is drawn based on the road map data, the display range of the map is set as shown in the flowchart of FIG.
1). As the display range, the current position of the own vehicle and the traveling direction at the current position are determined, and for example, the own vehicle position is set as a center (or a position slightly deviated from the center is set as the own vehicle position), and To set the display range of the road map.

Here, the data of the display range of the character string existing in the display range is determined, and the center of the display range of the character string is determined (step 102). FIG. 5A shows an example of this display range, for example, “ABCDEF”.
It is assumed that a display range a for arranging a character string composed of the six characters W _{1 to} W ₆ has been set (this display range a is a range in which the font of each character fits when the character strings are arranged in the horizontal direction). is there). At this time, the system controller 13 determines the center m of the display range a.

Next, the system controller 13 determines the starting point of the character when arranging the character string in the display range a (step 103). As the determination of the start point, a position at the upper end or the left end of the display range a in a state where the image is displayed on the display device 30 is determined, and the position is set as the start point. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, when viewed from the center of the display range of the character string, the aspect ratio of the character font of each character of a string L _1: L ₂ (this L _1: L ₂ Is enlarged to almost the entire display screen F, and a boundary α is divided by an angle corresponding to L ₁ ′: L ₂ ′). Set the end as the start of the string. The example of FIG. 6 shows an example in which the character string “Aioka Okikukuke” is displayed, and the character string “Aioka Okikukoke” is displayed starting from a position on the upper left of the boundary line α.

After determining the starting point of the character string, the character string to be displayed is arranged along the prepared display range (step 104). At this time, the center of the character string to be displayed matches the center of the display range a. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG.
_0, when extending in the horizontal direction of the display screen, the center m of the display range a _0, by matching the center of the strings, horizontal character consists of six characters W ₁ to _W-6 Column "A
BCDEF "is, fit into the display range a _0.

Further, for example, as shown in B of FIG. 5, the display range when a ₀ is inclined, the display range a top end of the line (or lines extended upper end) and each character font W _{1 0} corner set along the P ₁ to P ₆ and the display range a ₀ a diagonal string of a laminated state of the to _W-6, a display range a
Is matched with the center of the character string.

Further, for example, as shown in C in FIG. 5, the display range a ₀ shown by a broken line, when extending in the vertical direction of the display screen, six characters W ₁ to W-along display range a ₀ Set the vertical character string "ABCDEF" composed of ₆
Match its center at the center m of the display range a _0.

FIG. 7 shows an example in which characters are displayed on a map in the processing of this embodiment. In FIG. 7A, the traveling direction of the own vehicle is north, and the upper part of the displayed map is north.
In the map, there are a current position display b and an azimuth display c, and display ranges a ₁ and a _{2 of} main building names are set.
In each of the ranges, a character string such as "OO agency" or "XXX building" which is a building name is arranged. In this case, the character strings are arranged horizontally starting from the left side.

If the traveling direction of the own vehicle changes by 90 ° from the state shown in FIG. 7A and the traveling direction of the own vehicle is west, and the top of the displayed map becomes west, A map display as shown in FIG. 7B is performed. That is, the directions of the display ranges a ₁ and a ₂ of the building names also change in conjunction with the rotation of the display direction of the map, and the character strings are arranged vertically starting from the upper side. When the traveling direction of the vehicle is northeast and the top of the displayed map is northeast, the display ranges a ₁ and a _{2 of the} building names are displayed as shown in FIG. 7C. Are inclined obliquely, and the character string is arranged obliquely with respect to this inclination range. When the display is inclined, the starting point is set at a position that is upward or left under the conditions described with reference to FIG.

As described above, when the map is displayed in the present example, the displayed characters in the map do not overlap and the displayed characters can be recognized well regardless of the direction in which the map is displayed. A possible map display becomes possible. in this case,
In particular, the center of the display range of the characters prepared in the map data,
By matching the center of the arranged character string, the arrangement of the character string that most closely matches the prepared display range is performed,
Character display is performed by making best use of the display range of characters prepared in the map data. Furthermore, as a setting of a starting point when arranging characters in the display range, at a position separated by an angle corresponding to an aspect ratio of a character font constituting a character string, at an end of a position on the left or above, By setting the head of the character string, a favorable display direction that is always easy to recognize is set.

In this case, the position divided at an angle corresponding to the aspect ratio of the character font of the character to be displayed is set as a boundary, but the position divided at a fixed angle may be used as a boundary. For example, a 45 ° boundary may be set, and a position on the left or above the boundary may be set as the head of the character string.

In the above-described embodiment, the character display of the building name in the displayed map is described as an example. However, the present invention can be applied to a case where various other character strings are displayed on the screen. Further, in the display example described with reference to FIG. 7, for simplicity of description, two characters in one screen are displayed in the same direction. However, display directions of a plurality of character strings to be displayed in a map of one screen are displayed. May be set in different directions with the data of the display range.

In the above-described embodiment, the present invention is applied to a case where a road map is displayed by a navigation device mounted on an automobile. However, the present invention can be applied to a case where a map is displayed by a navigation device for another moving object. Of course, the present invention can also be applied to a case where a character string is displayed in a display map on a map display device other than the navigation device.

[0035]

According to the present invention, since the display range of characters is determined in advance, even if a map is displayed with any direction upward, the characters do not overlap in the displayed map, and the characters are not displayed. Even when the direction changes, it is possible to always display good characters in the map. Also, by setting the beginning of the character string to the left or upper end of the character display range, characters can be satisfactorily arranged within the display range.

In this case, when the head of the character string is set at the left or upper end of the character display range, the character string constituting the character string is separated by an angle with respect to the aspect ratio of the character font. Alternatively, by setting the head of the character string at the end of the upper position, the head position of the character string can be set well.

In the case described above, the center position of the character display range is determined, and the center position for arranging the character string is made to substantially match the determined center position. Even when a line extends, a display range of a character string that is evenly extended from the display range to the left and right is set, and a favorable character display range can be set.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the device of the embodiment is mounted on an automobile.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of a driver's seat when the device of the embodiment is mounted on an automobile.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating processing of a character string when a map is drawn according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a display range setting example according to one embodiment;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a display direction setting state according to one embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example according to one embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example according to a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 navigation device, 12 GPS signal processing unit,
13 system controller, 14 CD ROM control unit, 15 CD ROM driver, 16 map disk, 17 memory, 18 keys, 19 video processing unit, 2
0 autonomous navigation unit, 21 vehicle speed sensor, 22 angular velocity sensor, 23 autonomous navigation control unit, 30 display device

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hideki Hiraoka 6-7-35 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Inside Sony Corporation (72) Inventor Isao Watanabe 6-35, Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Sony Corporation

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A map display method for reading map data in a predetermined range from map data prepared in advance and displaying the map data on a predetermined display, wherein a character display range in a displayed map is predetermined by the map data. Regardless of the display direction of the displayed map, the corresponding character string is arranged based on this character display range, and the top of the character string is displayed in the above display direction. A map display method which is set to the left or upper end of the map. 2. The map display method according to claim 1, wherein when the head of the character string is set to the left or upper end of the character display range, the aspect ratio of a character font constituting the character string is set. A map display method in which a head of the character string is set at an end of a position on the left or above a position delimited by an angle corresponding to. 3. The map display method according to claim 1, wherein a center position of the character display range is determined, and a center position at which the character string is arranged substantially matches the determined center position. Method. 4. A readout unit for map data, a command unit for designating a read range of the map data, and an instruction by the command unit based on the map data read by the readout unit based on an instruction from the command unit. A processing unit for creating a display signal for displaying a map with the predetermined direction facing up on a predetermined display, a character display range in a map indicated by the display signal, When the display signal is created by the processing unit in advance in the map data, regardless of the display direction of the map, a corresponding character string is arranged based on the character display range, and the character string A map display device in which, when the head is displayed in the display direction, the head is set to the left or upper end of the character display range. 5. The map display device according to claim 4, wherein when the head of the character string is set to the left or upper end of the character display range, an aspect ratio of a character font constituting the character string is set. A map display device in which a head of the character string is set at an end of a position on the left or above a position separated by an angle corresponding to the character string. 6. The map display device according to claim 4, wherein a center position of the character display range is detected, and a center position at which the character string is arranged substantially coincides with the detected center position. apparatus. 7. A reading section of a storage medium storing map data, a positioning section, and map data near a position measured by the positioning section are read from the storage medium, and a traveling direction measured by the positioning section is determined. And a processing unit for creating a display signal for displaying a map having a predetermined direction on a predetermined display, wherein a character display range in the map indicated by the display signal is predetermined by the map data. When the display signal is created by the processing unit, regardless of the display direction of the map, a corresponding character string is arranged based on the character display range, and the head of the character string is A navigation device which is set at the left or upper end of the character display range when displaying in the display direction. 8. The navigation device according to claim 7, wherein when the head of the character string is set to the left or upper end of the character display range, the aspect ratio of the character font constituting the character string is set. A navigation device wherein a head of the character string is set at an end of a position on the left or above a position separated by a corresponding angle. 9. The navigation device according to claim 7, wherein a center position of the character display range is detected, and a center position at which the character string is arranged substantially coincides with the detected center position. 10. A reading unit for a storage medium storing map data, a positioning unit for measuring a current position and a traveling direction of the vehicle, and map data near the current position measured by the positioning unit are stored in the storage medium. A processing unit for generating a display signal for displaying a map with the traveling direction determined by the positioning unit as a predetermined direction, and a display for displaying a map based on the display signal generated by the processing unit In the above, the character display range in the map indicated by the display signal is determined in advance by the map data, and when the processing unit creates the display signal, the character may be displayed in any direction regardless of the display direction of the map. The corresponding character string is arranged based on the display range, and the head of the character string is set to the left or upper end of the character display range when displaying in the display direction. Seared car. 11. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein when the beginning of the character string is set to the left or upper end of the character display range, the character string corresponds to an aspect ratio of a character font constituting the character string. An automobile in which a head of the character string is set at an end of a position on the left or above a position separated by an angle. 12. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein a center position of the character display range is detected, and a center position at which the character string is arranged substantially coincides with the detected center position.