JPH10282949A - Map display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a map display device capable of easily displaying a map containing place names, etc., on a screen even when missing a clue to names such as place names, etc., to be desired to be displayed. SOLUTION: This device has a CD-ROM 3 for storing map data 1 and retrieval data 2, a display device 4 for displaying the map, a map plotting means 5 for controlling to display a desired map on a display to an arbitrary reduced scale based on the map data, an input device 6 for setting a desired area on the map displayed on the display to a specific reduced scale, an area plotting means 9 for displaying the area set by the input device on a map displayed on the display device, a place name display means 7 which extracts a specific place name belonging to the set area from retrieval data and displays it on the display device, and a place name selection means 8 for selecting at least one place name from place names displayed by the place name display means. The map plotting means 5 controls a map containing the place name selected by the place name selection means 8 so as to re-display it to a larger scale than the above-mentioned reduced scale.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a map display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a map display device such as a navigation device for guiding the route of a vehicle, a desired map is drawn on a screen based on map data stored in data storage means. It is necessary to input information such as a place name in order to specify the location.

As this input method, a method of inputting a place name with a full name using a keyboard or the like (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-18881)
No. 2) and a method of gradually narrowing down place names corresponding to input words each time a place name is sequentially input from its initial character (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-37199).

[0004]

However, in these conventional place name input methods, it is premised that the operator completely stores the place name and the like to be displayed on the screen.
If the place name cannot be completely remembered, or if there is no clue to the name of the place name or the like to be displayed on the screen, the input cannot be made by the conventional technique.

When a person stores a place name, the place name is often stored in association with rough place information. Therefore, if you can search by specifying the approximate location of the place name on the map screen using the place information memorized in relation to the place name you want to search, even if you forget the place name etc. This is very useful because a desired map can be displayed.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention provides a map display device capable of easily displaying a map including a place name or the like on a screen even when the clue of the place name or the like to be displayed is completely lost. The purpose is to provide.

That is, the present invention provides a data storage means for storing map data and search data, a display means for displaying a map, and a display means for displaying a desired map on the display means at an arbitrary scale based on the map data. Map drawing means for controlling, area setting means for setting a desired area on a map displayed at a specific scale on the display means, and a map on which the area set by the area setting means is displayed on the display means An area drawing means to be displayed above, a name display means for extracting a specific name belonging to the setting area from the search data and displaying the name on the display means, and at least one of the names displayed by the name display means Name selecting means for selecting a name of the map, wherein the map drawing means sets the map including the name selected by the name selecting means to be larger than the specific scale. A map display apparatus characterized by controlling so as to re-displayed on the display means in scale.

The area setting means includes an area moving means for setting a desired area while moving the area on the map, and the area drawing means is provided on the map in accordance with a moving direction and a moving amount by the area moving means. Can be configured to move and display the area. Thus, each time the area is moved by the area moving means (for example, a scroll bar) or the like, the name belonging to the area can be updated and displayed sequentially, which is convenient for searching for the name.

The name display means may be configured to display a name of a level corresponding to the specific scale of the map displayed by the map drawing means on the display means. For example, in the Japan map, only the place names at the prefecture level are extracted and displayed, and the place names of municipalities, which are the lower levels, are not displayed. The name of a certain town is not displayed. By limiting the place names displayed on the screen in accordance with the scale of the map in this way, a screen that is easy to view without complicating the screen can be obtained.

[0010] The name display means may be configured to extract a place name such as a prefecture or a municipality from the search data as the specific name and display the name on the display means.

[0011]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a map display device according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the map display device includes a CD-RO as a data storage unit for storing map data 1 and search data 2.
M3 and a display device 4 as display means for displaying a map
A map drawing means 5 for controlling a desired map to be displayed on the display device 4 based on the map data 1; and an input device as a region setting means for setting a desired region on the map displayed on the display device 4. 6, an area drawing means 9 for displaying an area set by the input device 6 on a display map, and a place name (name) for extracting a place name (name) belonging to the set area from the search data 2 and displaying the same on the display apparatus 4 ) Display means 7 and place name selecting means 8 for selecting one place name from place names displayed on the display device 4 by the place name display means 7.

The map drawing means 5 and the area drawing means 9 are provided in a central processing unit (CPU) 10 and receive a command input when an operator operates the input device 6 and the ground selection means 8, The necessary data is read from the map data 1 and the search data 2 stored in the CD-ROM 3,
Various controls are performed, and the results are displayed on the display device 4.

Hereinafter, the control by the CPU 10 will be described with reference to FIG.
With reference to the flowchart of FIG. 1, the display device 4 now has the map data 1
Is displayed at an arbitrary scale. This control is performed by the map drawing means 5 in the CPU 10. However, since this control is a known control in a map display device used in a conventional navigation device or the like, a detailed description is omitted.

On the screen of the display device 4, scroll bars are displayed in the latitude and longitude directions. For example, a scroll bar in the latitude direction is displayed at the right end of the screen, and a scroll bar in the longitude direction is displayed at the lower end of the screen. Then, by dragging one or both of these scroll bars with a mouse, for example, to specify a range, a certain area is specified on the map displayed on the screen (S1).

For example, when the entire area of Tokyo is displayed as a map on the display device 4, a certain longitude range can be designated as shown in FIG. In this example, the operator wants to display a map of Hachioji City (or a specific point belonging to the city), but he has forgotten the place name, but his approximate location remains in memory, First, after the entire Tokyo area is displayed on a map, the approximate position in the memory is searched by the input device 6.

The area drawing means 9 of the CPU 10 performs an operation based on the data of the set area (longitude range data in the example of FIG. 3) and displays the set area on the map screen (S2).

The place name display means 7 extracts the main city names belonging to the set area from the search data 2 (S3), and lists the corresponding city names on the map screen of the display device 4 (S4). . The level of the extracted and displayed place name is automatically selected according to the scale of the map displayed on the screen. For example, when the entire Tokyo area is displayed as a map as shown in FIG. The name is displayed. In the illustrated example, Tama City, Hachioji City and Sagamihara City are displayed. As a result, the operator can easily search for the desired Hachioji city based on the approximate location in the memory even though the operator has forgotten the place name.

When the range based on the memory of the operator is more specified, a region as an intersection can be designated by dragging a scroll bar of latitude and longitude.

Here, the operator selects one of the place names displayed in the list by the place name selecting means 8 (which may be a mouse that also serves as the input device 6), for example, Hachioji city (S).
5) In response to this, the map drawing means 5 controls the map scale and the center coordinates of the screen as appropriate to display the map including Hachioji city on the screen and displays the map on the display device 4 (S6). . The selected place name can be identified by highlighting, reverse display, and the like (see FIG. 3).

Thereafter, when an area designation operation is further performed on the updated map screen (the map screen displaying Hachioji city), the process returns to step S1 and the same processing is repeated.

The scroll bar for enabling the designation of an area may be always displayed on the map screen of the display device 4, or the screen may be displayed by an arbitrary search such as operating a button or clicking a line at the edge of the screen. The search mode in which an area can be specified may be used. In the latter case, the flow of FIG. 2 is started after entering the search mode, and after the flow is completed, an operation to exit the search mode is performed to return to the normal map screen.

In the above-described embodiment, the input device 6 for specifying an area is constituted by a mouse and a latitude / longitude scroll bar on the map screen. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It can take a configuration. For example, a fixed area may be specified using a mouse or the like without providing a scroll bar. FIG. 4 shows an example of a configuration in which a circular area is specified by specifying a center position and a position or radius on the outer periphery as an example.

When a latitude / longitude scroll bar is used, when a point on the latitude / longitude is designated with a mouse or the like, a predetermined latitude / longitude range centered on the latitude / longitude is automatically set. It is also possible to display a list of place names belonging to the range while displaying the screen, so that the place names displayed in the list change sequentially as the mouse is moved.

The place on the screen for displaying a list of place names belonging to the area set by the area setting means (input device 6) may be any place where the relevance to the area is clearly grasped. For example, in the example of FIG. 3, the place names are displayed in a list so as to overlap the designated longitude range, and in the example of FIG. 4, the place names are displayed in a list near a designated circular area.

Further, what is extracted and displayed by the place name display means is not limited to place names such as prefectures and municipalities, but may be names such as banks and restaurants. If the scale of the map is too small and the corresponding name (for example, a ramen shop) is displayed on the entire screen, for example, "The number of extracted ramen shops is too large to display on the screen. Please increase the scale of the map and reset the area again. "

[0026]

According to the map display device of the present invention, a desired map including a place name or the like can be easily displayed on the screen even when the clue of the place name or the like to be displayed is completely lost. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a map display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a control flow in the map display device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing one method of designating a certain area on a map screen.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing another method of specifying a certain area on a map screen.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 map data 2 search data 3 CD-ROM (data storage means) 4 display device (map display means) 5 map drawing means 6 input device (area setting means) 7 place name display means (name display means) 8 place name selection means (name) Selection means) 9 area drawing means 10 CPU

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A data storage means for storing map data and search data, a display means for displaying a map, and a map for controlling a desired map to be displayed on the display means at an arbitrary scale based on the map data. Drawing means, area setting means for setting a desired area on a map displayed at a specific scale on the display means, and displaying the area set by the area setting means on the map displayed on the display means Area drawing means, a specific name belonging to the setting area is extracted from the search data and displayed on the display means, and at least one name is displayed from the names displayed by the name display means. Name selecting means for selecting, wherein the map drawing means displays the map including the name selected by the name selecting means on a scale larger than the specific scale. A map display device, which controls to redisplay the map. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said area setting means includes an area moving means for setting a desired area while moving the area on said map. 2. The map display device according to claim 1, wherein an area is moved and displayed on the map. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the name display means displays a name of a level corresponding to the specific scale of the map displayed by the map drawing means on the display means. Map display device. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the name display means extracts a place name such as a prefecture or a municipal town from the search data as the specific name and displays the name on the display means. Map display device.