JP2006126402A - Map display method and navigation system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide "a map display method and a navigation system" enabling a user to easily identify a road and to correctly recognize the shape of a facility to focus on. <P>SOLUTION: In the map display method, map data for generating a map image 1 for each sheet of map is stored in a map memory, and a satellite photographic image 2 photographed from a satellite is stored for each sheet of map. In the navigation system, when superposed display of the satellite photographic image and the map image is requested and a satellite photographic image area (including the facility) 3 to be superposedly displayed is designated, a superposed satellite photographic image part 4 is cut off from the satellite photographic image 2 and overlayed on the map image 1 to be displayed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a map display method and a navigation device, and more particularly to a map display method and a navigation device for displaying a part of a satellite photograph image taken from a satellite or the like superimposed on a map image.

Recent navigation apparatuses are capable of guiding a map by displaying not only a map image generated using map data but also an image (referred to as a satellite photo image) taken from an aircraft or a satellite (for example, patent documents). 1). Such a navigation device displays a map image generated using the map data or displays a satellite photograph image by switching. Even when a satellite photograph image is displayed, a vehicle position mark can be displayed on the image.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-113343

However, the satellite photo image is too detailed to include roads and buildings, and the color tone is similar between the road and the building, so there is a problem that it is difficult to identify the road. On the other hand, since the map image is displayed mainly on the road and with a different color tone, the road can be easily identified. However, since facilities such as buildings are not displayed in detail, there is a problem that it is difficult to grasp the shape of the facility.
From the above, an object of the present invention is to enable easy identification of a road and to correctly grasp a facility shape to be focused on.
An object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily identify a road and to correctly grasp the facility shape of the destination.

According to the present invention, the above object is achieved by the first and second map display methods for displaying the map image around the vehicle position on the display screen using the map data stored for each leaf in the map memory. .
The first display method includes a step of storing a photographic image taken from the sky for each leaf, a step of specifying a photographic image portion to be overlaid when requested to superimpose the photographic image and a map image, A step of cutting out an image portion and displaying the image portion on the map image.
The second display method includes a step of storing a photographic image taken from the sky for each leaf, and a step of cutting out a photographic image portion including the destination and displaying it on the map image when the destination is set. have.

The above object is achieved by the first and second navigation devices of the present invention that display map images around the vehicle position on the display screen using map data.
The first navigation device stores the map data for each leaf and stores storage means for storing a photograph image taken from the sky for each leaf, instructs the overlap display of the photograph image and the map image, and Instructing means for instructing a photographic image portion to be overlaid, and image display means for cutting out the instructed photographic image portion and overlaid on the map image are provided.
The second navigation device stores the map data for each leaf, stores a photographic image taken from the sky for each leaf, destination searching means for searching for a route to the destination, the destination When a place is searched, image display means for cutting out a photographic image portion including the destination and displaying it over the map image is provided.

According to the present invention, satellite photograph images taken from satellites are stored for each map leaf, and when the overlay display of the satellite photograph image and the map image is requested, the satellite photograph image portion to be overlaid is specified, and the satellite photograph Since the image portion is cut out and overlaid on the map image, the road can be easily identified and the facility shape to be focused on can be correctly grasped.
Further, according to the present invention, satellite photograph images taken from satellites are stored for each leaf, and when a destination is set, a satellite photograph image portion including the destination is cut out and superimposed on the map image. Thus, the road can be easily identified, and the destination facility shape can be correctly grasped.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.
Map data for generating the map image 1 for each leaf is stored in the map memory, and a satellite photograph image (only a part is shown) 2 taken from the satellite is stored in the map memory for each leaf. In the navigation device, when the map image 1 is being displayed, a superimposition display (hybrid display) of the satellite photograph image and the map image is requested by the instruction means (touch panel or the like), and the overlap is performed as shown in FIG. When a satellite photo image range (including facilities) 3 to be displayed is instructed, a superposed satellite photo image portion 4 is cut out from the satellite photo image 2 and is superimposed on the map image 1 as shown in FIG. To do. In this way, it is possible to easily identify the road and to correctly grasp the facility shape to be focused on.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention.
Map data for generating image 1 for each leaf is stored in the map memory, and satellite photograph images taken from the satellite are stored in the map memory for each leaf. When the destination (target facility) 5 is set as shown in FIG. 2 (A), the map display device cuts out the satellite photograph image portion 6 including the destination facility and displays the map as shown in FIG. 2 (B). Overlaid on image 1. In this way, the road can be easily identified, and the facility shape of the destination can be correctly grasped.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of the navigation device of the first embodiment.
The map data MPD is stored in the first map information storage unit 11a such as a DVD, and the satellite photograph image SPP having the same scale as the map image is stored in the second map information storage unit 11b. The map data MPD and the satellite photograph image SPP can also be stored in a common map information storage unit. The map data MPD is a collection of leaf data. Leaf data is data for drawing a map corresponding to the area displayed on one screen, and leaf data is prepared for each scale. The satellite photograph image SPP is prepared for each leaf at the same scale as the map image at several scales.

  The vehicle position detection unit 12 detects the vehicle position CPS, and includes a GPS receiver, a self-contained navigation sensor (direction sensor, vehicle speed sensor), and a vehicle position calculation unit. The touch panel unit 13 selects a soft key displayed on the display device, switches a menu selection, map reduction / enlargement operation, map scroll operation, map image / satellite image / mixed image of these images (referred to as a hybrid image). Operations such as operations and instructions for satellite image parts in hybrid display are performed. The map readout control unit 14 reads out map data of a predetermined scale from the map information storage unit 11a based on the vehicle position and inputs it to the first map image drawing unit 16 via the map buffer 15, and similarly the vehicle. Based on the position, the satellite photograph image data is read from the map information storage unit 11 b and input to the satellite photograph image drawing unit 17. The map image drawing unit 16 generates a map image using the map data stored in the map buffer 15, the video RAM 18 stores the map image, and the satellite photo image drawing unit 17 receives the input satellite photo image data SPP. Is used to generate a satellite image and store it in the video RAM 19.

When the hybrid image display is instructed from the touch panel unit 13 and the satellite photo image range 3 (see FIG. 1) including the facility is instructed, the satellite map display range identifying unit 20 specifies the satellite photo image portion 4 to be overlaid. Then, the position data of the image portion is input to the image cutout control unit 21. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an input method of the satellite photograph image range. As shown in FIGS. 4 (A) and (B), two diagonal points (A, B: C, D) on the map image are input and the region is input. There are a method of specifying AR1 and AR2, a method of specifying the area AR3 by tracing the map image with the closed curve CC, and the like.
The image cutout control unit 21 cuts out the satellite photograph image portion instructed by the satellite map display range identifying unit 20 from the satellite photograph image in the video RAM 19 and outputs the cutout image to the combining unit 22. The vehicle mark generation unit 23 generates a vehicle mark at a predetermined position on the screen when displaying the map and inputs it to the synthesis unit 22, and the menu / message generation unit 24 generates a menu image and inputs it to the synthesis unit 22. The synthesizing unit 22 synthesizes images input from the video RAM 18, the image cutout control unit 21, the vehicle mark generation unit 23, and the menu / message generation unit 24 and inputs them to the display device 25. The display device 25 displays the input composite image. indicate.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of map data. Map data is a set of leaf data (FIG. # 1 to FIG. #N) for displaying a map for each leaf, and leaf data is prepared for each scale. As shown in FIG. 5, the leaf data includes a number of background elements for drawing a leaf map. Background elements include green spaces, islands, railways, roads, buildings, rivers, and the like. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of satellite photograph image data, and satellite photograph image data (FIG. # 1 to FIG. #N) is prepared for each leaf at the same scale as the map image.

FIG. 7 is a hybrid image display flow of the first embodiment, and FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of hybrid image display. As shown in FIG. 8, a map image around the vehicle position is drawn in the video RAM 18, and the map image is displayed on the screen of the display device 25 via the synthesis unit 22 (step 101). At this time, it is assumed that a satellite photograph image around the vehicle position is also drawn in the video RAM 19.
During the normal map image display, the satellite map display range identification unit 20 monitors whether the soft key ("hybrid") 51 is selected by the touch panel unit 13 and the hybrid map display is requested (step 102). When the hybrid map display is requested, the menu / message generating unit 24 is controlled to display the message “Please enter the satellite map display position” on the map image as shown in FIG. Allows input of satellite map display position. Accordingly, when the user operates the touch panel unit 13 and inputs the satellite photograph image range by the method described with reference to FIG. 4, the satellite map display range identifying unit 20 identifies the satellite photograph image portion to be overlaid and cuts out the image. It inputs into the control part 21 (step 103).
When the position of the satellite photograph image portion to be overlaid is input, the image cutout control portion 21 cuts out the satellite photograph image portion from the video RAM 19 (step 104), and inputs it to the display device 25 via the combining portion 22. As shown in FIG. 8C, the satellite photograph image 52 is superimposed and displayed on the map image (step 105).
Thereafter, it is monitored whether or not an operation for terminating the hybrid map display has been performed (step 106). If there is an operation for terminating the hybrid map, the hybrid display is terminated and the operation returns.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the navigation device of the second embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment of FIG. 3 is that a guidance route search unit 31 and a guidance route drawing unit 32 are provided. When a destination is set from the touch panel unit 13, the guidance route search unit 31 searches for a guidance route from the current point to the destination using map data. The guide route drawing unit 32 generates the searched guide route image and inputs it to the synthesis unit 22. When the route search is completed, the satellite map display range identifying unit 20 refers to the shape of the target facility included in the map data, identifies the satellite image portion including the target facility, and inputs it to the image cutout control unit 21. In addition, it can also be set as the satellite image part which overlaps and displays the area of the predetermined size centering on the destination. The image cutout control unit 21 cuts out the satellite photograph image portion instructed by the satellite map display range identifying unit 20 from the satellite photograph image in the video RAM 19 and outputs the cutout image to the combining unit 22.

FIG. 10 is a hybrid image display flow of the second embodiment.
A map image around the vehicle position is drawn on the video RAM 18, and the map image is displayed on the screen of the display device 25 via the synthesis unit 22 (step 201).
If a guidance route search is requested by operating the touch panel unit 13 during the normal map image display (step 202), the guidance route search unit 31 starts a route search from the current vehicle position to the destination. (Step 203). When the search for the guide route to the destination is completed (step 204), the guide route GRT to the destination is displayed on the map as shown in FIG. 2A, and “switch the destination facility to the satellite image display”. “Indication” is displayed. Thereafter, the satellite photograph image drawing unit 17 draws the satellite photograph image including the target facility in the video RAM 19, and the image cutout control unit 21 cuts out the satellite photograph image portion including the target facility and inputs it to the combining unit 22. As a result, the display device displays the satellite photograph image portion 6 superimposed on the map image 1 as shown in FIG. As described above, the guide route GRT to the destination can be easily identified, and the shape of the destination facility can be correctly grasped.

The above is a case where the satellite photograph image portion including the destination and the designated point is hybridly displayed on the map image. The satellite photograph image portion including these designated points is indicated on the map by instructing the intersection, the user registration point, etc. Hybrid display on the image is possible.
Moreover, although the case where the satellite image captured from the satellite is displayed on the map image has been described, the sky image captured from the sky such as an aerial image captured from the aircraft is not limited to the satellite and is displayed superimposed on the map image. You can also.

1 is an explanatory diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention. It is 2nd Embodiment explanatory drawing of this invention. 1 is a configuration diagram of a navigation device according to a first embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the input method of a satellite photograph image range. It is map data explanatory drawing. It is explanatory drawing of satellite photograph image data. It is a hybrid image display flow of 1st Example. It is a hybrid image display explanatory drawing. It is a block diagram of the navigation apparatus of 2nd Example. It is a hybrid image display flow of 2nd Example.

Explanation of symbols

1 Map image 2 Satellite photograph image (only a part is shown)
3 Satellite image range (including facilities)
4 Superimposed satellite photo image part

Claims (4)

In a map display method for displaying a map image around a vehicle position on a display screen using map data stored for each leaf in a map memory,
Save photographic images taken from the sky for each leaf,
When the display of the photographic image and the map image is requested to be overlapped, the photographic image portion to be displayed is specified,
Cutting out the photographic image part and displaying it on the map image;
A map display method characterized by that. In a map display method for displaying a map image around a vehicle position on a display screen using map data stored for each leaf in a map memory,
Save photographic images taken from the sky for each leaf,
When a destination is set, a photographic image part including the destination is cut out and displayed over the map image.
A map display method characterized by that. In a navigation device that displays a map image around a vehicle position on a display screen using map data,
Storage means for storing the map data for each leaf and storing a photographic image taken from the sky for each leaf;
Instructing means for superimposing the photographic image and the map image, and instructing the photographic image part to be superimposed and displayed,
Image display means for cutting out the instructed photographic image portion and displaying it on the map image;
A navigation device characterized by comprising: In a navigation device that displays a map image around a vehicle position on a display screen using map data,
Storage means for storing the map data for each leaf and storing a photographic image taken from the sky for each leaf;
A destination search means for searching for a route to the destination,
Image display means for cutting out a photographic image portion including the destination and displaying it over the map image when the destination is searched;
A navigation device characterized by comprising:

Images