JPH0546081A - On-vehicle map display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To develop and display the map of a target place name or facilities by a small number of operations. CONSTITUTION:Data in tree structure which are stored in an area data base 11 has pointer information on low-order nodes and position information regarding all nodes and when there is an instruction from a map development request input means 13, area data corresponding to the respective items of a block, the metropolis and districts, municipahities, an area name or facilities inputted from a low-order selection item request input means 12 are extracted from the area data base 11 and a map developing means 18 reads corresponding map data out of map data base 17 according to the position information 19 and develops and displays a map on a map display means 20. Even if the requested kind of facilities are not present, a decision means 16 decides that and a map of higher order is displayed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an on-vehicle map display device used for an on-vehicle navigation device or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 shows the structure of a conventional vehicle-mounted map display device of this type. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a regional database, for example, a block obtained by roughly dividing Japan into Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, etc., subordinate prefectures, municipalities, and subordinate place names / facility names and positions. Stores regional data related to the above. Reference numeral 2 denotes a lower-order selection item request input means, which is used to input desired place-name / facility data from the regional database 1 in order from the higher-order region selection item to the lower-order place-name / facility selection item according to the display. Reference numeral 3 is an area data extracting means for extracting corresponding area data from the area database 1 based on the selection items input from the lower selection item request inputting means 2. Reference numeral 4 denotes a map database, which stores map data corresponding to the regional database 1. Reference numeral 5 is a map expanding means, which reads out corresponding map data from the map database 4 and expands it based on the position information 6 in the area data extracted by the area data extracting means 3.
Reference numeral 7 is a map display means for displaying the map developed by the map developing means 5 and other information.

FIG. 4 (a) shows the data structure of the regional database 1 in the above-mentioned conventional example, and the whole is hierarchically structured into a tree structure. The top level of the tree structure is composed of multiple block nodes, each block node is composed of multiple prefecture nodes, each prefecture node is composed of multiple municipal nodes, and each municipal node is , Is composed of multiple place names / facility nodes.
Each upper node has node pointer information for the next lower node, and the lowest place name / facility node is
Have a table pointer Figure 4 on the table
As shown in (b), the name and position information regarding the corresponding place name / facility node are stored.

Next, the operation of the above conventional example will be described.
When the lower order selection item request input means 2 sequentially inputs the highest order block selection items to the lowest place name / facility selection items in accordance with the display, the area data extraction means 3 acquires the corresponding area data from the area database 1. The map expanding means 5 extracts the data in order, and the map developing means 5 uses the position information 6 included in the last place name / facility data to generate the map database
The corresponding map is read out, developed, and displayed on the display means 7.

[0005]

However, in the conventional vehicle-mounted map display device described above, since the position information for displaying the map is included only in the lowest place name / facility data, the place name / facility selection is performed. It is necessary to select the desired place name / facility from the items and display the area map above it, and then move or enlarge it again to display the map at the required scale, which makes the operation complicated. There was a problem of becoming.

Further, since the location information is included only in the lowest place name / facility data, there is a problem that if the facility of the requested type does not exist in the area, the map of the area is not displayed. It was

The present invention solves such a conventional problem, and does not require many operations to develop a map corresponding to a desired place name / facility, and also within a corresponding area. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle-mounted map display device capable of displaying a map of the area even if the requested type of facility does not exist.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a tree structure in which lower place name / facility data is hierarchized with respect to upper region data, and each of these data has its own tree structure. In order to extract the desired place name / facility data from the area database having the name and position information by itself and the upper area data having pointer information to the lower area data,
According to the display, the lower-order selection item request input means for sequentially inputting from the higher-order area selection item to the lower-order place name / facility selection item and position information included in each data extracted by the input of the lower-order selection item request input means On the basis of the above, map development request input means is provided for sequentially developing and displaying maps corresponding to each of the upper region data to the lower place name / facility data.

The present invention also provides means for determining whether or not the place name / facility input by the lower selection item request input means exists in the corresponding place name / facility data, and when the place name / facility does not exist. Also has control means for displaying a map of the corresponding area.

[0010]

Therefore, according to the present invention, the lower order selection item request input means sequentially inputs the higher order area selection items to the lower place name / facility selection items in accordance with the display, and the map development request input means is used. The map corresponding to each of the higher-order region data to the lower-order place name / facility data is sequentially developed and displayed, so that the operation is extremely simple.

The present invention can also display a map of the area even if the place name / facility input by the lower selection item request input means does not exist in the corresponding place name / facility data.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 is a regional database that stores regional data regarding blocks such as Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Kanto, subordinate prefectures, municipalities, and subordinate place names / facility names and positions. Is stored. Reference numeral 12 denotes a lower-order selection item request input means, which inputs desired place-name / facility selection items in order from the higher-order region selection item to the lower-order place-name / facility selection item in order to extract desired place name / facility data from the regional database 11. Reference numeral 13 is a map expansion request inputting means, which sequentially expands and displays the maps for the selection items input from the lower selection item request inputting means 12. Reference numeral 14 is a search control means, and each input means 1
Based on the signals input from Nos. 2 and 13, necessary area data is retrieved from the area database 11 and control is performed to develop the necessary map. Reference numeral 15 is an area data extracting means which extracts area data corresponding to the request item input from the lower selection item request input means 12 from the area database 11 based on the signal from the search control means 14. Reference numeral 16 is a required facility presence / absence determining unit, which determines whether the place name or the type of facility designated by the place name / facility selection item input from the lower selection item request input unit 12 exists in the corresponding region. judge. A map database 17 stores map data corresponding to the regional data 11. Reference numeral 18 denotes a map expanding means, which reads out corresponding map data from the map database 17 and expands it based on the positional information contained in the regional data and the place name / facility data extracted from the regional database 11. Reference numeral 20 denotes a map display means for displaying the map expanded by the map expanding means 18 and other information.

FIG. 2 (a) shows the data structure of the regional database 11 in the above embodiment, which is hierarchically structured into a tree structure. The top of the tree structure is composed of multiple block nodes, each block node is composed of multiple prefecture nodes, each prefecture node is composed of multiple municipal nodes, and each municipal node is It is composed of multiple place names / facility nodes. Each upper node has node pointer information for the next lower node, and all nodes have table pointer information. Then, in the table pointed to by the table pointer, as shown in FIG. 2B, the name and position information regarding the corresponding node are stored.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.
Now, A1 of the block node is selected from the lower selection item request input means 12, B1 of the prefecture node is subsequently selected, C1 of the municipality node is further selected, and D1 of the place name / facility node is selected. Then, the search control means 14 instructs the area data extraction means 15 to extract the area data and the place name / facility data corresponding to each node A1, B1, C1, D1 from the area database 11, and the area data is extracted. The extraction unit 15 extracts these data from the regional database 11 and passes them to the required facility presence / absence determination unit 16. The required facility presence / absence determining means 16 determines whether or not the data extracted by the regional data extracting means 15 includes data relating to the requested place name / facility node D1 and sends the result to the search control means 14. hand over. When the search control means 14 receives an input from the map development request input means 13, even if it determines that the requested facility presence / absence determination means 16 does not include the data related to the node D1, the higher order node Based on the positional information of the data relating to C1, B1, and A1, the map developing means 18 is instructed to read the corresponding map data from the map database 17. The map expanding means 18 executes this command to cause the display means 20 to display the maps in order.

As described above, according to the above embodiment, the tree-structured data stored in the regional database 11 is
Since it has pointer information for the subordinate nodes and position information for all the nodes, only by issuing a map expansion request from the map expansion request input means 13, the maps corresponding to all the requested items are expanded in order. Is displayed,
The operation becomes extremely easy.

Even when the requested facility presence / absence determining means 16 determines that the requested type of facility does not exist, the positional information is included in the regional data related to the upper node, so the positional information is included. It is possible to expand and display a map of the corresponding area based on.

[0017]

According to the present invention, as is apparent from the above embodiment, the tree structure data stored in the regional database has pointer information for lower nodes and position information for all nodes. Only by instructing a map expansion request from the map expansion request input means, the maps corresponding to all the requested items can be expanded and displayed in order. Therefore, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to move or enlarge the displayed map in order to obtain the map regarding the requested place name / facility, and the operation is extremely simple.

In the present invention, the required facility presence / absence determining means is
Even if it is determined that there is no facility of the requested type, the location data is included in the regional data related to the upper node, so a map of the corresponding area is expanded and displayed based on that location information. can do.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a vehicle-mounted map display device showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram showing a data structure of a regional database in the same device. FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of a table pointed to by a table pointer in the regional database.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a conventional vehicle-mounted map display device.

FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram showing a data structure of a regional database in the same device. FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram of a table pointed to by a table pointer in the regional database.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Regional Database 12 Lower Selection Item Request Input Means 13 Map Expansion Request Input Means 14 Search Control Means 15 Area Data Extraction Means 16 Required Facility Presence / Absence Determining Means 17 Map Database 18 Map Expanding Means 19 Position Information 20 Map Display Means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. The lower place name / facility data has a hierarchical tree structure with respect to the upper region data, and each data has its own name and position information, and the upper region data is the lower region. A regional database having pointer information for regional data, and a lower-level selection for sequentially inputting a higher-level region selection item to a lower-level place name / facility selection item according to the display in order to extract desired place name / facility data from the regional database. Item request input means,
Based on the position information contained in each data extracted by the input of the lower selection item request input means, a map corresponding to each of the upper region data to the lower place name / facility data is sequentially developed and displayed. An on-vehicle map display device comprising a map expansion request input means. 2. Means for determining whether or not the place name / facility input by the lower selection item request input means is present in the corresponding place name / facility data, and it is also applicable when the place name / facility is not present. The vehicle-mounted map display device according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that displays a map of the area.