Patent ID: 6144920
Filing Date: 2000-11-07
Classification: G01C,G09B

Abstract:
A map displaying apparatus comprising:a displaying device for displaying a map;a map storing device for storing multiple maps showing predetermined areas with different scales;a facility storing device for storing data of facilities located in respective positions on the maps:a facility category selecting device for selecting a category of facility to be displayed on the displaying device;a display controlling device for displaying one of the maps having different scales stored in the map storing device on the displaying device and displaying facilities selected by the facility category selecting device in the respective positions on the displayed map; anda map scale controlling device for changing scale of the map displayed on the displaying device by the display controlling device so that a number of facilities displayed on the map by the display controlling device is kept equal to or lower than a predetermined upper limit,wherein the map scale controlling device first changes the scale of the map displayed on the displaying device to a largest scale and then reduces the scale of the map one level at a time until the number of facilities displayed on the map is equal to or more than a predetermined lower limit, and when the number of facilities displayed on the map is equal to or more than the lower limit, the map scale controlling device determines whether or not the number of facilities is equal to or lower than the upper limit when the scale of the map is reduced further by one level, and then only when the number of facilities is equal to or lower than the upper limit, the map scale controlling device further reduces the scale of the map by one level.