Abstract:
A route displaying method, which includes: planning a route from a starting point to a target point; determining if the route goes through a 3-D road having an upper road and a lower road; utilizing a first sign to indicate the route when the route passes through the upper road; and utilizing a second sign to indicate the route when the route passes through the lower road. A located object displaying method under similar concept is also disclosed, which includes: acquiring a location of a located object; acquiring a location of a 3-D road; comparing the two locations to determine if the located object utilizes the 3-D road; utilizing a first sign to indicate the located object when the located object utilizes the upper road; and utilizing a second sign to indicate the located object when the located object utilizes the lower road.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a route displaying method, a located object displaying method and modules thereof, and particularly relates to a route displaying method and a located object displaying method utilizing different signs while utilizing a 3-D road, and systems thereof. 
         [0002]    A navigator such as a GPS system has become more and more popular in recent years. However, there are many more complicated 3-D roads such as a viaduct, a freeway, a bridge or an underpass that are provided in modern cities. One serious problem of this kind of 3-D road is that the 3-D road usually has many branches, for example, a viaduct has an upper road and a lower road, and a user will go to a place far from the target if he/she chooses the wrong branch. Current navigators use a voice guidance to inform a user when he/she is about to enter one branch of a 3-D road, but such a voice guidance is easily lost by or misunderstood by a user, especially in a noisy environment. 
         [0003]    Therefore, a new invention is needed to solve above-mentioned problem. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    One embodiment of the present invention discloses a route displaying method, which includes: planning a route from a starting point to a target point; determining if the route goes through a 3-D road having an upper road and a lower road; utilizing a first sign to indicate the route when the route passes through the upper road; and utilizing a second sign to indicate the route when the route passes through the lower road. 
         [0005]    Another embodiment of the present invention discloses a route displaying system corresponding to the above-mentioned route displaying method. The route displaying system includes: a route planning module, for planning a route from a starting point to a target point; a processing unit, for determining if the route goes through a 3-D road having an upper road and a lower road; utilizing a first sign to indicate the route when the route passes through the upper road; and utilizing a second sign to indicate the route when the route passes through the lower road. 
         [0006]    Another embodiment of the present invention discloses a located object displaying method, which includes: acquiring a location of a located object; acquiring a location of a 3-D road having an upper road and a lower road; comparing the location of the located object and the location of the 3-D road to determine if the located object utilizes the 3-D road; utilizing a first sign to indicate the located object when the located object utilizes the upper road; and utilizing a second sign to indicate the located object when the located object utilizes the lower road. 
         [0007]    Another embodiment of the present invention discloses a located object displaying system corresponding to the above-mentioned located object displaying method. The located object displaying system includes: a location device, for acquiring a location of a located object; a processing unit, for acquiring a location of a 3-D road having an upper road and a lower road; comparing the location of the located object and the location of the 3-D road to determine if the located object utilizes the 3-D road; utilizing a first sign to indicate the located object when the located object utilizes the upper road; and utilizing a second sign to indicate the route when the located object utilizes the lower road. 
         [0008]    Via the above-mentioned embodiments, the user utilizing the navigator can easily identify which road of the 3-D road should be utilized, thus the error for choosing a wrong way while utilizing the 3-D road can be avoided. 
         [0009]    These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1˜FIG .  4  are schematic diagrams illustrating a navigating method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart illustrating steps of a route displaying method included in the navigating method shown in  FIG. 1˜FIG .  4 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a flow chart illustrating steps of a located object displaying method included in the navigating method shown in  FIG. 1˜FIG .  4 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a block diagram illustrating a navigator utilizing the navigating method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]      FIG. 1˜FIG .  4  are schematic diagrams illustrating a navigating method according to an embodiment of the present invention, which can be displayed on a screen of a navigator or a location device. In this case, a starting point, a target point and a route between a starting point and a target point are determined, and a target object  101  such as a car will be navigated to the target point. Please refer to  FIG. 1 , which illustrates a target object  101  moving on a normal road  103 , and follows a route  105  to reach a target point. In  FIG. 1 , the target object  101  has a distance from a 3-D road more than a predetermined value (ex. 500 m). The target object  101  is indicated by a first sign, for example, a car icon with red color that is shown as oblique lines in  FIG. 1  and edges with solid lines, and the route  105  is indicated by a solid line. 
         [0015]    In  FIG. 2 , the target object  101  has a distance from a 3-D road less than a predetermined value, that is, the target object  101  is about to enter the 3-D road  201 . The target object  101  is indicated by a second sign, for example, a car icon with gray color that is shown as triangles in  FIG. 2  and edges with solid lines, and the route  105  is indicated by a solid line if it utilizes the normal road  103 , but is indicated by a dotted line (i.e. circles plus oblique lines) if it utilizes a lower road of the 3-D road  201 . Additionally, if the route  105  utilizes an upper road of the 3-D road  201 , the route  105  is still indicated by a solid line, the same as a normal road, but such a situation is not illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Please note the reason that an upper road of the 3-D road  201  is drafted to have a wider width than a lower road is just for clearly identifying it. In fact the upper road and the lower road of the 3-D road  201  always have the same width, thus the 3-D road  201  looks the same as the normal road  103 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0016]    In  FIG. 4   a,  the target object  101  enters the 3-D road  201  and utilizes a lower road. The target object  101  is indicated by a third sign, for example, the body and edges of the target object  101  are drafted in dotted lines, and the route  105  is indicated by a dotted line. 
         [0017]    Briefly, the above-mentioned embodiments can be summarized as follows: If the target object moves on a normal road, the embodiments utilize a first sign to indicate the target object and a first sign to indicate a route. If the target object is about to enter a 3-D road, the embodiments utilize a second sign to indicate the target object and a second sign to indicate the route when the route utilizes a lower road of the 3-D road. If the target object enters a lower road of the 3-D road, a third sign is utilized to indicate the target object and a second sign to indicate the route when the route utilizes a lower road of the 3-D road. Please note that the above-mentioned embodiments are only for example and do not mean to limit the scope of the present invention. For example, the route has the same signs for a normal road and an upper road of the 3-D road and a different sign for a lower road of the 3-D road in this case. However, the route can have the same signs for a normal road and a lower road of the 3-D road and a different sign for an upper road of the 3-D road. 
         [0018]    Further more, the navigating method according to the present invention is not limited to provide a second sign different from the first sign for a normal road and a third sign for a 3-D road to the target object, when the target object is about to enter the 3-D road. The navigating method according to the present invention can also provide only two different signs to the target object to identify which road (normal road or the 3-D road) the target object utilizes. Such rules can also be applied to the target object. These kinds of variations should also fall in the scope of the present invention. 
         [0019]    In  FIG. 4   b,  the target object  101  leaves the 3-D road and re-enters a normal road again. Thus the target object  101  is indicated by the first sign, and the route  105  is indicated by the solid line, the same as  FIG. 1 . 
         [0020]    The navigating method shown in  FIG. 1   FIG. 4  can be regarded as being composed of a route displaying method and a located object displaying method. The route displaying method plans a route from a starting point to a target point and indicates the route. The located object displaying method locates the target object and displays the target object and an environment near to it. The detailed steps of these two methods will be described as below. Also, if the located object displaying method includes navigating the target object to the target point, then it becomes a navigating method without displaying a route. 
         [0021]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart illustrating steps of a route displaying method included in the navigating method shown in  FIG. 1˜FIG .  4 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the route displaying method includes the steps of: 
         [0022]    Step  501   
         [0023]    Start. 
         [0024]    Step  503   
         [0025]    Plan a route from a starting point to a target point, and acquire 3-D road information. The 3-D road information can be stored in a data base. By this way, it can be determined if the route passes through a 3-D road or not. Since the detailed steps of planning a route from a starting point to a target point, and acquiring 3-D road information are known to persons skilled in the art, it is omitted for brevity here. 
         [0026]    Step  505   
         [0027]    Determine if the route utilizes a 3-D road. If not, keep processing the step  505 . If yes, go to step  507 . 
         [0028]    Step  507   
         [0029]    Determine if the route utilizes a lower road. If yes, go to step  509 . If not, go to step  511 . 
         [0030]    Step  509   
         [0031]    Utilize a different sign. 
         [0032]    Step  511   
         [0033]    Utilize the same sign as the normal road. 
         [0034]    Step  513   
         [0035]    End. 
         [0036]    Please note that the route is not limited to having the same signs for a normal road and an upper road of the 3-D road and a different sign for a lower road of the 3-D road. The route can have the same signs for a normal road and a lower road of the 3-D road and a different sign for an upper road of the 3-D road, as above-mentioned. Accordingly, the N and Y after the steps  607  can be exchanged. 
         [0037]      FIG. 6  is a flow chart illustrating steps of a located object displaying method included in the navigating method shown in  FIG. 1˜FIG .  4 . 
         [0038]    Step  601   
         [0039]    Start. 
         [0040]    Step  603   
         [0041]    Acquire locations of a 3-D road and the located object (i.e. the target object which is located). Since the detailed steps of acquiring locations of a 3-D road and the located object are well known to persons skilled in the art, it is omitted for brevity here. 
         [0042]    Step  605   
         [0043]    Determine if the located object utilizes the 3-D road. If not, keep processing step  605 . If yes, go to step  607 . 
         [0044]    Step  607   
         [0045]    Determine if the route utilizes a lower road. If yes, go to step  609 . If not, go to step  611 . 
         [0046]    Step  609   
         [0047]    Utilize a different sign. 
         [0048]    Step  611   
         [0049]    Utilize the same sign as the normal road. 
         [0050]    Step  613   
         [0051]    End. 
         [0052]    Please note that the located object is not limited to having the same signs for a normal road and an upper road of the 3-D road and a different sign for a lower road of the 3-D road. The located object can have the same signs for a normal road and a lower road of the 3-D road and a different sign for an upper road of the 3-D road, as above-mentioned. Accordingly, the N and Y after the step  607  can be reversed. 
         [0053]      FIG. 7  is a block diagram illustrating a navigator utilizing the navigating method according to an embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that the navigating method according to embodiments of the present invention is not limited to the system shown in  FIG. 7 , but also can be applied to other types of navigators. The navigator  700  includes: an interface unit  701 , a processing unit  703 , a location device  705 , a route guidance module  707 , a route planning module  709 , a register  711 , and a data base  713 . The interface unit  701  serves to input data to the processing unit  703  or receives the data output from the processing unit  703 . The location device  705  serves to locate the location of the target object. The route guidance module  707  serves to navigate the target object to the target point. The route planning module  709  serves to plan a route from a start point to a target point. The processing unit  703  serves to read 3-D road information from the data base  713 , via the register  711 . 
         [0054]    Therefore, for the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , the processing unit  703  reads 3-D road information from the data base  713 , and the route guidance module  707  plans the route from the start point to the target point. Also, the processing unit  707  processes the steps  505 ˜ 513  shown in  FIG. 5 . For the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , the processing unit  703  reads 3-D road information from the data base  713 , and the location device  705  locates the target object. Also, the processing unit  707  processes the steps  605 ˜ 613  shown in  FIG. 6 . Besides, if the target object is desired to be navigated to the target point, the route planning module  709  is utilized. Briefly, the processing unit  703  and the route planning module  709  can be regarded as a route displaying system  720 . Furthermore, the processing unit  703  and the location device  705  can be regarded as a located object displaying system  730 . 
         [0055]    Via above-mentioned embodiments, the user utilizing the navigator can easily identify which road of the 3-D road should be utilized, thus the error of choosing a wrong way while utilizing the 3-D road can be avoided. 
         [0056]    Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.