Map display apparatus

Abstract: A navigation system for vehicles comprises a read device that reads planar map data from a recording medium which stores in memory planimetric map data of a road map, a current position detection device that detects the current position of the vehicle, a storage circuit that stores in memory function tables for converting positional coordinates of nodes included in a road map area around the detected current position to positional coordinates of nodes on a bird's-eye-view map obtained by looking down upon the road map in a specific direction, at a specific look-down angle and a specific aspect angle from a viewpoint set above the vicinity of the detected current position and a bird's-eye-view map display data preparation circuit that reads out data related to coordinate positions of nodes on the bird's-eye-view map by operating the conversion table with the coordinate positions of nodes on the road map and prepares bird's-eye-view map display data for displaying the bird's-eye-view map on the monitor based upon the data thus read out.

Description: The present invention relates to a map display apparatus which displays a map in a bird's-eye view format and converted from a map in a plane view format. There are map display apparatuses for vehicles in the prior art that display a road map on a display device in the so called bird's-eye view display format, whereby a road map in the vicinity of the current position of the vehicle is displayed magnified compared to the portions of the map in the distance. EP-A-0 378 271 discloses a map display apparatus that sets a viewpoint to the rear of the current position of the vehicle and displays, on the screen of a display device, roads viewed from this viewpoint looking down in the advancing direction of the vehicle. In such a bird's-eye view display, the road map in the vicinity of the current vehicle position can be displayed enlarged and, since a wide range of area from the current position to distant positions can be displayed, it is easy to visually read the connection state and so forth on the road map. Moreover, a road map can be displayed in such a realistic manner that the driver will feel as if he were looking down at the road himself. In order to display a road map in the bird's-eye view format, road maps for bird's-eye view display may be stored in a CD ROM or the like in advance. However, since the map scale constantly changes with a bird's-eye view as the viewpoint moves, the quantity of data required for the road map becomes massive. Because of this, it is a general practice to convert road map data for normal planar map display to bird's-eye-view data for display. However, since the conversion calculation to obtain bird's-eye-view data must be performed every time the position of the viewpoint moves, screen redraw becomes slow and this could detract from ease of use. EP-A-0 660 290 also discloses a map display apparatus for displaying bird's-eye view maps and is prior art for the purpose of Article 54(3) EPC. According to the present invention there is provided a map display apparatus for displaying a bird's-eye view map, comprising a bird's-eye view map display generation circuit for receiving positional data for displaying a map as a planar map and generating bird's-eye view map display data for displaying a bird's-eye view map on a monitor having a display area comprising a number of display dots, said generation circuit being configured to convert the positional data for the planar map into the calculate said bird's-eye view map display data using a predetermined functional expression, a table storage circuit provided with a pre-prepared conversion table comprising values obtained by performing at least part of said predetermined expression according to different parameters, the quantity of data in said pre-prepared conversion table being restricted substantially by at least the number of display dots; and said generation circuit being configured to use said value for converting the positional data for the planar map into the display data for displaying said map as a bird's-eye view. The conversion table may be configured to perform data conversion so that said bird's-eye view map is expressed in terms of looking down upon said planar map at a specific look-down angle (), with a specific aspect angle (ϕ) from a viewpoint set above a vicinity of a specific position on said planar map. The conversion table may be configured to convert positional coordinates (Ex, Ey) of nodes on said planar map into positional coordinates (Sx, Sy) of nodes on said bird's-eye view map. The bird's-eye view map display generation circuit may generate bird's eye view map display data so that when a hypothetical rectangular display screen perpendicular to a look-down line that passes through said viewpoint extending towards said map at said look-down angle is set at a position separated from said viewpoint by a specific distance, said bird's-eye view map is displayed by projecting a portion of said planar map in a trapezoidal area onto said hypothetical rectangular display screen. The hypothetical rectangular screen may include a central position, said planar map includes a reference position corresponding to said central position, said reference point lying on a line extending through said viewpoint and the central position, said viewpoint and said reference position are separated by a length, said table storage circuit provided with a set of conversion tables comprising first and second conversion tables (f(Ey), g(Ey)) prepared using: f(Ey) = Ds × Ey × sin  / (K + Ey × cos ) + c1 with a first constant (c1) and g(Ey) = Ds / (K + Ey × cos ) said bird's eye view map display generation circuit configured to convert positional coordinates for a node on said planar map into respective positional coordinates for said bird's-eye view map using Sx = g(Ey) × Ex + c2 with a second constant (c2)and Sy = f(Ey). The table storage circuit may be provided with a plurality of sets of said conversion tables, each of said sets comprising a pair of said conversion tables and said bird's eye view map display generation circuit generates a final version of said bird's eye view map display data based upon a result of a conversion using said conversion tables. The display screen may be divided into first and second areas, the first area closer to said specific position and the second area farther from said specific position, said plurality of sets of conversion tables comprising a first set of conversion tables and a second set of conversion tables suited to said first and second areas respectively. The planar map may be a road map and said specific position may be a vehicle position. The map display apparatus may further comprise a road map data selection circuit that selects road map data within a specific range around said vehicle position as a coordinate transformation area; and a graphic selection circuit that selects a polygon or a link, at least a portion of which is included in said road map data within said range thus selected; wherein said bird's-eye view map display data generation circuit generates said bird's-eye view map display data based upon data obtained by converting positional coordinates of nodes belonging to said polygon or link that has been selected to positional coordinates on a bird's-eye-view map using said conversion tables. The map display apparatus may further comprise: an outside range node extraction circuit that extracts nodes belonging to said polygon or link selected by said graphic selection circuit, which are outside said range selected by said road map data selection circuit; and a node position correction circuit that corrects positional coordinates of said nodes thus extracted to specific positions within said range selected by said road map data selection circuit. The conversion table may include a result of calculation with an expression including at least one variable, and the result of calculation with the expression is obtained by referring to said conversion table with the variable as a parameter instead of calculating the expression. Said at least one variable may be included in a divisor of the expression. According to the present invention there is also provided a navigation system for vehicles that comprises a read device that reads planar map data from a recording medium that stores in memory said planar map data of a road map; and a current position detection device that detects a current position of a vehicle, and a map display apparatus. According to the present invention there is also provided a program for a navigation system, operable in a processing apparatus connected to a storage device that stores in memory planar map data of a road map and a current position detection device for detecting a current position of a vehicle, the program executing: a procedure through which said planar map data are read from said storage device; and a procedure through which a current position is read from said current position detection device wherein the program further executes a procedure through which, when converting positional coordinates of nodes contained in said road map area in a vicinity of a detected current position to positional coordinates of nodes on a bird's-eye-view map obtained by looking down upon said road map in a specific direction, at a specific look-down angle and with a specific aspect angle from a viewpoint set above a vicinity of said detected current position by using conversion tables, by calculating said bird's-eye view map display data using a predetermined functional expression, data related to coordinate positions of nodes on said bird's-eye-view map are read out by operating said conversion tables with positional coordinates of nodes on said road map and bird's-eye-view map display data for displaying said bird's-eye-view map on a monitor are generated based upon said data thus read out, said conversion tables comprising values obtained by performing in advance at least part of said predetermined expression according to different parameters the quantity of data in said pre-prepared conversion table being restricted substantially by at least the number of display dots on the monitor on which the bird's-eye view map is to be displayed. According to the present invention there is also provided a method of generating bird's-eye view map display data for displaying a bird's-eye view map on a monitor having a display area comprising a number of display dots, the method comprising configuring a circuit to convert positional data for the planar map into the bird's-eye view map display data using a predetermined functional expression, providing a pre-prepared conversion table comprising values obtained by performing at least part of said predetermined expression according to different parameters, substantially restricting the quantity of data in said pre-prepared conversion table by at least the number of display dots; and using said valueswhen converting positional data for displaying a map as a planar map into positional data for displaying said map as a bird's-eye view map. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the map display apparatus for vehicles according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the main processing performed by the control circuit. FIG. 3 is a detailed flowchart of the bird's-eye view map display processing performed in step S3 in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a detailed flowchart of the detailed data coordinate transformation processing performed in step S55 in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a detailed flowchart of the wide range data coordinate transformation processing performed in step S55 in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is an illustration of the coordinate transformation area. FIG. 7 is an illustration of conversion to bird's-eye-view map data. FIG. 8A is an enlargement of the rectangular area abcd in FIG. 7. FIG. 8B is an illustration of the rectangular area abed. FIG. 9 is a projection of FIG. 7 on to the Y-Z plane. FIG. 10 is a projection of FIG. 7 on to the X-Y plane. FIG. 11 shows an example in which the Y-axis coordinate Ey in road map data exceeds a specific value V, projecting FIG. 7 on to the Y-Z plane. FIG. 12 shows an example in which the Y-axis coordinate Ey in road map data exceeds a specific value V, projecting FIG. 7 on to the X-Y plane. FIG. 13A and 13B show data arrangement of function tables to be stored in ROM. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the map display apparatus for vehicles according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference number 1 indicates a current position detection device that detects the current position of the vehicle and is constituted with, for instance, an azimuth sensor that detects the advancing azimuth of the vehicle, a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed, a GPS sensor that detects GPS signals sent from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite and the like. Reference number 2a indicates a map recording medium that stores road map data at a plurality of different map scales. The map recording medium 2a is connected to a read control device 2b in such a manner that it can be detached and attached freely and the read-out control device 2b reads out the road map data stored in the map recording medium 2a in response to a command issued by a CPU which is to be detailed later. The read-out control device 2b is for example a CD-ROM device. Reference number 3 indicates a control circuit that controls the entire apparatus and is constituted with a microprocessor and its peripheral circuits. Reference number 4 indicates an input device, which inputs the destination and the like of the vehicle, and reference number 5 indicates a display memory that stores image data to be displayed on a display device 6. The image data stored in the display memory 5 are read out as necessary to be displayed on the display device 6. Reference number 7 indicates a ROM in which function tables for coordinate transformation, which are to be described later, are stored. (Description of Main Processing) FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the main processing performed by the control circuit 3. The following is an explanation of the operation performed in this embodiment in reference to this flowchart. Note that the control circuit 3 starts the processing shown in FIG. 2 when the main power is turned on. In step S1 in FIG. 2, a recommended route and a destination are set. The destination is set by the operator via the input device 4 and the recommended route is automatically set through calculation employing the Dijkstra method or the like in the known art. Alternatively, candidates for recommended routes may be stored in the ROM 7 or the like in advance and a recommended route may be selected from among those candidates. Note that if it is not specifically required, a recommended route need not be set. In step S2, the current position of the vehicle is detected using the current position detection device 1. In step S3, the bird's-eye view display processing, details of which are shown in FIG. 3, is performed. The detail of the bird's-eye view display processing are also described later. In step S4, as in step S2, the current position of the vehicle is detected. In step S5, a decision is made as to whether or not the road map on the screen is to be updated, i.e., whether or not the road map is to be redrawn. In this embodiment, it is decided that the road map is to be updated, for instance, when the vehicle has traveled at least a specific distance, when the operator has issued a command for scrolling via the input device 4 or the like. If an affirmative decision is made in step S5, the operation returns to step S3 to redraw the screen, whereas, if a negative decision is made in step S5, the operation proceeds to step S6. In step S6, a decision is made as to whether or not the operation is to carry on with the main processing shown in FIG. 2. For instance, if the power switch (not shown) has been turned off or if the switch for halting the processing has been operated, a negative decision is made in step S6 and the main processing in FIG. 3 ends. If an affirmative decision is made in step S6, the operation proceeds to step S7, in which updating of the display of additional information is performed, before the operation returns to step S4. The additional information in this context refers to, for instance, the vehicle position mark and the like displayed at the current position of the vehicle and, in step S7 described above, in correspondence to the distance traveled by the vehicle, the display position of the additional information such as the vehicle position mark and the like is changed. (Description of Bird's-Eye view Display Processing) FIG. 3 is a detailed flowchart of the bird's-eye view display processing performed in step S3 in FIG. 2. In step S51 in the figure, the detailed map data and the wide range map data stored in the map recording medium 2a are read. In step S52, the road map data thus read are converted to actual length data. In step S53, conversion processing is performed to convert the data to 2-dimensional coordinates on X and Y axes. In step S54, the Y-axis coordinate is converted to a coordinate with which a function table, which is to be described later, can be referenced. In step S55, detailed data coordinate transformation processing, the details of which are shown in FIG. 4, and wide range data coordinate transformation processing, the details of which are shown in FIG. 5, are performed. The details of the processing shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are described later. In step S56, data which are to be actually displayed on the screen are clipped from the data included in the bird's-eye-view data obtained through the detailed data coordinate transformation processing in FIG. 4 and the bird's-eye-view data obtained through the wide range data coordinate transformation processing shown in FIG. 5. The clipped data are drawn in the display memory 5 in step S57. With this, a bird's-eye view using the detailed map data is displayed up to a specific height from the lower side of the screen and a bird's-eye view using the wide range map data is displayed in the area above that. Different types of road map data are used at different positions in the height of the screen in this manner because, in the case of bird's-eye view display, the portion toward the lower side of the screen is displayed at a smaller scale. FIG. 4 is a detailed flowchart illustrating the detailed data coordinate transformation processing performed in step S55 shown in FIG. 3. In step S101 in FIG. 4, using the vehicle position detected in step S2 in FIG. 2 for reference, the area over which the planar map data are to be converted to bird's-eye-view data is set. This area is indicated as the area RC in the advancing direction of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 6. Hereafter, the area RC is referred to as the coordinate transformation area. Note that the trapezoidal area RC1 inside the coordinate transformation area indicates the range over which actual display is made on the display device 6. In step S102, a polygon or link, at least a portion of which is included within the coordinate transformation area and which has not yet been selected, is selected. A polygon means an area such as a lake, park and green tract and has a plurality of nodes. A link means each of a plurality of sections into which a road is divided and a link has nodes at the start and end points of a link. Each node has a positional coordinate in a road map. In step S103, the positional coordinates E (Ex, Ey) of a node that belongs in a selected polygon or link and for which coordinate transformation has not yet been performed, are selected. In S104, a decision is made as to whether or not the selected node is outside the coordinate transformation area. In other words, in step S104, if a portion of the polygon or the link selected in step S102 extends beyond the coordinate transformation area, a decision is made as to whether or not a node in that extended portion has been selected in step S103. If an affirmative decision is made in step S104, the operation proceeds to step S105, in which the node position is corrected to a location on the end side of the coordinate transformation area which is the closest to the position of the selected node. The processing performed in step S105 is to be described in detail later. In step S106, the node positional coordinates E(Ex, Ey) are converted to bird's-eye view display coordinates S(Sx, Sy) using the function tables fb(Ey) and gb(Ey) which are to be detailed later. The details of the processing performed in step S106 are to be given later. When the processing in step S106 ends, the operation proceeds to step S107, in which a decision is made as to whether or not coordinate transformation has been performed for all the nodes belonging in the selected polygon or link. If a negative decision is made, the operation returns to step S103, whereas, if an affirmative decision is made, the operation proceeds to step S108. In step S108, a decision is made as to whether or not there is still a polygon or a link left un-converted in the coordinate transformation area. If an affirmative decision is made, the operation returns to step S102, whereas if a negative decision is made, the operation returns to step S55. FIG. 5 is a detailed flowchart illustrating the wide range data coordinate transformation processing performed in step S55 in FIG. 3. The wide range data coordinate transformation processing is identical to the detailed data coordinate transformation processing except that different function tables are used for coordinate transformation. In other words, in step S206 in FIG. 5, the node position coordinates E(Ex, Ey) are converted to bird's-eye view display coordinates S(Ex, Ey) using the function tables fa(Ey) and ga(Ey) which are to be described in detail later. Thus, in the bird's-eye view display processing shown in FIGS. 3 through 5, the coordinate transformation area is set around the vehicle position on the road map and polygons or links that are present inside that area are sequentially selected. Then, nodes belonging in a selected polygon or link are selected one by one and the positional coordinates of each node are converted to bird's-eye view display coordinates. To be more specific, both the detailed map data and the wide range map data are converted to bird's-eye-view data and after the conversion, the individual sets of data are clipped to perform drawing into the display memory 5. (Description of Coordinate Transformation Using Detailed Map Data) FIG. 7 illustrates a conversion to bird's-eye-view data and in this example, the road map lies on an X-Y plane, a viewpoint M is set on a Z axis running at a right angle to the X-Y plane and the look-down angle from the viewpoint M is designated . The rectangular area abcd in the figure indicates the imaginary or hypothetical range of display on the display device 6 as shown in an enlargement in FIG. 8A. The bird's-eye-view map is made by projecting the road map in the trapezoid area ABCD onto the imaginary screen area abcd. In order to convert the road map data to bird's-eye-view map data, a height Vz of the viewpoint M, the look-down angle  from the viewpoint M and the aspect angle ϕ from the viewpoint M are first determined and then, using these parameters, the coordinates within the trapezoidal area ABCD are converted to coordinates inside the display screen area abcd so that the entirety of the road map data inside the trapezoidal area ABCD in the figure can be displayed on the display device 6. The area abcd is called as an imaginary or a hypothetical screen area DSP. When a line extending in a vehicle travelling direction with a look-down angle  from the viewpoint M is expressed by LN, the imaginary screen area DSP lies on a plane perpendicular to the line LN at the points apart from the viewpoint M on the line LN by the distance Ds. At this time, the look-down angle  must be set while ensuring that the vicinity of the central line connecting the mid-points of the upper and the lower sides of the display screen of the display device 6 constitutes the direction of the destination. FIG. 9 is a projection of FIG. on to the Y-Z plane. In FIG. 9, the position of the viewpoint is designated M, the center of the display screen area DSP is designated O', the coordinate position (coordinate origin point) on the road map, which corresponds to the center O' of the display screen area, is designated O, the current position of the vehicle is designated G and a given coordinate position on the map is designated E(Ex, Ey). The cross point of the line LN with the screen area DSP is a center O' of the screen area DSP and the cross point of the line LN with the X-Y plane is a origin O of the coordinate on the road map. In addition, the nodal point, where a line descending from the point E vertically to the line segment MO intersects the line segment MO, is designated Q and the nodal point of the line segment ME and the display screen area DSP is designated R. At this time, the relationship presented in expression (1) is valid. MQ = MO + OQ = K + Ey · cos  Note that in expression (1), the length of the line MO is designated K and the angle formed by the line OE and OQ is designated . Since, in FIG. 9, the triangle MO'R and the triangle MQE are proportionately identical to each other, expression (2) is valid. MQ : MO' = EQ : RO' When the number of dots in the horizontal direction in the display screen area on the display device 6 is 360, the number of dots in the vertical direction is 240 and the coordinate origin (O, O) on the imaginary display screen area DSP is on the left lower corner on the area DSP as shown in Fig. 8B, a given coordinate position on the screen is expressed as (Sx, Sy), and expression (2) is presented as in expression (3). (K + Ey · cos ) : Ds = Ey · sin : (Sy - 120) Expression (4) is obtained by modifying expression (3). Sy = {(Ds × Ey · sin ) / (K + Ey · cos )} + 120 FIG. 10 is a projection of FIG. 7 on to the X-Y plane. Since, in FIG. 10, the triangle MO'V and the triangle MEW are proportionately identical to each other and the dimensional ratio between them is the same as the ratio in expression (3), the relationship as expressed in expression (5) is valid. (K + Ey · cos ) : Ds = Ex : (Sx - 180) Expression (6) is obtained by modifying expression (5). Sx = Ex · DS / (K + Ey · cos ) + 180 Thus, by substituting the nord coordinates (Ex, Ey) on the planar map into expressions (4) and (6), they are converted to coordinates (Sx, Sy) for bird's-eye view display coordinate. (Description of Coordinate Transformation Using wide Range Map Data) Regardless of whether the conversion is performed using the detailed map data or the wide range map data, basically the conversion to the bird's-eye view display coordinates is performed using expressions equivalent to expressions (4) and (6), except that some of the factors in expressions (4) and (6) change depending upon the type of the map data. FIGS. 11 and 12 show an example in which the Y-axis coordinate Ey of the road map data exceeds a specific value V. Note that the specific value V represents the position of the boundary of the area over which the conversion is performed using the detailed map data and the area over which the conversion is performed using the wide range map data. By taking advantage of the fact that the triangle MO'R and the triangle MQE' are proportionately identical to each other, as shown in the figures, the relationship expressed in expression (2) described earlier is valid. When the nodal point of the vertical line descending from the coordinate V to the line segment MQ is designated R', P = V · sin , the length of the line segment MR' is designated K2 and the coordinates of point E' with point V used for reference, are designated (Ex2, Ey2), expression (2) is presented as in expression (7). Ds : (K2 + Ey2 · cos ) = (Sy - 120) : (P + Ey2 · sin ) = (Sx - 180) : Ex2 Expressions (8) and (9) are obtained by modifying expression (7) Sx = Ex · Ds / (K + Ey · cos ) + 180 Sy = Ds x(P + Ey2 · sin ) / (K2 + Ey2 · cos ) + 120 With expressions (4), (6), (8) and (9), the detailed map data or the wide range map data can be converted to bird's-eye-view map data. However, the calculation will be time consuming since each of these expressions includes division. Because of this, in this embodiment, when performing coordinate transformation using the detailed map data, function tables fb(Ey) and gb(Ey) as presented in expressions (10) and (11) are prepared and are stored in advance inside the ROM. fb(Ey) = Sy = (Ds x Ey · sin ) / (K + Ey · cos ) + 120 gb(Ey) = Ds / (K + Ey · cos ) Likewise, when performing coordinate transformation using the wide range map data, function tables fa(Ey) and ga(Ey) as presented in expression (12) and (13) are prepared in advance. fa(Ey) = Sy = Ds x (P + Ey2 · sin ) / (K2 + Ey · cos ) + 120 ga(Ey) = Ds / (K2 + Ey2 ·cos ) With these function tables stored in advance in the ROM 7, it becomes possible to perform conversion to coordinates (Sx, Sy) for bird's-eye view map display without performing complicated calculations. In other words, for the Y-axis coordinate, the output of the function tables fb(Ey) and fa(Ey) constitute, as is, the bird's-eye view map display coordinates Sy and for the X-axis coordinate, the bird's-eye view map display coordinate is obtained by performing calculation with the values obtained with the function tables gb(Ey) and ga(Ey) substituted in expression (14). Sx = g(Ey) · Ex + 180 Note that having a massive quantity of data in the tables is not significant since values that can be taken for Sx and Sy are restricted by the number of display dots on the screen. As a result, when the number of display dots on the screen is 360 in the direction of the X-axis and 240 in the direction of the Y-axis, for instance, values that fall within the ranges of 0 ≤ Sx ≤ 360, 0 ≤ Sy ≤ 240, should be stored in the tables. FIG. 13A shows an example of data arrangement for the function tables fb(Ey) and gb(Ey) stored in the ROM. As shown in FIG. 13A, a set of corresponding table values gb and fb is provided for each Y-axis coordinate value, and a total of 1,024 sets (2,048 values) are provided. In addition, at the leading portion of the tables, the coordinates of the coordinate transformation area set in step S101 in FIG. 4 (the coordinates of the two points in FIG. 6) are stored. Likewise, FIG. 13B is an example of data arrangement of function tables fa(Ey) and ga(Ey). As shown in the figure, a set of corresponding table values ga and fa is provided for each Y-axis coordinate value, and a total of 512 sets (1,024 values) are provided. (Description of Node Position Correction) In step S105 in FIG. 4, some of the nodes belonging in the selected polygon or link are located outside the coordinate transformation area and the processing for moving the coordinate positions of these nodes to the end side of the coordinate transformation area is performed. FIG. 6 shows an example in which a portion of the polygons is outside the coordinate transformation area. In the case illustrated in FIG. 6, each node located outside the coordinate transformation area is made to move to the end side of the coordinate transformation area that is the closest from the position of the particular node, as shown in the figure. More specifically, as shown in the figure, nodes N1 and N2 are made to move to the closest position n1 and n2 respectively on the end side L1. Likewise, node N3 is made to move to the closest position n3 on the end side L2. As for node N4, it is made to move to a corner position n4 in the coordinate transformation area. By correcting node positions in this manner, it is ensured that no polygons or links lie astride a plurality of coordinate transformation areas, and thus the processing through which coordinate transformation to bird's-eye view map display coordinates is performed can be simplified. On the other hand, when node positions are corrected as shown in FIG. 6, a problem arises in that the shape of the polygon or link changes as indicated with the diagonal shading in the figure. However, by providing at least one node positioned between the trapezoidal area that is actually displayed on the screen and the peripheral edge portions of the coordinate transformation area surrounding the trapezoidal area, the shapes of polygons and links within the range displayed on the screen will not change. While, in the embodiment described above, different function tables are provided for two types of road map data, function tables may be provided for each viewpoint position and look-down angle. In that case, by switching among these function tables continuously, it is possible to view through 360° around the viewpoint position.

Claims: A map display apparatus for displaying a bird's-eye view map, comprising a bird's-eye view map display generation circuit (3) for receiving positional data for displaying a map as a planar map and generating bird's-eye view map display data for displaying a bird's-eye view map on a monitor (6) having a display area comprising a number of display dots; characterised by said generation circuit being configured to convert the positional data for the planar map into the bird's-eye view map display data using a predetermined functional expression; a table storage circuit (7) provided with a pre-prepared conversion table comprising values obtained by performing at least part of said predetermined expression according to different parameters; the quantity of data in said pre-prepared conversion table being restricted substantially by at least the number of display dots; and said generation circuit being configured to use said values for converting the positional data for the planar map into the display data for displaying said map as a bird's-eye view. A map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conversion table is configured to perform data conversion so that said bird's-eye view map is expressed in terms of looking down upon said planar map at a specific look-down angle (), with a specific aspect angle (ϕ) from a viewpoint (M) set above a vicinity of a specific position on said planar map. A map display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said conversion table is configured to convert positional coordinates (Ex, Ey) of nodes on said planar map into positional coordinates (Sx, Sy) of nodes on said bird's-eye view map. A map display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said bird's-eye view map display generation circuit (3) generates bird's eye view map display data so that when a hypothetical rectangular display screen (DSP) perpendicular to a look-down line (LN) that passes through said viewpoint (M) extending towards said map at said look-down angle () is set at a position separated from said viewpoint by a specific distance (Ds), said bird's-eye view map is displayed by projecting a portion of said planar map in a trapezoidal area (ABCD) onto said hypothetical rectangular display screen. A map display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said hypothetical rectangular screen (DSP) includes a central position (O'), said planar map includes a reference position (O) corresponding to said central position, said reference point lying on a line extending through said viewpoint (M) and the central position, said viewpoint and said reference position are separated by a length (K), said table storage circuit (7) provided with a set of conversion tables comprising first and second conversion tables (f(Ey), g(Ey)) prepared using: f(Ey) = Ds × Ey × sin  / (K + Ey × cos ) + c1 with a first constant (c1) and g(Ey) = Ds / (K + Ey × cos ) said bird's eye view map display generation circuit (3) configured to convert positional coordinates (Ex, Ey) for a node on said planar map into respective positional coordinates (Sx, Sy) for said bird's-eye view map using Sx = g(Ey) × Ex + c2 with a second constant (c2) and Sy = f(Ey). A map display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said table storage circuit (7) is provided with a plurality of sets of said conversion tables, each of said sets comprising a pair of said conversion tables (f(Ey), g(Ey)) and said bird's eye view map display generation circuit (3) generates a final version of said bird's eye view map display data based upon a result of a conversion using said conversion tables. A map display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said display screen (DSP) is divided into first and second areas, the first area closer to said specific position and the second area farther from said specific position, said plurality of sets of conversion tables comprising a first set of conversion tables (fb(Ey), gb(Ey)) and a second set of conversion tables (fa(Ey), ga(Ey)) suited to said first and second areas respectively. A map display apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said planar map is a road map. A map display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said specific position is a vehicle position. A map display apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: a road map data selection circuit (3) that selects road map data within a specific range around said vehicle position as a coordinate transformation area; and a graphic selection circuit (3) that selects a polygon or a link, at least a portion of which is included in said road map data within said range thus selected; wherein said bird's-eye view map display data generation circuit (3) generates said bird's-eye view map display data based upon data obtained by converting positional coordinates of nodes belonging to said polygon or link that has been selected to positional coordinates on a bird's-eye-view map using said conversion tables. A map display apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising: an outside range node extraction circuit (3) that extracts nodes belonging to said polygon or link selected by said graphic selection circuit (3), which are outside said range selected by said road map data selection circuit (3); and a node position correction circuit (3) that corrects positional coordinates of said nodes thus extracted to specific positions within said range selected by said road map data selection circuit (3). A map display apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said conversion table includes a result of calculation with an expression including at least one variable, and the result of calculation with the expression is obtained by referring to said conversion table with the variable as a parameter instead of calculating the expression A map display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said at least one variable is included in a divisor of the expression. A navigation system for vehicles that comprises: a read device (2B) that reads planar map data from a recording medium (2A) that stores in memory said planar map data of a road map; and a current position detection device (1) that detects a current position of a vehicle, and a map display apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 11. A program for a navigation system, operable in a processing apparatus connected to a storage device (2) that stores in memory planar map data of a road map and a current position detection device (1) for detecting a current position of a vehicle, the program executing: a procedure through which said planar map data are read from said storage device; and a procedure through which a current position is read from said current position detection device characterised in that the program further executes a procedure through which, when converting positional coordinates of nodes contained in said road map area in a vicinity of a detected current position to positional coordinates of nodes on a bird's-eye-view map obtained by looking down upon said road map in a specific direction, at a specific look-down angle and with a specific aspect angle from a viewpoint set above a vicinity of said detected current position by using conversion tables, by calculating said bird's-eye view map display data using a predetermined functional expression, data related to coordinate positions of nodes on said bird's-eye-view map are read out by operating said conversion tables with positional coordinates of nodes on said road map and bird's-eye-view map display data for displaying said bird's-eye-view map on a monitor ( 6 ) are generated based upon said data thus read out, said conversion tables comprising values obtained by performing in advance at least part of said predetermined expressions according to different parameters the quantity of data in said pre-prepared conversion table being restricted substantially by at least the number of display dots on the monitor on which the bird's-eye view map is to be displayed. A method of generating bird's-eye view map display data for displaying a bird's-eye view map on a monitor having a display area comprising a number of display dots, characterised by configuring a circuit to convert positional data for the planar map into the bird's-eye view map display data using a predetermined functional expression, providing a pre-prepared conversion table comprising values obtained by performing at least part of said predetermined expression according to different parameters, substantially restricting the quantity of data in said pre-prepared conversion table by at least the number of display dots; and using said values when converting positional data for displaying a map as a planar map into positional data for displaying said map as a bird's-eye view map.

Inventors: HARADA KAORU, HIRANO MOTOKI, HARADA, KAORU, HIRANO, MOTOKI, Harada, Kaoru, Hitachi System Nagatsuda-Ryou
Applicants: ZANAVY INFORMATICS KK, XANAVI INFORMATICS CORPORATION
Application year: 1996
Main classification: G06T17
IPC codes: G01C21, G06T17