Patent ID: 8055442

Claim:
A method of determining a display position for road name data in a navigation system, comprising: selecting a link representing a road segment from stored map data of the navigation system, the link having a start point and an end point; calculating an angle in a direction of the end point of the selected link, clockwise from the start point of the selected link and with reference to a true north direction; comparing the calculated angle to a threshold angle with respect to the reference true north direction the threshold angle being an angle of 180° clockwise with respect to the true north direction; determining whether the calculated angle is less than or greater than the threshold angle; based on results of determining whether the calculated angle is less than or greater than the threshold angle, setting the start point of the reference link as a display reference position if the calculated angle (θ) of the link is 0°≦θ<180°; and setting the end point of the reference link as the display reference position if the calculated angle (θ) of the link is not 0°≦θ<180°; and storing, in memory of the navigation system, road name display position information as including the set display reference position.