JP3607145B2 - Portable map display device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a portable map display device that can process a displayed map.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a portable navigation device that can be used for mountain climbing, hiking, or mountain walking has been provided, but this device has a basic structure that has a built-in storage device for storing a map database. However, there is a limit to its miniaturization, and sufficient portability cannot be expected. On the other hand, in recent years, a small mobile phone that displays map data necessary for displaying a map by downloading it from an external database (for example, an information server connected to the Internet) through a mobile phone (including PHS). A type map display device is considered. In this case, there is provided a portable map display device having a configuration in which a GPS receiver for obtaining position information indicating its current location is built in the mobile phone, and map data including the current location obtained by the GPS receiver is downloaded from the database. ing.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, as this kind of portable map display device, a touch panel is provided integrally with the map display device so that it can be processed into a map. Such processing includes cutting an arbitrary part from the map or displaying a mark or a route on the map. By sending the map processed in this way to the same model owned by the other party or the portable map display device of the model holding the same map data and displaying the same map as us, it is possible to display your current location or purpose The route to the destination and further to the destination can be notified, and usability can be improved.
[0004]
However, with such a configuration, once the map is processed, the processed map cannot be restored to the original map. For this reason, in order to acquire the original map data, it is necessary to download the same map again. Further, when the processed map is sent to the portable map display device of the other party, it is difficult for the recipient who has received the processed map to process the processed map again, and there is only a display usage method.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a portable map display device capable of easily correcting processing information obtained by processing a map.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the position information acquisition means acquires position information of its current location. At this time, the control means causes the display unit to display a map including the current location based on the map data corresponding to the position information acquired by the position information acquisition means. Thereby, the user can confirm a present location with the map displayed on the indicator.
[0007]
Here, when the user cuts out the map displayed on the display or writes a mark or route, the control means processes the map according to the processing information. In this case, since the control means displays the processing information in a layer different from the map, even if the processing is performed on the map, the map data does not change and the processing information can be easily corrected.
[0008]
When processing information is transmitted to the other party, the control unit associates the processing information with the map displayed on the display unit and transmits the processed information to the other party through the wireless telephone line. Therefore, when the other party's portable map display device has the corresponding map data, the control means of the other party's portable map display device displays it in a different layer from the map displayed on the display. Compared with the configuration in which the processed map is directly transmitted, the amount of transmission information is extremely reduced, the transmission time can be shortened, and the processing information can be easily corrected.
[0009]
Further , when receiving a notification from the other party that there is no map data indicated by the current map display information, the map data is transmitted to the other party through the communication means, so the other party processes the map data based on the processing information. It becomes possible to do.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In FIG. 2 showing the overall appearance, a portable information terminal 1 (corresponding to a portable map display device) mainly comprises a main body 2 made of a synthetic resin case formed in a size that can be held with one hand. An LCD panel 3 corresponding to a display is provided on the (front side). A matrix type panel-like touch switch (not shown) is formed over the entire surface of the LCD panel 3, and in particular, a plurality of icons 3 a- 3g is formed by printing.
[0012]
Among the icons 3a to 3g, the leftmost icon 3a functions as a menu switch. When the icon 3a is pressed with the touch pen 4, various menus are listed on the LCD panel 3. When a desired menu is pressed from the menu displayed on the LCD panel 3 with the touch pen 4, the menu is selected. In the following description, the pressing operation is performed with the touch pen 4 unless otherwise specified.
[0013]
The icon 3b located to the right of the leftmost icon 3a functions as a cancel switch. When the icon 3b is pressed, the previous operation is canceled. The third icon 3c from the left end functions as a map menu selection switch, and the fourth, fifth, and sixth icons 3d-3f function as selection switches for the Internet, e-mail, and schedule menus, respectively. Of course, the map, Internet, e-mail, and schedule menus can be selected from the menu list. However, since they are frequently used, the menu list is displayed on the LCD panel 3 by providing a special menu selection switch. Thus, it is possible to select directly without performing the troublesome operation of selecting from there. The rightmost icon 3g functions as an “off” switch for shutting off the power after shutting down a built-in microcomputer system to be described later.
[0014]
On the upper surface of the main body 2, a power switch 5 for turning on and off the power supply is provided. Further, a terminal box for a communication cable (shown with reference numeral 7 in FIG. 3) connected to a mobile phone (shown with reference numeral 6 in FIG. 3, corresponding to communication means) is provided on the lower surface of the main body 2. 8 and a terminal box 9 for a communication cable connected to a personal computer (not shown) are provided side by side.
[0015]
In FIG. 3, a schematic internal configuration of the information terminal 1 and a peripheral configuration related thereto are shown by a combination of functional blocks. In FIG. 3, the information terminal 1 is mainly configured by a CPU 10 as a control means, and an internal bus 11 connected to the CPU 10 has a ROM 12 storing a control program and the like, and a storage means serving as a working storage area. Are connected to a RAM 13, a flash memory 14 as a storage means for storing various data, and the LCD panel 3, and an input device 15 including a touch switch (not shown).
[0016]
The internal bus 11 is connected to data communication devices 16 and 17 for mobile phones and personal computers. The mobile phone 6 is connected to the terminal box 8 via the communication cable 7 so that dial-up connection can be made to a provider contracted in advance via the mobile phone 6. It is configured to be able to acquire various information by connecting to the server, and to send e-mails to other mobile phones and personal computers.
[0017]
Furthermore, a GPS receiving unit 19 as a position information acquisition unit is connected to the internal bus 11. The GPS receiving unit 19 has a GPS antenna 19a for receiving radio waves from GPS artificial satellites. When the map menu is selected, the CPU 10 makes a dial-up connection to the map server 20 and receives the position information from the GPS artificial satellite received by the GPS receiving unit 19 via the GPS antenna 19a via the mobile phone 6. Is transmitted to the map server 20.
[0018]
The mobile phone 6 is constantly communicating with the base station 21 as long as the main switch is turned on, and the control station 22 knows which base station communication area the mobile phone 6 is currently in. Therefore, the map server 20 roughly grasps the current location of the mobile phone 6 based on the information from the control station 22, discriminates a GPS artificial satellite that can analyze the position information most efficiently at the current location, and determines to the mobile phone 6. Send. The GPS receiving unit 19 receives position information from an artificial satellite designated by the map server 20.
[0019]
The map server 20 acquires the current location of the information terminal 1 by analyzing the position data from the GPS artificial satellite transmitted from the information terminal 1 side. The current location obtained at this time is an independent positioning that performs radio positioning by receiving radio waves from GPS artificial satellites, and therefore includes an error of several hundred meters. Accordingly, the map server 20 transmits the position information from the artificial satellite to the differential server via the Internet 18 to acquire the D-GPS difference information, and the position information whose accuracy is improved to about several meters by this difference information. To get. Then, the map server 20 transmits map data in a predetermined range centered on the current location of the information terminal 1 to the mobile phone 6 based on the position information acquired by D-GPS.
[0020]
The CPU 10 of the information terminal 1 stores the map data received by the mobile phone 6 in the RAM 13 and displays a map around the current location from the map data on the LCD panel 3. The mode of the map displayed on the LCD panel 3 can be changed by, for example, pressing an icon portion displayed on the upper edge of the map. In the following, a map around the current location is referred to as an initial map.
[0021]
As icons for changing the mode of the map, there are an up / down / left / right scroll icon (scroll operation unit), a reduction / enlargement icon (enlargement / reduction operation unit), an initial map return icon (return operation unit), and the like. When the up, down, left, and right scroll icons are pressed, the map displayed on the LCD panel 3 moves up (north), down (south), left (west), and right (east). When the reduction and enlargement icons are pressed, the size of the map displayed on the LCD panel 3 is reduced or increased. When the initial map return icon is pressed, the map displayed on the LCD panel 3 returns to the initial map.
[0022]
In order to enlarge / reduce the map and return to the initial map, in addition to pressing the icon with the touch pen 4, the user presses the push buttons 23 to 25 (see FIG. 4) as the operation unit provided on the main body 2 with a finger. Can also be done. That is, the push buttons 23 to 25 are arranged in the upper and lower portions of the left side surface of the main body 2 in a pair with, for example, a membrane switch (not shown) disposed in the main body 2.
[0023]
Of the three push buttons 23 to 25, the upper push button 23 functions as an enlargement operation unit for enlarging the display map, and the lower push button 25 functions as a reduction operation unit for reducing the display map. The push button 24 functions as a return operation unit for returning the display map to the initial map. When the push buttons 23 to 25 are pressed, the membrane switch is turned on, and the CPU 10 changes the mode of the map according to the turned on membrane switch. These membrane switches are included in the input device 15 of FIG.
[0024]
By the way, in this embodiment, a layer structure is adopted as a display method of the LCD panel 3. This layer structure is to display the lower layer 26 and the upper layer 27 so as to overlap each other as shown in FIG. 1. A display memory corresponding to each layer 26, 27 is provided, and an output from each display memory is provided. Can be realized by combining and outputting to the LCD panel 3. In this case, a surrounding map (indicated by reference numeral 26a in FIG. 1) around the current location is displayed as the lower layer 26, and a corresponding area is a processed area in the upper layer 27 (reference numeral 27a in FIG. 1). The processing information can be input by the touch pen 4 on the LCD panel 3. This processing information includes, for example, cutting or writing to the map. In the cutting processing, the upper layer 27 displays a rectangular cutting range surrounded by two diagonal points, and in the writing processing, the upper layer is displayed. The layer 27 displays the written shape as it is. Therefore, when a predetermined range of the map is cut, the cut area is stored as coordinate data in the display memory corresponding to the upper layer 27. When a mark or route is written on the map, the written data is stored in the upper layer 27. Will be stored as shape data in the display memory corresponding to.
[0025]
Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described by taking as an example the case of selecting a map menu directly related to the present invention.
In order to obtain information on the current position of the user, the user holds the main body 2 in the left hand and holds the touch pen 4 in the right hand and presses the map icon 3c with the touch pen 4 to select the map menu as shown in FIG. Suppose that Then, the CPU 10 dials up the cellular phone 6 to the map server 20, and the map server 20 transmits map data in a predetermined range centering on the current location of the cellular phone 6 to the portable radio device 6 as described above. When the map data is transmitted from the map server 20 to the portable wireless device 6, the CPU 10 stores the map data in the RAM 13 and displays a map around the current location (initial map) on the LCD panel 3.
[0026]
Here, when displaying other information on the LCD panel 3 while displaying the map, the size of the map is reduced and another window is opened. In order to reduce the size of the displayed map, the thumb of the left hand holding the main body 2 is moved onto the lower push button 25 and the push button 25 is pressed. Then, since the reduction membrane switch is turned on, the CPU 10 reduces the size of the map displayed on the LCD panel 3 so that other information can be displayed in the blank portion generated by the reduction. The map is reduced step by step each time the push button 25 is pressed.
[0027]
When it is difficult to determine details in the reduced map, the thumb of the left hand is moved onto the upper push button 23 and the push button 23 is pressed. Then, since the enlargement membrane switch is turned on, the CPU 10 enlarges the size of the map displayed on the LCD panel 3 by one step.
[0028]
When the map data downloaded from the map server 20 to the RAM 13 is expected to be used later as described above, the map data can be copied from the RAM 13 to the flash memory 14 by a predetermined operation.
[0029]
On the other hand, when the map is processed as described above, the processing information can be transmitted to the other party as follows.
FIG. 5 shows a save mode of the CPU 10 for storing machining information, which is executed at predetermined intervals. In FIG. 1, the CPU 10 monitors whether there is a write (S101).
[0030]
Now, when the user wants to cut out the map displayed on the LCD panel 3, the user touches two points on the diagonal line of the LCD panel 3 with the touch pen 4. Then, the CPU 10 determines that there is writing (S101: YES), and displays a rectangular frame surrounded by two diagonal points as the upper layer 27 on the map as the lower layer 26 and displays it on the LCD panel 3 (S102). ). When a mark or route is to be written on the map, it is directly written on the LCD panel 3 with the touch pen 4. Then, the CPU 10 superimposes the written figure as the upper layer 27 on the map as the lower layer 26 and displays it on the LCD panel 3 (S102).
[0031]
At this time, since the processing information is written in the upper layer 27, the processing information can be easily corrected without affecting the map.
[0032]
If the processing information is not corrected (S103: NO), the upper layer 27 is saved as FILE1 in the RAM 13 (S104), and the lower layer 26 is saved as FILE2 in the RAM 13 (S105). In this case, as FILE1, in the case of cutting, the position information (vector information) of cutting is stored based on the currently displayed map, and in the case of writing, the position information (vector information) of writing is stored ( (See FIG. 1). At this time, the center coordinate information and scale information of the map displayed on the LCD panel 3 are also stored. In FILE2, map data as the lower layer 26 is stored as vector information that can be processed (enlarged / reduced).
[0033]
When the processing information is stored in this way, the transmission mode is switched to transmission. FIG. 6 shows the transmission mode of the CPU 10.
The user calls the other party with the mobile phone 6 and then executes the transmission mode. Then, the CPU 10 first transmits FILE1 (S201).
[0034]
When receiving data (S301), the information terminal 1 carried by the other party determines whether it is FILE1 (S302). At this time, since it is FILE1 (S302: YES), the information terminal 1 displays FILE1 on the LCD panel 3 in the upper layer 27. Thereby, a rectangular frame is displayed in the case of cutting and a written figure is displayed in the case of writing on the information terminal 1 of the other party.
[0035]
Here, since FILE1 stores center coordinate information and scale information of the display map in addition to the processing information, it is determined whether the flash memory 14 has map data based on the center coordinates (S303). If it has map data, the map is displayed on the lower layer 26 (S308). As a result, a map in which the same processing information as that of our information terminal 1 is written is displayed on the information terminal 1 of the other party.
[0036]
If the destination information terminal 1 does not have map data, the destination information terminal 1 requests map data (S304).
Therefore, when there is a request for map data from the counterpart information terminal 1, the CPU 10 transmits FILE2 (S202 to 204).
[0037]
Then, when receiving the FILE2 (S305, S306), the counterpart information terminal 1 displays the FILE2 on the lower layer 26 (S309). As a result, a map in which the same processing information as that of our information terminal 1 is written is displayed on the information terminal 1 of the other party.
[0038]
According to such an embodiment, a layer structure is adopted as a method for displaying a map on the LCD panel 3 of the information terminal 1, and the processing information is written on the upper layer 27 different from the lower layer 26 for displaying the map. The machining information can be easily corrected. Therefore, once the map data is processed, the usability can be improved unlike the conventional example in which the processed map cannot be restored to the original map.
[0039]
Further, since only the processing information is transmitted to the counterpart information terminal 1, the amount of transmission information to the counterpart information terminal 1 can be reduced, the transmission time can be shortened, and the counterpart information terminal can be shortened. The processing information can be processed again in 1 and the usability can be improved in this respect as well.
[0040]
Furthermore, when the information terminal 1 of the other party does not have the same map data as that of us, the map data of our information terminal 1 is transmitted to the other party. The same map and processing information as our information terminal 1 can be displayed reliably.
[0041]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and can be expanded or changed as follows.
A plurality of layers for processing information may be provided, and the processing information processed and returned by the information terminal 1 of the counterpart may be displayed on the corresponding layer.
The mobile phone 6 may be provided in the main body 2 and configured as a portable map display terminal with a mobile phone.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing display by layers according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an information terminal. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a save mode of the CPU. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a transmission mode of the CPU.
1 is an information terminal (portable map display device), 3 is an LCD panel (display), 6 is a mobile phone (communication means), 10 is a CPU (control means), 19 is a GPS receiving unit (position information acquisition means), 26 is a lower layer, and 27 is an upper layer.

Claims (2)

An indicator,
Location information acquisition means for acquiring location information of the current location of the user;
Control means for displaying a map including the current location on the display device according to map data corresponding to the position information acquired by the position information acquisition means, and processing the map according to processing information for the map displayed on the display device; ,
It has a communication means that can access the other party through a wireless telephone line,
The control means displays the processing information in a layer different from the map, and transmits the processing information to the other party in association with the map displayed on the display unit according to a command, and transmits the processing information to the other party. A portable map display device , which receives the notification that there is no map data indicated by the current map display information, transmits the map data to the other party by the communication means . A panel-like touch switch provided on the front of the display,
2. The portable map display device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing information is performed by handwriting on the panel-like touch switch .

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