Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Navigation – Employing position determining equipment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-28
2001-06-05
Zanelli, Michael J. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Navigation
Employing position determining equipment
C701S201000, C701S209000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243646
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a vehicle navigation system which displays a pattern (font) screen, an enlarged intersection screen, etc., without using an image signal line such as RGB, NTSC etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art navigation systems, in general, have an image memory (VRAM) provided in a main unit side for providing guidance and displays of a map of the vicinity of the vehicle position or the destination by sending guide map data and road map data to a display in RGB or NTSC format.
FIG. 15
shows an example of such a navigation system including a main unit
50
for generating data necessary for the navigation system and a display
60
for displaying a guidance image. Upon start-up, the main unit
50
reads a program stored in a ROM
51
into a RAM
52
and reads out map data and road data, etc., stored in a CD-ROM in a CD-ROM driver
53
. Present position is detected by a GPS receiver
54
or a gyro sensor
55
and a route to a destination is searched by a CPU
56
. The CPU
56
reads a vehicle signal and sequentially generates image data for route guidance. The generated image data is read sequentially into a special purpose image memory (VRAM)
58
, from which it is read out by a image controller
57
, then converted in an encoder into an image signal
59
, and finally sent as an image signal in a format such as RGB, NTSC, PAL, SECAM, VGA, etc. This image signal is decoded in a decoder
62
and is displayed on a display
60
as the guidance image through a driving circuit
61
.
Navigation systems using a LCD display, with characters and fonts on the display side, without VRAM on the main unit side, transmitting image pattern numbers, etc., from the main unit side, which display a traveling direction arrow, etc., are also known.
FIG. 16A
exemplifies such a navigation system in which font (pattern) data is stored in advance in a memory
53
on the display side. The font data consists of plural data patterns for arrows, etc. assigned numbers as shown in FIG.
16
B. Referring to
FIG. 16A
, in performing route guidance, a main unit
50
of the navigation system transfers a predetermined font pattern such as No.
1
, No.
2
, etc., over to the display side which then reads out data received in the received font patterns, and the data read out is displayed on a display
51
by the driving circuit
52
.
A vehicle navigation system transmits image data as shown in in NTSC format, etc. and displays guidance. Accordingly, enormous amounts of image data must be transmitted. Therefore, a special purpose system such as an image controller, an image memory, etc., are required, with the result that the system price has become higher. Further, not only the main unit of the navigation system but also the display side requires a decoding circuit for image signals, which also results in increasing the system price.
Further, if drawing is performed by using pattern (font) data for a display, representation of the display is limited to a number of patterns (fonts), which must therefore represent only simple display, and, accordingly, actual road shape, a detailed enlarged intersection image, etc., can not be displayed. It is also difficult to store the shape of all intersections in font and any increase in the shape patterns to be displayed requires memory space on the display side to be extended, which also results in increasing the system price. Furthermore, the display unit must be a special purpose display in order to receive the font data, which also results in increasing the system price. Further, to increase the patterns (fonts), the main unit must be replaced along with the display with which it is paired, again resulting in an increase in the system price.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a capability for displaying a pattern (font) image and an enlarged intersection image without using an image signal such as RGB, NTSC or the like.
The navigation system of the present invention, includes memory means for storing data necessary for route guidance such as map data, road data, font data, etc.; input means for inputting information necessary for searching a route to a destination; and information control means for generating and sending image data for route guidance on the basis of information inputted by said input means and data stored in the memory means.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5323321 (1994-06-01), Smith, Jr.
patent: 5402120 (1995-03-01), Fujii et al.
patent: 5509115 (1996-04-01), Butterfield et al.
patent: 5654892 (1997-08-01), Fujii et al.
patent: 5910805 (1999-06-01), Hickey et al.
patent: 5982368 (1999-11-01), Toffolo et al.
Hiyokawa Toyoji
Matsuba Junzo
Morimoto Kyomi
Ozaki Naokazu
Aisin Aw Co. Ltd.
Lorusso & Loud
Zanelli Michael J.
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