Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Light pen for fluid matrix display panel
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-26
2001-09-04
Luu, Matthew (Department: 2672)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Light pen for fluid matrix display panel
C345S182000, C345S950000, C345S182000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06285347
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a digital map display scrolling method, a digital map display scrolling device and a storage medium for storing a digital map display scrolling program which are for scrolling a displayed portion of a digital map as map information in digital form within a display screen.
Digital maps as map information in digital form are maps put into electronic form so as to be handled on the display screen of a computer such as a portable computer etc. This kind of digital map is referred to as an electronic map or map software, where maps can be displayed on a display screen.
With this kind of digital map, a map is displayed on, for example, the display screen of a portable computer so that such an operation that a target is set on the map can be carried out, with these digital maps being applied to car navigation systems etc. in recent years.
Incidentally, when a displayed portion of the digital map of the related art is scrolled with this displayed portion displayed at the display screen so as to bring around a displayed portion for the place the user wishes to see, the digital map displayed portion is scrolled a little by little in a so-called “hand scrolling” using hand-shaped icon (button), referred to as a “grabber hand”.
In digital map scrolling in this kind of hand scrolling situation, it is necessary to shift the position of the grabber hand once within the display screen and then repeat similar operations to scroll through the displayed portion. Namely, in such a scrolling method of the displayed portion employing a grabber hand, only a discontinuous hand scrolling of the displayed portion is possible.
It is therefore impossible to continuously scroll the displayed portion of the digital map with the digital map in related art. In addition, the scrolling of the displayed portion by the discontinuous hand scrolling can only be carried out at a fixed speed.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a digital map display scrolling method, a digital map display scrolling device, and a storage medium for storing a digital map display scrolling program which enable continuous scrolling of a displayed portion of a digital map at an arbitrary speed by solving the above problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above object is therefore achieved in the present invention by a digital map display scrolling method for successively scrolling a displayed portion of a digital map as map information in digital form within a display screen, the method comprising the steps of displaying the displayed portion of the digital map at the display screen, shifting a pointer within the displayed portion of the digital map displayed at the display screen, and making an amount by which the pointer positioned at the displayed portion is shifted correspond to a scrolling speed of the displayed portion of the digital map within the display screen.
In this scrolling method, an amount by which the pointer positioned at the displayed portion is shifted by the user is made to correspond to a scrolling speed of the displayed portion of the digital map at the display screen when the displayed portion of the digital map is to be continuously scrolled within the display screen.
This enables free setting of the scrolling speed of the displayed portion of the digital map if the user determines the amount by which the pointer is shifted. The user can then instantly display the desired displayed portion of the digital map at the display screen.
In this scrolling method, if the magnitude of the scrolling speed of the displayed portion of the digital map can be preferably displayed by the length of an arrow forming a pointer, the user can estimate the scrolling speed of the displayed portion of the digital map by confirming the length of the arrow of the pointer.
Further, in this method, a scrolling direction and a scrolling speed of the displayed portion of the digital map can be preferably displayed as a result of arithmetic operations in the vicinity of the pointer at the display screen. The user can then be ensured to visually recognize the scrolling direction and scrolling speed of the displayed portion within the display screen.
The above object can be achieved in the present invention with a digital map display scrolling device for successively scrolling a displayed portion of a digital map as map information in digital form within a display screen, the display scrolling device comprising a display device having a display screen for displaying the displayed portion of the digital map, a pointing device for pointing and shifting the pointer, the pointing device being operated for pointing and shifting the pointer within the displayed portion of the digital map displayed at the display screen of the display device and an arithmetic processing device for carrying out arithmetic processing for making an amount by which the pointer is shifted within the displayed portion of the digital map due to operations of the pointing device correspond to a scrolling speed of the displayed portion of the digital map within the display screen.
In this display scrolling device, the displayed portion of the digital map is displayed at the display screen of the display device. The pointing device is used while the user is shifting the pointer within the displayed portion of the digital map displayed at the display screen of the display means.
The arithmetic processing device carries out arithmetic processing to make the amount by which the pointer is shifted within the displayed portion of the digital map due to operations of the pointing device by the user correspond to a scrolling speed of the displayed portion of the digital map within the display screen.
This enables free setting of the scrolling speed of the displayed portion of the digital map if the amount by which the pointer is shifted is determined by the user. The user can then immediately display the desired displayed portion of the digital map within the display screen.
In the present invention, the above object can be achieved with a storage medium for storing a digital map display scrolling program for successively scrolling a displayed portion of a digital map as map information in digital form within a display screen, the program comprising the steps of displaying the displayed portion of the digital map at the display screen, shifting a pointer in accordance with operation of a pointing device within the displayed portion of the digital map displayed at the display screen, and making an amount by which the pointer is shifted within the displayed portion of the digital map correspond to a scrolling speed of the displayed portion of the digital map within the display screen.
In this medium, an amount by which the pointer positioned at the displayed portion is shifted by the user is made to correspond to a scrolling speed of the displayed portion of the digital map at the display screen when the displayed portion of the digital map is to be continually scrolled within the display screen.
This enables free setting of the scrolling speed of the displayed portion of the digital map if the user determines the amount by which the pointer is shifted. The user can then instantly display the desired displayed portion of the digital map at the display screen.
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J. Rink, “Von A Nach B Mit CD,” CT Magazin Fur Computer Technik, Feb. 1997, pp. 176-197.
D. Trudeau et al., “Integrating AM/FM Maps with Distribution Scada,” IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, Apr. 1, 1990, vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 1216-1221, XP000127872.
“Mouse Assisted Scrolling Function for Multimedia Displays,” IBM Technical
Minami Masafumi
Watanabe Ryu-ichi
Harrison Chante′
Luu Matthew
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Sony Corporation
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