Map scrolling method and apparatus for navigation system for selectively displaying icons

Abstract

A map scrolling method and apparatus for a navigation system prevents from displaying certain icons while displaying other icons based on conditions and settings of the navigation system during a transition period of a map scrolling operation. The map scrolling method includes the steps of: detecting activation of a map scrolling operation; checking whether there is any limit condition attached to icons as to remove them from a map image; scrolling the map image while removing the icons to which the limit condition is attached from the map image during a transition period of the map scrolling operation; and displaying all of the icons when the map scrolling operation is completed.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to a display method and apparatus for a navigation system, and more particularly, to a map scrolling method and apparatus that prevents from displaying certain icons while displaying other icons based on conditions and settings of the navigation system, thereby showing only important information on the screen during a transition period of the map scrolling operation.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]A navigation system performs travel guidance for enabling a user to easily and quickly reach the selected destination. A typical example is a vehicle navigation system where a vehicle is provided with a navigation function to guide a user to a destination through a calculated route. Such a navigation system detects the position of the user's vehicle, and reads out map data pertaining to an area of the current user position from a data storage medium, for example, a CD-ROM (compact disc read-only memory), a DVD (digital versatile disc), or...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]It is another object of the present invention to provide a map scrolling method and apparatus for a navigation system which is capable of selectively displaying icons based on conditions and settings of the navigation system, thereby reducing burdens and improving performance of the navigation system.

[0016]Another aspect of the present invention is a map scrolling apparatus for a navigation system to selectively display icons based on conditions and settings of the navigation system. The map scrolling apparatus includes various means for implementing the operational steps incorporated in the map scrolling method described above. The map scrolling apparatus of the present invention enables to show only important information on the screen during the map scrolling operation. The map scrolling apparatus of the present invention also enables to improve the performance of the navigation system by reducing the burden of displaying all of the icons during the map scrolling operation.

[0017]According to the map scroll method and apparatus of the present invention, the navigation system selectively displays icons or other map elements when scrolling the map image. Namely, the navigation system prohibits, during the transition stage of the map scrolling operation, certain icons or map elements from being displayed while allowing the other icons or map elements to be displayed based on predetermined or changing conditions and settings of the navigation system or vehicle. Rather than displaying all of the icons and map elements, since the navigation system displays only the selected icons and map elements, the map image is simplified so that the user will not be distracted by unnecessary information or incorrect information on the map image. Further, the computation power of the navigation system is not impaired because the number of icons on the screen involved in the map scrolling operation is reduced, which improves the performance of the navigation system.

Problems solved by technology

In displaying the POI icons, on a map image on the screen, the navigation system may have to sacrifice its performance if the number of such POI icons to be displayed is too numerous.

Moreover, too much icons on the map image on the screen can simply confuse the driver by hiding roads, intersections and other information.

This situation confuses the user because the map elements concerning more important information such as images of roads, directions of roads, and intersections become invisible.

Further, since too many icons 73 and 75 are on the screen, the performance of the navigation system will be deteriorated, such as decrease of speed in the map scrolling operation, incorrect or incomplete map images, etc.

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