Information display device, information display method, program, and storage medium

Abstract

The present invention provides an information display device that makes it easier to view other information displayed on the same screen, even when displaying guidance information related to guidance points set along the route to the vehicle's destination. [Solution] The information display device comprises a route acquisition unit, a display control unit, and a display switching unit. The route acquisition unit acquires the route of the vehicle to its destination. The display control unit starts displaying guidance information related to guidance points before the vehicle passes a guidance point on the route, and stops displaying the guidance information after the vehicle has passed a guidance point. When a display switching instruction is given to switch the display mode of the guidance information, the display switching unit switches the display mode of the guidance information to at least one of the first and second display modes, and maintains the display mode of the guidance information in one display mode until another display switching instruction is given.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology that can be used in route guidance for vehicles.

Background Art

[0002] In vehicle route guidance, there has been a conventionally known technology for displaying guidance information related to guidance points such as intersections, which are set on the route to the destination of the vehicle.

[0003] Specifically, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in a navigation device that displays an enlarged intersection map while changing the scale according to the size of the intersection to be guided.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, according to the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, there is a problem that it may become difficult for the user to confirm the information displayed within the same screen as the enlarged intersection map when the enlarged intersection map is displayed.

[0006] That is, according to the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, there arises a problem corresponding to the above-mentioned problem that it may become difficult for the user to confirm other information displayed within the same screen as the guidance information when the guidance information related to the guidance points set on the route to the destination of the vehicle is displayed.

[0007] The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and its main objective is to provide an information display device that makes it easier to check other information displayed on the same screen as the guidance information, even when guidance information related to guidance points set on the route to the vehicle's destination is displayed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The invention described in the claims is an information display device comprising: a route acquisition unit that acquires a route for a vehicle to a destination; a display control unit that starts displaying guidance information relating to a guidance point before the vehicle passes the guidance point on the route, and stops displaying the guidance information after the vehicle has passed the guidance point; and a display switching unit that, when a display switching instruction is given to switch the display mode of the guidance information, switches the display mode of the guidance information to one of at least a first display mode and a second display mode, and maintains the display mode of the guidance information in the first display mode until the display switching instruction is given again.

[0009] Furthermore, the invention described in the claim is an information display method, which acquires the route of a vehicle to its destination, starts displaying guidance information related to a guidance point before the vehicle passes the guidance point on the route, stops displaying the guidance information after the vehicle has passed the guidance point, and when a display switching instruction is given to switch the display mode of the guidance information, switches the display mode of the guidance information to one of at least a first display mode and a second display mode, and maintains the display mode of the guidance information in the first display mode until the display switching instruction is given again.

[0010] Furthermore, the invention described in the claims is a program executed by an information display device equipped with a computer, wherein the computer functions as a route acquisition unit that acquires a route to a vehicle's destination, a display control unit that starts displaying guidance information relating to a guidance point before the vehicle passes the guidance point on the route and stops displaying the guidance information after the vehicle has passed the guidance point, and a display switching unit that, when a display switching instruction is given to switch the display mode of the guidance information, switches the display mode of the guidance information to one of at least a first display mode and a second display mode, and maintains the display mode of the guidance information in the first display mode until the display switching instruction is given again. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Front view of the terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] A diagram showing the schematic configuration of the terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example of an information display screen related to the embodiment. [Figure 4] A diagram showing an example of an information display screen related to the embodiment. [Figure 5] A flowchart illustrating the processes performed in the terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] A diagram showing the system configuration related to Modification Example 1. [Figure 7] A diagram showing the schematic configuration of the server device in the system according to Modification Example 1. [Figure 8] A diagram showing an example of an information display screen related to Modification Example 2. [Figure 9] A diagram showing an example of an information display screen related to Modification Example 2. [Figure 10] A diagram showing an example of an information display screen related to Modification Example 3. [Figure 11] A diagram showing an example of an information display screen related to Modification 4. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the information display device includes: a route acquisition unit that acquires a route to the destination of a vehicle; a display control unit that starts displaying guidance information relating to a guidance point before the vehicle passes the guidance point on the route, and stops displaying the guidance information after the vehicle has passed the guidance point; and a display switching unit that, when a display switching instruction is given to switch the display mode of the guidance information, switches the display mode of the guidance information to one of at least a first display mode and a second display mode, and maintains the display mode of the guidance information in the first display mode until the display switching instruction is given again.

[0013] The above-described information display device comprises a route acquisition unit, a display control unit, and a display switching unit. The route acquisition unit acquires the route of the vehicle to its destination. The display control unit starts displaying guidance information related to a guidance point before the vehicle passes the guidance point on the route, and stops displaying the guidance information after the vehicle has passed the guidance point. When a display switching instruction is given to switch the display mode of the guidance information, the display switching unit switches the display mode of the guidance information to at least one of the first and second display modes, and maintains the display mode of the guidance information in the first display mode until the display switching instruction is given again. This makes it easier to check other information displayed on the same screen as the guidance information, even when guidance information related to a guidance point set on the route to the vehicle's destination is displayed.

[0014] In one embodiment of the above-described information display device, the display control unit stops displaying the first guidance information relating to the first guidance point on the route, and then starts displaying the second guidance information relating to the second guidance point, which is the next guidance point after the first guidance point on the route. The display switching unit, upon starting to display the second guidance information, sets the display mode of the second guidance information to the same display mode as the display mode corresponding to the last display switching instruction given during the period from when the display of the first guidance information started until it stopped.

[0015] In one aspect of the above information display device, the guidance information is a guidance map corresponding to a local map of an area around the guidance point.

[0016] In one aspect of the above information display device, when the display switching instruction is given, the display switching unit switches the display size of the guidance map to one of a first display size and a second display size smaller than the first display size, and maintains the display size of the guidance map at the one display size until the display switching instruction is given again.

[0017] In one aspect of the above information display device, the display control unit further displays a wide-area map corresponding to a map showing an area that includes the guidance point and is wider than the target area of the guidance map.

[0018] In one aspect of the above information display device, when the guidance map is displayed in the first display size, the display control unit displays the wide-area map in a third display size, and when the guidance map is displayed in the second display size, the display control unit displays the wide-area map in a fourth display size larger than the third display size.

[0019] In another embodiment of the present invention, an information display method acquires a route to a destination of a vehicle, starts displaying guidance information related to a guidance point before the vehicle passes through the guidance point on the route, stops displaying the guidance information after the vehicle passes through the guidance point, and when a display switching instruction for switching the display mode of the guidance information is given, switches the display mode of the guidance information to at least one of a first display mode and a second display mode, and maintains the display mode of the guidance information at the one display mode until the display switching instruction is given again. Thereby, even when displaying guidance information related to a guidance point set on a route to a destination of a vehicle, other information displayed within the same screen as the guidance information can be easily confirmed.

[0020] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a program executed by an information display device equipped with a computer causes the computer to function as a route acquisition unit that acquires a route to the destination of a vehicle, a display control unit that starts displaying guidance information related to a guidance point before the vehicle passes the guidance point on the route and stops displaying the guidance information after the vehicle has passed the guidance point, and a display switching unit that, when a display switching instruction is given to switch the display mode of the guidance information, switches the display mode of the guidance information to one of at least a first display mode and a second display mode, and maintains the display mode of the guidance information in the first display mode until the display switching instruction is given again. The above information display device can be realized by executing this program on a computer. This program can be stored in a storage medium and used. [Examples]

[0021] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0022] [Overall structure] Figure 1 is a front view of a terminal device according to an embodiment. The terminal device 100 is a portable terminal that can be carried by the user and has a display 110 on which a touch panel 120 is stacked. The terminal device 100 provides route guidance to a designated destination for pedestrians, vehicles, etc.

[0023] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a terminal device according to an embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the terminal device 100 comprises an output unit 11, an input unit 12, a storage unit 13, a communication unit 14, a GPS receiver 16, and a control unit 17. Each element of the terminal device 100 is interconnected via a bus 10, and is configured to enable the transmission of necessary information between each element.

[0024] The output unit 11 includes a display 110 and a speaker 111 that outputs sound, and outputs information to respond to user operations on the terminal device 100 based on the control of the control unit 17. The input unit 12 includes a touch panel 120 and is an interface that accepts the input of necessary commands and information, i.e., operations, performed by the terminal user on the terminal device 100. For example, the input unit 12 accepts input to specify a destination or input to specify conditions for route searching. In addition to the touch panel 120, the input unit 12 may also have keys, switches, buttons, voice input devices, etc., for inputting various commands and data.

[0025] The storage unit 13 stores programs for controlling the operation of the terminal device 100 and holds information necessary for the operation of the terminal device 100. For example, the storage unit 13 stores various data used for navigation processing, such as map data. The map data includes road data represented by links corresponding to roads and nodes corresponding to road connections (intersections), as well as facility information about each facility.

[0026] The communication unit 14 transmits and receives data with other devices according to a predetermined protocol. For example, based on the control of the control unit 17, the communication unit 14 receives screen information to be displayed on the display 110 from a server device via a network such as the Internet. The GPS receiver 16 receives radio waves carrying downlink data including positioning data from multiple GPS satellites, generates information on the current location of the terminal device 100, and transmits it to the control unit 17.

[0027] The control unit 17 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. (not shown), and performs various controls on each component within the terminal device 100.

[0028] For example, the control unit 17 receives input specifying a destination from the input unit 12 and sets (acquires) a route to the specified destination (also called the "guided route"). The control unit 17 also sets one or more guidance points on the guided route to the destination. Guidance points are set as points on the route to the destination where guidance is necessary. Specifically, guidance points are set at intersections where the vehicle turns right or left, near highway entrances, and important passing points for the vehicle to travel along the guided route. The control unit 17 then displays a map based on the current location and provides route guidance based on the guided route.

[0029] In addition to the components shown in Figure 2, the terminal device 100 may also be equipped with various autonomous positioning devices such as an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a distance sensor.

[0030] [Processing related to display] Next, we will explain a specific example of the display process. In the following explanation, we will assume that the user operating the terminal device 100 is a passenger in vehicle Ve.

[0031] When an instruction to start route guidance for the vehicle Ve is input to the input unit 12, the control unit 17 obtains a guidance route MR from the vehicle Ve's current location to the destination based on map data etc. stored in the storage unit 13, and sets one or more guidance points AP on the guidance route MR.

[0032] When the control unit 17 detects that the vehicle Ve has entered a predetermined distance THD from the guidance point AP1, it generates an information display screen JGA as shown in Figure 3 and displays the generated information display screen JGA on the display 110. The guidance point AP1 is the nearest guidance point set as the destination of the vehicle Ve traveling along the guidance route MR, among the guidance points set in the guidance route MR. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of an information display screen according to the embodiment.

[0033] The information display screen JGA includes the guidance information display areas JHA and JHB, the guide map display area APR, and the wide-area map display area MPR.

[0034] The guidance information display area JHA is an area for displaying information such as the distance from the vehicle Ve's current location to the guidance point AP1, and is located at the very top of the information display screen JGA.

[0035] The guidance information display area JHB is an area for displaying information such as the distance from the vehicle Ve's current location to its destination, and is located at the bottom of the information display screen JGA.

[0036] The map display area APR is an area for enlarging the map ANZ1, which corresponds to a local map of the area surrounding the guidance point AP1, and is located between the guidance information display area JHA and the wide-area map display area MPR. Furthermore, the map display area APR is provided in the information display screen JGA as an area with approximately the same display size as the wide-area map display area MPR. In addition, the map display area APR highlights the guidance route MR on the map ANZ1, and displays a (e.g., flag-shaped) mark MKA indicating the position of the guidance point AP1 on the guidance route MR. The map display area APR is also provided with a display switching button DCB for receiving display switching instructions, which are instructions for switching the display mode of the map ANZ1. The map display area APR may be provided, for example, as an area superimposed on the wide-area map display area MPR.

[0037] The wide-area map display area MPR is an area for displaying the wide-area map KAZ1, which is equivalent to a map that includes guidance point AP1 and shows an area wider than the target area of ​​guidance map ANZ1, and is located between the guidance map display area APR and the guidance information display area JHB. The wide-area map display area MPR is also provided as an area with a display size approximately the same as that of the guidance map display area APR. In addition, according to the wide-area map display area MPR, the guidance route MR is highlighted on the wide-area map KAZ1, and a (e.g., flag-shaped) mark MKA indicating the location of guidance point AP1 on the guidance route MR is displayed. In addition, according to the wide-area map display area MPR, a (e.g., arrowhead-shaped) mark MKV indicating the current location and direction of travel of vehicle Ve is displayed.

[0038] The control unit 17 detects that a display switching instruction has been given to switch the display mode (display size) of the guide map ANZ1 when the user taps the display switching button DCB while the information display screen JGA is displayed. When the control unit 17 detects that a display switching instruction has been given while the information display screen JGA is displayed, it changes the display mode (display size) of the guide map ANZ1 included in the information display screen JGA, thereby displaying the information display screen JGB shown in Figure 4 on the display 110. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of an information display screen according to the embodiment.

[0039] The information display screen JGB includes the same guidance information display areas JHA and JHB as the information display screen JGA. In addition, the information display screen JGB includes a guide map display area APS, which has a smaller display size than the guide map display area APR, and a wide-area map display area MPS, which has a larger display size than the wide-area map display area MPR.

[0040] The map display area APS is an area for displaying map ANZ1 as a thumbnail, and is provided, for example, near the guidance information display area JHA. In addition, the guidance route MR is highlighted on map ANZ1, and a mark MKA indicating the location of guidance point AP1 on the guidance route MR is displayed. Furthermore, the map display area APS has the function of receiving display switching instructions, which are instructions to switch the display mode (display size) of map ANZ1. In other words, the map display area APS has the same function as the display switching button DCB in the map display area APR. The map display area APS may be provided, for example, as an area superimposed on the wide-area map display area MPS.

[0041] The wide-area map display area MPS is an area for displaying the wide-area map KAZ1 and is located between the information display area JHA and the guidance information display area JHB. According to the wide-area map display area MPS, the guidance route MR is highlighted on the wide-area map KAZ1, and a mark MKA indicating the location of guidance point AP1 on the guidance route MR is displayed. In addition, according to the wide-area map display area MPS, a mark MKV (for example, arrowhead-shaped) indicating the current location and direction of travel of vehicle Ve is displayed.

[0042] In other words, according to the information display screen JGB, it is possible to display the area map KAZ1 while simultaneously displaying the guide map ANZ1 as a thumbnail. Therefore, according to the information display screen JGB, even when the guide map ANZ1 is displayed, the user can easily check the information contained in the area map KAZ1.

[0043] The control unit 17 detects that a display switching instruction has been given to switch the display mode (display size) of the guide map ANZ1 when the user performs a tap operation on the guide map display area APS while the information display screen JGB is displayed. When the control unit 17 detects that a display switching instruction has been given while the information display screen JGB is displayed, it changes the display mode (display size) of the guide map ANZ1 included in the information display screen JGB, thereby displaying the information display screen JGA exemplified in Figure 3 on the display 110.

[0044] On the other hand, when the control unit 17 detects that the vehicle Ve has moved outside a predetermined distance THD from the guidance point AP1, it stores display setting information in the storage unit 13 indicating whether the latest display mode of the guide map ANZ1, which has been switched by the user, is an enlarged view or a thumbnail view. In this embodiment, in the initial state, which corresponds to a state in which the user has not switched the display mode of the guide map ANZ1, it is sufficient that the storage unit 13 stores display setting information indicating that the latest display mode of the guide map ANZ1 is an enlarged view. In addition, in this embodiment, the display setting information stored in the storage unit 13 may be rewritten (updated) by the control unit 17 each time the user switches the display mode of the guide map ANZ1.

[0045] When the control unit 17 detects that the vehicle Ve has moved outside a predetermined distance THD from the guidance point AP1, it displays an information display screen JGC (not shown) on the display 110, which is either the information display screen JGA with the guidance map display area APR (guide map ANZ1) removed, or the information display screen JGB with the guidance map display area APS (guide map ANZ1) removed. In this embodiment, the control unit 17 may, for example, continue to display the information display screen JGC on the display 110 during the period when the vehicle Ve is located outside a predetermined distance THD from a guidance point on the guidance route MR.

[0046] Subsequently, when the control unit 17 detects that the vehicle Ve has entered a range within a predetermined distance THD from the next guidance point AP2 after guidance point AP1, it generates an information display screen for displaying a guidance map ANZ2 (not shown), which corresponds to a local map of the area around the guidance point AP2, in a display mode according to the display setting information stored in the storage unit 12, and displays the generated information display screen on the display 110.

[0047] Specifically, based on the display setting information stored in the memory unit 12, if the control unit 17 detects, for example, that the latest display mode of the guide map ANZ1 is an enlarged display, it generates an information display screen including a guide map display area APR for enlarging the guide map ANZ2, and displays the generated information display screen on the display 110. Also, based on the display setting information stored in the memory unit 12, if the control unit 17 detects, for example, that the latest display mode of the guide map ANZ1 is a thumbnail display, it generates an information display screen including a guide map display area APS for displaying the guide map ANZ2 as a thumbnail, and displays the generated information display screen on the display 110.

[0048] In other words, according to this embodiment, when a tap operation is performed to switch the display mode of the guide map ANZ1 to one of the display sizes, either enlarged or thumbnail, the control unit 17 maintains the display size of the guide map ANZ1 at that one display size unless a tap operation is performed again to switch from that one display size to another display size.

[0049] According to the process described above, the control unit 17 functions as a display control unit and starts displaying guidance information (guide map ANZ1) related to guidance point AP1 on the guidance route MR before the vehicle Ve passes the guidance point AP1, and stops displaying the guidance information after the vehicle Ve passes the guidance point AP1. Furthermore, according to the process described above, the control unit 17 functions as a display switching unit and, when a display switching instruction is given to switch the display mode of the guidance information (guide map ANZ1), switches the display mode of the guidance information to at least one of the first and second display modes, and maintains the display mode of the guidance information in that one display mode until the display switching instruction is given again. Furthermore, according to the process described above, after stopping the display of the first guidance information (guide map ANZ1) related to guidance point AP1 on the guidance route MR, the control unit 17 starts displaying the second guidance information (guide map ANZ2) related to guidance point AP2 on the guidance route MR. Furthermore, when the display of the second guidance information (guide map ANZ2) is started, the control unit 17 sets the display mode of the second guidance information to the same display mode as the display mode corresponding to the last display switching instruction made during the period from when the display of the first guidance information (guide map ANZ1) was started until it was stopped.

[0050] [Processing flow] Next, the processing performed in the terminal device 100 will be described. This processing is achieved by the control unit 17 shown in Figure 2 executing a pre-prepared program. Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the processes performed in the terminal device according to the embodiment.

[0051] First, when an instruction to start route guidance for the vehicle Ve is input to the input unit 12, the control unit 17 acquires the guidance route MR from the current location of the vehicle Ve to the destination (step S11), and sets one or more guidance points AP on the guidance route MR.

[0052] Next, the control unit 17 determines whether the vehicle Ve has entered a range within a predetermined distance THD from a guidance point AP1 on the guidance path MR (step S12).

[0053] If the vehicle Ve is not within a predetermined distance THD from the guidance point AP1 (step S12: NO), the control unit 17 repeats the process of step S12. If the control unit 17 detects that the vehicle Ve has entered within a predetermined distance THD from the guidance point AP1 (step S12: YES), it performs a process to display the guidance map ANZ1 on the display 110 in the latest display mode according to the display setting information stored in the memory unit 13 (step S13).

[0054] Next, the control unit 17 determines whether the vehicle Ve has moved outside the range within a predetermined distance THD from the guidance point AP1 (step S14).

[0055] If the control unit 17 detects that the vehicle Ve has not moved outside the range within a predetermined distance THD from the guidance point AP1 (step S14: NO), it determines whether or not the user has issued a display switching instruction (step S15).

[0056] If the user does not issue a display switching instruction (step S15: NO), the control unit 17 maintains the display mode of the guide map ANZ1 in its current state and returns to step S14 to continue processing.

[0057] Furthermore, if the user issues a display switching instruction (step S15: YES), the control unit 17 changes the display mode of the guide map ANZ1 to a different display mode from the current display mode (step S16), and then returns to step S14 to perform the processing.

[0058] On the other hand, if the control unit 17 detects that the vehicle Ve has moved outside a predetermined distance THD from the guidance point AP1 (step S14: YES), it stores display setting information in the storage unit 13 indicating whether the latest display mode of the guidance map ANZ1 is an enlarged display or a thumbnail display (step S17), stops the display of the guidance map ANZ1 (step S18), and then terminates the series of processes related to the display of the guidance map ANZ1.

[0059] According to this embodiment, the control unit 17 has the functions of a route acquisition unit, a display control unit, and a display switching unit.

[0060] As described above, according to this embodiment, display setting information indicating whether the latest display mode of the guide map ANZ1 is enlarged or thumbnail is stored in the storage unit 13, so that the display of the guide map ANZ2 can be started in the same display mode as the latest display mode. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, unless the user gives a display switching instruction, the state in which the guide map ANZ1 is displayed as a thumbnail while the wide-area map KAZ1 is displayed can be maintained. In addition, according to this embodiment, when the guide map ANZ1 is displayed as a thumbnail, it is possible to easily check the information contained in the wide-area map KAZ1.Therefore, according to this embodiment, even when guidance information related to guidance points set on the route to the vehicle's destination is displayed, it is possible to easily check other information displayed on the same screen as the guidance information.

[0061] Furthermore, this embodiment is not limited to cases where the display mode of the map is switched between enlarged display and thumbnail display, but can also be applied to various cases where the map is switched to one of at least two display modes. Specifically, this embodiment can be applied, for example, to cases where the display size of the map when displaying it as a thumbnail is switched to one of several sizes.

[0062] [Differentiation] The following describes various modifications suitable for the above-described embodiments. These modifications can be arbitrarily combined and applied to the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, for simplicity, specific explanations regarding the parts to which the previously described processes can be applied will be omitted as appropriate.

[0063] (Variation 1) Instead of the terminal device 100, a server device connected via the network may perform part of the processing of the control unit 17.

[0064] Figure 6 shows the system configuration according to Modification 1. As shown in Figure 6, the terminal device 100 is connected to the server device 200 via the network 150. The terminal device 100 then provides route guidance by receiving the necessary information for route guidance from the server device 200.

[0065] Figure 7 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the server device in the system according to Modification 1. As shown in Figure 7, the server device 200 has a communication unit 202, a storage unit 203, and a control unit 204. The communication unit 202, the storage unit 203, and the control unit 204 are interconnected via a bus line 201.

[0066] The communication unit 202 transmits and receives various types of data via the network 150 based on the control of the control unit 204. The storage unit 203 is composed of, for example, an HDD and stores data necessary for route searching, such as map data. The control unit 204 has a CPU and memory such as ROM and RAM, and performs overall control of the server device 200 by executing programs stored in memory.

[0067] In this case, when the communication unit 202 receives information indicating route search conditions, including destination information and departure location information such as the current location, from the terminal device 100, the control unit 204 determines the guidance route and transmits the information of the guidance route to the terminal device 100. The control unit 204 also sets one or more guidance points on the guidance route to the destination. The control unit 17 of the terminal device 100 performs route guidance based on the guidance route information received from the server device 200. The control unit 204 also receives information indicating the current location of the vehicle Ve and display switching instructions from the terminal device 100, generates display screen information necessary for displaying an information display screen including a guidance map of a display size corresponding to the display switching instructions, and transmits the generated display screen information from the communication unit 202 to the terminal device 100. In such a case, the control unit 17 displays an information display screen on the display 110 as illustrated in Figure 3 or Figure 4, based on the display screen information received from the server device 200.

[0068] Thus, even when the server device 200 executes a portion of the processing of the control unit 17, the terminal device 100 can perform the processing related to switching and maintaining the display mode of the guide map. Note that the processing of the server device 200 may be performed by a server system consisting of multiple server devices. In this modified example, the server device 200 is an example of an "information display device" in the present invention, and the control unit 204 is an example of a "computer" in the present invention.

[0069] (Modification 2) The control unit 17 may, for example, display an information display screen JGC as shown in Figure 8 and an information display screen JGD as shown in Figure 9 on the display 110 when at least a portion of the guidance route MR includes an expressway or toll road. Figures 8 and 9 show an example of an information display screen according to Modification 2.

[0070] When the control unit 17 detects that the vehicle Ve has entered a predetermined distance THD from the guidance point AP3, it generates an information display screen JGC as shown in Figure 8 and displays the generated information display screen JGC on the display 110. Guidance point AP3 is one of the guidance points set in the guidance route MR, located on either an expressway or a toll road, and indicates the nearest guidance point set as the destination of the vehicle Ve traveling along the guidance route MR. In this modified example, the case in which guidance point AP3 is set on an expressway will be explained as an example.

[0071] The information display screen JGC includes the guidance information display areas JHA and JHB, the guide map display area APR, and the wide-area map display area MPR.

[0072] The map ANZ3 displayed in the map display area APR of the information display screen JGC corresponds to a diagram showing information about the branch roads or exits located at the guidance point AP3 on the expressway. Furthermore, the map ANZ3 is displayed in an enlarged view in the map display area APR of the information display screen JGC. In addition, the map display area APR of the information display screen JGC is equipped with a display switching button DCB that accepts a display switching instruction, which is an instruction to switch the display mode of the map ANZ3.

[0073] Map ANZ3 includes an arrow-shaped lane guide LGD for guiding vehicles Ve to follow the guided route MR at junctions and other points of intersection on the highway at guidance point AP3. Map ANZ3 also includes destination information DYJ, which shows the direction of travel when following the lane guide LGD using text and symbols, and destination information DNJ, which shows the direction of travel when not following the lane guide LGD using text and symbols.

[0074] The wide-area map KAZ3 displayed in the wide-area map display area MPR of the information display screen JGC corresponds to a map that includes the guidance point AP3 and shows a wider area than the target area of ​​the guidance map ANZ3. Furthermore, according to the wide-area map display area MPR of the information display screen JGC, the guidance route MR is highlighted on the wide-area map KAZ3, and a (e.g., flag-shaped) mark MKA is displayed indicating the location of the guidance point AP3 on the guidance route MR.

[0075] The control unit 17 detects that a display switching instruction has been given to change the display mode of the guide map ANZ3 when the user taps the display switching button DCB while the information display screen JGC is displayed. When the control unit 17 detects that a display switching instruction has been given while the information display screen JGC is displayed, it changes the display mode of the guide map ANZ3 included in the information display screen JGC, thereby displaying the information display screen JGD shown in Figure 9 on the display 110.

[0076] The information display screen JGD includes the same guidance information display areas JHA and JHB as the information display screen JGC. Furthermore, the information display screen JGD includes a guide map display area APS, which has a smaller display size than the guide map display area APR, and a wide-area map display area MPS, which has a larger display size than the wide-area map display area MPR. Additionally, the information display screen JGD includes exit information DTJ related to highway exits when vehicle Ve is traveling along the guided route MR.

[0077] The map display area APS on the information display screen JGD is an area for displaying map ANZ3 as a thumbnail, and is located, for example, near the guidance information display area JHA. Furthermore, the map display area APS on the information display screen JGD has the function of receiving display switching instructions, which are instructions for switching the display mode of map ANZ3.

[0078] The wide-area map display area MPS of the information display screen JGD is an area for displaying the wide-area map KAZ3 and is located between the guidance information display area JHA and the guidance information display area JHB. Furthermore, according to the wide-area map display area MPS of the information display screen JGD, the guidance route MR is highlighted on the wide-area map KAZ3, and a mark MKA indicating the location of guidance point AP3 on the guidance route MR is displayed. In addition, near the guidance information display area JHA in the wide-area map display area MPS of the information display screen JGD, the direction of travel information DSJ, which indicates the direction of travel corresponding to the destination information DYJ and DNJ included in the guidance map ANZ3, is displayed.

[0079] In other words, according to the information display screen JGD, the area map KAZ3 can be displayed while the guide map ANZ3 is displayed as a thumbnail. Therefore, according to the information display screen JGD, even when the guide map ANZ3 is displayed, the user can easily check the information contained in the area map KAZ3.

[0080] The control unit 17 detects that a display switching instruction has been given to switch the display mode of the guide map ANZ3 when the user performs a tap operation on the guide map display area APS while the information display screen JGD is displayed. When the control unit 17 detects that a display switching instruction has been given while the information display screen JGD is displayed, it changes the display mode of the guide map ANZ3 included in the information display screen JGD, thereby displaying the information display screen JGD as illustrated in Figure 8 on the display 110.

[0081] On the other hand, when the control unit 17 detects that the vehicle Ve has moved outside a predetermined distance THD from the guidance point AP3, it stores display setting information in the storage unit 13 indicating whether the latest display mode of the guidance map ANZ3, which has been switched by the user, is an enlarged view or a thumbnail view.

[0082] In other words, according to the modification described above, it is possible to display different guide maps depending on whether the vehicle Ve is traveling on a general road included in the guide route MR or on a highway or toll road included in the guide route MR.

[0083] (Variation 3) The control unit 17 may, for example, display the information display screen JGA shown in Figure 3 on the display 110 when the terminal device 100 is set to vertical screen display, and display the information display screen JGE shown in Figure 10 on the display 110 when the terminal device 100 is set to horizontal screen display. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of an information display screen according to Modification 3.

[0084] The information display screen JGE includes the guide map display area APH and the wide-area map display area MPH.

[0085] The map display area APH is an area for enlarging the map ANZ5, which is a diagram representing the roads and other areas around the vehicle Ve's current location as a three-dimensional guide image. The map display area APH is located to the right of the information display screen JGE and has a display size approximately the same as the wide-area map display area MPH. The map display area APH also includes a guidance information display area JHC for displaying information approximately the same as that displayed in the guidance information display area JHA. The guidance information display area JHC can, for example, be provided as an area superimposed on the map display area APH. The map ANZ5 also includes an arrow-shaped lane guide LGE for guiding the vehicle Ve traveling along the guidance route MR to the guidance point AP1.

[0086] The wide-area map display area MPH is an area for displaying the wide-area map KAZ5, which includes the guidance point AP1 and represents an area of ​​similar size to the wide-area map display area MPR. Furthermore, the wide-area map display area MPH is located on the left side of the information display screen JGE and has approximately the same display size as the guidance map display area APH. The same information as in the wide-area map display area MPR is displayed in the wide-area map display area MPH.

[0087] In other words, according to the modification described above, when the terminal device 100 is set to landscape mode, guide map ANZ5 is displayed instead of guide map ANZ1. To put it another way, according to the modification described above, different guide maps showing different information can be displayed depending on whether the terminal device 100 is set to portrait mode or landscape mode.

[0088] (Modification 4) The control unit 17 may, for example, display the information display screen JGD shown in Figure 9 when the terminal device 100 is set to vertical screen display, and display the information display screen JGF shown in Figure 11 when the terminal device 100 is set to horizontal screen display. Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of an information display screen according to Modification 4.

[0089] To the right of the information display screen JGF, there are guidance information display areas JHA and JHB, a guide map display area APK, and a wide-area map display area MPK.

[0090] The map display area APK is an area for displaying map ANZ3 as a thumbnail. The map display area APK also displays the same information as the map display area APS on the information display screen JGD. The map display area APK can, for example, be provided as an area superimposed on the wide-area map display area MPK.

[0091] The wide-area map display area MPK is the area for displaying the wide-area map KAZ3 and is located between the guidance information display area JHA and the guidance information display area JHB. In addition, the wide-area map display area MPK displays the same information as the wide-area map display area MPS on the information display screen JGD.

[0092] On the left side of the information display screen JGF, the same exit information DTJ as on the information display screen JGD is displayed, along with the passing point information TYJ, which pertains to one or more guidance points that the vehicle Ve is expected to pass through on the highway before reaching the exit indicated by the exit information DTJ.

[0093] In other words, according to the process described above, the same information can be displayed on the navigation map whether the terminal device 100 is set to portrait mode or landscape mode. Furthermore, according to the process described above, when the terminal device 100 is set to landscape mode, information (how-to point information TYJ) that was not displayed when the terminal device 100 was set to portrait mode can be displayed.

[0094] (Variation 5) The terminal device 100 is not limited to a portable terminal such as a smartphone as shown in Figure 1, but may also be a stationary navigation device installed in a vehicle. In this case, the control unit of the navigation device performs the same display control on the navigation device's display as the control unit 17.

[0095] In the embodiments described above, the program can be stored using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media and supplied to a control unit, which is a computer. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic storage media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical storage media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, and semiconductor memory (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, RAMs (Random Access Memory)).

[0096] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications to the structure and details of the present invention can be made that are understandable to those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention. That is, the present invention naturally includes the full disclosure, including the claims, and various modifications and alterations that those skilled in the art could make in accordance with the technical idea. Furthermore, each disclosure of the above-mentioned patent documents and other references is incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 10 buses 11 Output section 12 Input section 13 Storage section 14 Communications Department 16 GPS receivers 17 Control Unit 100 terminal devices 110 displays 120 Touch Panel 150 Networks 200 Server Devices

Claims

[Claim 1] A route acquisition unit that acquires the route to the vehicle's destination, A display control unit that starts displaying guidance information related to a guidance point before the vehicle passes the guidance point on the route, and stops displaying the guidance information after the vehicle has passed the guidance point. A display switching unit, when a display switching instruction is given to switch the display mode of the guidance information, switches the display mode of the guidance information to at least one of the first and second display modes, and maintains the display mode of the guidance information in the first display mode until the display switching instruction is given again. A device for displaying information.

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