Map Display System Character Orientation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The display of road names along curved road portions results in varying character directions, leading to poor appearance and readability due to significant differences in character orientations.
Innovation Solution
A map display system and program that temporarily arranges characters along a road, using a reference direction to reduce differences in consecutive character orientations by aligning them along a single arrangement straight line when the difference exceeds a threshold value, while maintaining temporary arrangements when differences are below the threshold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If characters are arranged along a curved road portion following the road direction, then the road name can be displayed along the entire road, but the character directions vary significantly causing poor appearance and readability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the character arrangement process into two distinct modes: (1) temporary arrangement along the curved road to ensure coverage, and (2) correction arrangement for segments where character direction difference exceeds the threshold. This segmentation allows the system to handle different portions of the road name differently, maintaining both coverage and quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by making the character arrangement strategy adaptive to local conditions. For each segment of consecutive characters, the system evaluates the direction difference and applies correction only where needed (when difference ≥ threshold). This ensures that characters in highly curved sections are corrected while maintaining natural flow in gentler sections.
2Ease of manufacture
If characters are arranged with consistent directions to improve appearance, then readability improves, but the spacing between characters may appear tight or unnatural
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of character direction alignment dynamically. Instead of forcing all characters to have identical directions, the system adjusts directions only when the difference exceeds a threshold, and maintains original directions when the difference is within acceptable range. This parameter-based approach balances appearance quality with natural spacing perception.
3Ease of manufacture
If all consecutive characters are corrected to reduce direction differences, then appearance improves, but the arrangement complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by correcting only those character segments where the direction difference exceeds the threshold, rather than correcting all characters uniformly. This selective correction approach reduces processing complexity while still improving appearance where necessary, avoiding unnecessary corrections in segments that already have acceptable alignment.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a technique for arranging characters along a road to improve appearance and readability. A map display system includes a temporarily arranging part that obtains directions of a plurality of characters for when the plurality of characters are temporarily arranged along a road in a direction of the road, the direction of the road being a reference direction; and an arranging part that arranges, when a difference between directions of consecutive characters is greater than or equal to a threshold value, the consecutive characters so as to reduce the difference, the consecutive characters being two consecutive characters in the direction of the road, and arranges, when the difference is less than the threshold value, the consecutive characters in a temporary arrangement position.