JP2007279757A - Map display apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attain technology for reducing complexity and troublesome operation in three-dimensional display processing of a map. <P>SOLUTION: A map display apparatus 100 performs three-dimensional display by utilizing a display device 102, based on viewing information indicated by a display control section 210 regarding a map data which a map data input section 310 inputs and a map storage section 300 stores. In this time, an extracting section 600 extracts buildings in a close distance from a viewing position and buildings near a road of the viewing position beforehand, as objects for generation processing in a generating section 700, beforehand. The complexity and troublesome operation in the three-dimensional display processing is reduced, as the generating section 700 performs display processing on the extracted buildings. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technology for displaying a map three-dimensionally.

  In recent years, a technique for displaying a map on a computer is being used. For example, a so-called car navigation system has a function of displaying a map at a desired position such as the current position. Also, map display technology in personal computers and portable devices is becoming practical.

  In addition, a technique using a three-dimensional display for map display has been used. Here, the three-dimensional display is advantageous in that a highly realistic expression is possible and an intuitive grasp of the map is easy. Conventionally, three-dimensional display in a computer or the like has been configured to display a whole building in a certain area in a three-dimensional manner.

  However, displaying a map three-dimensionally requires a very complicated and complicated process. In particular, it has been difficult to perform three-dimensional display in a car navigation system or a portable device. Each of personal computers, portable devices, and car navigation systems has limitations due to hardware resources. For this reason, the three-dimensional display of the map has to be limited and partial.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and aims to improve the practicality of a technique for displaying a map in three dimensions.

  In order to solve at least a part of the above problems, the following configuration is applied in the present invention.

The map display device of the present invention comprises:
A map display device for displaying a map in three dimensions,
A map data input unit for inputting map data for storing a plurality of three-dimensional models associated with a building;
An extraction unit for extracting a three-dimensional model to be displayed from the plurality of three-dimensional models;
Using the extracted three-dimensional model, a display unit for performing a three-dimensional display of the map,
The gist of the invention is that the extraction unit extracts, as a display target, a three-dimensional model located within a predetermined range around a road to be displayed forward in the three-dimensional display.

  By doing in this way, since the 3D model made into the object of 3D display can be narrowed down to the range which appears on a display screen, processing load can be reduced.

  For example, with respect to the road at the current position, buildings around the road are extracted and the target of three-dimensional display is limited, thereby reducing the complexity and complexity of the processing.

  Note that the predetermined range related to extraction can be a range having a predetermined width along the road to be displayed, for example. Moreover, it is good also as the range of the predetermined distance ahead of a road. At this time, the predetermined width and distance may be changed. For example, it can be considered that the vehicle is suitable for walking, a car, a car traveling on a highway, and other moving means. Moreover, it is good also as a range according to not only the general moving speed in a moving means but actual moving speed.

  Further, the predetermined range related to extraction may be defined by the number of intersections instead of the distance or the width. For example, a range up to the nearest intersection ahead may be used.

  In addition, a map data input part is good also as what inputs map data via a network. Further, the display unit may send the image display control data via a network so that the map is displayed three-dimensionally on an external device.

  Here, as the three-dimensional display, various displays can be considered as long as the display promotes the action of recognizing the three-dimensional shape of a person. For example, the three-dimensional model may be a wire frame model, a surface model, or a solid model. Various methods can be applied to the methods of shading and texture mapping. As the three-dimensional display, it is conceivable to use a three-dimensional display from the viewpoint of a pedestrian or a vehicle driver or a bird's eye view. Furthermore, it is conceivable that a part of the three-dimensional display is used while a two-dimensional display is performed as a whole.

In the map display device of the present invention,
A route input unit for inputting a series of routes to be three-dimensionally displayed;
A preliminary extraction unit that previously extracts a three-dimensional model around the route as the display target candidate;
The extraction unit may perform the extraction with reference to a result of the preliminary extraction unit.

  In this way, at least a part of the extraction process is performed prior to the actual display, and the process for displaying the map in three dimensions can be further reduced. The three-dimensional model can be extracted using, for example, the latitude and longitude of the route and the latitude and longitude of each building.

  The route may be directly input by the user, or a route search result may be input. The input may be performed via a network.

  Further, the preliminary extraction may directly specify a building to be displayed, or may exclude a building that should not be displayed.

In the map display device of the present invention,
The map data includes a three-dimensional model belonging to a predetermined range around the road and related information for associating the road,
The extraction unit may perform the extraction with reference to the related information.

  By doing in this way, the process at the time of displaying a map in three dimensions can be reduced by referring to the related information stored in advance.

  For example, a method is conceivable in which a road is selected on the basis of the viewpoint position and viewpoint direction, and a three-dimensional model associated with the selected road is displayed.

  The related information may include information related to the correspondence between the road and the surrounding buildings. It is also possible to use the overlapping state of the buildings in the three-dimensional display as a reference. Here, the related information may be information associated with a plurality of three-dimensional models for each road, or information associated with a plurality of roads for each three-dimensional model. Further, the related information may be related information for associating the three-dimensional model with one end point of the road or the like.

The second map display device of the present invention is
A map data input unit for inputting map data for storing a short distance 3D model for short distance display and a long distance 3D model for long distance display for each building;
A display that performs a three-dimensional display using the short-distance three-dimensional model for buildings within a predetermined distance from the viewpoint position of the three-dimensional map display, and a long-distance three-dimensional model for buildings outside the predetermined distance. With
The short distance three-dimensional model is a three-dimensional model unique to a building set to reflect the planar shape of the building,
The long-distance three-dimensional model selects one of the predetermined shapes prepared in advance so that it can be used for a plurality of buildings, and designates the size thereof, thereby making the inconsistency with the planar shape of the buildings. The gist is that it is a 3D model that is allowed.

  In this way, by applying the simplified display to a building that does not require detailed display at a long distance from the viewpoint, it is possible to reduce the processing when the map is displayed three-dimensionally. At this time, by using a 3D model that reflects the planar shape of the building and a 3D model that allows the discrepancy of the planar shape of the building, the map display is effectively The complexity and complexity of the processing can be reduced while maintaining the general quality. Moreover, the complexity of the model storage mechanism and its processing can be reduced by using a three-dimensional model by designating a shape prepared in advance for use in a plurality of buildings and its display size.

  Note that the second map display device of the present invention has various configurations in the case of using a network in the manner of the map data input unit, the display unit, and the three-dimensional display, like the first map display device. be able to. Here, the available default shape may be unique to the map display device or unique to the map data.

In the second map display device of the present invention,
The predetermined shape may include a rectangular parallelepiped, a cylinder, a cone, and a hemisphere.

  The present invention can be configured in various aspects such as a computer program for causing a computer to display a map and a method for displaying a map using a computer, in addition to an aspect as a map display device. Moreover, you may comprise as a signal which can be equated with the computer program for making a computer perform map display. Furthermore, you may comprise as a recording medium which recorded these computer programs.

  Here, the storage medium may be a flexible disk, CD-ROM, magneto-optical disk, IC card, ROM cartridge, punch card, printed matter on which a code such as a bar code is printed, an internal storage device of a computer (memory such as RAM or ROM). ) And various types of computer-readable media such as external storage devices.

The present invention can also take the following aspects.
A first aspect is a map display device that performs three-dimensional display related to a current position by processing three-dimensional model data based on a predetermined processing procedure,
A field-of-view determining unit that determines a current position and a traveling direction;
An area determination unit for determining a map display area in which the three-dimensional model data to be displayed exists from the current position and the traveling direction determined by the visual field determination unit;
The map display device includes a three-dimensional display unit that three-dimensionally displays the three-dimensional model data in the map display region determined by the region determination unit.

  The visual field determination unit may determine the current position or the like based on outputs from various sensors or the like, or may be input by a user or the like. Further, the traveling direction may be a line-of-sight direction input by a user or the like. The three-dimensional display may be performed based on a predetermined route. For example, the visual field determination unit may determine the current position and the traveling direction based on a predetermined route. Further, the area determination unit may determine the map display area based on a predetermined route.

As a second aspect, in the map display device according to another aspect 1 of the invention,
The route search result may be used for this predetermined route.

A third aspect is the map display device according to the other aspects 1-2 of the invention,
The area determination unit is a map display device that determines an area recessed by a predetermined amount from an edge of the road as a map display area when the current position is on the road.

A fourth aspect is the map display device according to the other aspects 1 to 3 of the invention,
The area determination unit is a map display device that determines a front area up to a predetermined distance ahead of the road as a map display area when the current position is on the road.

In the map display device according to another aspect 4 of the invention,
It is good also as a thing provided with the movement means reflection part which determines the predetermined distance ahead of the said road according to a movement means.

A fifth aspect is the map display device according to other aspects 1 to 4 of the invention,
The area determination unit is a map display device that determines the map display area based on the number of intersections ahead of the road when the current position is on the road.

A sixth aspect is the map display device according to other aspects 1 to 5 of the invention,
The area determination unit is a map display device that determines a predetermined area around the intersection as a map display area when the distance to the nearest intersection reaches a predetermined range when the current position is on a road. .

  The region determination unit may use the distance to the nearest right turn intersection or left turn intersection.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order based on examples.
A. First embodiment:
B. Second embodiment:
C. Third embodiment:
D. Fourth embodiment:

A. First embodiment:
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a map display device. The map display device 100 acquires map data to be displayed from the map server SRV via the network INT. Further, the map display device 100 can compare the map data and its own position by using a GPS (Global Positioning System) or other sensing function. The user can cause the map display device 100 to display a map using the remote controller 103 or the operation panel 101 or the like. The map display device 100 performs a process for three-dimensionally displaying a map based on a user instruction. Here, the map display apparatus 100 includes a display device 102 and can provide a map display to the user while including at least a part of the three-dimensional display.

  FIG. 1 also shows the functional block configuration of the map display device 100. The map display device 100 includes a control unit 200 configured as a microcomputer including a CPU, a memory, and the like, and the functional blocks illustrated are configured as software as functions of the control unit 200, respectively. However, each functional block may be configured in hardware.

  1 illustrates the configuration as a car navigation system, the map display device 100 can also be configured using a personal computer or the like connected to a network. In such a case, all the functional blocks of the control unit 200 are not necessarily built in a single computer. A plurality of devices communicating with each other may constitute the control unit 200 as a whole. For example, it is possible to physically separate the two devices that are locally connected, or to use other networks.

  As for the map data input part 310, the map display apparatus 100 acquires the map data made into the object of a three-dimensional display from the map server SRV via the network INT. The map data includes three-dimensional model data for a building to be three-dimensionally displayed, in addition to information on roads and connections between roads, coordinate information such as latitude and longitude, and the like. The map server SRV is a device outside the map display device 100, and has a function of connecting to the map display device 100 via a network and sending map data.

  The network INT includes both a wide area network such as the Internet and a limited network such as a local area network and an intranet. The network INT may be a network using a wireless LAN or mobile wireless telephone communication technology.

  The map data may be acquired using an information storage medium such as a CD (Compact Disk) or a DVD (Digital Video Disk).

  The map storage unit 300 stores map data input by the map data input unit 310. A part of the map storage unit 300 is configured as a passage storage unit 400 and a display storage unit 500.

  The passage storage unit 400 stores information on roads and their connection relations in association with latitude / longitude information. That is, the passage storage unit 400 stores a road as a set of nodes having latitude and longitude and links connecting the nodes. The passage storage unit 400 stores an abstract structure (hereinafter referred to as a graph) of such nodes and links. Nodes and links correspond to intersections and roads, respectively.

  On the other hand, the display storage unit 500 stores a three-dimensional model for three-dimensional display of a map. For example, polygon data, volume data, texture data, etc. are stored. In this embodiment, the three-dimensional display is managed for each building. In addition to the building, the building is an artifact to be displayed on a road, a bridge, a sign, and other maps, and is an element unit whose display should be managed integrally. The display storage unit 500 stores a three-dimensional shape having representative points assigned latitude, longitude, and altitude for each building. In addition, in the following description, although it demonstrates mainly taking a building as an example, it is not limited to such a case.

  The position information input unit 211 inputs information on the current position. The position information is generated by a GPS function. It is also generated by other sensing system functions. For the latter function, for example, in the case of a car navigation system mounted on a vehicle, the position information input unit 202 inputs position information based on a rotation sensor provided on an axle, a handle, or the like of the vehicle.

  The user input unit 212 inputs user input via the remote controller 103. The user input unit 220 also inputs a user input based on the operation panel 101 (not shown in the figure). The user can execute a three-dimensional display of the map by using the remote controller 103 or the operation panel 101. For example, it is possible to specify that the current position indicated by the position information input by the position information input unit 202 is adopted for the map display viewpoint. Note that the user input unit 212 may input a user input via the network INT or another network.

  The display control unit 210 controls the map display based on the position information and the user input.

  The extraction unit 600 has a function of extracting a building to be a target for three-dimensional display of a map image. Such extraction processing is performed with reference to the passage storage unit 400 and the display storage unit 500 based on viewpoint information for performing three-dimensional display. For example, there is a function of excluding a distant building that is clearly a display target from the current position information from a target of the three-dimensional display process.

  In the present embodiment, specifically, in the extraction process of the extraction unit 600, a building is extracted according to the link at the viewpoint position such as the current position. For this purpose, it has a function of selecting a reference link based on position information or the like. The extraction unit 600 calculates the distance between the selected link and the building, and extracts only those within a predetermined range, thereby realizing the extraction process. In addition, the aspect of another extraction process is demonstrated in the below-mentioned Example.

  The generation unit 700 performs image data generation processing for three-dimensional display based on the extraction result of the extraction unit 600. For example, two-dimensional image data is generated according to the viewpoint while using polygon data. At this time, the polygons are sorted in the depth direction to perform hidden line removal, or the surface color, brightness, shadow, gloss, etc. are determined while calculating the light hitting the object.

  The output unit 701 has a function of performing display on the display device 102 based on the processing result of the generation unit 700. Note that the output unit 701 may cause an external device to perform map display by sending image display control data via a network.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of data used in the map display device. In FIG. 2, nodes and links in the map are illustrated, and an example of a schematic configuration of data used by the passage storage unit 400 and the display storage unit 500 is schematically illustrated.

  The graph shown in FIG. 2 includes nodes having latitude / longitude in two-dimensional coordinates and links connecting the nodes. The graph of FIG. 2 includes nodes A, B, C, and D and links p, q, r, and s. Further, FIG. 2 shows the buildings f, g, h, i, j, k, and m together with the graph. These buildings are on a map and occupy a three-dimensional shape.

  The passage storage unit 400 stores a graph. A part of the passage storage unit 400 is configured with the node storage unit 410 and the link storage unit 420 therein.

  The node storage unit 410 stores nodes. The node stores the position of the node on the map as xy two-dimensional coordinate information. Further, the node storage unit 410 stores attribute information of the node corresponding to each node. For example, a link connected to the node and a solid intersection attribute corresponding to the node on the map are stored. The stored coordinate information may be three-dimensional coordinates based on latitude, longitude, and altitude.

  The link storage unit 420 stores the link. The link is stored in association with the node names at both ends. The position of the link on the map is specified by the positions of both end nodes on the map. The link storage unit 420 also stores link attribute information. For example, the link attribute information includes information such as a national road, a highway, a toll road, and a one-way street.

  The display storage unit 500 stores the 3D model used for 3D display for each building. Here, a set of the three-dimensional model data of the building and the coordinates on the map of the representative point of the building is stored. Various types of 3D model data used for 3D display of buildings can be considered. For example, a wire frame model, a surface model, or a solid model may be used. It may also include data relating to shading and texture mapping processing.

  3 and 4 are a flowchart of a process for displaying a map and an explanatory diagram showing a process for extracting a building, respectively. Below, in order to show the map display process in the map display apparatus 100, the process shown in FIG. 3 is demonstrated, referring the explanatory drawing of FIG. In addition, what was shown in FIG. 2 as a map utilized for description is reprinted in FIG.

  In step Sa01, viewpoint data is prepared. The viewpoint data is data serving as a basis for three-dimensional display. The display control unit 210 generates viewpoint data in accordance with instructions from the position information input unit 211 and the user input unit 212. That is, the display control unit 210 generates viewpoint data while using position information based on a user input. As shown in FIG. 4, the viewpoint data includes viewpoint direction data (direction data, elevation angle data, etc.) in addition to the three-dimensional coordinate data on the map. The display control unit 210 passes the viewpoint data to the extraction unit 600. This is because the building extraction process is performed.

  In step Sa02, the extraction unit 600 sets conditions for performing extraction. Here, the link at the current position is selected based on the viewpoint data, the distance between the selected link and the building is calculated, and it is checked whether the distance is within the limit distance. In step Sa03, an actual extraction process is executed based on the setting process. The extraction unit 600 passes the extraction result to the generation unit 700.

  For example, in FIG. 4, the extraction unit 600 selects the link p based on the viewpoint data, calculates the distances between the link p and the buildings f, g, h, i, j, k, and m, respectively. The magnitude is compared with the distance (step Sa02). Based on this processing, it is possible to extract the buildings h, i, j, and k that are at a distance within a predetermined limit range (step Sa03).

  In FIG. 4, the processing for the distance in the direction perpendicular to the link p is shown, but the distance in the direction along the road can be similarly performed. In addition, a building behind the viewpoint may be included in the consideration. Here, the limit distance can be arbitrarily set in consideration of the processing load at the time of three-dimensional display.

  Here, regarding the distance in the direction along the road, the limit distance may be changed according to the moving means. For example, the distance may be 10 m for walking, 100 m for automobiles, and 500 m for automobiles traveling on highways. Extraction is performed for a building that is within the limit distance ahead. In the case of FIG. 4, only the building i within the limit distance of 10 m is extracted when walking, and the buildings i, h, and j within the limit distance of 100 m are extracted when using a car. Furthermore, when the moving means is specified as an automobile traveling on a highway due to the attribute of the link p being a highway, extraction of a building k is added with a limit distance of 500 m.

  Further, regarding the distance in the direction along the road, the number of intersections ahead of the viewpoint position may be taken into consideration. For example, it is conceivable to perform extraction within a limit distance based on the nearest intersection. In the case of FIG. 4, it is conceivable to extract the buildings i, h, j, and k with the range up to a distance slightly exceeding the closest intersection B being extracted.

  In step Sa04, processing for generating image data is performed. The image data generated here is image data including at least a part of a three-dimensional display that promotes a human three-dimensional recognition action. In order to generate such an image, a process of mapping the three-dimensional model stored in the display storage unit 500 to two-dimensional coordinates is performed based on the viewpoint data. However, the buildings to be subjected to the three-dimensional display are limited to a part of the buildings stored in the display storage unit 500 based on the extraction process in steps Sa02 and Sa03.

  In step Sa05, an image data output process is executed. Here, a 3D display image of the map is provided to the user by outputting the image to the display device 102. In addition, although it is conceivable that display control data is sent via a network to perform display, in such a case, communication processing is performed in step Sa05.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of displaying a map three-dimensionally. This shows an example of the result of the processing described with reference to FIG. The display device 102 includes only the three-dimensional displays Yh, Yi, Yj, Yk corresponding to the buildings h, i, j, k by the extraction process of steps Sa02, Sa03, and the buildings f, g, The three-dimensional display (Yf, Yg, Ym illustrated by dotted lines) that should correspond to m is not included. In FIG. 1, the same case is displayed in a different manner as a modified example.

  According to the map display device of the present embodiment, it is possible to narrow down the three-dimensional model that is the target of the three-dimensional display according to the range that appears on the display screen and the usefulness of the building, thereby reducing the processing load. it can.

  In this embodiment, the periphery of the road p is extracted as a display target. However, the road s displayed in front may be selected and used in conjunction with the extraction of the building. In this case, in FIG. 5, a display Yg corresponding to the building g is also attached.

B. Second embodiment:
In the first embodiment, the case where the map is three-dimensionally displayed according to the result of the building extraction process based on the viewpoint position has been described. Here, the case where map display is performed according to the extraction process based on the result of the route search will be described as a second embodiment.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating functional blocks of the map display device according to the present embodiment. In this embodiment, the schematic structure of the map display device 100a and the data structure used in the passage storage section and the display storage section are the same as in the first embodiment (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

  The functional block configuration in the present embodiment is greatly different from that in the first embodiment in that a route search unit 213a and a preliminary extraction storage unit 610a are provided as shown in FIG. The route search unit 213 searches for a route desired by the user based on a user input or the like. The map display device 100a performs a preliminary extraction process of a building according to the route of the search result. The preliminary extraction storage unit 610a has a function of storing the processing result of the preliminary extraction processing until the timing for use in actual display. In the present embodiment, the extraction unit 600 also has a function as a preliminary extraction unit.

  7 and 8 are a flowchart showing display processing according to a route and an explanatory diagram showing display processing according to the route, respectively. In the following, in order to show the processing of the map display device 100a in the second embodiment, referring to the explanatory diagram of FIG. 8, in comparison with the case of the first embodiment (FIG. 3), the flowchart of FIG. The flow of the process shown in FIG. Note that the map shown in FIG. 4 is shown again in FIG. 8 and used for explanation.

  In step Sc01, route data is prepared. The route data is generated by the display control unit 210a based on the route search of the route search unit 213a based on user input or the like (see FIG. 6). The route data can be configured as a link string. FIG. 8 illustrates a case where route data based on a link string of link p and link q is used.

  In step Sc02, a building extraction process is performed for each link included in the route data. This extraction process is as described in steps Sa02 and 03 in the flowchart of FIG. 3 in the first embodiment. However, the link used as the basis of extraction is a link included in the route data, which is different from the case of the first embodiment, which is a link selected based on the viewpoint data. Further, the process of excluding the rear of the viewpoint position from the extraction target is not performed. FIG. 8 shows a case where buildings h, i, j, and k are extracted according to the link p, and buildings f and k are extracted according to the link q.

  In step Sc03, the result of the extraction process in step Sc02 is stored for each basic link as preliminary extraction data. In the case of FIG. 8, the case where two preliminary extraction data are preserve | saved in the preliminary extraction memory | storage part 610a according to two links is shown.

  As described above, the process of preliminarily extracting the building around the route specified by the route data as the candidate for three-dimensional display in the preliminary extraction storage unit 610a is completed. Hereinafter, in steps Sb04 to 07, a process of performing a three-dimensional display of the map while moving the viewpoint according to the route of the search result will be described.

  The processes in step Sc04, steps Sc05 and Sc07, and step Sc08 correspond to the processes in step Sa01, steps Sa02 to 03, and steps Sa04 to 05 in FIG. 3 of the first embodiment, respectively. In step Sc04, viewpoint data is prepared. In steps Sc05 and Sc07, a building to be subjected to three-dimensional display is determined, and image data is generated and output in the process in step Sc08.

  However, the process of determining the building to be displayed only needs to refer to the corresponding preliminary extraction data in step Sc07 if the link at the current position is specified in step Sc05. This is because the building has already been extracted from the search result route in step Sc03. At this time, only the preliminary extraction data relating to the link at the current position may be used, or some of the links relating to the link ahead of the route may be used together. Further, the extraction process may be performed again in consideration of the viewpoint position and the like while reducing the process using the preliminary extraction data.

  In step Sc06, end processing is performed when the current position has reached the end of the search result path. That is, if it is detected in step Sc05 that the specified link has deviated from the final link of the route, the end process is performed.

  Here, in the example of the aspect of the three-dimensional display in FIG. 5 of the previous embodiment, the three-dimensional display Yh, Yi, Yj, corresponding to the buildings h, i, j, k is performed by the process described in FIG. In addition to Yk, a three-dimensional display Yf (displayed by a dotted line in FIG. 5) corresponding to the building f is also displayed according to the link q on the search result route.

  According to the map display device of the present embodiment, a part of the extraction process is performed prior to the actual display, so that the process for displaying the map in three dimensions can be further reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the route data used for the extraction process is a result of route search is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, it may be route data directly input by the user, or may be route search results or other route data acquired via a network.

  The display range of buildings around the route may be changed with movement. For example, after the distance to the nearest intersection is within a predetermined range, the building ahead of the intersection may be displayed.

  In such a case, the distance to the node B is calculated when the current position is the link p in step Sc05. In step Sc07, when this distance is not less than the predetermined range, it is determined that the current position does not reach the vicinity of the intersection B, and the buildings h, i, j around the link p are displayed. If this distance is within a predetermined range, the buildings k and f around the link q ahead of the intersection B are also displayed.

  Preliminary extraction corresponding to the intersection may be performed, and when the distance to the nearest intersection falls within a predetermined range, the preliminary extraction data relating to the intersection may be used.

C. Third embodiment:
The building extraction in the embodiment described above is to calculate the distance between the link and the building based on a predetermined standard, and to extract the building whose specific link and distance are within a certain range. . In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which information on a predetermined relationship between a link and a node and a building is prepared in advance in a map storage unit, and the related information is extracted by referring to a specific link.

  Here, the related information may be based on distance as used in the previous embodiment, or may be based on other conditions. For example, it may be related in consideration of the overlapping state of buildings with a specific node position as the viewpoint position.

  In this embodiment, the schematic configuration and functional blocks of the map display device are the same as those in the first embodiment (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

  FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram of data for recording related information. The data structure used in this embodiment is different from the previous embodiment shown in FIG. 2 in that it includes related information. That is, the display storage unit 500d stores information on nodes and links related to the building according to the building.

  The processing performed by the map display device in the present embodiment is the same as that described in the previous embodiment, but in the building extraction processing in steps Sa02 to 03 in FIG. 3 (or processing in step Sc02 in FIG. 7). It differs in that it is used by referring to related information. That is, in the condition setting process in step Sa02, a link at the current position is selected, and a building including the link and its both end nodes in related information is searched. In step Sa03, the building to be displayed is transmitted to the generation unit according to the search result. In the case of FIG. 9, the buildings h, i, j, m are extracted according to the link p, and the buildings m, k, f are extracted according to the link q.

  Here, in the case of the example of the three-dimensional display mode in FIG. 5 of the previous embodiment, the three-dimensional display Yh, Yi, Yj, corresponding to the buildings h, i, j, k is performed by the process described in FIG. In addition to Yk, three-dimensional displays Yf and Ym (displayed by dotted lines in FIG. 5) are also displayed for the buildings f and m corresponding to the link q and the node B.

  According to the map display device in the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the processing when the map is displayed three-dimensionally by referring to the related information stored in advance. A useful building can be easily extracted based on a link or node specified based on the viewpoint position or the like.

  FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a modification example relating to a schematic configuration of data for recording related information. Here, the related information is stored in the passage storage unit 400e. However, the information related to the building and the node is stored in the node storage unit 410e, and the information related to the link is stored in the link storage unit 420e. The extraction process using the related information is performed by referring to the link storage unit 420e and the node storage unit 410e for a specific link and its both-end nodes.

  According to the data configuration in this modification, it is easy to manage related information based on nodes and links in the route. In addition, search processing using nodes and links as keys can be easily performed.

D. Fourth embodiment:
The map display device according to the present embodiment is different from the map display device according to the above-described embodiment in that map data that stores a plurality of three-dimensional models in association with a specific building is used. That is, in this embodiment, a useful one is selected from a plurality of three-dimensional models stored in association with a building according to conditions and used for three-dimensional display. The map display device described below has the same schematic configuration and functional block configuration (see FIG. 1) as in the first embodiment, and can perform the same processing using the same data configuration. It shall be.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of data for recording a plurality of three-dimensional models corresponding to one building. In the present embodiment, the display storage unit 500f stores a plurality of three-dimensional models in association with one building. FIG. 11 schematically shows a mode in which the models 1 to 3 are stored.

  A part of the display storage unit 500f of FIG. 11 is configured as a basic three-dimensional model storage unit 501f, and stores a basic three-dimensional model. The basic three-dimensional model is a three-dimensional model that is prepared in advance so as to be used for a plurality of buildings, and can be used by specifying a size. Such a basic three-dimensional model has a shape such as a rectangular parallelepiped, a cylinder, a cone, or a hemisphere. By using the basic 3D model storage unit 501f, it is possible to specify a 3D model by specifying one size and specifying a size of the basic 3D model, and use it together with the original 3D model. The basic three-dimensional model is selected by allowing a mismatch with the actual planar shape of the building, and is used for simple display of the building.

  For example, if the size is specified to be a rectangular parallelepiped, the lengths of all sides may be specified, and the length ratio between the sides may be a default and only the height can be specified. May be. Further, the default shape is only a planar shape, and its height may be designated by size.

  As for the three-dimensional model for the building f shown in FIG. 11, the model 1 has a three-dimensional shape in which approximately two rectangular parallelepipeds share a part, and further has a window and a signboard on its surface. In the model 2, although the three-dimensional shape in which two rectangular parallelepipeds share a part is retained, the shape of the window or the like that is provided on the surface is omitted. Models 1 and 2 are three-dimensional models unique to the building f.

  Here, the planar shape of the building f is a shape in which approximately two rectangles share a part. At this time, the basic three-dimensional model W, which is a rectangular parallelepiped having a simple rectangle as a planar shape, can be used for simple display on the building f in accordance with the planar shape of the building portion f. Here, a mismatch with the actual planar shape of the building f is allowed. Therefore, as the model 3, the specification of the basic three-dimensional model W and the size specification that is approximately the same size as the actual building f are used. The model 3 is selected from a predetermined shape that can be used for a plurality of buildings while allowing a mismatch with the planar shape of the building f.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart of processing for selecting and displaying a three-dimensional model. In the following, in order to show the display processing in the present embodiment, the processing in the flowchart of FIG. 12 is shown in comparison with the flowchart of FIG. 3 in the first embodiment.

  Here, the processes in steps Sd01, Sd02-03, and Sd06-07 in FIG. 12 are the same as the processes in steps Sa01, Sa02-03, and Sa04-05 in FIG. 3, respectively. That is, viewpoint data is prepared in Sd01, a building to be subjected to three-dimensional display is extracted in steps Sd02 to 03, and image data is generated and output in steps Sd06 to 07.

  The processing in the present embodiment is different from that in the first embodiment in that the three-dimensional model selection processing is performed in steps Sd04 to 05, and the generation / output processing is performed based on the selection in steps Sd06 to 07.

  FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating processing for selecting a three-dimensional model. Below, the process in step Sd04-05 is demonstrated, referring the explanatory drawing of FIG.

  FIG. 13 shows nodes A and B, a link p, and a building h, i, and j. In step Sd04, distances Lh, Li, Lj from the viewpoint position indicated by the viewpoint data to each building h, i, j are calculated. Next, in step Sd05, it is specified which of the models 1 to 3 is used for the distance to the building. As shown in FIG. 13, model 1 is used as the model for the nearest distance, model 3 is used as the model for the farthest distance, and model 2 is used for the intermediate distance. In the case of the building h, i, j in FIG. 13, the distances Lh, Li, Lj are within the ranges where the models 2, 1, 3 should be selected, respectively, and in step Sd05, such model selection is performed. For this reason, in the image data generation process in step Sd06, the buildings h, i, and j are displayed using the models 2, 1, and 3, respectively.

  Note that the range in which the models 1, 2, and 3 are properly used can be arbitrarily set. In the drawing, the case where the range for selecting the model 1 and the range for selecting the model 2 are substantially equal is illustrated, but it is not necessary to have an equal interval. It can be arbitrarily set in consideration of the processing burden at the time of three-dimensional display.

  Further, the number of three-dimensional models stored in association with one building is not limited to three. At this time as well, it is possible to divide the distance range into the number of models and select a three-dimensional model to be used for display.

  According to the map display device in the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the processing load in the three-dimensional display of the map without increasing the complexity of the model storage mechanism and the processing while maintaining the quality of the map display. .

  In the above description, the map display device acquires map data via a network and displays the map data on a display device that is integrally provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, first, a map data storage medium such as a CD-ROM may be integrally provided. Second, the map may be displayed three-dimensionally by sending the image display control data to an external display device via a network. Third, the external display device may be made to perform three-dimensional display by sending image processing control data while using map data of a storage medium provided integrally.

  The map display device according to the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. However, the above-described embodiments of the present invention are for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. . The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. For example, the processing described above may be realized by hardware as well as by software.

It is a schematic block diagram of a map display apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram of the data used with a map display apparatus. It is a flowchart of the process which displays a map. It is explanatory drawing which shows the process which extracts a building. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the aspect which displays a map three-dimensionally. It is explanatory drawing which shows the functional block of the map display apparatus which performs the display according to a path | route. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the display according to a path | route. It is explanatory drawing which shows the process of the display according to a path | route. It is a schematic block diagram of the data which record relevant information. It is explanatory drawing which shows the modification which concerns on schematic structure of the data which record relevant information. It is a schematic block diagram of the data which records a some three-dimensional model corresponding to one building. It is a flowchart of the process which selects and displays a three-dimensional model. It is explanatory drawing which shows the process which selects a three-dimensional model.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Map display apparatus 101 ... Operation panel 102 ... Display device 103 ... Remote control 200 ... Control unit 202 ... Position information input part 210 ... Display control part 211 ... Position Information input unit 212 ... User input unit 213 ... Route search unit 220 ... User input unit 300 ... Map storage unit 310 ... Map data input unit 400 ... Passage storage unit 410 ... Node storage unit 420 ... Link storage unit 500 ... Display storage unit 600 ... Extraction unit 700 ... Generation unit 701 ... Output unit 100a ... Map display device 210a ... Display control unit 213a ... route search unit 610a ... preliminary extraction storage unit 600a ... extraction unit 500d ... display storage unit 400e ... path storage unit 410e ... node storage unit 420e ... link storage unit 500f. .. Display storage unit 501f ... Basic three-dimensional model storage unit

Claims (10)

A map display device for displaying a map in three dimensions,
A map data input unit for inputting map data for storing a plurality of three-dimensional models associated with a building;
An extraction unit for extracting a three-dimensional model to be displayed from the plurality of three-dimensional models;
Using the extracted three-dimensional model, a display unit for performing a three-dimensional display of the map,
The said extraction part is a map display apparatus which extracts as a display object the three-dimensional model located in the predetermined range around the road which should be displayed ahead at the time of the said three-dimensional display. The map display device according to claim 1,
A route input unit for inputting a series of routes to be three-dimensionally displayed;
A preliminary extraction unit that previously extracts a three-dimensional model around the route as the display target candidate;
The said display part is a map display apparatus which performs the said extraction with reference to the result by the said preliminary extraction part. The map display device according to claim 1,
The map data includes a three-dimensional model belonging to a predetermined range around the road and related information for associating the road,
The said extraction part is the map display apparatus which performs the said extraction with reference to this relevant information. A map display device for displaying a map in three dimensions,
A map data input unit for inputting map data for storing a short distance 3D model for short distance display and a long distance 3D model for long distance display for each building;
A display that performs a three-dimensional display using the short-distance three-dimensional model for buildings within a predetermined distance from the viewpoint position of the three-dimensional map display, and a long-distance three-dimensional model for buildings outside the predetermined distance. With
The short distance three-dimensional model is a three-dimensional model unique to a building set to reflect the planar shape of the building,
The long-distance three-dimensional model selects one of the predetermined shapes prepared in advance so that it can be used for a plurality of buildings, and designates the size thereof, thereby making the inconsistency with the planar shape of the buildings. A map display device which is a three-dimensional model set with permission. The map display device according to claim 4,
The predetermined shape is a map display device including a rectangular parallelepiped, a cylinder, a cone, and a hemisphere. A map display method for displaying a map in three dimensions,
Inputting map data for storing a plurality of three-dimensional models associated with a building;
Extracting a 3D model to be displayed from the plurality of 3D models;
Using the extracted 3D model to perform a 3D display of a map,
The map extracting method is a map display method in which the extracting step is a step of extracting, as a display target, a three-dimensional model positioned within a predetermined range around a road to be displayed forward during the three-dimensional display. A map display method for displaying a map in three dimensions,
Inputting map data storing a short-distance three-dimensional model for short-distance display and a long-distance three-dimensional model for long-distance display for each building;
A step of performing three-dimensional display using the short-distance three-dimensional model for buildings within a predetermined distance from the viewpoint position of the three-dimensional display of the map and using the long-distance three-dimensional model for buildings outside the predetermined distance. And
The short distance three-dimensional model is a three-dimensional model unique to a building set to reflect the planar shape of the building,
The long-distance three-dimensional model selects one of the predetermined shapes prepared in advance so that it can be used for a plurality of buildings, and designates the size thereof, thereby making the inconsistency with the planar shape of the buildings. A method that is a three-dimensional model set with allowance. A computer program for displaying a map three-dimensionally on a map display device,
A function for inputting map data for storing a plurality of three-dimensional models associated with a building;
An extraction function for extracting a three-dimensional model to be displayed from the plurality of three-dimensional models;
A computer program for causing the map display device to realize a function of performing a three-dimensional display of a map using the extracted three-dimensional model,
The said extraction function is a computer program which is a function which extracts as a display object the three-dimensional model located in the predetermined range around the road which should be displayed ahead at the time of the said three-dimensional display. A computer program for displaying a map three-dimensionally on a map display device,
A function for inputting map data for storing a short-distance three-dimensional model for short-distance display and a long-distance three-dimensional model for long-distance display for each building;
A function for performing three-dimensional display using the short-distance three-dimensional model for buildings within a predetermined distance from the viewpoint position of the three-dimensional map display, and using the long-distance three-dimensional model for buildings outside the predetermined distance. Is a computer program for realizing the map display device,
The short distance three-dimensional model is a three-dimensional model unique to a building set to reflect the planar shape of the building,
The long-distance three-dimensional model selects one of the predetermined shapes prepared in advance so that it can be used for a plurality of buildings, and designates the size thereof, thereby making the inconsistency with the planar shape of the buildings. A computer program that is a three-dimensional model set with permission. A computer-readable recording medium in which the computer program according to claim 8 is recorded.

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