EP0082760A2 — A moving map display

Claim 1

Independent Claim 436 words

A moving map display for a vehicle wherein said vehicle includes means for generating coordinate signals indicative of the vehicle's current longitude and latitude coordinate position, said moving map display including a mass memory means (10) for electronically storing digital map data indicative of a complete map of the region to be traversed by said vehicle, and a display means (20) for displaying the desired portion of the map, an improvement charaterized by: scan memory means (12) for electronically storing digital map data indicative of a portion of said complete map, said portion covering the immediate area surrounding the vehicle and having a predetermined relationship with respect to said vehicle's current coordinate position; update and control computer means (14) having adequate storage and computation means, said update and control computer means (14) including means responsive to said coordinate signals for periodically computing a desired map center indicative of the center of the portion of the map stored in said scan memory means (12), means responsive to a change in said desired map center for generating update parameters for transfering map data from said mass memory means (10) to said scan memory means (12) to maintain said predetermined relationship between the portion of the map stored in said scan memory means (12) and the vehicle's coordinate position, and means responsive to said desired map center for generating refresh scan parameters, said scan parameters including a starting address in said scan memory means (12) where a scan of said scan memory means (12) is to begin to generate a visual display of said portion of the complete map; means (22) for generating horizontal and vertical synchronization, horizontal and vertical blanking signals and pixel and line signals; scan memory address generator means (16) responsive to said update parameters and pixel signals for generating the addresses where said map data being transferred by said update and control computer means (14) is to be stored in said scan memory means (12), said scan memory address generator means (16) further responsive to said refresh scan parameters, and said pixel and line signals for systematically generating addresses enabling said scan memory means (12) to output the digital map data in a predetermined sequential order; video display generator means (18) for converting the digital map data output from said scan memory means (12) to analog map data; and wherein: said display means (20) is responsive to said analog map data and said horizontal and verticle synchronization signals and said horizontal and vertical blanking signal to generate a visual map image corresponding to the portion of the map stored in said scan memory means (12).

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 436 words

A moving map display for a vehicle wherein said vehicle includes means for generating coordinate signals indicative of the vehicle's current longitude and latitude coordinate position, said moving map display including a mass memory means (10) for electronically storing digital map data indicative of a complete map of the region to be traversed by said vehicle, and a display means (20) for displaying the desired portion of the map, an improvement charaterized by: scan memory means (12) for electronically storing digital map data indicative of a portion of said complete map, said portion covering the immediate area surrounding the vehicle and having a predetermined relationship with respect to said vehicle's current coordinate position; update and control computer means (14) having adequate storage and computation means, said update and control computer means (14) including means responsive to said coordinate signals for periodically computing a desired map center indicative of the center of the portion of the map stored in said scan memory means (12), means responsive to a change in said desired map center for generating update parameters for transfering map data from said mass memory means (10) to said scan memory means (12) to maintain said predetermined relationship between the portion of the map stored in said scan memory means (12) and the vehicle's coordinate position, and means responsive to said desired map center for generating refresh scan parameters, said scan parameters including a starting address in said scan memory means (12) where a scan of said scan memory means (12) is to begin to generate a visual display of said portion of the complete map; means (22) for generating horizontal and vertical synchronization, horizontal and vertical blanking signals and pixel and line signals; scan memory address generator means (16) responsive to said update parameters and pixel signals for generating the addresses where said map data being transferred by said update and control computer means (14) is to be stored in said scan memory means (12), said scan memory address generator means (16) further responsive to said refresh scan parameters, and said pixel and line signals for systematically generating addresses enabling said scan memory means (12) to output the digital map data in a predetermined sequential order; video display generator means (18) for converting the digital map data output from said scan memory means (12) to analog map data; and wherein: said display means (20) is responsive to said analog map data and said horizontal and verticle synchronization signals and said horizontal and vertical blanking signal to generate a visual map image corresponding to the portion of the map stored in said scan memory means (12).

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 83 words

The moving map display of Claim 1 wherein said scan memory means (12) comprises a plurality of storage elements arranged in a matrix of parallel rows and parallel columns and wherein each of said storage elements stores at least one bit of digital map data, and each storage location has a corresponding address, said scan memory means (12) stores parallel lines of latitudinal map data in storage locations disposed along said parallel rows and said longitudinal map data disposed along said parallel columns.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 124 words

The moving map display of Claim 2 wherein said map data is stored in a wrap around manner in said scan memory means (12) and said map data is transferred one row or column at a time to update said scan memory means (12), said included means for generating update parameters further includes means for generating a starting addresses for the row and column of the scan memory means (12) where first bit of the map data being transferred to the scan memory means (12) is to be stored and said scan memory address generator means (16) generates sequential addresses for the remaining bits of map data being transferred to said scan memory means (12) along said row or column in a wrap-around manner.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 132 words

The moving map display of Claim 3 wherein said visual display (20) has a scan pattern comprising two interlaced fields of map data, said included means for generating refresh scan parameters of said update and control computer means (14) generates first starting addresses for the first field and second starting addresses for the second field displaced one row from said first starting addresses and scan parameters enabling said scan memory address generator means (16) to generate sequential addresses along every other row beginning with said first starting addresses and to generate said first field of map data and generates sequential addresses along the rows in between said every other row beginning with said second starting addresses to generate said second field of map data interlaced with said first field of map data.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 37 words

The moving map display of Claim 3 wherein said included means of said update and central computer means (14) for computing a desired ma p center computes said desired map center coincident with said vehicle's coordinate position.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 100 words

The moving map display of Claim 5 wherein said vehicle further includes means for generating a heading signal indicative of the direction in which said vehicle is moving and wherein said moving map display further includes operator actuated means (24) for generating an offset signal, said included means of the update and control computer means (14) for computing a desired map center is further responsive to said offset signal and said heading signal for generating a desired map center offset a predetermined distance from the vehicle's coordinate position in a direction opposite the direction in which the vehicle is moving.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 165 words

The moving map display of Claim 1 wherein said moving map display further includes an operator actuated means (24) for generating a zoom signal having at least a first value and a second value, said included means of said update and control computer means (14) for generating scan parameters is further responsive to the first value of said zoom signal to generate a starting address and scan parameters enabling said scan memory actress generator means (16) to generate addresses sequentially outputting said digital data from adjacent storage locations along said parallel rows within a first predetermined area of said scan memory means (12) and responsive to the second value of said zoom signal to generate a starting address and scan parameters enabling said scan memory address generator means (16) to generate addresses to output said digital data from a second predetermined area within said scan memory means (12) centered about said desired map center, said second predetermined area being smaller than said first predetermined area.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 104 words

The moving map display of Claim 7 wherein said means for generating a zoom signal (24) generates a zoom signal having values variable between said first and second values and wherein said included means of said update and control computer means (14) for generating scan parameters is further responsive to the value of said zoom signal to generate a starting address and scan parameters enabling said scan memory address generator (16) to generate addresses sequentially outputting said digital data from storage locations along said rows and columns within an area of said scan memory means (12) dependent upon the value of said zoom signal.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 178 words

The moving map display of Claim 6 wherein said moving map display further includes operator actuated means (24) for generating a display mode signal having a first value indicating the displayed map is to have a north-up orientation with the top of the map representing a northerly direction and a second value indicating the displayed map is to have a heading-up orientation in which the vehicle's direction of motion is always towards the top of the displayed map, said included means of said update and control computer means (14) for generating scan parameters generates said scan parameters enabling said scan memory address generator means (16) to generate sequential addresses along said rows in response to the first value of said display mode signal and generates said scan parameters enabling said scan memory address generator means (16) to generate sequential addresses along parallel lines in said scan memory means (12), said parallel lines disposed in a direction normal to the vehicle's direction of motion in response to the second value of said display mode signal and said heading signal.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 67 words

The moving map display of Claim 9 wherein said included means of said update and control computer means (14) for generating a desired map center is further responsive to the second value of said display mode signal and said heading signal for generating said desired map center displaced from the coordinate position of the vehicle a predetermined distance in a direction opposite the vehicle's direction of motion.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 242 words

The moving map display of Claim 10 wherein said display means (20) has a scan pattern comprising two interlaced fields of map data, said included means of said update and control computer means (14) for generating scan parameters generates in response to the first value of said display mode signal, scan parameters enabling said scan memory address generator means (16) to generate a first set of addresses along every other row in said scan memory means (12) to output the digital map data for the first of said two interlaced fields then sequentially generating scan parameters enabling said scan memory address generator means (16) to generate a second set of addresses along the intermediate rows in said scan memory means (12) to output the digital map data for the other field of map data and generates in response to the second value of said display mode signal and said heading signal scan parameters enabling said scan memory address generator means (16) to generate a first set of addresses along every other of said parallel lines normal to the vehicle's direction of motion to output the digital data for the first of said two interlaced fields then sequentially generating scan parameters enabling said scan memory address generator means to generate said second set of addresses along the 'intermediate parallel lines normal to the vehicle's direction of motion to output the digital data for the other of said two interlaced fields of map data.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 127 words

The moving map display of Claim 11 wherein said display means (20) generates a multi-color map said scan memory means (12) comprises at least three parallel scan memory planes having corresponding storage elements in each plane and wherein said corresponding storage elements in each of said scan memory planes has the same address and said corresponding storage elements collectively store a three bit digital word indicative of a color, and wherein said video display generator means (18) includes a decoder (130, 132, 134, 136) responsive to said three bit digital word output from the scan memory means (12) and said pixel signals for generating signals enabling said display means (20) to generate a pixel of map information having the color represented by the three bit digital word.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 128 words

The moving map display of Claim 1 wherein said display means (20) generates a multi-color map said scan memory means (12) comprises at least three parallel scan memory planes having corresponding storage elements on each of said planes and wherein said corresponding storage elements on each of said scan memory planes has the same address and said corresponding storage elements collectively store a three bit digital word indicative of a color, and wherein said video display generator means (18) includes a decoder (130, 132, 134, 136) responsive to said three bit word output from the scan memory means (12) and said pixel signals for generating signals enabling said display means (20) to generate a pixel of map information having the color represented by the three bit digital word.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 90 words

The moving map display of Claims 12 or 13 wherein said display means (20) is a color cathode ray tube having three color guns, one for each of the three primary additive colors, said decoder means (130, 132, 134, 136) outputs a digital color signal indicative of the color corresponding to the three bit word and wherein said video display gererator means (18) further includes a plurality of amplifiers (138, 140) responsive to said digital color signal for generating a corresponding analog signal for each of said three color guns.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 60 words

The moving map display of Claim 12 wherein said scan memory means (12) further includes a fourth-parallel scan memory plane containing additional map information, and wherein said decod-er (130, 132, 134, 136) is further responsive to the map data output from said fourth scan memory plane for generating signals enabling said display means (20) to display said additional map information.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 61 words

The moving map display of Claim 13 wherein said scan memory means (12) further includes a fourth parallel scan memory plane containing additional map information, and wherein said decoder (130, 132, 134, 136) is further responsive to the map data output from said fourth scan memory plane for generating signals enabling said display means (20) to display said additional map information.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 46 words

The moving map display of Claims 15 or 16 further including means (24) for generating a de-clutter signal and wherein said decoder (130, 132, 134, 136) is further responsive to said de-clutter signal to discard the digital data data output from said fourth scan memory plane.

A moving map display

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