초록 ▼

A navigation system includes a processor and bit-mapped earth surface map image data in a first data storage device accessed by the processor, the processor displaying an image essentially filling a display area of a display screen and centered on any latitude and longitude supplied to the processor

A navigation system includes a processor and bit-mapped earth surface map image data in a first data storage device accessed by the processor, the processor displaying an image essentially filling a display area of a display screen and centered on any latitude and longitude supplied to the processor, the image having no discontinuities. The processor may receive latitude and longitude inputs from a user via a user input device, or from a global positioning system (GPS) receiver incorporated in the navigation system. The displayed map image may thus be centered at a desired longitude and latitude or at the longitude and latitude of the navigation system itself. The system may include a second data storage device for storing data from and providing data to the processor. Route information such as flight plan data may then be stored in the second data storage device. Information relating to the type of map system displayed and the scale at which it is displayed, to the currently displayed longitude and latitude, and other significant information is always displayed with the displayed map image. Other information is selectably displayed at a peripheral portion of the display area. Overlays may be selectably displayed over the bit-mapped map image display, with corresponding features appropriately aligned. Such overlays may include approach overlays and instrument flight rules route charts.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A method of providing a moving map for use in a navigation system, the method comprising:(a) providing a processor;(b) storing first data in a computer storage medium for access by the processor, the first data including standardized bit-mapped map image of at least one map system

[ We claim:] [1.] A method of providing a moving map for use in a navigation system, the method comprising:(a) providing a processor;(b) storing first data in a computer storage medium for access by the processor, the first data including standardized bit-mapped map image of at least one map system of at least a portion of the surface of the earth, said first data is generated and stored by(i) electronically scanning a printed map to create a stored bit-mapped map image corresponding to the printed map;(ii) displaying the stored bit-mapped map image for editing;(iii) cropping with image editing software the displayed bit-mapped map image into smaller images that are then deleted, moved, sized, and merged back into the displayed image to remove an unwanted part of the image and to select the remainder as a map image corresponding to a desired geographic area, the map image having discrete boundaries defined by reference grid lines;(iv) moving the boundaries of the displayed map image with said image editing software to shape the geographic area into a predetermined rectangular shape;(v) sizing the displayed map image with said image editing software after the image has been shaped to contain a predetermined pixel area;(vi) permanently storing, in the computer storage medium, the displayed map image as a bit-mapped map image of the printed map after the displayed image has been shaped and sized, the displayed map image being stored with an identifier of a reference point and size of the geographic area represented by the selected map image; and(vii) repeating (i)-(vi) to create a plurality of digital map images from the printed map, each image having a uniform format of the predetermined pixel area and an identifier of a reference point and size of a geographic area and a uniform shape that can be fitted adjacent to each other to form a seamless map comprised of a plurality of such images;(c) providing a user input device for enabling a user to give input to the processor;(d) connecting a global positioning system receiver to the processor for providing global positioning system data to the processor;(e) displaying, on a display screen having a display area, said map images and information, wherein the processor displays on the display area of the display screen a display map image comprising at least a portion of at least one of said bit-mapped images, the display map image centered on any given longitude and latitude supplied to the processor, the display map image essentially filling the display area of the display screen with no discontinuities in the image over the entire said at least one map system except at any edges of said at least one map system, and(f) updating the bit-mapped map image whenever a new longitude and latitude is supplied to the processor.