Intersection display method, and map display unit and recording medium for realizing the method

A map display unit for displaying a map for guidance, comprising:

• a map data storage part for storing map data including a road network;
• a route search part for searching a route from a departure point to a destination or a stopover based on said map data;
• a vehicle position detection part for detecting the position of a vehicle mounting the unit on said map data;
• an intersection shape generation part for reading an intersection node representing an intersection and intersection-connected links representing roads connected to the intersection node constituting said road network, and generating width-imparted intersection-connected links and an intersection shape at the intersection node based on the intersection node and the intersection-connected links;
• a guidance part for generating notification information for guidance of the vehicle based on said map data, said intersection shape, and said route searched;
• and
• an output part for outputting said notification information via map display or any other medium.

A recording medium containing an intersection display method for generating and displaying an intersection shape by use of map data including a road network recorded as a computer-executable program, the program at least executing the steps of:

• reading from said map data an intersection node representing an intersection and intersection-connected links representing roads connected to the intersection node, constituting the road network;
• generating an intersection shape at the intersection node and width-imparted intersection-connected links, based on said intersection node and said intersection-connected links;
• and
• displaying said intersection shape together with other information for guidance notification.

A data recording medium containing recorded computer-readable data, the data comprising:

• data on an intersection node representing an intersection constituting a road network;
• data on intersection-connected links representing roads connected to said intersection node constituting the road network;
• and
• data on an intersection shape corresponding to said intersection node, generated based on said intersection node and said intersection-connected links.