Rendering device and method

A navigation device for guiding a user, comprising:

• a calculation section for calculating the user's current position;
• a reception section for externally receiving directional object data representing a directional object, which is a structure element of a map, having a plurality of planes each facing a different direction, the directional object data including direction information specifying in which direction each of the planes is facing;
• a rendering section for rendering each of the planes of the directional object in a different manner based on a relationship between the user's current position calculated by said calculation section and the direction information specifying in which direction each of the planes is facing, and generating display image data representing the map;
• and
• a display for displaying the map according to said display image data generated by said rendering section.

A navigation method for guiding a user using a map on a display, comprising:

• calculating the user's current position;
• externally receiving, directional object data representing a directional object, which is a structure element of said map, having a plurality of planes each facing a different direction, the directional object data including direction information specifying in which direction each of the planes is facing;
• rendering each of the planes of the directional object in a different manner based on a relationship between the user's current position calculated in said calculating the user's position and the direction information specifying in which direction each of the planes is facing;
• generating display image data representing the map;
• and
• transferring said display image data generated in said generating display image data to said display, wherein
• said display displays the map by applying a display process to the display image data transferred in said transferring said display image data.

A computer program for guiding a user using a map on a display, comprising:

• calculating the user's current position;
• externally receiving directional object data representing a directional object, which is a structure element of said map, having a plurality of planes each facing a different direction, the directional object data including direction information specifying in which direction each of the planes is facing
• rendering each of the planes of the directional object in a different manner based on a relationship between the user's current position calculated in said calculating the user's position and the direction information specifying in which direction each of the planes is facing;
• generating display image data representing the map;
• and
• transferring said display image data generated in said generating display image data to said display, wherein
• said display displays the map by applying a display process to said display image data transferred in said transferring said display image data.

A rendering device for generating display image data which represents a map to be displayed on a display, comprising:

• a reception section for externally receiving directional object data representing a directional object, which is a structure element of said map, having a plurality of planes each facing a different direction;
• and
• a rendering section for rendering, based on a relationship between a user's current position and the directional object represented by the directional object data received by said reception section, each of the planes of the directional object in a different manner to generate said display image data, wherein
• said rendering section renders each of the planes of the directional object in a different transparent gradient.