Display apparatus, display method, display program, and recording medium with the display program for controlling display of at least a portion of a map

Abstract

The present invention provides a display apparatus for zooming and displaying a portion of an object to be displayed on display means according to an instruction by a user and allowing scrolling a display portion for the object to be displayed. The display apparatus includes input means for accepting the instruction by a user, and control means for controlling a display of the object to be displayed on the display means so that zooming out of the display on the display means is started and then the zoomed out display is zoomed in to the original size according to the instruction by a user as a trigger. The control means stops the zooming out or zooming in the display when scrolling is instructed by the input means during a period from a point of time when the zooming out is started until a point of time when the zooming in is completed, and scrolls the display on the display means according to the instruction for scrolling.

1 . A display apparatus, comprising:
 display means for displaying at least a portion of an image;   input means for accepting instructions provided by a user; and   control means for controlling display of the at least portion of the image on the display means such that the input means accepting an instruction to carry out temporary zooming without any scrolling triggers (i) automatic gradual zooming out of the display from its original scale until the scale reaches a first limit value and (ii) subsequent automatic gradual zooming in of the zoomed out display until the display is returned to the original scale,   wherein in response to the input means accepting an instruction for scrolling after the automatic gradual zooming out is started but before the automatic gradual zooming in is completed, the control means stops the automatic gradual zooming out or zooming in of the display and then scrolls the display according to the instruction for scrolling.   
   
   
       2 . The display apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein upon no instruction for scrolling being provided to the input means by the user after the automatic gradual zooming out of the display is started but before the automatic gradual zooming in is started and the scale of the display reaches the limit value during the zooming out, the control means automatically carries out the zooming in after a specified period of time has elapsed after the zooming out reaches the limit value. 
   
   
       3 . The display apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein in response to the instruction for scrolling being provided to the input means by the user after the scale of the display reaches the limit value but before the specified period of time has elapsed, the control means controls the display means to scroll the display according to the instruction for scrolling and then to zoom in to the original scale after completion of the scrolling. 
   
   
       4 . The display apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein in response to the instruction for scrolling being provided to the input means by the user after the specified period of time has elapsed, the control means controls the display means to scroll the display according to the instruction for scrolling and then to zoom in to the original scale after completion of the scrolling. 
   
   
       5 . The display apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control means controls the display means to gradually zoom in to return to the original scale using each of the one or more instructions accepted by the input means as a trigger. 
   
   
       6 . The display apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein in response to the instruction for scrolling being accepted by the input means after the zooming out is completed, the control means controls the display means to scroll the display according to the instruction for scrolling and then to zoom in to the original scale after completion of the scrolling. 
   
   
       7 . The display apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: current position detecting means for detecting a current position on the image, wherein the control means executes processing of a route search from the detected current position to a destination that is set by the user using the input means and then displays the image on the display means according to a route determined by processing a route search. 
   
   
       8 . The display apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the input means accepting another instruction for temporary zooming without scrolling after the automatic gradual zooming in is started but before being completed, triggers (i) stopping of the automatic gradual zooming in of the display, (ii) automatic gradual zooming out of the display that is carried out until the scale of the display on the display means surpasses the first limit value and reaches a second limit value, and (iii) subsequent automatic gradual zooming in of the zoomed out display until the display is returned to the original scale. 
   
   
       9 . The display apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the image is selected from the group consisting of a drawing, a diagram, a photograph, and a representation of a three-dimensional object. 
   
   
       10 . A display method for displaying at least a portion of an image, the method comprising:
 accepting instructions provided by a user; and   controlling a display of the at least portion of an image such that accepting an instruction to carry out temporary zooming without any scrolling triggers (i) automatic gradual zooming out of the display from its original scale that is carried out until the scale of the display reaches a first limit value and (ii) subsequent automatic gradual zooming in of the zoomed out display until the display is returned to the original scale, and such that   in response to accepting an instruction for scrolling after the automatic gradual zooming out is started but before the automatic gradual zooming in is finished,
 stopping the automatic gradual zooming out or the gradual zooming of the display, and 
 then scrolling the display according to the instruction for scrolling. 
   
   
   
       11 . A recording medium having recorded thereon a computer-readable program for carrying out a method for displaying at least a portion of an image, the method comprising:
 accepting instructions provided by a user; and   controlling a display of the at least portion of an image such that accepting an instruction to carry out temporary zooming without any scrolling triggers (i) automatic gradual zooming out of the display from its original scale that is carried out until the scale of the display reaches a first limit value and (ii) subsequent automatic gradual zooming in of the zoomed out display until the display is returned to the original scale, and such that   in response to accepting an instruction for scrolling after the automatic gradual zooming out is started but before the automatic gradual zooming in is finished,
 stopping the automatic gradual zooming out or the gradual zooming of the display, and 
 then scrolling the display according to the instruction for scrolling. 
   
   
   
       12 . A display apparatus, comprising:
 a display section that displays at least a portion of an image;   an input section that accepts instructions provided by a user; and   a control section that controls a display of the at least portion of an image on the display section such that the input section accepting an instruction to carry out temporary zooming without any scrolling triggers (i) automatic gradual zooming out of the display from its original scale until the scale of the display on the display means reaches a first limit value and (ii) subsequent automatic gradual zooming in of the zoomed out display until the display is returned to the original scale,   wherein in response to the input section accepting an instruction for scrolling after the automatic gradual zooming out is started but before the automatic gradual zooming in is completed, the control section stops the automatic gradual zooming out or zooming in of the display and then scrolls the display according to the instruction for scrolling.