Abstract: A map-updating-data creating apparatus performs, for each old map file, creating a map-updating file for rewriting the map file to a new map file, determining the serial number of each of the updated map files, creating a serial number management file in which marks are respectively written at positions corresponding to the serial numbers, and generating, as map-updating data, the map-updating file and the serial number management file. A navigation apparatus performs map-updating processing and determines, by referring to the serial number management file, whether a map file has already been updated. The navigation apparatus uses the map-updating file to execute navigation control if the map file has already been updated, and updates the map file and subsequently executes the navigation control if the map file has not been updated.

Abstract: A map data update method for updating nationwide updated version map data using route-specific update data is disclosed. This method has a step of creating route-specific update data, comprising update data for all routes which have been newly opened since the time of release of the nationwide updated version map data; a step of storing a plurality of route-specific update data sets with different creation dates; a step of, when updating the nationwide updated version map data of the time of release stored in a navigation apparatus in use of a prescribed first route-specific update data which has been stored, storing pre-update map files necessary to restore the nationwide updated version map data; and a step of using the first route-specific update data to update the nationwide updated version map data.

Abstract: A search word candidate outputting apparatus includes: a keyword database storing a pair of word/phrase-attribute information composed of a word/phrase inputted as a keyword, and attribute information indicating an attribute of a word/phrase as a keyword, a next word predictive candidate database configured to store a pair of attribute information-sentence composed of the attribute information, and a sentence expected to be inputted together with the word/phrase for which the attribute is indicated by the attribute information, a next word predictive candidate extraction device that, based on a pair of word/phrase-attribute information, extracts attribute information corresponding to a word/phrase from the keyword type database, and based on a pair of attribute information-sentence, extracts a sentence which constitutes a pair of attribute information-sentence together with the attribute information, from the next word predictive candidate database, and a display configured to display the inputted word/phrase

Abstract: In an information providing apparatus, a keyword attribute file KF which brings a keyword which can be inputted by a user, a keyword attribute corresponding to the keyword, and a judgment value in correspondence with each other is referred to, and based on a comparison of a judgment value corresponding to an input keyword with a judgment reference value, a keyword attribute is extracted, and based on the extracted keyword attribute and an input keyword, information to be searched is searched, and provided to a user.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus is disclosed comprising update functions to update nationwide updated version map data using route-specific update data, and to update the nationwide updated version map data to the next nationwide updated version map data using nationwide update data. A map update processing portion of this navigation apparatus performs updates of map data in the background of navigation control, gives priority to update processing using the route-specific update data over update processing using the nationwide update data, and, if map files to be updated using route-specific update files included in the route-specific update data have not been updated using the nationwide update data, performs updates using the nationwide update data, and then performs updates using route-specific update files.