Abstract: A navigation device presenting guide information based on a photographed image of a boarding guide display item, such as a station name signboard, a roll sign, or a route map, that can be photographed in a station yard. The device acquires a photographed image of a boarding guide display item by controlling the photographing unit, identifies display content from the photographed image of the boarding guide display item of a transportation device acquired and specifying a route, station name, and traveling direction of a current position based on the identified display content and traffic network data stored in the storage unit, extracts station names present in the traveling direction from the traffic network data based on the route, station name, and traveling direction of the current position, and generates guide information including at least part of the extracted station names, and outputs at least part of the generated guide information.

Abstract: An example navigation system enables searching for an optimum route through a one-time route searching process where several destination or departure locations exist. The navigation system includes a point of interest (POI) attribute information database for accumulating POI attribute information, a network data edit unit and a virtual node setup unit. The navigation system determines whether there is a plurality of POIs in a certain departure location and/or a destination location by making reference to relevant data in the POI attribute information database. If there are several POIs, the virtual node setup unit sets up a virtual node connected to each node of the plurality of POIs through links having identical link cost. The network data edit unit then adds the virtual node to the searching network data, and a route search unit functions to search for routes using the searching network data containing the added virtual node.

Abstract: A navigation device providing an operation screen that enables a user to select an arbitrary place that is present in a photographed image as an input unit of data search conditions and accurately performing a data search for a place selected on the operation screen in an easy manner. The device specifies map data that corresponds to the photographed image based on the display content identified from the photographed image, generates an operation screen, on which display areas of name information included in the map data are set as selectable areas, used for selecting a specific place by using the specified map data, extracts guide information that coincides with name information based on the set name information that corresponds to the selectable area that is selected out of selectable areas on the displayed operation screen on the display unit, and displays the generated guide screen on the display unit.

Abstract: A navigation device presenting guide information based on a photographed image of a boarding guide display item, such as a station name signboard, a roll sign, or a route map, that can be photographed in a station yard. The device acquires a photographed image of a boarding guide display item by controlling the photographing unit, identifies display content from the photographed image of the boarding guide display item of a transportation device acquired and specifying a route, station name, and traveling direction of a current position based on the identified display content and traffic network data stored in the storage unit, extracts station names present in the traveling direction from the traffic network data based on the route, station name, and traveling direction of the current position, and generates guide information including at least part of the extracted station names, and outputs at least part of the generated guide information.

Abstract: A mobile terminal device has a display for indicating guidance of a route retrieved by a route retriever and a GPS receiver for detecting the present location. A route retrieval server has a database for storing the present location of each bus running on bus lines and an alternative route guider for evaluating alternative bus route to provide guidance. When the guided route includes a walking route, the route retriever references the database based on the present location of the mobile terminal device to identify an alternative route that includes a bus. The alternative route guider compares the alternative route and guided route. When the alternative route is more favorable than the guided route, the alternative route guider sends alternative route information indicating presence of the alternative route to the mobile terminal device, displays the guided route on a display, and indicates the presence of the alternative route.

Abstract: A navigation device performs a route guidance based on a route from a current location to a destination, the navigation device being connected to a server for searching the route. A navigation method for the navigation device includes sending a request for searching the route to the server and receiving information on the route from the server. The method also includes measuring an elapsed time from a start of the route guidance, and performing the route guidance based on the information received. The method further includes cutting off a communication with the server and coming into a standby state, upon a determination that the elapsed time measured has reached a predetermined time and when the route is being guided or a current location is being checked, to decrease a bandwidth usage between the navigation device and the server and to reduce a communication charge associated with the bandwidth usage.

Abstract: When a map acquisition judgment means judges that the acquisition of map information is required, a terminal device transmits spot position information calculated by a spot information calculation means to a server which mediates providing of the map information, via a first map information providing server where the terminal device is positioned. The server causes an area judgment means to judge according to the spot information an area of providing map information including the spot, identifies a map information providing system on the basis of the judgment, and requests providing of the map information including the spot to a second map information providing server in the area according to the spot position information. The terminal device synthesizes map information held by the terminal and map information provided by the second map information providing server by a map synthesis means and displays the synthesized map information on a display means.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a route searching system that can easily carry out the search processing of a route covering different time zones. A route searching system is provided with a time zone data memory means that stores information of a time zone which is associated with each node composing a traffic network and to which a node belongs, a reference time table data memory means that stores reference time table data made out by using a predetermined reference time irrelevant to the time zone to which the node belongs, a time zone determination means that determines the time zone to which the starting point or destination point belongs and a time conversion means, wherein a route searching means searches for a route from the starting point to the destination point based on the traffic network data and the reference time table data, the time conversion means converts the time data of the searched route into guiding data based on the time zone to which the starting point or the destination point belongs.

Abstract: Navigation-related information such as a road name or guidance is allowed to be dynamically displayed along a road on a map displayed on the display screen and the road displayed on the display screen, its road name, and the moving direction are also allowed to be made easy visual identification. A map display system for displaying the road name or the navigation-related information together with the road on a display means according to map data including data on the road and data on the road name comprises a display area determining means, a display direction determining means for determining the direction in which the display of a text displayed on a road image moves, a road-name extracting means, and a text data display control means. The road-name extracting means extracts the road and its road name which are to be displayed from the road data to display the road image in the display area determined by the display area determining means.

Abstract: Even if a detailed map being displayed is continuously scrolled, the place of the detailed map being displayed is kept to a wide-area map. A map display system having a map display for displaying a plurality of maps and an information distribution server which is connected to the map display through a communication means and distributes map data to the map display comprises a display means for displaying a first map capable of being scrolled and a second map including the scope of the first map, a scroll control means for scrolling the first map, a condition judging means for judging whether or not to control the display form of the second map according to the result of the scroll of the first map by the scroll control means and a condition for controlling the display form of the second map set in advance, and a reduced scale control means for controlling the display form of the second map.

Abstract: First and second route guidance systems provided with country or region-specific map data or route search network data are linked. If the departure place and the destination are in different areas, a first route guidance system (A) extracts a candidate connection which is the border between the different areas to transmit it to a second route guidance system (B). The first and second route guidance systems search the optimum route from the departure place to the candidate connection and the optimum candidate route from the candidate connection to the destination, respectively and provide the required time and link data to their respective route guidance systems. The first or second route guidance system determines a recommended route with the smallest total of the required time out of candidate routes connected at the candidate connection and provides the recommended route data including the link data from the first route guidance system (A) to a terminal (20).

Abstract: There is provided an information distribution system capable of distributing a content to a mobile terminal in a predetermined area, distributing content guide information to the mobile terminal, and distributing the content selected by the mobile terminal, within the area. The information distribution system includes an information distribution server, a mobile terminal, and a content DB. The content DB contains content information to be provided to the mobile terminal and information on the area to which the content is provided. The information distribution server distributes the content guide information to the mobile terminal. According to this content guide information, the mobile terminal performs a content distribution request. The information distribution server judges the position of the mobile terminal according to position judgment means. When the mobile terminal is in the distribution area of the content requested, the content is downloaded.

Abstract: When there exists a plurality of route guiding servers designating a predetermined area as a service provision area, a terminal device (20) is capable of selecting a route guiding server suitable for processing to request. A route guiding server (30A) having received a process request from the terminal device (20) judges the area subjected to the process request and route searching servers (30B1 etc.) designating the area as a service provision area. When there exists a plurality of route guiding servers in an identical area, the route guiding server (30A) acquires detailed information relating to server-held data held by each route searching server (30B1 etc.), sets numerical values expressing ranking according to the degree of fullness, the quantity of information, and the date of the latest update of the server-held data as evaluation values, calculates the evaluation value of each route searching server (30B1 etc.

Abstract: A routing guide mediation system is equipped with a routing guide mediation server, establishing cooperation between a plurality of routing guide systems having map data by country and region and network data for route search. When a departure point and a destination are points in different areas, a first route search server extracts a candidate contact point which will be the boundary between the different areas, and transmits it to a second route search server via the routing guide mediation server. Then, the first and second route search servers search for an optical route from the departure point to the candidate contact point and an optimal candidate route from the candidate contact point to the destination, individually, and the first route search server acquires the amounts of time required for these routes and link data via the routing guide mediation server.

Abstract: A lead route guidance system capable of displaying route guidance not causing the user to be confused by the difference between the line of vision and the route guidance image, a portable route lead guidance device, and program are provided. The lead route guidance system comprises route storage means storing a route from a start point to a destination, route guidance image creating means for creating a route guidance image (24) containing a route image (22) for specifying the route and a lead image (23) for leading the route by displaying a lead position on the route ahead of the current position of the user, a display screen (11) for displaying thereon the route guidance image (24), walk detecting means for detecting walk of the user, and lead position updating means for updating the lead position depending on the walk of the user when the walk of the user is detected.

Abstract: An information terminal device having a drawing printing function to print a drawing such as a map or a route map is enabled to print the drawing without any reduction on rolled printing paper having a limited width. The information terminal device includes a printer for printing data, and an angle calculator. On the basis of the drawing data having the data of a drawing containing a bent point and the data of the angle of bend at that bent point, the angle calculator calculates the angle index, at which the rolled paper is folded to correspond to the bent point, and calculates the printing data, which divides the drawing at each bent point and which is taken in the longitudinal direction of the rolled paper, that is, the blank length which discontinues the drawing at the folded portion determined by the angle index. On the basis of the angle index and the blank length, the printer divides the drawing at each bent point and makes the printing data taken in the longitudinal direction of the rolled paper.

Abstract: An area which may be en-route from a departure place to a destination is specified, and when a route which passes through the specified en-route area is an optimal route, a guidance for the optimal route is given. Route search servers (30A, etc.) each of which includes a plurality of service providing areas and has a predetermined area as a service providing area cooperate with one another to search for an optimal route from the departure place to the destination, both set by a terminal device (20), and give a guidance for the optimal route. Each route search server (30A, etc.) includes information on candidate nodes between a local area and each of the other areas, network data and map data within the local area, and route search means (307A). The route search server (30A, etc.) which has received a route search request with the departure place and destination set therein from the terminal device (20) causes a route search server (30B, etc.

Abstract: A portable navigation device where a map being displayed on a display section is fixed by performing map stop operation at a portable navigation terminal where an appropriate map is selected and displayed so as to correspond to the speed of movement. A portable navigation terminal (10) has speed detecting means (104) for detecting the speed of movement of the terminal, a map data request/acquisition section (105) for requesting, according to the movement speed detected by the speed detecting mean, different kinds of map data to an information distributing server and acquiring the map data, and an operation section (16) having a map stop button for stopping, at a desired time point during the movement, change in the kind of map displayed on display means. The portable navigation terminal (10) further has manual scroll means (164), a zoom-in button (162), and a zoom-out button (163) that have the function of the map stop button.

Abstract: In a route guiding system equipped with a route guiding server (30) and terminal devices (20), a reference point is set as a base point in a travel direction to guide a moving body in a direction that should be taken on route, the direction the moving body should take from the aforementioned reference point is determined based on information relating to the aforementioned route, a specific target object is selected from among target objects used to specify the direction to be taken by the moving body that is near the aforementioned reference point, attribute information relating to the selected target object is obtained, and the travel direction from the aforementioned determined reference point is specified for the moving body based on the attribute information obtained, in order to guide the moving body in the direction that should be taken on the route.

Abstract: In a navigation system, that finds routes and provides navigation extending across countries or regions, navigation is performed for cases in which languages differ in the countries or regions being navigated. The navigation system is equipped with first and second route search servers (30A, 30B), which use first and second areas as service areas, respectively, and a terminal device (20). When the terminal device (20) requests a route search, the system determines the second route search server (30B) with the first route search server (30A) to find and link the routes in the respective areas and to determine a recommended route. If the language used by the route search server is different from the language used by the terminal device (20), the route search server translates words other than key words, such as proper nouns, in the navigation information, which gives the recommended route, into the language used by the terminal device (20) and supplies the translation to the terminal device (20).