Abstract: In a mobile navigation system of the present invention, a route between two desired points can be easily recognized on any scale. The mobile navigation system includes a CD-ROM for storing map data therein, an operation panel on which a user performs operations, a vehicle position detecting unit for detecting a vehicle position, a CRT display for displaying a map image thereon together with route marks and a vehicle position mark, and a navigation controller for searching the most suitable guidance route from a departure spot to a destination. When a detailed map and a wide-area map are used, routes are respectively displayed by different methods by displaying large route marks in the detailed map and displaying small route marks in the wide-area map.

Abstract: There is provided a map information display apparatus comprising a control unit, responsive to a signal informing that a predetermined area on a display unit has been indicated, for switching a display from a state of displaying a single map image on the screen in scroll mode in which the center of the map image constantly shows the current position of the vehicle detected by a position detecting unit and the map image is scrolled as the vehicle travels to a state of displaying a first map image with the same scale as the single map image which has been displayed on the screen in a base screen region and a second map image with a scale in a window screen region. Furthermore, touching an area of the base or window screen region switches the display into single display mode.

Abstract: A map displaying apparatus for displaying a map and a destination on a display screen. A map memory stores a map data to be displayed on a displayer. A telephone number, an area code, or postal code is inputted through an inputting panel. A second memory stores information on telephone numbers and the coordinates of positions on a map corresponding to the respective telephone numbers, information on area codes and the coordinates of positions on a map corresponding to the respective area codes, and information on postal codes and the coordinates of positions on a map corresponding to the respective postal codes. A position retrieval section reads from the second memory the coordinate of a position on a map corresponding to the telephone number inputted through the inputting panel, the coordinate of positions on a map corresponding to the area code inputted through the inputting panel, the coordinate of positions on a map corresponding to the postal code inputted through the inputting panel.

Abstract: A touch panel device for navigation of a vehicle for example an automobile. There is a display unit with a screen, and information display for visually representing desired information on the screen. A switch superimposes a switch pattern over the information on the screen and executing a predetermined control action when an operator's finger approaches the switch pattern. To remove the switch pattern after the lapse of a preset time form the visual representation of the switch pattern, erasing is used. The erasing can be accomplished for example by the actuation of a timer to remove the switch pattern. With the switch pattern removed, the entire information on the screen can be seen wholly without being concealed by the switch pattern.

Abstract: A channel display device for a receiver which receives television or radio broadcast waves and detects field intensity levels of individual channels to thereby detect receivable stations. A switch pattern for selection of the receivable stations is visually represented on a display screen. A touch switch overlay is provided for outputting a desired-channel switching signal in response to an operator's actuating touch on the switch pattern. Due to such visual representation of the switch pattern and the provision of the touch switch function, switchover to a desired channel can be performed with facility to ensure high operational efficiency.

Abstract: A vehicle-carried navigation system wherein a current position is judged rapidly even when setting or extensive correction of a current position is executed and displaying of a map is updated rapidly in a current position displaying mode even when a vehicle moves at a high speed and a map around a current position is displayed rapidly even when the display mode is changed over from a map displaying mode to a current position displaying mode. When one of a current position detecting apparatus and a picture drawing apparatus tries to read out map data from a map data storage apparatus, a judging device judges whether or not such map data have been read into and are held in the other apparatus, and if such map data are already held in the other apparatus, then the map data are not read out from the map data storage apparatus but are transferred from the other apparatus to the one apparatus by map data transfer device.

Abstract: A display device for visually representing selected characters in dot patterns includes a circuit for determining the number of characters to be visually represented and a circuit for outputting, in response to the result of the determination, a dot pattern signal of a size rendered relatively greater in accordance with a reduction in the number of such characters. Since the displayed character size is enlarged as the number of the characters is reduced, the visual representation can be easily seen on the display screen.

Abstract: A navigation system for a motor vehicle serves to guide the motor vehicle along an optimum route which includes bypass roads and side destinations desired by a driver but no road of high traffic congestion. When the motor vehicle deviates from the guidance route, an optimum route is again determined, starting from the current position of the motor vehicle.

Abstract: A navigation system for a movable body wherein a moving locus of the movable body displayed on a screen of display means can be identified readily and clearly from a map displayed on the screen to prevent misunderstanding of the map. The system comprises a map storage device in which a map is stored, a current position detecting device for detecting a current position of the movable body, a locus storage memory for storing therein a locus of the movable body provided by successively detected ones of the current position, a display unit having a screen, and a switching device for the switching between a mode in which the map from the map storage device, a current position and a locus of the movable body from the current position detecting device and the locus storage device are displayed on the screen and a second mode in which the map and the current position are displayed on the screen but the locus is not displayed on the screen.

Abstract: In a vehicle location detecting system having a self-contained type location detecting section for determining the accumulation type location data, a satellite navigation type location detecting section for determining the satellite type location data from satellite navigation data, a synthesizing section calculates synthetic location data from the accumulation type location data and the satellite navigation type location data. An on-road location determining section determines an on-road location of the vehicle in accordance with the synthetic location data and road map data stored in a road map memory. A display sectin displays the on-road location determined by the on-road location determining section.

Abstract: According to the present invention, the driving timing for each segment in a segment type digital display unit can be controlled independently on the basis of either one or both of the lighting history of each segment stored in a memory section and a detected temperature from a temperature detector mounted near segments. Therefore, the discriminatability particularly at low temperatures can be improved with little influence of the temperature and lighting history of segments.