Abstract: A bird's eye view commonly used in a flight simulation is applicable to an apparatus and method for navigating a vehicle running on a set route of travel to a set destination using a (color) display unit according to the present invention. The bird's eye view of a road map surrounding a present position of the vehicle has a viewing point placed at a predetermined position on an upper sky in a direction opposite to the set destination with the present position of the vehicle as a reference and has a line of sight looking down over the road map so that a part of the road map surrounding the present position of the vehicle can be viewed in an extended scale form and the remaining part of the road map remote from the present position and nearer to the set destination can be viewed in a gradually reduction scale form.

Abstract: A bird's eye view commonly used in a flight simulation is applicable to an apparatus and method for navigating a vehicle running on a set route of travel to a set destination using a (color) display unit according to the present invention. The bird's eye view of a road map surrounding a present position of the vehicle has a viewing point placed at a predetermined position on an upper sky in a direction opposite to the set destination with the present position of the vehicle as a reference and has a line of sight looking down over the road map so that a part of the road map surrounding the present position of the vehicle can be viewed in an extended scale form and the remaining part of the road map remote from the present position and nearer to the set destination can be viewed in a gradually reduction scale form.

Abstract: In an apparatus and method for guiding a vehicle occupant from a present position of the vehicle to a destination to which the vehicle occupant desires to reach, optimum routes of travel from the present position to respective intersections surrounding the present position of the vehicle are already searched and stored when the vehicle stops at the present position of the vehicle with a vehicular ignition switch turned off. Then, when the ignition switch is turned on and the vehicle occupant sets the destination, the optimum routes from the set destination toward the present position are searched on the basis of the road map data and result of search of the optimum routes of the respective intersections surrounding the present position of the vehicle.

Abstract: A pressure detecting apparatus for detecting vehicle tire air pressure. In a cylindrical housing mounted axially in parallel with a tire wheel, a setting magnet, a rotor magnet and a reversing magnet are coaxially provided and the rotor magnet is supported by a shaft rotatably and axially movably in response to a tire air pressure introduced to a bellows in the housing. When the air pressure is normal, the rotor magnet is attracted by the setting magnet. When the air pressure is reduced, the rotor magnet is separated by the movement of bellows, rotated by the repulsion force of the reversing magnet and finally attracted to said reversing magnet. By this operation, position of the magnetic poles of the rotor magnet is reversed and this reversion is detected electrically by a magnetism detecting unit.

Abstract: A bipolar transistor fabricated on a silicon layer has a base electrode with a multi-layered structure implemented by a titanium film, a titanium nitride film, a platinum film and a gold film, and the platinum film is regulated to 5 to 30 nanometers thick for decreasing the thermal stress between the platinum film and the titanium nitride film equal to or greater than 50 nanometers, thereby preventing the bipolar transistor from damage due to heat applications in later stages.

Abstract: A system for measuring a traveling direction of a vehicle includes a geomagnetic sensor and a gyro sensor. The system utilizes first and second indicies for deriving the vehicle traveling direction. The first index is indicative of disturbance of a geomagnetic field on a short interval basis, and the second index is indicative of disturbance of the geomagnetic field on a long interval basis. The system further utilizes a correction value indicative of a drift error caused by the gyro sensor for deriving the vehicle traveling direction. The system varies a rate of dependence upon an output of the geomagnetic sensor and an output of the gyro sensor based on the first and second indicies and the correction value when calculating the vehicle traveling direction.

Abstract: A navigation system for an automotive vehicle includes a map data storage unit. The storage unit stores first known target points and adjoining target points preselected for each of the first target points from the first target points. The storage unit further stores a first data group associated with each of the first target points. Each of the first data groups includes a second data group corresponding to each of the adjoining target points of the corresponding first target point. Each of the second data groups includes an abstract configuration of the corresponding first target point and a travel information required at the corresponding first target point for going to the corresponding adjoining target point. The system selects second target points from the first target points to define a vehicle travel route. The system further selects one of the second data groups based on third and fourth target points selected from the second target points.

Abstract: A steering torque is transmitted from a steering wheel side rotary member to a steering shaft side rotary member through a plurality of elastic bodies, when a steering wheel is turned. The elastic bodies are provided around a rotational center of a steering shaft which bending parts. A relative rotation produced between the steering wheel side rotary member and the steering shaft side rotary member is detected by detecting coils, because the detecting coils detect the change of the reluctance of the magnetic circuit of the rotary members and the detecting coil.

Abstract: A system for measuring a traveling direction of a vehicle includes a geomagnetic sensor and a gyro sensor. The system utilizes first and second indices for deriving the vehicle traveling direction. The first index is indicative of a disturbance of the geomagnetic field on a short distance basis, and the second index is indicative of a disturbance of the geomagnetic field on a long distance basis. The system varies a rate of dependence upon the geomagnetic sensor and the gyro sensor based on values of the first and second indices when calculating the vehicle traveling direction.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring a forward direction of a vehicle in which to derive a coordinate position of a center (O.sub.x, O.sub.y) of a directional circle derived from an output of a geomagnetic direction sensor after a magnetization on a vehicle body occurs, the magnetization on the vehicle body is determined from the output of the geomagnetic direction sensor installed in the vehicle and each parameter of a peak quantity (X.sub.max, Y.sub.max), peak direction (D.sub.x, D.sub.y), and a center value of an output circle before the present disturbance occurs is calculated, optimum coefficients are selected and set according to each parameter from among the previously derived coefficients, a magnetization quantity is calculated from each parameter and each optimum coefficient using a linear combination technique, and the coordinate position of the center of the output circle after the magnetization on the vehicle body occurs from the derived magnetization quantity.

Abstract: An automotive audio system separates audio signals from an audio signal source into first and second components. The first component of the audio signal is sent directly to a first main amplifier and reproduced through a main speaker or speakers. On the other hand, the second component of the audio signal is sent to a second main amplifier after a predetermined delay time determined by a delay circuit. The delayed second component of the audio signal is reproduced through a auxiliary speaker or speakers after the predetermined delay time. The first and auxiliary speakers are distinct and preferably located at different points in the vehicle compartment. As a result, the directly reproduced first component and the delayed second component are reproduced through different audio sound sources. This affords the listener higher-quality audio sound and better ambience. If necessary, an echo signal generator may be added to the second component reproduction system to provide an echo effect.

Abstract: In an apparatus for detecting a driving azimuth of a vehicle, a gyroscopic sensor signal and a geomagnetic sensor signal are acquired. When the vehicle is driven in a disturbed geomagnetic area such as a straight road, the acquired geomagnetic sensor signal does not correctly reflect the actual driving azimuth of the vehicle. Moreover, the gyroscopic sensor signal drifts over time. When the vehicle is in such a disturbed geomagnetic area, a variation amount in the acquired geomagnetic sensor signals is subtracted from another variation amount in the acquired gyroscopic sensor signals to obtain a driving azimuth similar to the actual driving azimuth.

Abstract: A system measures a traveling direction of a vehicle based on a direction toward a coordinate position defined by outputs of a geomagnetic sensor from a first coordinate position of a center of a corresponding output circle. The system utilizes a preliminary coordinate position as a preliminarily corrected value of the first coordinate position, a first value indicative of accuracy of the preliminary coordinate position and a second value which is variable depending on a variation in a magnetization level on a vehicle body. The system derives a finally corrected value of the first coordinate position based on the preliminary coordinate position and a latest value of the finally corrected value which has been derived in a prior execution of the system, by changing a rate which determines a point of the current finally corrected value between the latest finally corrected value and the preliminary coordinate position.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system and a method for improving the visibility of objects within the visual field of a vehicular driver while driving under optically adverse conditions. The system includes an optical filter with a pass band in the visible light range disposed in front of the eyes of the driver, and a light transmitter sending out a beam of visible light with frequency components within the pass band toward the object. In addition, this system protects the driver from being dazzled by light from an approaching vehicle in the opposite lane. The method includes the steps of allowing transmission of visible light with a first frequency component to the driver and transmitting visible light with a second frequency component into the visual field, the second frequency component being a subset of the first frequency component.

Abstract: Repeated announcements by a talking timepiece are selectable in two modes: predetermined intervals selected by a selector switch, or arbitrary intervals selected by a keyboard.

Abstract: A system for reproducing stereophonic signals to create a stereophonic sound image in front of each of listeners sitting side by side in a compartment. The system includes a right-hand loudspeaker positioned relative to the right of the first listener sitting on the right, a left-hand loudspeaker positioned relative to the left of the second listener sitting on the left, and a center loudspeaker positioned between the right- and left-hand loudspeakers. A signal generator generates R and L stereophonic signals. The R signal is applied to drive the right- and left-hand loudspeakers. The L signal is fed to drive the center loudspeaker. The signal generator includes a circuit for attenuating the R signal to the right-hand loudspeaker and a circuit for attenuating the R signal to the left-hand loudspeaker.

Abstract: An automotive audio system separates audio signals from an audio signal source into first and second components. The first component of the audio signal is sent directly to a first main amplifier through a first audio signal path and reproduced through a main speaker or speakers. On the other hand, the second component of the audio signal is sent to a second main amplifier through a second audio signal path. An echo system is provided with the second audio signal path, which echo system induces echos in the audio sound to be reproduced through the second main amplifier. The echo system is associated with a discriminator circuit which receives an audio signal output from the audio signal source and derives an echo system control signal on the basis of the audio signal. The echo signal control signal is fed to the echo system for controlling operation of the echo system.

Abstract: In order to support an annular member, to which the non-rotatable center hub is connected, on a tubular holder without permitting an axial play of the annular member relative to the tubular holder, an improved measure is disclosed which comprises an annular groove formed about the tubular holder, the rounded bottom surface of the annular groove being tapered toward the major portion of the tubular holder, and a snap ring coaxially disposed in the annular groove with its inner wall contacting with the tapered bottom surface of the annular groove and its inboard side surface slidably contacting with an axial end surface of the annular member.

Abstract: An original conveying apparatus includes a follower roller unit which is moved to its deployed position to define an extension of an original conveying path over the upper surface of the copying machine when a book carrier is used in order to convey an original having substantial thickness. A follower roller holding member is disposed within the unit and moves in interlocked relationship with the movement of the unit to its deployed position so as to maintain the follower roller in its position projecting above an original guide surface when the unit is moved to its deployed position.

Abstract: An audibly announcing apparatus capable of announcing updated time or results of arithmetic operations in the form of audible sounds or synthesized voices, for example, a talking clock and a talking calculator is provided with power saving circuitry. A detector is provided for detecting the operating state of the apparatus where audible sounds or synthesized voices are to be outputted. The power saving circuitry prevents power from being supplied to a voice generator consumes most of power dissipated by the apparatus, when it is not desired to output audible voices. The voice generator includes a central processing unit (CPU), a program read only memory (P-ROM) and a digital-to-analog converter.