Abstract: Systems, methods, and programs for navigation guide to a destination along a searched route and receive road information and traffic information including traffic congestion information. If according to the received traffic congestion information, traffic congestion is detected on the guidance route, the systems, methods, and programs search a detour route to avoid such congestion. The systems, methods, and programs guide to a destination along the detour route. If traffic congestion which was previously avoided by the detour route is determined to have been eased, the systems, methods, and programs search for a new route and switches guidance from the detour route to the new route.

Abstract: An image display device is provided that includes an information storage device in which names of destinations are stored; name obtaining unit for obtaining names from the information storage device on the basis of an input device and its operation; a display for displaying character strings on a menu screen; a name display unit for displaying names obtained by the name obtaining unit in respective rows in a plurality of areas on the menu screen; and a display change unit for displaying character strings of names in a plurality of rows upon determining whether character strings of names to be displayed cannot fit in the display area. When the operator operates the input device, names are obtained from the information storage device and if character strings of names to be displayed cannot fit in the display areas, the character strings of the names are displayed in a plurality of rows.

Abstract: A system for executing guidance to a destination properly even if the destination is connected to a non-guidance target road, such as a small street. The system has a judgment device for determining whether a road connecting to a destination on the searched route is a non-guidance target road, a controller for determining a guidance terminating point on the basis of the determinative result of the judgment device, wherein if a road connecting to a destination is a non-guidance target road as determined by the judgment device, then the last intersection point of the guidance target road to the non-guidance target road or a road end closest to the departure side of the non-guidance target road is determined as a guidance terminating point.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation system is presented for performing guidance along route which produces an intersection image upon controlling a drawing area of the intersection image on the basis of information and route regarding the intersection existing on the route which requires guidance. The navigation system display control unit determines the drawing area of the intersection image on the basis of map information stored in a memory, route information stored in a route memory and information concerning an intersection requiring route information and guidance prior to producing the intersection image.

Abstract: Even when the present position does not exist on a guide road after deviation from an established guide route, a guide road is identified and a more advantageous route is identified. Furthermore, only a minimum amount of required data are displayed on the map picture. The searching again is executed by taking the direction of progress of the car into consideration. Street names of the roads are displayed on the guide map, enabling a guide route to be easily recognized. A particular area is specified by a postal code number or by a telephone number, and the streets or the facilities in the specified area are displayed. This makes it easier to search the destination.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation system is made to generate bitmap image data necessary for navigation, including map data, road data, font data, etc., and then to transmit a pattern (font) image and an enlarged intersection image to a display.

Abstract: The invention provides a vehicular navigation system which is capable of lowering the cost of detecting road data stored in order in the outgoing trip, using the road data as resources in the return trip, and determining a route meeting the requirements of the user. According to a vehicular navigation system of the invention, when a vehicle is traveling on a road having bidirectional data along an outgoing route from a starting point to a destination, a road on the opposite side of the road on which the vehicle is traveling is stored as return route data with a lowered cost of route determination. Such a storing operation is performed for each node passed by the vehicle. The return route data thus stored are used to determine a return route.

Abstract: The present invention provides a navigation system for guiding a driver along an optimum route by comparing a route with preference on the traveling direction of a vehicle with a route with no preference on the traveling direction thereof when the driver is guided from the current position thereof up to a destination. To search for a route, a first route with preference on the traveling direction of a vehicle is calculated (1) and then, a second route with no preference on the traveling direction thereof is calculated (2). An appropriate route is selected from found routes according to a predetermined setting condition (3) and displayed on screen. The setting condition includes comparison of distances of respective routes and time lengths required for traveling thereon, ease of traveling, width and type of roads, scenery and the like.

Abstract: In a navigation apparatus for a vehicle, a route is determined in an ordinary-road-preferential mode or a toll-road-preferential mode, and route guidance is provided based on the thus-determined route. When the vehicle deviates from the determined route, redetermination is conducted so as to obtain a new route based on which guidance is provided. For example, when the vehicle has deviated from a route determined in the ordinary-road-preferential mode in order to enter a toll road, the user operates a toll-road-preference ON touch button so to change the determination mode to the toll-road preferential mode, so that route redetermination is carried out in a state in which priority is given to toll roads. In the navigation apparatus, optimum interchanges of a special road are automatically searched, and a route that preferentially uses the special road is calculated.

Abstract: A vehicular navigation system includes a present-position sensing unit (2), an information storage unit (3), input/output means (1) for entering a destination and a transit point, designating execution of a route search from the present position sensed by the present-position sensing unit to the destination or the transit point, and a central processor (4) having route searching means for performing a route search from the present position to the destination or transit point, route storage means for temporarily storing a route that has been found, route-guidance control means which outputs a signal for performing route guidance, and route travel determination means for determining whether the present position of the automotive vehicle is on the suggested route. When execution of a route search is designated while the vehicle is traveling on the suggested route, a route different from the suggested route is retrieved.

Abstract: According to the invention, when a target name is inputted using characters such as alphabet and numerics, strings of characters or numerics are compared with data of registered places each time one character is inputted, names of registered places including the inputted string of characters or numerics is listed, and the number of registered target names remaining on the list is displayed.When the target name is inputted in characters, the inputted data is compared with a list of the registered names having word components arranged in different orders with respect to a single official name by a forward match comparison, and the number of registered target names remaining on the list with forward match is displayed.When the number of the inputted characters or numerics increases and the number of registered target names remaining on the list decreases, a list of the registered place names is displayed. The target name is selected from this list.

Abstract: A voice route-guidance system for vehicles which terminates its route-guidance when the vehicle arrives at the destination and even if the present position of the vehicle is measured with low accuracy. An approach judging unit judges that the vehicle approaches a point spaced apart from a destination by a predetermined distance. A guidance termination judging unit further judges whether or not there is a point in which the route-guidance should be carried out between the present vehicle position and the destination. From these judgments, the system judges that the vehicle approaches the point spaced apart from the destination by the predetermined distance and also that all the route-guidance has been terminated. Thus, a termination unit terminates the route-guidance.

Abstract: The present invention provides a navigation system for guiding a driver along an optimum route by comparing a route with preference on the traveling direction of a vehicle with a route with no preference on the traveling direction thereof when the driver is guided from the current position thereof up to a destination. To search for a route, a first route with preference on the traveling direction of a vehicle is calculated (1) and then, a second route with no preference on the traveling direction thereof is calculated (2). An appropriate route is selected from found routes according to a predetermined setting condition (3) and displayed on screen. The setting condition includes comparison of distances of respective routes and time lengths required for traveling thereon, ease of traveling, width and type of roads, scenery and the like.