Abstract: Provided is an autonomous travel system having an operation management unit including a map database with a combination of topological region maps, on which the range of travel of a vehicle is expressed as points and lines, and metric region maps, on which the travel range is expressed on planar maps; a vehicle position management unit for managing the position of the vehicle; and a vehicle travel planning unit for planning vehicle travel, which, if the vehicle is present near the boundary of a map, blocks the map boundary so that other vehicles will not advance into another map. The operation management unit is provided with a blockage setting unit for dividing a boundary section of a map into a plurality of regions and releasing the blockage of the boundary of a divided region in which no vehicles are present in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel.

Abstract: Provided is an autonomous travel system having an operation management unit including a map database with a combination of topological region maps, on which the range of travel of a vehicle is expressed as points and lines, and metric region maps, on which the travel range is expressed on planar maps; a vehicle position management unit for managing the position of the vehicle; and a vehicle travel planning unit for planning vehicle travel, which, if the vehicle is present near the boundary of a map, blocks the map boundary so that other vehicles will not advance into another map. The operation management unit is provided with a blockage setting unit for dividing a boundary section of a map into a plurality of regions and releasing the blockage of the boundary of a divided region in which no vehicles are present in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel.

Abstract: A map update data delivery method includes: storing update unit data compiled in correspondence to each set of update data used to update map data in a specific version to map data in another version for a map element by incorporating update data for another map element that must also be updated in coordination with a change made for the map element; searching for base update data needed to update a map data for a map element designated as an update target in a map area specified at a terminal as a map data update target; searching for related update data with a relation to contents of update data included in the base update data searched; and transmitting the base update data and the related update data to the terminal.

Abstract: A driving support device includes a maximum measurement range determination unit adapted to calculate a distance to a plurality of points on a surface of an object present at surroundings of a vehicle. A distance sensor such as a laser range finder or a stereo camera that measures a distance is used in order to estimate bias of an acceleration sensor with high accuracy upon correction of the bias by use of the distance sensor such as the stereo camera or the LRF in a GPS non-receiving section. A sensor parameter estimation unit is adapted to estimate a parameter of the acceleration sensor based on a behavior of an own vehicle obtained from a vehicle translation and rotation angle calculation means adapted to count backwards the vehicle behavior based on distance variation and also based on a measurement value of the acceleration sensor.

Abstract: In an autonomic traveling apparatus for a vehicle, vehicles usually travel an independent travel lane and when there are two approaching vehicles on the independent travel lane, they switch to pass-by lanes to pass by each other. To do this switching operation effectively, respective vehicles check and obtain road conditions around them while they are traveling and the obtained road conditions are transmitted to and collected by a travel administration center so that the road conditions at various points along the lanes can be obtained from the travel administration center. Accordingly, when the autonomic traveling trucks approaching each other and supposed to pass by each other, switch to the associated pass-by lanes, they change travel lanes avoiding the point of bad road condition on the basis of the road conditions sent from the travel administration center.

Abstract: A car navigation system 1 includes a HDD map 110 and a cached map 109. Map data for entire area is stored in the HDD, and map data used by a route search unit 115 and a guidance unit 116 are stored in the cached map 109. A cached map area specifying unit 108 specifies map data files that should be stored in the cached map 109 for each navigation application, and stores the names of the specified map data files, linked to the respective navigation applications, into a navigation application consistency management table 103. A consistency judgment unit 104 monitors an update status of a data file of which name stored in the navigation application consistency management table 103, and stores the update status (completed or not completed) into the navigation application consistency management table 103.

Abstract: A navigation device receives a differential map data from a map delivery server via a communication line. The map delivery server checks whether there is a new intersection on a navigation route searched by the navigation device after updating a map data. The navigation device acquires a differential map data containing the intersection from the map delivery server. Then, an update map data selection section determines whether the intersection can be updated in time. An update order determination section updates the differential map data which can be updated in time in ascending order of time required to reach the intersection.

Abstract: A digital broadcast receiving apparatus receives a digital broadcast signal, which consists of layers each obtained by dividing a transmission bandwidth into a plurality of segments and combining some of the segments, and outputs images and/or sound from one of the layers constituting the received digital signal. This apparatus is characterized by comprising broadcasting format retention means (channel to broadcasting format correspondence table database) for retaining the broadcasting format, for each layer, of each broadcast station and switching means (layer switching means) for switching the output layer based on the broadcasting format, for each layer, of each broadcast station retained in the broadcasting retention means. Thus, this apparatus can output images and sound without interruption.

Abstract: A location estimation system includes: a position measurement unit that receives position measurement signals from a plurality of sources of emission, and calculates position information of a first mobile object; a distance measurement unit that measures a distance from the first mobile object and to a second mobile object; a relationship determination unit that determines presence or absence of a relationship between the first mobile object and the second mobile object based upon relative position of the second mobile object based upon the distance, and selects position measurement signals from sources of emission that are different from the sources of emission of the position measurement signals received by the first mobile object; a position correction unit that corrects a position of the first mobile object based upon the position measurement signals received by the first mobile object and the position measurement signals selected by the relationship determination means.

Abstract: A point of interest (POI) search device includes: a static POI data storage means for storing therein a static POI data registered in advance; an added POI data storage means for storing therein an added POI data added or changed; a deleted POI data storage means for storing therein a deleted POI data for identifying a POI data which is not subjected to a search anymore, among the static POI data; a search keyword setting means; a computation switch means for computing the number of POI data matching the search keyword from among the static POI data and switching a computation processing of computing the number of POI data according to the computed number of POI data; and a POI search means for computing the number of POI data, using at least the static POI data and the added POI data according to the switched computation processing.

Abstract: The present invention discloses highly accurate driving control of a vehicle using map data. A car information system for controlling a driving control unit group is located in a vehicle. The car information system includes a map database for storing map data, a support area management table in which each kind of attribute data of the map data is associated with information for identifying a field-researched area, and a control unit for estimating an area through which the vehicle travels. The control unit uses a support area management table to judge whether attribute data included in the estimated area is associated with the support area.

Abstract: A route information supply system comprises a reception module which receives information on a current position and a destination from a terminal device by communication, a map data storage module storing at least detailed map data and summary map data, a traffic information storage module which stores traffic information, a route search module which searches for a guidance route based on the current position and the destination, a map information generation module which generates map information on an area containing the searched route by use of the map data storage module, and an output module which outputs the generated map information to the terminal device. When an event satisfying a prescribed condition regarding the traffic information exists in the area, the map information generation module generates map information on an area in the vicinity of a point where the event has occurred by use of the detailed map data.

Abstract: A road surface condition estimating device includes an undulation estimating portion for estimating undulations on the trajectory of a traveling vehicle from behavioral information about plural vehicles collected during travel of the vehicles, and a rut estimating portion for estimating undulations of ruts relative to the trajectories of the vehicles from the trajectories of traveling vehicles and from the behavioral information about the vehicles. The behavioral information includes information about positions, postures, and speeds of travel of the vehicles. Undulations on the trajectory of each traveling vehicle found by the undulation estimating portion and undulations of ruts relative to the trajectory of the traveling vehicle are superimposed for each vehicle to find road surface conditions, which are delivered to the vehicles.

Abstract: A location estimation system includes: a position measurement unit that receives position measurement signals from a plurality of sources of emission, and calculates position information of a first mobile object; a distance measurement unit that measures a distance from the first mobile object and to a second mobile object; a relationship determination unit that determines presence or absence of a relationship between the first mobile object and the second mobile object based upon relative position of the second mobile object based upon the distance, and selects position measurement signals from sources of emission that are different from the sources of emission of the position measurement signals received by the first mobile object; a position correction unit that corrects a position of the first mobile object based upon the position measurement signals received by the first mobile object and the position measurement signals selected by the relationship determination means.

Abstract: A map update data delivery method includes: storing update unit data compiled in correspondence to each set of update data used to update map data in a specific version to map data in another version for a map element by incorporating update data for another map element that must also be updated in coordination with a change made for the map element; searching for base update data needed to update a map data for a map element designated as an update target in a map area specified at a terminal as a map data update target; searching for related update data with a relation to contents of update data included in the base update data searched; and transmitting the base update data and the related update data to the terminal.

Abstract: In an autonomic traveling apparatus for a vehicle, vehicles usually travel an independent travel lane and when there are two approaching vehicles on the independent travel lane, they switch to pass-by lanes to pass by each other. To do this switching operation effectively, respective vehicles check and obtain road conditions around them while they are traveling and the obtained road conditions are transmitted to and collected by a travel administration center so that the road conditions at various points along the lanes can be obtained from the travel administration center. Accordingly, when the autonomic traveling trucks approaching each other and supposed to pass by each other, switch to the associated pass-by lanes, they change travel lanes avoiding the point of bad road condition on the basis of the road conditions sent from the travel administration center.

Abstract: A navigation device receives a differential map data from a map delivery server via a communication line. The map delivery server checks whether there is a new intersection on a navigation route searched by the navigation device after updating a map data. The navigation device acquires a differential map data containing the intersection from the map delivery server. Then, an update map data selection section determines whether the intersection can be updated in time. An update order determination section updates the differential map data which can be updated in time in ascending order of time required to reach the intersection.

Abstract: In a destination search function, a narrow search function for displaying the number of hits and next candidates, when an index having data on the number of hits and the next candidate characters is held and a narrow search is speeded up referring to the index during a search. Only about a narrow search result in which the hit numbers is large such that a search time is elongated when referring to numbers, indexes in which the number of hits and next candidate characters as the narrow search result are computed are previously stored. At the time of performing the narrow search, when the number of hits is small and the numbers and the next candidates are not registered, the numbers is counted. When the number of hits and the next candidate characters are registered in the index, the narrow search results are computed by using its registration result.

Abstract: A car navigation system 1 includes a HDD map 110 and a cached map 109. Map data for entire area is stored in the HDD, and map data used by a route search unit 115 and a guidance unit 116 are stored in the cached map 109. A cached map area specifying unit 108 specifies map data files that should be stored in the cached map 109 for each navigation application, and stores the names of the specified map data files, linked to the respective navigation applications, into a navigation application consistency management table 103. A consistency judgment unit 104 monitors an update status of a data file of which name stored in the navigation application consistency management table 103, and stores the update status (completed or not completed) into the navigation application consistency management table 103.

Abstract: A point of interest (POI) search device includes: a static POI data storage means for storing therein a static POI data registered in advance; an added POI data storage means for storing therein an added POI data added or changed; a deleted POI data storage means for storing therein a deleted POI data for identifying a POI data which is not subjected to a search anymore, among the static POI data; a search keyword setting means; a computation switch means for computing the number of POI data matching the search keyword from among the static POI data and switching a computation processing of computing the number of POI data according to the computed number of POI data; and a POI search means for computing the number of POI data, using at least the static POI data and the added POI data according to the switched computation processing.