Abstract: An in image display apparatus having a first display control unit for displaying a map image on a display panel on the basis of map data, a second display control unit for displaying real images of facilities such as ballparks, which images have the same scale of that of the map image, in areas corresponding to the facilities such as ballparks on the map image on the basis of area information indicating the areas corresponding to the facilities such as ballparks on the map image, and real image data associated with position coordinates.

Abstract: In a car navigation system (1), a position information detection means (11) detects position information on a vehicle using, for example, a GPS. A travel information history of the vehicle obtained based on the detected position information is accumulated in a travel information history means (15). When detecting an event such as start of an engine, an action prediction means (17) predicts a destination of the vehicle by referring to a route to the current time and to the accumulated travel information history. Commercial or traffic information regarding the predicted destination is acquired by an information acquisition means (18) from a server (2), and then is displayed on a screen, for example, by an information provision means (19).

Abstract: A system with a sensor assembly is used to determine direction of movement of an object so that accuracy of position calculation is improved. The sensor assembly measures at least two operational characteristics and generates corresponding operational characteristic signals. A control unit monitors and compares transitions of the signals to more accurately determine direction of movement for the object.

Abstract: The present invention relates to data mapping and involves the mapping of at least one feature from one data set to a corresponding feature in a second data set. Individual points of the features are initially mapped and an transformation for mapping the entire feature is derived from the individual mappings. The feature mapping may be used to enhance vehicle navigation, in feature tracking algorithms, and in image processing systems.

Abstract: A vehicle apparatus mounted on a vehicle measures data of the vehicle, a roadside apparatus provided correspondingly to a moving region where the vehicle is to move, and a center station for receiving the data processed at the roadside apparatus. The roadside apparatus comprises a road-to-vehicle communicating section for receiving the measurement data from the vehicle apparatus, a measurement-data storing section for storing the measurement data received at the road-to-vehicle communicating section, a measurement-data summarizing section for summarizing the measurement data stored in the measurement-data storing section, and a roadside-to-center communicating section for sending the summarization measurement data summarized by the measurement-data summarizing section to the center station.

Abstract: In a separate-window-display map search-and-display unit, where a current position or a cursor position arrives at a predetermined area near the outer circumference of a screen image during cursor-moving map scroll display is performed, a map-display-scale calculation unit calculates a wide-area map on a predetermined scale for displaying the current position and the cursor position on the same screen and a two-point-display map-search display searches for and displays a predetermined map. A separate-frame-window-display detailed-map search-and-display unit displays a current-position-centered detailed map and a cursor-position-centered detailed map in separate-frame windows.

Abstract: A navigation terminal device includes a map information receiving unit for receiving the map of the region around a reference point from the web server by inputting retrieval information; a display screen for displaying the received map; a route line drawing unit for drawing the destination from the starting point of the reference point by screen scrolling, computing the orientation from the reference point to the destination, and displaying the route line which can be traced from the reference point to the destination; a map information requesting unit for requesting again that the web server distributes the map information of the adjacent peripheral region if the destination is not within the received map of the peripheral region; and a route line re-drawing unit for searching the destination by screen scrolling the updated map information, re-compute the orientation and re-draw the route line.

Abstract: An in-vehicle navigation system includes a receiver for receiving real-time traffic information (RTTI), a database for storing routine trip information, and a processor for running a regular route application. The regular route application includes a learning mode program and an operational mode program. The learning mode program records information regarding trips regularly taken by a vehicle and populates the database with records of routine trip information. The recorded trip information can include driver identifiers, trip departure times, origin points, destination points, dates of travel, days of travel, and route data. When the vehicle begins a new trip, the operational mode program determines whether the vehicle is engaging in a routine trip. This is accomplished by comparing current vehicle location or departure time information to routine trip information in the database.

Abstract: Index data is provided for a retrieval method whose retrieval key does not contain positional information. From such index data, meshes are used to define an area (A1) based on the extent of a user's living area around a retrieval center (P) such as a current position, for example. A retrieval process extracts only index data corresponding to all institutions belonging to the meshes included in this area. The obtained index data is applicable to vicinities of the current position. Accordingly, it is possible to retrieve specific institutions near the current position without calculating distances using coordinate data for institutions included in detail information. As a result, the time for the retrieval process can be shortened.

Abstract: A road map display device including a road map information memory for memorizing road map data on a two-dimensional coordinate and a detection device for detecting a present position and a travel direction of an automotive vehicle, wherein the two-dimensional coordinate of the road map data is read out from the information memory in accordance with the present position and travel direction of the vehicle detected by the detection device and displayed in the form of a plane view on a screen of a display unit.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for reducing the number of maneuvers presented in narrative driving directions for a route from an origin location to a destination location. Maneuvers are combined to reduce the number of maneuvers presented. Maneuvers may be combined based on a maneuver being associated with a highway interchange or maneuvers including a shared reference to a particular road.

Abstract: A content providing area presentation system is configured to present content providing area candidates to enable a user to readily select an appropriate content providing area when at least one of the content providing area candidates is presented to the user. The content providing area presentation system comprises a user inputting section and a displaying section. The user inputting section is configured and arranged to request content providing area candidates for presenting at least one of the content providing area candidates to a user based on a selection criterion. The displaying section is configured and arranged to display the at least one of the content providing area candidates in response to the selection criterion established by the user inputting section.

Abstract: A navigation device in which, in accordance with a scrolling instruction given by a user during display on a first screen, a map image is scrolled along a road on which a vehicle position mark is positioned up to a position in a second screen in which a next main intersection is situated at the center of the screen. Regardless of whether a guide route is set, the map image can be scrolled along the road, and the scrolling is stopped at a main intersection that the user wants to confirm.

Abstract: When a user pushes a scroll-direction key, an ECU obtains, from a memory, a division map corresponding to a division located in a direction designated by the scroll-direction key. The ECU then outputs the division map to a display controller. The display controller compresses the division map to store in a VRAM. At scrolling a displayed image, the display controller expands the compressed division map. It then outputs, to an image signal generator, only a necessary portion of the expanded division map. Thereby, the displayed image can be scrolled at high speed and easily recognizable for the user.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation system has a plurality of maps, measurement modes, and operation modes. When the measurement mode is a standard in an accuracy priority mode, low detail rate map is used to display a current position. When the measurement mode is a precise measurement in the accuracy priority mode, a city map is used to display the current position. When the low detail rate map is used in a map priority mode, the measurement mode is set to the standard. When the city map is used in the map priority mode, the measurement mode is set to the precise measurement.

Abstract: The navigation apparatus includes a unit for displaying a real image on a display screen on the basis of real image data, and a unit for displaying additional information such as a primary place name or a primary building name in a position where the additional information should be displayed on the real image, on the basis of additional information data corresponding to the additional information and position data showing the position where the additional information should be displayed. Further, the navigation apparatus has a function of limiting the display area of the additional information so as to prevent the additional information from being displayed in an area having a relatively high level of importance. Thus, the real image is prevented from being difficult to see in the area having a high level of importance.

Abstract: A display method and apparatus for a navigation system continuously provides the user the predetermined type of information, typically, the route to the destination even when the user changes the screen to any type of screen in the middle of the route guidance mode. The display method is comprised of the steps of starting a route guidance mode for guiding a user to a destination, detecting whether a user has changed to a new screen different from that in the route guidance mode, determining whether the user has reached the destination, displaying a route guidance screen within the new screen when the user has not reached the destination.

Abstract: Such a system is provided in which a map can be supplied to a user to permit the user to grasp the geography easily, if the address or the telephone number of an installation of destination, such as a restaurant, is stated, even though the scheme of displaying a map picture is not stated by an information provider in a text document of a preset format. An HTML analyzer 211 initiates an analysis loop of an HTML document being browsed to extract a location information letter/character string, which is seemingly an address or a telephone number, from the HTML document. A location searcher 212 calculates the latitude/longitude of a site from the location information letter/character string received through controller 217, using a site information database 213, and sends the so calculated latitude/longitude through controller 217 to a map picture generating unit 214.

Abstract: A system and process is presented that identifies nearby objects and/or points in relation to a base object or point. An object or point is nearby if it resides within a prescribed area around the base point. The identification is based on information accessed from a database of geometric data. The identification of nearby neighbors begins by dividing the geographic system defined by said geometric data into a plurality of zones. The zone in which each object or point resides and the zones intersected by the prescribed area are determined. The nearby objects and/or points of interest are then identified by initially considering only those that are identified as residing in the zones intersected by the prescribed area. The search for nearby neighbors can be further refined by limiting the objects and/or points considered to those with locations within the lateral extent and/or within the height of the prescribed area.

Abstract: A list of places of interest geographically located near a travel route may be generated by accessing a routing database storing shape points capable of defining a travel route, determining a travel route from the shape points stored in the routing database, accessing a place of interest database including geographic centers, selecting from the places of interest database at least one geographic center that is geographically proximate to the travel route, and generating a list of places of interest associated with at least one of the selected geographic centers.

Abstract: A method for determining and outputting travel instructions is described, which functions to support a user through travel instructions, a sequence of travel instructions being determined by a central station, so that a data terminal of a user may be configured in a simple manner.

Abstract: Method, apparatus and program product are provided for controlling the number of symbols presented on an vehicle electronic map display by using a first threshold constant for the number of symbols to be presented in FULL detail and a second threshold constant for the number of symbols to be presented in MINIMUM detail. In a first embodiment, the total number of selected symbols is compared to the threshold constants for each symbol type. In a second embodiment, the number of symbols of each type is compared to the respective threshold constants for each type. Excessive map clutter is avoided without regard to the map range selected by the user and for both high density and sparse map regions.

Abstract: A method for transmitting location-related data information between a main station and a mobile terminal is described, as well as a main station and a mobile terminal are described, which provide a position tracing of the mobile terminal or a navigational application on the display device of the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal may include a mobile telecommunications terminal. In a first step, a position of a mobile terminal is ascertained and transmitted to the main station. In a second step, location-related data information for the mobile terminal is formed in the main station, in dependence upon the ascertained position of the mobile terminal. In a third step, the location-related data information is transmitted from the main station to the mobile terminal. In a fourth step, the location-related data information received is brought to reproduction on a reproduction device of the mobile terminal.

Abstract: A map data transmitting server is interconnected with a vehicle terminal through a wireless network. The vehicle terminal determines a range of cells of which cell data are required for navigation based on vehicle state information, and requests the map data transmitting server to transmit the cell data of the cells thereto.

Abstract: In order to simplify the setting of interchanges for getting on and off, a navigation system has an information retrieval processing unit for obtaining map data and interchanges for getting on and off, a display unit which displays a setup screen for displaying a map including the interchanges for getting on and off and, on the same screen, a simple road chart including neighboring interchanges for getting on and off. When the map is scrolled, the simple road chart is renewed so as to correspond to the area to which the map is scrolled, and the setting of the interchanges for getting on and off is simplified.

Abstract: An electronic device is built including a memory, a processor, and a display. The processor is configured to calculate an array of estimated travel time data from a first location to a plurality of locations within a destination area from a set of situational parameters and a set of user parameters. These situational parameters may include data such as: the location, condition, and speed limits of roads and paths; the availability of public transportation; terrain information such as elevation, slope, the presence of trails and vegetation; and weather information such as wind speed and precipitation. User parameters may include data such as: the user's mode of transportation, the user's physical abilities, and the load the user is carrying.

Abstract: An electronic device detects a discontinuous figure in an old-new connection portion between old and new data and performs shape correction so as to restore the continuous figure. In this case, only the old data is corrected. Particular shape correction methods are as follows: (a) only the old-data side shape point P1 in the old-new connection portion is moved to match the new-data side shape point SP1; (b) other shape points P2 to P5 are moved in parallel by the same amount as that of movement of the shape point P1 in the old-new connection portion; and (c) among the old-data side shape points P1 to P5, the farthest shape point P5 from the shape point P1 in the old-new connection portion is not moved as a reference, and the other shape points P1 to P4 are moved in accordance with distance from the farthest shape point P5.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a method of transmitting position information of a digital map which can enhance matching precision on a receiving side. The invention provides a method of transmitting position information of a digital map in which a transmitting side transmits a vector shape on the digital map and a receiving side specifies the vector shape on a self-digital map by map matching, wherein the transmitting side selects a portion in which a plurality of candidate points are generated with difficulty during the map matching as an endpoint of the vector shape and transmits the vector shape having the endpoint in the portion to the receiving side. Mismatching on the receiving side can be prevented and the position information on the digital map can be transmitted accurately.

Abstract: Map data are managed by use of map file names representing given areas. In each map file name, the first character denotes a map structure code; the second character represents a zoom level for a zoom-in or zoom-out operation of the map on display; and the third through the fifth character stand for an X-direction unit code and the sixth through the eighth character for a Y-direction unit code, indicating where the map in question is located on the same zoom level. The eight-byte file name plus a three-byte extension constitutes each map file name. Furthermore, map data are managed by use of floor file names representing floors in buildings.

Abstract: A navigation device includes: a display device which displays a map; a route search device which searches a route based upon a departure location, an enroute location, and a destination location which have been inputted; an enroute location addition device which adds the enroute location with an enroute location addition screen which is displayed upon the display device; and a display control device which displays the enroute location addition screen with the map upon the display device.

Abstract: “Path-enhanced” multimedia (PEM) data may be viewed, modified, or interacted with according to user selected views which determine the manner in which at least a portion of the PEM data is displayed. The PEM data is stored in a data structure as a scrapbook object including first data object types corresponding to the PEM data and second object types corresponding to the different view types. The scrapbook object data structure lends itself to displaying portions of the PEM data according to selected views that correspond to a particular time and place or to a particular time ordered sequence of locations (i.e., a particular path segment) and/or can be enhanced with other multimedia content related to that time and place or to that path segment, thereby providing a more interesting and effective display of the “path-enhanced” recorded events.

Abstract: An in-car computing device comprising a computer unit (12), a display screen (20) for displaying information (54-58, 82), a cursor (62) and option menus with individual option menu items, and a control element (22, 23, 24) for moving the cursor on the display screen two-dimensionally and for selecting option menu items. The in-car computing device further comprises a first unit (34) for detecting a display region of predetermined information (54-58, 82) on the display, a second unit (36) for determining a pull-in region (60) of a predetermined size for a display region, and a third unit (30) for applying an operating force to the control element (22) when the cursor (62) is in the pull-in region (60) such that the cursor is moved into the corresponding display region.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation system includes a computer-based control unit with a display unit. A group of regions or spots on a given map are designated beforehand as on-map targets. A judgement is made as to whether a predetermined condition for each on-map target, having been set beforehand, is fulfilled or not based on vehicle traveling conditions. The result of judgement is memorized. A user is informed directly or indirectly of the present status as to fulfillment/nonfulfillment of the predetermined condition for each on-map target based on the judgement information.

Abstract: A communication navigation system that performs navigation, using map data stored in a map database site and current position data about navigation terminals, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminals via a communication network such as the Internet, wherein the map data includes data units respectively corresponding to a plurality of display elements for display on a map, and the data units are given respective priority levels. The map database site is provided with a server for transmitting the data units via the communication network according to the respective priority levels. Each navigation terminal is provided with a transmitter/receiver for sequentially receiving the data units transmitted from the server, and a display subsystem for sequentially displaying the display elements respectively corresponding to the data units received by the transmitter/receiver, on the map.

Abstract: A device, a method, an adjusting device, and a mobile system for providing location-dependent information. It is proposed to use a device (1) which utilizes a navigation system (2) to detect its own position within an environment in relation to a map (4), in order to reproduce the location-dependent information. The device has a reproduction device (3) for providing the information (I1 . . . Im) associated with the corresponding locations (P1 . . . Pn). To store the information, a storage medium (5) is provided either locally in the device or in a central data memory (9) of a server (7) that is separate from the device. The range (10) around a position (P1 . . . Pn) within which the information is to be provided is defined by parameters, such as by radius (11) and/or by sector (12). An adjusting device (13) with an input screen (14), for entering the parameters, is also preferably provided.

Abstract: A map data reading and processing section acquires map information belonging to a hierarchical structure classified depending on coverage of a road map, a remote controller specifies a bypass region to bypass traffic of a vehicle in response to an input operation, and the route search processing section of a navigating function section searches for a route that detours the bypass region when the bypass region is included within the coverage of the map information belonging to a hierarchy acquired by the map data reading and processing section.

Abstract: A location management method manages the location of a member which move around carrying a GPS-equipped portable telephone. The method includes inquiring of the GPS-equipped portable telephone about its current location, making the GPS-equipped portable telephone return positional information of the current location measured by the GPS function, managing the returned positional information of the current location in a file, searching a map database based on the positional information of the current location, and preparing and displaying map data linked with the positional information of the current location.

Abstract: A map data production system includes a workstation, a keyboard, a mouse, a data storage and a display. The data storage stores road map data. A section of a road on a map read from the data storage and displayed on a display. An access road, grade data of which will be added or altered, is specified by clicking its start and end points on the map with the mouse. An elevation value of the road in the specified section is entered at a data entry screen display on the display by a user via the keyboard. A grade value of the road in the specified section is calculated from the entered elevation value and map data stored in the data storage. The calculated grade value is added to the road map data and stored in the data storage.

Abstract: A display method and apparatus for a navigation system for receiving traffic information and displaying traffic incidents in a manner easily and quickly comprehensible by a user of the navigation system. The navigation system applies various criteria to the traffic incidents and the route to the destination and determines an order of displaying the traffic incidents in accordance with the degrees of severity to the driving to the intended or calculated route to the destination. In other aspect, instead of assigning the listing order, colors are assigned to the traffic incident icons based on the degrees of severity.

Abstract: A technique is provided to display a view perspective of an electronic map containing a number of viewable points of interest about a point of reference. The technique assigns a weighted importance value to each point of interest. Before displaying the view perspective of the requested map, the weighted importance value of each point of interest is summed and compared against a target value. If the summed weight substantially equals the predefined, the corresponding viewable points of interest are displayed in the view perspective.

Abstract: A navigation method and system for displaying a map image and shrinking the map image relative to a center point or a reference line on the map image by a non-linear function so that an image outside of the display screen becomes visible on the screen without much decreasing the size thereof. In the first embodiment, the image is coaxially shrinked relative to the center point. In the second embodiment, the images perpendicular to the reference line are shifted toward the reference line. Because of the non-linear function, the images are shrinked with higher degree at around the center point or the reference line than that far away, thereby bringing in the far away images without much decreasing the size thereof. The shrink ratios of the images at the same distance from the center point or the reference line are the same throughout the display screen.

Abstract: In a navigation system, display screen handling PG 2032 prepares hierarchically a plurality of operation screens to receive the setting from the operator, and changes the operation screen displayed on display 208 according to the content of the operation to operation button group 207 by the operator, the operation screen under the display, and said layered structure. Further, communication control PG 2032 controls cellular phone 30 through cellular phone IF 204 when it is necessary to receive the information from the information service center 10 in order to process according to the setting given by the operator through each of a series of operation screens displayed on display 208, and establishes the communication line between information service center 10 and this system. And, after information is received, the communication line is cut off.

Abstract: A method for collecting data for a geographic database is disclosed. A plurality of vehicles moving on roads in a geographic region collects data indicating position of the vehicle. For a location on a selected road, the method obtains a cross sectional distribution of the position data. The method identifies a number of steps in the distribution indicating a number of lanes on the selected road and updates the geographic database with data indicating the number of lanes.

Abstract: Of the pieces of facility information of the map information stored in map information storage section 6, those that need to be altered are stored in editing information storage section 10. Each piece of positional information on a facility in the updating information relating to the facility and specifically describing alterations is linked to a piece of pre-edition information and stored in the editing information storage section 10 as post-edition information to generate a pair of pieces of editing information. As a destination is selected and input at operation section 7, the editing information is retrieved and a piece of pre-edition information or post-edition information containing positional information same as that of the destination is detected. The pre-edition information is replaced by the updating information of the detected post-edition information of the editing information to define the destination and the route of movement.

Abstract: A vehicle-equipped navigation apparatus and a navigation communication system which are capable of providing a clear display and preventing own vehicle position information from draining out to third parties. A setting part is provided for setting a remote vehicle either in a valid state or in an invalid state, such that only a remote vehicle position transmitted from a remote vehicle set in the valid state is displayed on a display together with an own vehicle position.

Abstract: Index data is provided for a retrieval method whose retrieval key does not contain positional information. From such index data, meshes are used to define an area (A1) based on the extent of a user's living area around a retrieval center (P) such as a current position, for example. A retrieval process extracts only index data corresponding to all institutions belonging to the meshes included in this area. The obtained index data is applicable to vicinities of the current position. Accordingly, it is possible to retrieve specific institutions near the current position without calculating distances using coordinate data for institutions included in detail information. As a result, the time for the retrieval process can be shortened.

Abstract: A display method and apparatus for navigation system enables a user to easily see crowded POI icons and their positions in a small area on the map image by shifting the positions of POI icons in radial directions. The display method includes the steps of specifying POI icons on a map image within a region of a predefined region mark, forming a position rim which is a circle with a center of the region mark, displacing the POI icons within the region mark in radial directions to the position rim, displaying position marks at positions where the POI icons are located before the displacement within the region mark, and displaying lead lines each connecting the POI icon displaced to the position rim and the corresponding position mark.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for outputting data relating to an attribute with a stipulated position on a digital road map.

Abstract: A terminal unit (400) acquires navigation electric wave, generates an assumed coordinate information, and transmits the information to a position information processing device (320) over a network (200), so that the position information processing device (320) generates a position information on the current position of the terminal unit (400) and an accuracy information on a positioning accuracy. The terminal unit (400) acquires the position information and the accuracy information from the position information processing device (320) and transmits them to a server unit (500) over the network (200) with information on a display area where a map is displayed. The server unit (500) sets a scale rate of the map based on the accuracy information and calculates a circular area where the terminal unit (400) may be located.

Abstract: “Path-enhanced” multimedia (PEM) data may be viewed, modified, or interacted with according to user selected views which determine the manner in which at least a portion of the PEM data is displayed. The PEM data is stored in a data structure as a scrapbook object including first data object types corresponding to the PEM data and second object types corresponding to the different view types. The scrapbook object data structure lends itself to displaying portions of the PEM data according to selected views that correspond to a particular time and place or to a particular time ordered sequence of locations (i.e., a particular path segment) and/or can be enhanced with other multimedia content related to that time and place or to that path segment, thereby providing a more interesting and effective display of the “path-enhanced” recorded events.