Abstract: The navigation system according to the present invention, which guides a subject vehicle to a destination by displaying at a display monitor an arrow indicating the direction of the next turn instead of displaying a map includes a decision-making device that makes a decision as to whether or not the subject vehicle is currently located on a recommended route to a destination set in advance based upon the current position of the subject vehicle, an abridged map generating device that generates an abridged map by abridging a map based upon map data and a display control device that displays at the display monitor the abridged map and the subject vehicle position if the decision-making device determines that the subject vehicle is not currently located on the recommended route.

Abstract: A deviant position detector that determines whether or not a vehicle deviated from a set route, detects route deviation information such as a route deviated position when a vehicle deviated, and stores it as past route deviation information in a route deviant position memory. A route searching device searches a route to a destination based on information obtained by a position detector and a map information acquiring device, and further searches past route deviation information obtained from the route deviant position memory. A route guidance changing device determines whichever route guidance method is the best based on information obtained by the route searching device and from the route deviant position memory, and instructs a route guidance outputting device to output the best route guidance method.

Abstract: A route searching system is provided with: a road map database for storing a road map data; a searching device for performing a link cost calculation on the basis of the road map data and thereby searching an optimal route. The searching device increases or decreases the link cost of a link corresponding to a road section that requires a difficult turn on a route option, the difficult turn being a right turn or a left turn, one of which is more difficult than the other in accordance with a traffic rule, and connecting a node corresponding to an intersection, in at least two cases depending on the difficulty of the difficult turn at the intersection.

Abstract: A number of traveling routes are determined by computations, using a route processor and map information on the basis of current position information and destination information. The rating of the current traffic jam or the predicted traffic jam on each of the traveling routes is recognized based on a traffic jam prediction table and a calendar table obtained by statistically processing VICS data and past traffic conditions in terms of temporal elements. The number of traveling routes to which candidate traveling routes are narrowed is increased as the traffic jam rating is raised. Thus, the number of candidate traveling routes from which a user can select the actual traveling route is increased as the traffic jam rating rises in order to accommodate a situation where secondary traffic jams can take place on any candidate traveling route, thereby providing the user with useful traveling route information and appropriate guidance.

Abstract: A device tracking location adherence and route adherence technology, is disclosed that at least provides a tracked device receiving, a set of coordinates associated with a boundary area, and obtaining a position of the tracked device. Based upon the received coordinates and the detected position of the tracked device, a determination is made as to whether the tracked device is located inside the boundary area or outside the boundary area. An alert signal is then generated and transmitted if the result of the determining is different from an immediately previous obtained result. The system allows, for example, drastic reduction in the amount of data traffic required within a system since the tracked device performs much of the necessary processing. This is especially advantageous where a fleet of tracked devices are employed within a network.

Abstract: Construction machine management, permitting operation of a construction machine only under specified conditions and inhibiting its operation in case it is in a state incongruent with preset working conditions. Working conditions for each construction machine are set up by a working conditions setup means, including a geographically divided working area and a working time zone in which a construction machine is allowed to operate in a specified working area. Setup working conditions are stored in a memory means. At the time of starting a construction machine, the status of the construction machine is checked for by a status checkup means which is adapted to check for current position of the construction machine and current time against the working area and working time zone of the setup working conditions.

Abstract: A preferred route may be determined from an origin location to a destination location. The preferred route avoids a particular maneuver or particular maneuvers identified by a user. The determination is made by processing directed links (e.g., one-way edges) in a graph that includes one or more links and two or more nodes. The determination of a preferred route may include an estimate of the time required at one or more intersections along alternative routes and/or an estimate of the time required to travel the alternative routes based on the day of the week or the day of the year in which travel occurs. Individual routing preferences, such as a preference of a rural over an urban route and avoiding particular maneuvers in a route, also may be considered.

Abstract: A navigation system that searches for a route to a destination based on stored map data and provides navigation guidance to the destination along the route includes a controller that acquires road congestion information associated with the route, searches for the route to the destination based on a calculated search cost and changes a search cost based on predicted secondary congestion that is predicted based on acquired road congestion information, wherein a recommendable route that can avoid congestion is searched based on the search cost that has been changed based on the predicted secondary congestion.

Abstract: A navigation system that searches for a route to a destination based on stored map data that provides navigation guidance to the destination along the route, including a controller that searches for a first route to the destination as a route to be recommended based on a calculation of a search cost, detects whether the first route includes a curve, changes the search cost for any detected curve, searches for a second route to the destination based on the search cost that has been changed and employs the second route as the route to be recommended instead of the first route.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for receiving traffic update information and reroute information from a telematics service call center in a mobile vehicle. The mobile vehicle monitors a satellite broadcast signal for the traffic update information. The traffic update information is extracted. The mobile vehicle determines whether the traffic update information is relevant to its current route. If the traffic update information is deemed relevant, an alert is signaled.

Abstract: A method and system for collecting and distributing vehicle traffic congestion information is disclosed. The method and system optionally involves deploying probe vehicles or other data sources for collecting and transmitting detailed traffic information which describes vehicle speeds actually being experienced along the routes of interest and transmitting all this information into a central computer at a central traffic data station, where the data are processed.

Abstract: An off-road trail recording method and apparatus for use with a navigation system for recording an off-road trail when a vehicle travels in an off-road area to safely return to the original road. The off-road trail recording is achieved without regard to on/off settings of the off-road trail recording function by the user. The navigation system automatically detects that the vehicle has left the road and starts recording the off-road trail in a background mode without display the off-road trail. When the user turns on the off-road trail recording function later, the navigation system prompts the user to decide whether the off-road trail recorded in the background should be recovered in a normal mode. The navigation system provides various means for recording the off-road trail with reduced resolution when the memory capacity is exhausted or insufficient.

Abstract: A method of route calculation in an vehicle navigation device is described, whereby a route from a starting location or a current location to a destination location is calculated, so that in the case of a deficiency in the vehicle or a deficiency impairing the driver of the vehicle, the route to an alternate destination location which has facilities for eliminating the deficiency is calculated instead of the original destination location. In addition, a method of navigation of a driver of a vehicle from a starting location to at least one destination location is also described, a trip route from the starting location or a current location to the at least one destination location being determined, and driving instructions being generated as a function of a current location so that in the case of a deficiency in the vehicle or a deficiency impairing the driver of the vehicle, the trip route to an alternate destination location which has the facilities for eliminating the deficiency is calculated.

Abstract: An emergency reporting device is configured to reduce the load of communication circuits of base stations when sending emergency signals. The emergency reporting device is configured to track the time in the travel time recording section from when a vehicle last exited a communication area of a base station until it detects a peripheral vehicle or track the time in the same manner for a peripheral vehicle as well. When the vehicle encounters a peripheral vehicle after receiving an emergency signal from an emergency vehicle, an exchange of travel information occurs between the two vehicles. The emergency reporting device determines whether or not to send the emergency signal held by the vehicle to the peripheral vehicle based on the travel information that was exchanged when the vehicles encountered each other.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for safely routing a soldier to a destination on the battlefield. The method includes a Threat Analyzer (100) for assessing threats to the soldier, a Graph Builder (102) for building a graph representing the battlefield, a Route Generator (104) for generating a route that avoids the threats, and a Route Presenter (106) for guiding the soldier along the route. The Threat Analyzer (100) includes an Enemy Analyzer (200) for determining the attack range of enemy units and an Obstruction Analyzer (202) for detecting obstructions in aerial imagery. The Graph Builder (102) includes a Cost Evaluator (712) that takes into account traversal speeds for soldiers across various types of terrain. The Route Presenter (106) overlays the route on live video in the soldier's heads-up display.

Abstract: In a system for the destination routing of a vehicle, a route is determined which is optimal based on input vehicle position and destination information and on stored information, and taking into account additional information; and destination routing information is issued with respect to the optimal route. The additional information is received by an external transmitting unit and/or is stored in a memory on board the vehicle. A check takes place during the drive as to whether the route recommendation remains optimal, and a further optimal route determination is triggered if it does not.

Abstract: A system and method for adjusting an alarm/reminder activation time that takes into account a user-requested alarm/reminder time and unexpected conditions that are unknown to the user, or are realized after the user has entered the user-requested alarm time, is provided. User related information is used to gather present unexpected condition information relevant to the user from a content provider periodically. Based on the user related and configuration information and the unexpected condition information, an adjusted alarm time is determined periodically. An alarm signal is activated when the actual time reaches the adjusted alarm time.

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 information center generates packets of route guidance information, each corresponding to a prescribed road length of a recommended route. The information center may generate major guide point information and guidance information and transmit both to a vehicular apparatus. The vehicular apparatus provides guidance only for major guide points based on the received major guide point information if it cannot receive the guidance information. According to another aspect of the invention, if the end of a route segment which was the subject of the preceding route guidance information is on an expressway or toll road, guidance information for a preliminary route from that end to an escape position ahead on the expressway or toll road is first transmitted and then information for a remaining route, that is a segment of the recommended route having the prescribed road length minus the preliminary route, is then transmitted.

Abstract: A navigation device is configured to provide a suitable route that appropriately guides a vehicle to a user outside the vehicle even when the user has moved. The navigation device detects a current vehicle position using a GPS signal receiving section that temporarily stores the vehicle position. The navigation device is configured to receive a signal containing position information from a portable telephone terminal. Then, the navigation device sets the stored position of the portable telephone terminal as the current destination, and calculates a recommended route to the destination. The navigation device communicates with the portable communication terminal to acquire updated position information. Then, the navigation device updates the destination based on the updated position information, and recalculates the recommended route from the current position to the updated destination.

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: Methods and apparatus are described and illustrated for producing GPS corrections, comprising: collecting measurements from a plurality of network reference stations; determining network corrections from the measurements; determining residual errors at one or more vernier-cell reference stations; and preparing vernier-cell corrections to compensate the residual errors within a vernier-cell region. Network correction streams are described and illustrated which contain network corrections derived from a plurality of network reference stations and residual error corrections derived from one or more vernier-cell reference stations. Methods and apparatus are described for employing such network correction streams in a virtual reference station to produce corrections and/or virtual measurements for use in a GPS receiver.

Abstract: An off-road navigation system in which an off-road route database is installed in a remote control center and having stored therein a plurality of off-road routes, each off-road route having a starting point and an off-road destination located at a place where no accomplished road can reach. When a vehicle wirelessly sent to the remote control center an off-road navigating request including the data of the desired off-road destination, the server of the remote control center searches the off-road route database for a specific off-road route corresponding to the off-road destination, and wirelessly sends the data of the specific off-road route to the vehicle in response to the navigating request for guiding the driver to the off-road destination through turning points in the specific off-road route.

Abstract: A re-routing apparatus and method for calculating an optimum path from a path deviated position to an original path in a navigation system, and a navigation system using this apparatus and method are disclosed. When a movable body traveling on a predetermined path provided from a navigation system has deviated from the path, links are selected which meet links extending in a direction having small accumulated travel cost from the deviated position link from among links included in the original path, and then paths traveling from the deviated position to the destination via the selected links are determined as re-routing paths.

Abstract: When a facility is specified from a facility list indicating facilities which satisfy a facility searching condition, a path searching processing section searches for a driving path with the specified facility being set as a destination, and obtains information such as driving distance and driving time required when a vehicle travels the driving path to the destination. A text-information generating and drawing section generates drawing data for displaying text information, such as the driving distance and the driving time, and stores the drawing data in a VRAM. A map drawing section generates drawing data for displaying a map image of an area which includes the driving path and stores the drawing data in the VRAM. An image synthesis section synthesizes the drawing data stored in the VRAM and the drawing data supplied from an operation-screen generation section, and causes a display apparatus to display a search image which includes the facility list, the text information, and the map image on one screen.

Abstract: A navigation method and system for guiding a user to a destination while providing area-specific information useful for guiding and warning the user such as local traffic laws, driving conditions, traffic customs, weather conditions, etc. that is specifically tailored for each user. The area-specific information is customized for a user in order to give the area-specific information to the user that is most relevant to that particular user. The navigation system informs the user of the area-specific information that is different from that of the user's home area or the information specific to the calculated route to the destination or unique to the current location of the user. Further, the navigation system customizes the calculated route such that driving conditions and situations that are unfamiliar to the user will be minimized.

Abstract: Deviant position determining means determines whether or not a vehicle deviated from a set route, detects route deviation information such as a route deviated position when a vehicle deviated, and stores it as past route deviation information in route deviant position storing means. The route searching means searches a route to the destination based on information obtained by position detecting means and map information acquiring means, and past route deviation information obtained from the route deviant position storing means. The route guidance changing means determines whichever route guidance method is the best based on information obtained by the route searching means and from the route deviant position storing means, and instructs a route guidance outputting means.

Abstract: A global positioning system based navigation system for a ground vehicle, in particular an agricultural ground vehicle such as a tractor, combine, sprayer, or the like, includes an inertial compensation assembly that provides inertial augmentation to compensate global positioning system based navigation information such as position, course, and track spacing for errors caused by variation of ground vehicle attitude (i.e., roll and yaw) over non-level terrain.

Abstract: A route guiding method for an in-vehicle navigation device. To guide a vehicle to a destination by an optimum route, it is determined whether the vehicle is on track within a predetermined intersection range based on route guidance data received from a traffic information center via a mobile communication network. If the vehicle is on track within the intersection range, it is determined whether the vehicle is in a free run state according to predetermined free run conditions to prevent a preliminary route guidance message that is confusing to a driver in the free run state. According to the determination result, the preliminary route guidance message is selectively provided.

Abstract: A route provision apparatus includes: a veering detecting unit for employing the current positioning data obtained by a position acquisition unit and route data for an originally determined travel route to detect whether a vehicle has veered away from a determined travel route; and a travel route determination unit for determining a new travel route when the vehicle has veered away from the determined travel route, wherein the travel route determination unit employs the detection results obtained by the veering detecting unit 62 to determine a new travel route in accordance with one or more of route determination conditions.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation system for selecting a suitable travel route based on transmitted traffic information. A server calculates a proposed travel route based on input data and defines communication points so as to newly extract traffic information for an area from each communication point to the destination from a traffic information storage device, where a point from which a detour around a place noted in the traffic information is included. The server stores data for identifying the registrant, the proposed travel route, and the communication points in a storage device and sends the traffic information and communication points to a vehicle navigation device. The sent traffic information includes detailed information about a section from the current or start position of the vehicle to the closest communication point to the vehicle on the way to the destination and simplified information about a section from this point to the destination.

Abstract: A route searching section 33 determines whether the area of the current position is an urban area or a suburban area, sets a predetermined area S or a predetermined time &Dgr;t responsive to the determination result, and determines the presence or absence of restriction on each time restriction road depending on whether or not a time restriction road exists in the predetermined area S centering around the current position and whether or not the restriction time period of the time restriction road overlaps the time period in the predetermined time At from the current time to. If the route searching section determines the presence of restriction, it searches for a route avoiding the time restriction road.

Abstract: A method for remote routes calculation and navigation with automatic route detection and revision couples with navigation data transmission of a navigation center to increase navigation accuracy and greatly reduce data transmission between the navigation center and navigation required users. The method mainly includes calculating a linear deviation limit to serve as the maximum allowance limit to alert timely response for route deviations to enhance navigation accuracy.

Abstract: From a present position recognized by a present position recognizer (15) to a destination recognized by a destination recognizer (16), a moving path is set by a moving path finder (17) based on map data and is stored in a storage, while a map is appropriately displayed on a display portion (8). Whether a diverging position exists, in roads ahead where a vehicle runs on the moving path, within an appointed distance from the present position recognized by the present position recognizer (15) is judged. While using, as an origin, a link ID of a divergent road different from a link ID of the moving path from the diverging position, a presumed moving path to the destination is set by a presumed moving path setting portion (19). Thus, a presumed moving path is preset in case of deviation, whereby swift and satisfactory support can be provided.