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 apparatus and method for providing travel information, including a database for storing information regarding a travel area, wherein the information includes at least one of road information, street information, intersection information, and traffic control device information, a processor for processing a request for information regarding an optimal travel route from a present location of a vehicle to a destination, wherein the processor processes the request by utilizing the information stored in the database, and further wherein the processor identifies at least two possible travel routes to the destination, and further wherein the processor identifies an optimal travel route to the destination, wherein the processor generates a message containing travel directions or instructions corresponding to the optimal travel route, and an output device for outputting the information contained in the message.

Abstract: When the drive guide is performed by acquiring the drive route information from the information center, a control unit of the navigation terminal receives the information of a partial drive route in the total drive route connecting the place of departure and the place of destination and starts the drive guide on the basis of the received information of partial drive route, even if the information of the total drive route connecting the place of departure and a place of destination is not received.

Abstract: A database receives location information about a moving object. Using the destination of the object and an electronic map, the database finds a projected path for the moving object. From the projected path, the database computes a trajectory. The trajectory may be used to estimate past and future positions of the moving object. The moving object may send location updates to the database when its actual location differs from its anticipated location by more than an uncertainty threshold.

Abstract: Systems and techniques to determine a primary route between two locations by monitor vehicle speed using transmitting wireless devices. In general, in one implementation, the technique includes: receiving information associated with traffic conditions on a route from a starting location to a destination location; determining a primary route from the starting location to the destination location; determining an average speed of vehicles along portions of the primary route from signals received from wireless transmitters transmitting from the vehicles; identifying one or more delayed portions of the primary route at which the average speed is less than a respective predetermined speed; and displaying the primary route including indicia of the one or more identified delayed portions. The wireless device may include a cellular phone and a personal digital assistant.

Abstract: A method for entering destinations into a navigation device is described, characters of a destination name being input and a list of destination names which begin with the character(s) input being generated as a function of the character(s) input, in which the list of destination names is generated as a function of the distance of the destinations assigned to the destination names, from a current location. The method eases and accelerates navigation destination input, in particular in those cases in which multiple destination names and destinations exist which fit one or more letters of the destination name input.

Abstract: A route planning system for use in mobile telecommunications is disclosed. A user of a mobile station such as a wireless telephone, PDA, pager or computer, initiates a route planning service request and provides a destination telephone number. A switching center responsively initiates an asynchronous position request of a mobile positioning system, which identifies and stores the mobile station position. The switching center connects the mobile station to a route planning application server. The route planning application server obtains the mobile station position by querying the mobile positioning system. The route planning application server further obtains the destination telephone number and queries a location system to determine the destination position corresponding to the destination telephone number. The route planning application server in turn generates a route plan for travel from the mobile station position to the destination position and conveys the route plan to the user by any suitable means.

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: A navigation system including a controller that defines a first search criterion concerning travel routes and a second search criterion concerning travel time, searches for a route in accordance with the first search criterion and the second search criterion, and stores route guidance data concerning a searched route onto a storage medium.

Abstract: A position of a vehicle is detected by receiving a position detection signal transmitted from the travelling vehicle. It is sensed whether or not the vehicle passes a starting node of a required link on a road network, and when the vehicle passes the starting node, the passing time is stored. Then, it is also sensed whether or not the vehicle passes an end node of the required link on the road network, and when the vehicle passes the end node, the passing time is stored. Then, a travel time for the link is calculated from the passing times of passing the respective starting and end nodes of the link.

Abstract: An arrival detection method for automatically detecting arrival of a current destination based on various conditions and proceeding to route guidance for the next destination when two or more destinations are specified. The method includes the steps of guiding a vehicle of the user to a current destination, detecting whether a current vehicle position is within a predetermined distance from the current destination, applying a primary condition when the vehicle is within the predetermined distance, applying a secondary condition when the primary condition is met, and determining arrival at the current destination when the secondary condition is met and proceeding to a route guidance operation for the next destination. The primary condition is a time length during which the vehicle is stationary within the predetermined distance from the current destination.

Abstract: A database receives location information about a moving object. Using the destination of the object and an electronic map, the database finds a projected path for the moving object. From the projected path, the database computes a trajectory. The trajectory may be used to estimate past and future positions of the moving object. The moving object may send location updates to the database when its actual location differs from its anticipated location by more than an uncertainty threshold.

Abstract: A client/server navigation system utilizes partial route guidance trees, enabling a thin, mobile client to detect route deviation and provide alternate instructions while awaiting response from a server. The system (10) consists of a server (28) containing a network database and route-calculation program; a client (26) capable of obtaining (12) its current location and destination, displaying route instructions (22), and determining when it needs additional instructions from the server (20,24); and communication (30,32,34,36) between the client (26) and server (28). The invention allows for long routes and responsive operation on a small, low-powered client despite lags and lapses in communication.

Abstract: A method of inputting a navigation destination into a navigation device, where a place name of the navigation destination is entered, where in the event that there are, in a navigation database, a plurality of navigation destinations having the same place name, supplemental information is output for the plurality of navigation destinations, allowing differentiation of the navigation destinations in each case. With this method, the supplemental information includes information about the direction and/or distance from a nearby or nearest prominent point. A navigation database for performing the method, in which position coordinates, in particular central point position coordinates, are stored for each stored navigation destination and for each of the prominent points which may be output as part of the supplemental information. This facilitates resolution of ambiguity when entering navigation destinations which is improved for the user, because it may be more easily understood.

Abstract: A navigation terminal device includes a map information display unit 771 for displaying, on a screen, the map information containing the location information retrieved by a web server 3, a destination display unit for displaying the destination searched from the map information displayed on the display screen by screen scrolling, a route drawing unit 773 for drawing the route connecting a reference point based on the location information retrieved by the web server 3 to the destination so as to be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed thereon, and a route searching unit 774 for exchanging the display between the reference point and the destination when the destination is displayed but the reference point disappears from the screen, thereby following the route from the reference point to the destination according to the drawn route information.

Abstract: Data indicative of an instantaneous location, a destination and a route from the instantaneous location to the destination are transmitted from a motor vehicle navigation unit to a central unit. Traffic information about the route between the instantaneous location and the destination are transmitted from the control unit to the vehicle unit. The received traffic information data are used by the vehicle unit to determine a desirable route between the instantaneous location and the destination given the traffic information. The data of the route thus determined are made available to the vehicle driver, so that he is able to steer toward his desired destination along this specified route.

Abstract: A name of a thoroughfare is identified from at least one name for the thoroughfare in reference to a set of criteria. In one example, the set of criteria includes whether or not the thoroughfare is an interstate, whether or not a name is shielded, has a suffix, and/or has an identified prefix. Interstate thoroughfares are often identified by a shielded name of the interstate thoroughfare, and non-interstate thoroughfares are often identified by a non-shielded name of the non-interstate thoroughfare. The identified name includes a name which is most recognized or well-known for navigating.

Abstract: A navigation system includes an image search unit for searching across an image database by using image data transmitted from an image data input unit, as a search key, a search-result output unit for displaying at least one piece of image data extracted by the search on a display, and a destination determination unit for reading point information corresponding to image data selected by a user from the display and determining the read point information to be a destination. Where information about the location, name, telephone number, zip code, address, and so forth, of a point which the user wants to determine to be the destination is not provided, the point can be searched by using image data including an image of the building or scenery of the point.

Abstract: When an information providing service is carrying out while using utilizing peripheral equipments, it makes clear that which equipment is providing a service to oneself, as keeping anonymity.

Abstract: Method and system for prediction-based navigation in a real-time distributed navigation system. In one embodiment, a server receives a request from a client comprising one or more position coordinates. The server estimates the user's speed, estimates total elapsed time, calculates an optimal route to the destination and sends a set of routing directions to the client. Moreover, the server estimates a route origin within an estimated comfort zone in order to calculate the optimal route from the estimated origin to the destination.

Abstract: A navigation device in that on each of fixed information having a long update period and update information having a short update period which compose the user service information stored in a navigation device whether or not the user service information is newest, is determined, and the newest information corresponding to at least one of the fixed information and the update information which are determined to be not newest by the determination is acquired from an information supply server, thus, in almost all cases, only the update information is acquired from the information supply server, so it acquires the desired user service information in a short time, and therefore, low communication expenses.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for delivering a time-efficient mobile vehicle route that encompasses multiple limited-duration events. A plurality of limited-duration events is selected from an events database. The events database is incorporated into a communication services database associated with a call center. Events are selected through the call center or through a Web site. A driving route is generated. The route is delivered to the subscriber within a vehicle by a synthesized voice interface.

Abstract: A database receives location information about a moving object. Using the destination of the object and an electronic map, the database finds a projected path for the moving object. From the projected path, the database computes a trajectory. The trajectory may be used to estimate past and future positions of the moving object. The moving object may send location updates to the database when its actual location differs from its anticipated location by more than an uncertainty threshold.

Abstract: To provide a navigation system for a moving body useful to carry out delivery service operation. A delivery history is included in customer information, and a route guide including at least one past delivery destination point is generated. A method of navigating a movable body for a delivery service is also included.

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: A navigation apparatus for a vehicle including a registration means for registering a place of departure, a destination, and a route traveled by the vehicle; a determination means for determining whether an input place of departure and input destination are respectively substantially the same as a place of departure and destination of a registered route, an input place of departure and an input destination being substantially the same as a respective place of departure and destination of a particular registered route when the input place of departure is within a predetermined distance of the place of departure of the particular registered route and the input destination is within the predetermined distance of the destination of the particular registered route; a route search means for reading out the particular registered route from registered route information; and a control means for performing route guidance based on a route returned by the search means.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus for a vehicle comprising a registration means for registering a place of departure, a destination, a route traveled by the vehicle, a time of day that the route was traveled, and/or a day of the week that the route was traveled; a determination means for determining whether an input place of departure and input destination are respectively substantially the same as a place of departure and destination of a registered route; a route search means for reading out a particular registered route from registered route information, the particular registered route having substantially the same place of departure and destination as the respective input place of departure and input destination, a registered day of the week that is the same as a day of the week for which route guidance between the input place of departure and input destination is requested, and/or a registered time of day that is nearest to a time of day for which route guidance between the input place of departure and input destin

Abstract: A navigation apparatus for a vehicle including a registration means for registering a place of departure, a destination, and a route traveled by the vehicle; a determination means for determining whether an input place of departure and input destination are respectively substantially the same as a place of departure and destination of a registered route; a route search means for reading out a portion of a particular registered route from registered route information, the particular registered route having substantially the same place of departure and destination as the respective input place of departure and input destination, and the portion of the particular registered route being that portion of the particular registered route within a predetermined layer of map data which has been organized into layers; and a control means for performing route guidance based on a route returned by the search means.

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: The present invention is directed to improve convenience to the user. A path extending from the present location S of a mobile terminal to a destination D via a base station is calculated (S2), distances between base stations on the calculated path and the present location are calculated, and the closest base station is determined as a contents delivery base station (S7). Grace time for the mobile terminal to pass through the contents delivery base station is calculated. Then, scheduled time to deliver the contents to the mobile terminal is calculated (S8). While monitoring a travel state of the mobile terminal (S10 to S12), the contents are delivered to the mobile terminal near the contents delivery base station (S14).

Abstract: A method of inputting a navigation destination into a navigation device, where a place name of the navigation destination is entered, where in the event that there are, in a navigation database, a plurality of navigation destinations having the same place name, supplemental information is output for the plurality of navigation destinations, allowing differentiation of the navigation destinations in each case. With this method, the supplemental information includes information about the direction and/or distance from a nearby or nearest prominent point. A navigation database for performing the method, in which position coordinates, in particular central point position coordinates, are stored for each stored navigation destination and for each of the prominent points which may be output as part of the supplemental information. This facilitates resolution of ambiguity when entering navigation destinations which is improved for the user, because it may be more easily understood.

Abstract: A system for controlling vehicle movements on a road network. The system provides for identification data and road information transmission between a vehicle and a traffic information center. The road network is so arranged as to be entered into the system in such a way that it is regarded as a data network, and each vehicle that is intended to make use of the road network is logged in for travelling on the road network, and each vehicle identifies itself at the time of logging in, the identity is either dynamic or static. Information relating to the intended destination is transmitted for each vehicle to the traffic information center, and information about the position and the speed of the vehicle is also reported at regular intervals to the aforementioned traffic information center, so that overall control of the traffic is achieved.

Abstract: A method for determining a track of a geographical trajectory which has a predetermined start location and a predetermined end location, said method comprising the steps of: moving a data collecting device from the start location to the end location, the device comprising a set of sensors providing for sample wise collection physical measurement data during the movement of the device and enabling the determination of a heading profile, a pitch profile, a distance profile and a roll profile from said measurement data; determining said heading profile, said pitch profile, said distance profile and said roll profile based on the collected measurement data; and determining said track based on said heading profile, said pitch profile, said distance profile and said roll profile. All said physical measurement data are stored during the movement of the device from the start location to the end location.

Abstract: A vehicle information system which includes an in-vehicle system 105 and a centralized server system 120. The in-vehicle system communicates with the server system using a wireless communication link 110, such as over a cellular telephone system. A position system, such as a set of GPS satellites 140, provides positioning signals that are used by the in-vehicle systems, and optionally by the centralized server system to increase the accuracy of position estimates. In one version of the system, an operator specifies a destination to an in-vehicle system which validates the destination. The in-vehicle system transmits specification of the destination to a server system 125 at the centralized server. The server system computes a route to the destination and transmits the computed route to the in-vehicle system. The in-vehicle system guides the operator along the route.

Abstract: A method for calculating a route from a starting location to a destination location is described; it is characterized in that the route is calculated after specifying at least one pass-through destination location by way of at least one pass-through destination point, which is situated in a circumscribed area of the at least one pass-through destination location specified by a specified criterion.

Abstract: A vehicle information system which includes an in-vehicle system 105 and a centralized server system 120. The in-vehicle system communicates with the server system using a wireless communication link 110, such as over a cellular telephone system. A position system, such as a set of GPS satellites 140, provides positioning signals that are used by the in-vehicle systems, and optionally by the centralized server system to increase the accuracy of position estimates. In one version of the system, an operator specifies a destination to an in-vehicle system which validates the destination. The in-vehicle system transmits specification of the destination to a server system 125 at the centralized server. The server system computes a route to the destination and transmits the computed route to the in-vehicle system. The in-vehicle system guides the operator along the route.

Abstract: The destination specifying method comprises: (1) configuring a database by associating a telephone number with a name, address, and position of a facility, and when a plurality of facilities share one telephone number, configuring a database by associating the one telephone number with a plurality of the facility names, (2) displaying a telephone number list on a display screen, when a destination is set by a telephone number, and (3) when a specific telephone number is selected from the list, if the telephone number is associated with a plurality of facilities, displaying a facility name list of a plurality of the facilities, and when a facility is selected from the facility name list, displaying detailed information regarding the selected facility. A system for carrying out this method is also described.

Abstract: A method for entering destinations into a navigation device is described, characters of a destination name being input and a list of destination names which begin with the character(s) input being generated as a function of the character(s) input, in which the list of destination names is generated as a function of the distance of the destinations assigned to the destination names, from a current location.

Abstract: A route search location determining section (12d) of a mobile body (10) decides whether to conduct a route search at the mobile body (10) or to request the route search to an information center (30) based on various conditions such as priorities and how old the map data version is. In this manner, effective search can be conducted using two distinct route searching devices. Also, a current position calculating section (12a) can execute map matching by adding route data obtained from the information center (30) as a map matching candidate.

Abstract: A display system featuring improved operability when plural screens are displayed on a display and when many functions are provided, and a method of display for the display system. A screen is selected from plural screens displayed on a display portion 20A of a display 20. The selected screen is displayed on an entire surface of the display portion 20A together with an operation menu corresponding to the selected screen.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus defines the route of movement from the current location to the destination on the basis of map information. It acquires road information relating to characteristics of the current road on which the vehicle is running and those of each of the branch roads extending from the fork located ahead of the current road by way of road information acquiring section 21. The acquired road information is collated with the requirement information stored in requirement information storage section 22 and the number of points correlated with the requirement that is met or not met are added or subtracted, whichever appropriate, to determine the total number of points by the agreement judging section 23. If the total number of points is greater than a threshold value, the navigation apparatus judges that the vehicle may not divert from the route of movement and restricts or suppresses guidance for driving the vehicle provided by guidance notification section 18.

Abstract: A guidance system using a telephone number and other information on a subscriber of that telephone number so as to be input and checked, whereby, retrieval and guidance by inputting the telephone number is properly performed.