Abstract: In order to notify a user that a facility is present in the neighborhood of a route to a destination, a mobile phone includes a location obtaining portion to obtain a present location (S03, S09), a destination setting portion to set a point of destination (S02), a departure point setting portion to set a point of departure (S04), a facility extraction portion to extract facility information of a facility located in the neighborhood of a route from the point of departure to the destination from among facility information included in map information (S08), and a light emission control portion to give notification at a prescribed timing if at least one facility information is extracted by the facility extraction portion (S14).

Abstract: A method for determining a user bearing, implemented on a portable device programmed to perform the method includes determining with a physical sensor of the portable device, a first geometric orientation of the portable device with respect to gravity at a first time, determining with a magnetic sensor of the portable device, a first sensed magnetic field of the portable device in response to an external magnetic field at the first time, determining with the magnetic sensor of the portable device, a second sensed magnetic field of the portable device in response to the external magnetic field at the second time, and determining with the portable device a bearing of the portable device at the second time in response to the first geometric orientation, the first sensed magnetic field, and the second sensed magnetic field.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for estimating position location of a mobile device.

Abstract: A method for presenting a route includes receiving a starting point and a destination point and computing a route that includes a route segment between the two points. The method further includes determining, based on a user's travel history, whether the route segment is an unfamiliar segment, and identifying, based on the user's travel history, a road that is familiar to the user. The method includes providing, in a format that distinguishes the familiar road from the computed route, the computed route and the familiar road relative to the unfamiliar segment for presentation of the familiar road within a scaled range of the unfamiliar segment.

Abstract: A positional information providing system is provided in which positional information including altitude can be highly accurately acquired even though a user is located outdoors or indoors. A system includes a server device including a map data storage unit, an altitude storage unit, a reference position coordinates receiving unit, a reference point altitude information generating unit locating reference position coordinates and reference point altitude, a map data transmitting unit and a reference point altitude information transmitting unit, and a terminal device including a positional information acquiring unit, a reference point information transmitting unit, a reference point altitude information receiving unit, a map data receiving unit and a reference point altitude detecting unit detecting altitude at a reference point.

Abstract: A method of displaying a map on a wireless communications device includes determining position information of a position on the map, displaying a graphical position indicator representing the position on the map, determining address information corresponding to the position on the map, and presenting the address information via a user interface of the device by displaying a street number on the map adjacent to the graphical position indicator.

Abstract: A digital mapping display and related system for fishing, and other applications.

Abstract: A travel-estimated road, which a vehicle is estimated to travel, intersects with a cross road at an intersection. A search area shaped of a sector centering on the intersection is defined to have a central angle to include an extending direction of the cross road. An arc intersecting point is then defined where an outer circumference arc of the search area intersects with the cross road. A display position of the road name of the cross road on a road map is determined based on a line segment between the intersection and the arc intersecting point. Thus, the road name of the cross road can be displayed in a position, which is in proximity to the travel-estimated road so as to allow a user to clearly recognize that the displayed road name indicates the cross road irrespective of the configuration of the cross road.

Abstract: A method, a system, an apparatus, and a computer-readable medium for browsing spot information, adapted to an electronic device, are provided. In the present method, a plurality of spot information are retrieved, in which each of the spot information at least comprises a picture and a location of a spot. Next, an electronic map is displayed and a spot marker is marked at the spot location of each spot information on the electronic map. Meanwhile, a spot browsing bar is displayed on a side of the electronic map and the spot pictures of the spot information are sequentially displayed in the spot browsing bar. When a select operation of a certain spot marker on the electronic map is received, the spot browsing bar is scrolled to show the spot picture corresponding to the selected spot marker.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for generating a street map that includes a position identifier that identifies a location on the street map. The method and system may also generate and display a plurality of images representative of the location of the position identifier. A user may interact with a position identifier or one of several scroll icons to view images of other locations on the street map and/or to obtain driving directions between two locations.

Abstract: A method of providing augmented Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation can include detecting movement of a GPS enabled mobile device along a navigational route and displaying a photographic image on a display of the GPS enabled mobile device responsive to detecting movement of the GPS enabled mobile device along the navigational route provided by the GPS enabled mobile device. Related devices and computer program products are also disclosed.

Abstract: A device for aiding flight for an aircraft includes means for locating the localities situated in the operational area for rescue missions. The device is able to present to the crew a landmark of the positions of the localities in relation to the position of the aircraft, this landmark also indicating information connected with navigation and to flight regulations for each of the localities. The device relates to operations aircraft and more particularly rescue helicopters.

Abstract: A visual aid determination module (VADM) is described for presenting a visual aid that helps a user in interpreting a digital map. Namely, the visual aid helps the user in interpreting the relation of a currently-displayed map bounding region (MBR) to a center point of an inaccurate location region (ILR). The ILR, in turn, conveys a range of indeterminacy associated with a currently-assessed location of the user. In one case, the visual aid corresponds to a series of concentric circles. The curvature, placement, and spacing of the circles help the user determine his or her bearing with respect to the center point of the ILR.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide for the detection, location stamping, and logging of electronic events and subsequent generation of habitat information. According to implementations, electronic events are detected and location stamped. Associated descriptions and other data corresponding to the electronic events is retrieved and stored along with the geographic locations of the electronic events in an activity log. The information in the activity log is used to generate visual representations of one or more geographic areas in which electronic events that meet user-defined or default criteria occurred within a predetermined frequency.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for identifying a location of interest between a user and an identified endpoint and creating a user preference profile containing at least one location of interest to the user. A sampling bandwidth is designated based on current distance to the identified endpoint, wherein the navigation unit dynamically expands the sampling bandwidth as the user approaches within a predetermined distance of the endpoint. At least one user preference profile location of interest is selected that is within the sampling bandwidth that is between the user and the indentified endpoint. A sampling vector is computed for the at least one location of interest within the sampling bandwidth, and the user is alerted to the sampling vector for the at least one location of interest within the sampling bandwidth.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for providing specific region information using a user terminal in a wired/wireless network environment, and more particularly, to a method for providing a custom map via an information block, which involves providing region information to an individual user by means of an optimally customized method such that the region information may be easily utilized.

Abstract: A technique for efficient processing of annotations in images such as panoramic images is herein disclosed. In an embodiment, a first user annotation is received for a feature in a first panorama, and a second user annotation for the same feature is received in a second panorama. The coordinates for the feature can then be generated by computing the intersection between data generated for the first user annotation and for the second user annotations.

Abstract: Systems and methods of displaying route information on an electronic display. The information includes a number of routes that extend within the displayed area. A large amount of information about the routes is stored in or accessible by the system. Therefore, the systems and methods are configured to initially display a map with much of the information being withheld. This initial map is clean and the displayed information is relevant to the user. The system is then configured to receive input requesting that the system display more specific information about the relevant routes of interest to the user.

Abstract: A travel information service system and a method of providing a travel information service which can perform guidance of travel information appropriate for a travel purpose and a travel type are provided. The method of providing the travel information service includes: a first operation of providing a travel course for each area and point of interest (POI) information for each course using a user interface; a second operation of creating a travel route based on user selection of the travel course for each area and the POI information for each course; and a third operation of performing map guidance based on the created travel route.

Abstract: A facility-around-route retrieval device includes a map disk 3 for storing map data and facility data, a route calculation unit 13 for calculating a route to a destination by using the map data stored in the map disk, a facility retrieval condition setting unit 16 for setting a facility retrieval condition, and a facility-around-route retrieval unit 17 for retrieving, in a case where a facility around the route calculated in the route calculation unit is retrieved in accordance with the condition set in the facility retrieval condition setting unit, the facility present only on a side of a traveling lane of a vehicle of a divided road from the facility data stored in the map disk when the route includes the divided road.

Abstract: Various techniques are provided which may be implemented in one or more methods, apparatuses, and/or articles of manufacture for use with and/or in a mobile device to obtain this date/trajectory estimation us within an indoor environment. In an example, a mobile device may apply a motion model to propagate an estimated state of the mobile device from a first state corresponding to a first location of an electronic map representing an indoor environment to a second state corresponding to a second location of the electronic map, based, at least in part, on one or more sensed parameters. The mobile device may further validate the estimated state as propagated in response to a determination that a trajectory from the first location to the second location crosses a transition feature of a barrier presented by at least one obstacle identified in the electronic map.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to generating proximity information. The method includes receiving and processing location information. The location information is then processed. The processed location information is then used to generate proximity information.

Abstract: Songs titles and song artists or other content received on an HD-radio are cross-referenced to one or more geographic locations where they were heard on the radio by identifying a song title or artist in the HD radio data stream and instructing a global positioning system navigation unit to contemporaneously determine its location. The determined location and song title and/or artist are cross-referenced to each other in a list or database. A touch-sensitive display device is configured to display the location or portion of a route where a listened-to song was heard. Song titles and/or artists can be determined by tactile selection of portions of a route displayed on the map.

Abstract: A navigation database comprises a first set of elements comprising airports, beacons and waypoints; a second set of elements comprising procedures; and a third set of elements comprising routes. The method comprises a step of creating a pair of indices comprising an index comprising the elements of the three sets; identifier, a type and a functional identifier; a first list of pointers to the memory address where the elements are stored; a pre-index comprising a list of code, each code corresponding to the first characters of each element, the codes being indexed by a family of attributes of elements; a second list of pointers to the identifier of the first element in the first index.

Abstract: A mobile communications device comprising a location sensing system, producing a location output; a memory, storing a set of locations and associated events; a telecommunications device, communicating event and location information between a remote system and said memory; and a processor, processing said location output in conjunction with said stored locations and associated events in said memory, to determine a priority thereof.

Abstract: Golf club telemetry equipment sends signals to a receiver in a golf round data system. The signals uniquely identify the particular club a player has selected for a stroke and the fact that a stroke has been taken. The club identification can occur either before or during a stroke. Automatic detection of clubs and strokes simplifies round data collection for the player. Club identification before a stroke permits a forecast of the result of the stroke to be presented to then player prior to the stroke. The signals can be either acoustic or electromagnetic.

Abstract: A method and device are disclosed for utilizing a selectable location marker for relational display of point of interest entries. In one embodiment, the method includes prompting selection of a point of interest location marker on a navigation device, and displaying selectable point of interest entries on the navigation device in an order based upon a location related to a selected point of interest location marker and a relative location of each of the selectable point of interest entries.

Abstract: Provided is a technology capable of improving the accuracy of determining a position of an own vehicle in the vicinity of a branch point, in a current position determining device. The current position determining device identifies a detection range according to states of a road on which a vehicle is traveling to detect a lane change, to thereby determine a current position of the vehicle based on information on the detected lane change.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus allows an input of either a formal street name text string or only a body street name text string as an input of a street name from a touch panel when a destination address search is performed by using a house number, a street name and a city name. Then, a control unit searches for streets that have the same text string in the formal street name as an inputted text string, and displays a list of streets by the body street name on a display unit. When one of the streets in the list is selected, a destination search for searching for a place that includes as an address the selected street, the text string inputted as the street name, and the city name inputted before or after street name selection is performed.

Abstract: According to a map display device, from current location information acquired by a current location acquiring unit 6 and boundary coordinate information in time zone information acquired by a time zone information acquiring unit 22, it is determined whether or not a vehicle 9 is located within a set area which is provided in the range of a predetermined distance from a boundary of a time zone to which a current location of the vehicle 9 belongs, and if it is determined that the vehicle 9 is located within the set area, a display unit 3 displays distinctively the time zone to which the current location of the vehicle 9 belongs and a time zone which is adjacent to the corresponding time zone through the set area.

Abstract: When a vehicle moves into a radar prohibited area preset for the neighborhood of a facility that suffers adverse effects from radar waves, emission of radar waves is stopped, and a voice guidance such as “Radar monitoring is stopped” is sent to a speaker via a voice output unit. Moreover, during a period in which a vehicle is located in a radar prohibited area, an icon that indicates that a radar is being stopped, a mark that indicates an institution for which the radar prohibited area is set, and the scope of the radar prohibited area are displayed on a map image.

Abstract: Businesses and other entities may be assigned geographic locations based on various types of data. In one example, entities are associated with segments in a street grid. Additionally, data points (e.g., geotagged blog entries or other online information) are associated with segments in the street grid. For a given segment, data points are compared with entities to identify possible matches between the data points and the entities. Each match is assigned a score, and each match represents a possible physical location for a given entity. The locations of entities on the street are assigned, from among the matches, based on which assignment of entities optimizes the aggregate score for the segment, while satisfying one or more physical constraints.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a method, computer program product, mobile device or a system allowing for determining various route metrics based on stored route records associated with routes traversed by the mobile device. The determination of a route metric may utilize processing of a single route record or multiple route records. Exemplary route metrics include route timing metrics such as lap times, or route record metrics. Configurations of computer program products, mobile devices and systems for enabling the determination of various route metrics are also described.

Abstract: A computer-implement method for displaying a tier of risk in a region of a map displayed via a mobile computing device. The method includes displaying, in real-time on the map, a present location of the mobile computing device. The method also includes retrieving data corresponding to the tier of risk for the region shown on the map. The method further includes marking, according to a predefined marking technique, the region of the map according to the retrieved data.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying points-of-interest. In one aspect, a method includes accessing, by a mobile device, two or more search results, each of the search results identifying a respective point-of-interest (POI), and determining a distance between the mobile device and each POI. The method may also include selecting a directional icon for each POI based on the distance to the respective POI, and displaying, by the mobile device, information identifying the POIs and, for each POI, the directional icon selected for the respective POI.

Abstract: A navigation device is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the navigation device includes a storage device to store map information and points of interest (POIs), the POIs including description information and location information; and a display to display stored POIs at a location of the map information, based upon the location information, POIs being selectively retrievable from a remote location for subsequent storage and display.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for assigning parameters to a geographic area, wherein the parameters may be used to associate a speed limit with the geographic area. For example, in one embodiment, a geofenced area that comprises one or more street segments is identified. Additionally, speed data associated with one of more of the street segments is received. After receiving the speed data, a speed limit is determined for one or more of the street segments and associated with one or more of the street segments.

Abstract: A method for mapping a railroad track is provided. The method includes defining a plurality of track segments that form the railroad track and determining coordinates of each track segment. The method also includes storing the coordinates of each track segment in a database as map segments and linking the map segments stored in the database to create a multi-dimensional railroad track map.

Abstract: A navigation system includes a touch screen for receiving a touch input and displaying a navigation map, mode-switching means for issuing a mode-switching command to switch the navigation system into an input mode, a memory for storing a database, and a controller to recognize a handwriting input or a gesture input to acquire an input information, search the database for a facility information corresponding to the input information, and show facilities represented by the facility information in the navigation map.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates generating a point of interest related to a map. An interface component can collect a portion of annotation data from two or more users, wherein the portion of annotation data is associated with a digital map and includes at least one of a map location and a user specific description of the map location. An annotation aggregator can evaluate annotation data corresponding to the map location on the digital map. The annotation aggregator can create a point of interest (POI) for the map location based upon the evaluation and populates the digital map with at least one of an identified location extracted from two or more users or a universal description extracted from two or more users.

Abstract: A direction/distance mark is displayed on a map, wherein the direction/distance mark shows a direction line indicating a direction, with a reference point of a map screen being located in a center, a plurality of equidistant circles with the reference point being located in the center, and a distance from the reference point indicated by each equidistant circle. An instructed point on the screen that is touched by a user is detected as a point indicating a direction on the direction/distance mark and a distance from the reference point, and a map including the point is displayed. Accordingly, with one-touch, the currently displayed map can be scrolled to a desired map. Using the same direction/distance mark, it is also possible to display an equidistant range specifying map, a configured range specifying map, and a POI display map.

Abstract: A method, medium, and system providing an updating traveling route to a user. The navigation system includes a route selecting unit to select an optimal route for an item to traverse based on calculated performance indexes of a plurality of alternative routes for the traversal, a performance index calculating unit to recalculate the performance indexes of the alternative routes during a current traversal of the selected optimal route based on received external information regarding sections of available traversals after a predetermined point in each alternative route beyond a current point of the current traversal, and a route changing unit to selectively update the optimal route during the current traversal based on the recalculated performance indexes.

Abstract: Provided are a computer system and methods related to a map display. A method includes but is not limited to receiving a request for the map, the map illustrating one or more locations; determining a status associated with at least one of the one or more locations on the map, the status being a function of one or more location interaction rules associated with the at least one of the one or more locations on the map; and generating a signal related to indicating on the map the status associated with the at least one of the one or more locations.

Abstract: Disclosed is a methodology for the collection, processing and distribution of traffic data and delivering more accurate routing in GPS-based Personal Navigation Assistants (PNAs). The methodology includes a) Data Collection Methodology (DCM), b) a Data Incorporation Methodology (DIM), and c) a Routing Methodology (RM). The DCM regards the collection of information related to the traffic flow in each road. The DIM includes a procedure executed at a central system (CS), outside the PNA, performing the incorporation of the “trace data” (i.e. user-submitted route-related information, including a list of periodically collected, time-stamped GPS samples, augmented with other parameter values defining the vehicle-type, weather-conditions, road-type, holiday-type), collected by the DCM.

Abstract: A method and device for streamlining navigation from a point to a visual point of interest by combining the necessary items into a single device incorporating an optical finder such as binoculars which incorporates an optical display into the viewfinder, a rangefinder, GPS, compass, altimeter, inclinometer, microprocessor and memory. The device performs three functions: 1) acquires the POI's coordinates relative to the user by visual indication of the POI by the user; 2) reproduces an updated POI vector on demand; and 3) displays the POI vector information in the device viewfinder. All three functions happen seamlessly and instantaneously with the use of only one compact hand held device.

Abstract: A method of operating a navigation system to provide a route guidance message for traveling a route is performed by a navigation system. A preferred name of a feature visible from a road segment is obtained in a native language from a geographic database associated with the navigation system. The parts-of-speech of the preferred name are identified and converted into a target language text providing the preferred name in a target language. A guidance message includes the target language text in the target language.

Abstract: A capability for prominence-based feature generation and rendering for digital maps is provided. More specifically, embodiments relate to rendering map features such as buildings or landmarks in different rendering styles based on signals for how important a particular feature is to a search context. A search context may be, for example and without limitation, a general view of the map or a user-initiated search request for a particular point of interest or driving directions between different points of interest on the map. For example, the different rendering styles may include, but are not limited to, two-dimensional (2D) footprints, two-and-a-half-dimensional (2.5D) extruded polygons, as will be described further below, and full three-dimensional (3D) models. Furthermore, the style could include color and/or visual texture.

Abstract: Methods of locating a vehicle are disclosed. Location coordinates are received at regular intervals via a handheld locator device for the current location of the handheld locator device. The handheld locator device detects the cessation of the presence of the vehicle. The location coordinates last-received before the detection of the cessation of the presence of the vehicle are stored automatically, and represent the approximate location of the parked vehicle when the cessation of the presence of the vehicle is detected.

Abstract: A method for creating a graphic display using the changing GPS coordinates of a moving object, such as a moving person. The method obtains the GPS coordinates from a tracking device or a mobile application and stores them in a data set. The speed and course of each data set is calculated to form a path and is assigned different indicia, such as a symbol and a color. The method displays the path of the data set to form the graphic display.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system for displaying a driving location of a moving object which controls a Red, Green, Blue (RGB) ratio by corresponding to a property of a road where the moving object travels, differently renders a moving object symbol according to the controlled RGB ratio, and thereby may identify a driving status of the moving object more accurately.