Abstract: A menu display device includes a display unit that displays a plurality of menu options side by side on a display screen, a storage unit that stores the menu options and operational commands for specifying operations corresponding to the menu options, and a control unit that displays the menu options and displays the operational commands adjacent to the menu options, the operational commands controlling display of the menu options. The control unit moves a mark that indicates a selectable state between the menu options or the operational commands in response to an amount of operation of an operation unit, and when the mark moves to the operational commands, the control unit displays new menu options on the display screen in response to the operational commands.

Abstract: To provide a “disk device” that does not waste a power during waiting for disk insertion and thus can save power consumption. The disk device includes: a casing equipped with an insertion port to which a disk is inserted; a conveying mechanism for conveying a disk, which is provided inside the insertion port; a switching type detecting switch that is switched to a detection state in accordance with a movement force of a disk inserted from the insertion port in an insertion direction; and an optical detecting member that is switched to a detection state when a disk inserted from the insertion port blocks an optical path, wherein when the detecting switch is switched to a detection state, power supply to the optical detecting member is started.

Abstract: A shutter member is provided so as to be capable of moving in association with a roller bracket. The shutter member rotates by a predetermined range in association with the rotation of the roller bracket, and then a projection of the shutter member is pressed in a Y1 direction by a shutter pressing portion provided on the right side slider. Accordingly, the shutter member is rotated clockwise, and an opening and closing panel portion of the shutter member closes an insertion port from the inside thereof. Therefore, the insertion port is closed reliably by the shutter member, so that insertion of another disc from the insertion port into the interior of the apparatus while the disc is rotating is prevented.

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: A surround system includes a decoder that decodes an encoded audio data stream, a decorrelation unit that receives and decorrelates stereo signals decoded by the decoder so as to generate surround signals having a low-correlation component, an addition unit that adds high-correlation-component signals extracted from the stereo signals to the surround signals generated by the decorrelation unit, and a controller that controls addition of the high-correlation-component signals performed by the addition unit on the basis of the bit rate of the audio data stream.

Abstract: A sampling rate conversion apparatus and a method thereof are provided which increase the sampling rate of a discrete audio signal sampled at a predetermined sampling rate by using a fractal interpolation function (FIF). An audio signal portion formed by a predetermined number of sampling data items is divided into a plurality of interpolation intervals. On the audio signal portion, mapping points are determined. The number of the mapping points is in accordance with the degree of increase in the sampling rate. For the respective interpolation intervals, mapping parameters for performing mapping using the FIF on the mapping points are calculated. In all of the interpolation intervals, the mapping using the FIF is performed on the mapping points with the use of the mapping parameters according to the respective interpolation intervals. Thereby, new sampling data items are generated.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation system for indication of the current vehicle position provides improved guidance to the driver when he is exiting from a freeway onto a freeway connector road segment (a freeway bifurcation), with the destination being a street (non-freeway road segment) linked to the freeway connector. In this case there is a possibility that the displayed sign text data at the first decision point upon exiting from the freeway does not correspond closely enough to the actual freeway signs, which tend to emphasize the connecting freeways rather than the street. This would tend to confuse the driver. Therefore, before the vehicle passes through the first decision point upon exiting the freeway, the sign text data for the freeway connector segment of the segment prior to the last freeway connector segment connecting to the destination street is displayed at the first guidance point, and not just the destination street.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation system enables a recognized vehicle position to be corrected to be a position on the correct road even if the vehicle position has been erroneously determined to be on a wrong road, after passing a branching point. A first map matching processing section obtains a most probable candidate road and other candidate roads by map matching processing after passing a branching point, and corrects the vehicle position to a position on the most probable candidate road, the corrected position being regarded as representing the actual vehicle position. A second map matching section corrects the dead-reckoned vehicle position to be a position on another candidate road, and sets the corrected position as a temporary vehicle position. Thereafter, the map matching processing sections perform first map matching processing based on the actual vehicle position and second map matching based on the temporary vehicle position each time a predetermined distance is traveled, in parallel with each other.

Abstract: The identification of the status of an anti-theft system is made by using a motor vehicle telephone system and a system for preventing vehicles from thefts. First, a time is set in order to turn the telephone system to the power-on state. A time period for which the power-on state continues is also set. The telephone system is turned on at the pre-set power-on time, and the status of one or more operating modes of the anti-theft system is checked only when an incoming call arrives during the power-on state and when a predetermined ID code has been entered. With this arrangement, identification can be available from a place away from a vehicle to determine whether the vehicle is at the normal state or not. In addition, the telephone system may be set to the power-on state only at the predetermined time only for a pre-determined period of time. This additional feature reduces power consumption of batteries.