Abstract: The navigation device includes a detour exploring portion configured to explore a detour to avoid a section in which a traffic hazard occurs using map data at a level lower than a predetermined level when a traffic hazard determining portion determines that the traffic hazard occurs on the guidance route, and a display control portion configured to zoom the detour to match a scale of the detour to a currently designated scale, and synthesize and display the detour on a map image. The navigation device maintains the display of the wide area map and synthesizes and additionally displays a detour, for example, to pass through a road such as a narrow street included in a detailed map on the map image such that the user can receive, at a glance, a detour to easily bypass the section in which a traffic hazard occurs.

Abstract: An apparatus and method provides event notifications to a user according to the user's current location and the content in the user's electronic device. Since the content, such as play counts, a number of songs, etc., may indicate the user's preference about some specific artists, it is possible to establish an intelligent content delivery system according to the user's preference. The content delivery system includes an event searching unit, a playback information retrieving unit and an information processing unit which is configured to determine whether to provide and display the content information by considering factors as distance, future occurrence, ticket availability, etc. of the event.

Abstract: An on-vehicle display apparatus includes a motor, a gear train, a threaded rod, a slider screwed to the threaded rod, and a display main body rotatably connected to the slider. The lead angle of the threaded rod is set greater than the friction angle thereof. The gear train includes first and second gears facing each other. Protrusions provided on one of the first and second gears are fitted in recesses provided in the other. A spring member elastically urges the first gear toward the second gear. A detection sensor detects the size of an external force on the basis of the displacement of the first gear against the spring member in the axial direction. The motor is controlled on the basis of the detection result of the detection sensor such that the display main body is moved away from the external force.

Abstract: An electronic device including a navigation function, includes a display unit configured to display road map data on a display screen, a scroll unit configured to scroll a road map screen display on the display screen in response to a user input, a determination unit configured to determine if the scrolling has stopped, an identification unit configured to identify, when it is determined that the scrolling has stopped, a search object candidate specified by a position at which the scrolling has stopped, a selection unit configured to select a search object candidate, an acquisition unit configured to acquire name data of the search object candidate, and a synthesis and display unit configured to synthesize and display the name data onto the road map data.

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 vehicle travel amount estimation device includes a camera, a taken image storing unit, a compensated image storing unit, a travel amount calculation unit, a vehicle speed and gyro sensor, and a travel amount determination unit. The taken image storing unit and the compensated image storing unit store images taken by the camera. The travel amount calculation unit calculates the amount of travel based on two stored images. The sensors detect the amount of travel of the vehicle. The travel amount determination unit is configured to compare a first amount of travel calculated by the travel amount calculation unit with a second amount of travel detected by the vehicle speed sensor or the like in order to determine the first amount of travel to be the amount of travel of the vehicle when the difference between the first amount and the second amount is smaller than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving efficiency and accuracy in event information exchange among users of navigation systems or other devices through wireless communication. The method includes the steps of: receiving information indicating an upcoming event, an event location, and participants thereof input by a user; checking a database storing data regarding types of event in response to the information input by the user to determine a type of the event; retrieving information regarding items required for the type of event determined and generating a template including a list of what items to bring by the participants of the event; and sending the template to the participants of the event through wireless communication.

Abstract: A road configuration identifying device properly identifies the road configuration around a user's vehicle. A reliability level indicating whether the traveling paths of other vehicles in an area behind the user's vehicle which are detected by a radar positioning system, which are obtained by tracking other vehicles using an other vehicle tracking section, and the traveling path of the user's vehicle are traveling paths along the same road configuration is calculated by using the velocity v, acceleration dv, angular velocity d?, and the operation state of a direction indicator or the like of each vehicle. Then, the road configuration indicated by traveling paths having a high reliability level is predicted as the road configuration in the area behind the user's vehicle.

Abstract: A 3D-object detecting apparatus may include a detection-image creating device configured to detect a 3D object on an image-capture surface from an image captured by an image-capture device and to create a detection image in which a silhouette of only the 3D object is left; a density-map creating device configured to determine the 3D objects spatial densities at corresponding coordinate points in a coordinate plane on the basis of the detection image and mask images obtained for the corresponding coordinate points on the basis of virtual cuboids arranged for the corresponding coordinate points and to create a density map having pixels for the corresponding coordinate points such that the pixels have pixel values corresponding to the determined spatial densities; and a 3D-object position detecting device that detects the position of the 3D object as a representative point in a high-density region in the density map.

Abstract: A display device includes movable members arranged to face a display screen of a liquid crystal display panel, a movable member driving mechanism, a display controller that controls the display of an image in a first display area and controls the display of a predetermined mark in a second display area on the liquid crystal display panel, and a drive controller that controls the movable member driving mechanism to move the movable members in accordance with a movement of the mark displayed. The display of an image object in the first display area and the display of the mark in the second display area are controlled so that the position of the image object displayed in the first display area corresponds to the position of the mark displayed in the second display area.

Abstract: An X-side resistive film and a Y-side resistive film of a touch panel face each other with a predetermined gap therebetween. Resistance values of the X-side and Y-side resistive films are measured with connections to the X-side and Y-side resistive films being alternately switched. X and Y coordinates of a contact position of the X-side resistive film and the Y-side resistive film are detected based on the measured resistance values. Amounts of current applied to the X-side and Y-side resistive films during on-periods of the X-side and Y-side connections are set to be different from each another in accordance with resistance values corresponding to the X-side and Y-side resistive films, respectively.

Abstract: A speaker device has a magnet, outer yokes, and inner yokes which are assembled so that a magnetic gap is formed between the outer yoke and inner yokes over which a magnetic flux which is generated from the magnet cuts across. A voice coil unit which is linked to a diaphragm is disposed within the magnetic gap, and positioning members determine the positions of the inner yokes and the outer yokes which attach magnetically to the magnet such that a magnetic gap is formed. The speaker device has a magnetic circuit of which the construction facilitates assembly, and recycling of various individual parts is relatively easy.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatic gain control of an amplifier in which the method and apparatus detects excessive increase in the sound volume or temperature rise in the audio system and reduces the gain of the amplifier by various means. Each gain control circuit has a comparator to compare a signal with threshold values and an integrator to integrate output signals of the comparator with respect to a predetermined time length to reduce a gain of the amplifier. The method and apparatus conducts dynamic suppressing of excess signals and thereby controlling output level of the amplifier at multiple stages without immediately shutting down the audio system. In the case where the sound volume increases to a degree that may damage the amplifier or speaker, a shutdown signal is generated to shutdown the operation of the whole system.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus is configured to display screen information supplied from a portable information terminal, and includes a connection unit configured to confirm if the portable information terminal is connected to the electronic apparatus. Also included is a notification unit configured to notify the portable information terminal of setting information concerning setting of the screen information supplied from the portable information terminal. A receiving unit is configured to receive the screen information that is set on the basis of the setting information from the portable information terminal, and a display unit is configured to display the screen information received by the receiving unit.

Abstract: A communication speed control apparatus for controlling communication between a host device and an external device in accordance with a high-speed communication mode or a low-speed communication mode includes a list storage unit configured to store a list of specification information of external devices that are incompatible with the host device when data communication is carried out using the high-speed communication mode and a specification information obtainment unit configured to obtain external device specification information from the external device. A device determination unit is configured to determine if the external device specification information obtained from the external device corresponds to an incompatible external device based on the stored specification information and a communication speed control unit sets a data communication speed to the low-speed communication mode if the device determination unit determines that the external device in incompatible with the host device.

Abstract: A speaker device includes a cabinet from which a duct for adjusting the back pressure protrudes, a speaker unit mounted in the cabinet, and an intermediate hollow member including first and second connection portions. A cabin space in which the cabinet is installed is separated from a non-cabin space by a partition wall. If there is a subframe facing the partition wall, the duct cannot be directly connected to the opening formed in the partition wall. The intermediate hollow member is disposed in a small space between the subframe and the partition wall, the second connection portion is connected to the opening, and the duct is connected to the first connection portion.

Abstract: An in-vehicle device mounting structure includes a plurality of brackets through which the in-vehicle device is mounted to an installation member of a vehicle. Each bracket includes a device mounting portion to be fixed to a surface of the in-vehicle device, a vehicle attachment portion to be fixed to the installation member under the in-vehicle device, a drawn bent portion that is curved to smoothly connect the device mounting portion to the vehicle attachment portion, and a plurality of slits that extend across the drawn bent portion such that the device mounting portion is notched and the slits are arranged in parallel substantially in the front and rear directions of the bracket.

Abstract: An on-vehicle apparatus system and a terminal device protect personal information and location information readable from message information viewed by others. The on-vehicle apparatus, which is included in a vehicle and which is connected to the terminal device, includes an application for transmitting location information representing a position of the terminal device along with message information, to a message management system, and includes a first area determination unit which determines whether the position of the terminal device represented by the location information is included in a predetermined first area, and a posting controller, which bans assignment of the location information performed before the message information is transmitted to the message management system by the application, when the first area determination unit determines that the position of the terminal device is included in the first area.

Abstract: A speaker includes a magnetic circuit, a voice coil, and a diaphragm which are disposed in a case. The case is placed in an engine compartment of an automobile. Reproduced sound is emitted through a duct protruding outward from the case. A partition wall, which is a metal body frame of the automobile, is present between the engine compartment and the cabin space. The duct is inserted into a hole formed in the partition wall so that a sound port faces and protrudes into the cabin space. A heat dissipation port is formed in the case, and an end surface the magnetic circuit facing the partition wall is exposed in the heat dissipation port. An elastically deformable thermal conductive sheet is sandwiched between the partition wall and the end surface of the magnetic circuit.