Abstract: To improve operability of screen switching of native APs and virtual machine APs. It is an information processing device capable of executing native APs described in a native code and JavaAPs described in a Java (registered trademark) bytecode. A key event processing unit manages a current mode. It also decides display or non-display of each of images generated by the native APs and images generated by the Java APs according to the current mode which is managed. It further changes the current mode which is managed according to a type of a key event received from a key driver. A graphics driver superimposes and outputs the images decided to be displayed in predetermined order.

Abstract: Disclosed is a traffic information distribution apparatus 1 including date-time information in traffic information acquired by the traffic information acquire unit 12 or generated by the traffic information prediction unit, and accumulates the traffic information in the traffic information DB 13. When the traffic information distribution apparatus 1 receives distribution request information transmitted from the in-vehicle terminal 5, based on date-time information of reference traffic information held by the in-vehicle terminal 5 included in the distribution request information, the traffic information distribution apparatus 1 retrieves traffic information including the same date-time information as the date-time information of the reference traffic information from the traffic information DB 13.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technique, by speech input, to specify a location, even when a name or the like of the location is not accurately known, while driving. An in-vehicle apparatus mounted in a vehicle has a speech recognition function, and stores information shown on a signboard and a noun substitute in storage. If speech inputted from a speech input device includes a noun substitute and further includes at least a part of the information shown on the signboard, a response is decided according to the information shown on the signboard, and the decided response is outputted from an output device.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus comprises a map display control unit that displays a map on a display monitor, a voice information outputting unit that outputs voice information related to traveling of a vehicle, and a highlighting unit that highlights a part of the map that corresponds to the voice information in synchronization with output of the voice information by the voice information outputting unit.

Abstract: A map data providing method for providing map data to be used in a navigation system includes: dividing an area over which the map data are available into a plurality of blocks by using each of a plurality of division patterns set so that blocks resulting from divisions with the plurality of division patterns are not identical to one another; generating map data in correspondence to each of the blocks resulting from the divisions achieved with the plurality of division patterns; and providing the map data corresponding to the individual blocks resulting from the divisions achieved with the plurality of division patterns to a user so as to allow the user to freely select map data corresponding to any block.

Abstract: An in-vehicle terminal (101) is provided, which has a function ensuring that computer resource secured by a virtual machine (1a1) or a virtual machine (1b1) is controlled within a limit value of the computer resource that is allocated to the corresponding virtual machine, or a function which is capable of executing multiple virtual machines appropriately. When the virtual machine (1a1) or the virtual machine (1b1) requests securing the computer resource, the in-vehicle terminal (101) requests the OS (143) to secure computer resource in response to the request, if the requested resource is lower than the limit value of the computer resource that is allocated to the corresponding virtual machine.

Abstract: An on-vehicle display device includes: an image generation unit that generates a first image that can be viewed from a driver's seat side and a second image that can be viewed from a passenger's seat side; and a display monitor at which the first image and the second image are displayed within a screen, and the image generation unit does not include an image of an icon or a button, operation of which by a driver is restricted, in the first image, includes the image of the icon or the button in the second image, and constantly changes a display position of the icon or the button in the second image.

Abstract: A search data update system includes a navigation apparatus that uses search data and a data providing center that provides update data for updating the search data to the navigation apparatus. The navigation apparatus reads a search data main body constituted with search tree data and a plurality of sets of substance data each specified based upon the search tree data from a recording medium. The data providing center provides the update data to be used to update the search data to the navigation apparatus. The update data are provided in units of individual sets of substance data and include attached thereto information to be used in a search in correspondence to each set of substance data. Upon obtaining the update data from the data providing center, the navigation apparatus stores the obtained update data into a nonvolatile memory separately from the search data main body.

Abstract: Predicted traffic information of a plurality of time bands is downloaded once for a mesh area. Moreover, time band range of the predicted traffic information to be downloaded is increased as distance from current position to the mesh area increases. Furthermore, the time band range is increased for the morning and the evening. Moreover, as difference between the current time and departure time becomes larger, the time band range is increased.

Abstract: A route searching method is provided which allows drivers having mutually similar traveling purposes and preferences to find highly convenient routes by sharing their route searching know-how. A center apparatus (1) collects probe data received from an in-vehicle terminal apparatus (5). A preference parameter creating unit (14) calculates, based on the probe data, road usage frequencies according to preference items such as vehicle type, driver age and gender, and travel purpose which can be factors for route selection and stores the calculated road usage frequencies as preference parameters in a preference parameter database (15). A route searching unit (513) included in the in-vehicle terminal apparatus (5) requests the center apparatus (1) to transmit a preference parameter similar to user attribute information (519), adjusts link costs according to the preference parameter received from the center apparatus, and determines a minimum-cost route to a destination.

Abstract: When receiving a traffic information providing request, a traffic information providing apparatus analyzes which area's traffic information is requested based on the received request information. Traffic information of road links located in the requested area is read from the traffic information, and it is determined whether the road links' traffic information is similar or not. Similar links configure a link group, and traffic information corresponding to the link group is created. Traffic information of the configured link group is delivered to an in-vehicle information apparatus.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating traffic information to be used in a car navigation system, comprising the steps of acquiring traffic information data including information relating to a travel time of links making up a road on a map and for acquiring map data relating to the link, the map data comprising at least information on a road type of the link and checking if a volume of the traffic information data available in is sufficient for performing a statistical estimate for the travel time. In order to enhance the traffic information generated, it is proposed to use the steps of checking if the volume of traffic information data relating to links located in a target area is sufficient and adapting a size of the target area depending on the amount of available traffic information data.

Abstract: This on-vehicle map display apparatus comprises a map scale setting unit that sets a map scale, a summary map generation unit that generates a summary map by abbreviating road shapes if a map scale that is less than a predetermined scale is set by the map scale setting unit, a summary map display control unit that displays the summary map generated by the summary map generation unit upon a display monitor, a congestion information acquisition unit that acquires congestion information, and a congestion information display control unit that displays the congestion information acquired by the congestion information acquisition unit as superimposed upon the summary map displayed upon the display monitor by the summary map display control unit.

Abstract: A first data product that can be read into a computer or a map data processing apparatus, contains therein map data having map-related information of a map. The map data includes: a structure having the map-related information divided into units of a plurality of divisions into which the map is divided; and a structure having management information for the map-related information divided into units of the divisions, and: the map-related information obtained by the computer or the map data processing apparatus can be updated in units of the individual divisions by using the management information.

Abstract: A route to a destination in which required travel time barely varies depending on weather is searched for without referring to weather forecast or weather information.

Abstract: A traffic state predicting apparatus, which predicts congestion states of parts of a link based on limited information (the travel time for the link), comprises storage means that stores link data including a link length of each link forming part of a road on a map and parameters including, for each link, a smooth traffic speed indicting being smooth, a congested traffic speed indicating being congested, and a congestion reference position which is a reference position for a congested section; means that acquires a predicted travel time for the link; and congestion degree classified section calculating means that obtains sections classified according to their level of congestion in the link with use of the predicted travel time and the parameters.

Abstract: There is provided a method and a device for accurately estimating traffic information of a link having no traffic information even if different types of roads are mixed. The device finds a parameter characterizing a damping curve of a quantity of change of relative speed based on stored traffic information for links on a city center side on a minimum-time cost route connecting the city center and suburbs, finds a quantity of change of relative speed of the link having no observed traffic information and estimates its traffic information based on the damping curve. The device also calculates a ratio of quantities of change of relative speed of two links whose road types change as a speed change similarity ratio and estimates traffic information of the link of a second road type from known traffic information of the link of a first road type by using that ratio.

Abstract: Regarding first and second audio data to be reproduced simultaneously within a certain time period, a computer which has a storage device records the first audio data to the storage device within the period while at the same time reproducing only the second audio data, and, after having reproduced the second audio data, reproduces the first audio data while forcing its playback speed to increase with time. Whereby, the computer enables the two sets of audio data being reproduced simultaneously to be output in such a way as to provide a listener with enhanced audibility.

Abstract: There is provided a method and a device for accurately estimating traffic information of a link having no traffic information even if different types of roads are mixed. The device finds a parameter characterizing a damping curve of a quantity of change of relative speed based on stored traffic information for links on a city center side on a minimum-time cost route connecting the city center and suburbs, finds a quantity of change of relative speed of the link having no observed traffic information and estimates its traffic information based on the damping curve. The device also calculates a ratio of quantities of change of relative speed of two links whose road types change as a speed change similarity ratio and estimates traffic information of the link of a second road type from known traffic information of the link of a first road type by using that ratio.

Abstract: A first data product that can be read into a computer or a map data processing apparatus, contains therein map data having map-related information of a map. The map data includes: a structure having the map-related information divided into units of a plurality of divisions into which the map is divided; and a structure having management information for the map-related information divided into units of the divisions, and: the map-related information obtained by the computer or the map data processing apparatus can be updated in units of the individual divisions by using the management information.