Abstract: A navigation apparatus and method that store route information, the stored route information including, for each of a plurality of routes starting at a first point and ending at a second point, a required travel time and a traffic condition. The apparatus and method determine whether a guidance route includes the first point and the second point of a stored route. The apparatus and method read out, if a guidance route includes the first point and the second point of a stored route, the stored route information for the stored route that shares the first point and the second point with the guidance route. The read out stored route information having a same or similar traffic condition as a current traffic condition. The apparatus and method output the required time to travel the stored route from the read route information.

Abstract: Vehicle position information providing devices, methods, and programs acquire a first current position of a vehicle based on a radio signal received from a GPS satellite and acquire a second current position of the vehicle based on a signal received by a communication device that communicates over a mobile phone network. The devices, methods, and programs determine whether the first current position and the second current position coincide. If the first current position and the second current position do not coincide, the devices, methods, and programs cause the communication device to transmit information relating to the first current position to an information center.

Abstract: Traffic situation determination systems, methods, and programs acquire a current position of the vehicle based on a radio signal received from a GPS satellite and determine a first travel path of the vehicle based on the acquired position of the vehicle. The systems, methods, and programs determine whether a road on which the vehicle is traveling has a traffic jam. If the road on which the vehicle is traveling has a traffic jam, the systems, methods and programs transmit first information relating to the first travel path from the vehicle to an information center. The systems, methods, and programs receive second information relating to a second travel path of the vehicle, the second information being received from a mobile phone communication center and being based on a mobile phone signal received by the mobile phone communication center.

Abstract: A traffic information notification system for use by a vehicle acquires vehicle travel history data, automatically registers, on the basis of the acquired travel history data, at least one route along which the vehicle usually travels, a time at which the vehicle travels along each of the at least one routes, and traffic information associated with each of the at least one routes. The traffic information system compares current traffic information along a registered route to be traveled provided by a traffic information system with the automatically registered traffic information for that registered route to be traveled, and provides a notification, when the current traffic information is substantially different from the automatically registered traffic information, of the substantially different current traffic information.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and programs obtain probe information, the probe information comprising an average speed of probe cars traveling on each of a plurality of links in a predetermined area. The systems, methods, and programs detect, for each of the plurality of links, a first degree of a traffic jam corresponding to the link for each of a plurality of different thresholds by comparing the average speed with each of the thresholds. The systems, methods, and programs obtain traffic-jam information concerning the plurality of links, the obtained traffic information comprising a second degree of the traffic jam corresponding to each of the plurality of links. The systems, methods, and programs compare, for each of the plurality of links, the second degree of the traffic jam with the first degree of the traffic jam for each of the thresholds.

Abstract: A thermoconductive curable liquid polymer composition including (A) a curable liquid polymer, (B) a filler made from a thermally-elongatable shape-memory alloy, and (C) a thermoconductive filler other than (B). A semiconductor device having a semiconductor element glued or coated with the thermoconductive curable liquid polymer composition.

Abstract: Navigation apparatus, methods, and programs merge and correct a plurality of types of past traffic information. The apparatus, methods, and programs may store a plurality of types of past traffic information, each type of past traffic information having a priority and may merge the stored past traffic information in accordance the priorities. The apparatus, methods, and programs may detect adjacency relationships among the plurality of links; and, if a detected link number indicates that the corresponding link is not adjacent to adjacent links, replaces the detected link number for the link, the replaced link number indicating that the link is adjacent to the adjacent links.

Abstract: In a disposable pull-on wearing article, sheet strips carrying thereon display elements are bonded to an inner surface of an elastically stretchable outer sheet of the article. An inner sheet facing inner surfaces of the sheet strips and being elastically stretchable is bonded to the outer sheet intermittently in a waist-surrounding direction as well as in a vertical direction orthogonal to the waist-surrounding direction in a region extending from lateral edges of sheet strips to spots at which front and rear waist regions of the article are bonded to each other along transversely opposite side margins of the waist regions.

Abstract: A navigation system includes an information center and a navigation device installed in a probe vehicle. The information center stores limiting information for specifying a content of probe information in accordance with predefined factors, specifies a predefined factor corresponding to a navigation device, selects the limiting information based on the specified predefined factor, transmits the selected limiting information to the navigation device, and receives the corresponding probe information transmitted from a navigation device. The navigation device receives the limiting information from the information center, collects probe information, selects only the probe information specified by the received limiting information for transmission to the information center, and transmits the selected probe information to the information center.

Abstract: An abutment block for mounting between ends of a brake pad and a caliper housing is formed as a monolithic structure to prevent relative movement between the block and the caliper housing. The abutment block has a front face directed toward the end of the associated brake pad, and the front face has a recess formed therein. The recess has a mounting hole extending therethough, with the mounting hole being at an acute angle to the front face. The abutment block is received in a recess in the caliper housing, and is securely fastened to the caliper housing by a fastener.

Abstract: A CPU specifies factors related to the month, the day of the week, and a time period including the current point in time, based on time data obtained by a timer. The CPU also specifies factors that are related to a grid ID and a road category of a given link, based on map display data, link data, and the like stored in an update map information database. The CPU then reads a sample collection number indicating the number of samples of probe information required to generate traffic information for that link and in sequence for other links. When a center traffic information DB contains stored therein, samples of probe information equal to or greater than the sample collection number for a link, the CPU generates the traffic information for that link and stores the generated traffic information as current traffic information.

Abstract: A brake system for a vehicle can include a brake actuator, an equalizer operably connected to the actuator, and two brake wires that are each connected to the equalizer and extend to first and second brake assemblies. The first and second brake wires can extend in a first direction extending from a front of the vehicle toward a rear of the vehicle. The first brake wire can cross over the second brake wire at least once and possibly twice, each time in a direction transverse to the first direction. Additionally, the first and second brake wires can each include a cover that protects a respective wire. The covers can be in contact with each other at the crossover point for the wires to minimize noise, friction and to improve operating ability and durability of the brake wires. The various features, such as the cross-over configuration, the contacting wires, and/or the covers, also make it possible to minimize the space requirements for the wires in the vehicle.

Abstract: Systems and methods store request frequencies arranged by time period, each request frequency indicating a frequency at which traffic information distribution is to be requested from an information distribution center. The systems and methods determine a request timing based on a current time and the stored request frequencies and determine whether the request timing has elapsed since a previous traffic information distribution request. When it is determined that the request timing has elapsed, the systems and methods transmit a request for distribution of the traffic information to the information distribution center and receive the requested traffic information distributed from the information distribution center.

Abstract: A knob structure for parking brake apparatus that can prevent a sink mark or a weld mark from being produced at the time of molding, and allows an inexpensive resin material with a good moldability to be adopted. The knob structure includes a rod that is movably disposed on the vehicle body side, and a knob main body that is connected to the nose end side of the rod, wherein the knob main body is made up of a core part that is previously assembled to the nose end side of said rod, and a surface layer part that coats the surface of the core part after assembly with a substantially uniform coating thickness.

Abstract: A disposable diaper is provided such that the disposable diaper has at least one predetermined illustration displayed thereon and is folded into a predetermined shape. The illustration is provided in such a manner that at least a portion of the illustration is hidden when the disposable diaper is folded into the predetermined shape, and the hidden portion of the illustration is exposed as the disposable diaper is unfolded from the folded state.

Abstract: Navigation apparatus, methods, and programs merge and correct a plurality of types of past traffic information. The apparatus, methods, and programs may store a plurality of types of past traffic information, each type of past traffic information having a priority and may merge the stored past traffic information in accordance the priorities. The apparatus, methods, and programs may detect adjacency relationships among the plurality of links; and, if a detected link number indicates that the corresponding link is not adjacent to adjacent links, replaces the detected link number for the link, the replaced link number indicating that the link is adjacent to the adjacent links.

Abstract: An abutment block for mounting between ends of a brake pad and a caliper housing is formed as a monolithic structure to prevent relative movement between the block and the caliper housing. The abutment block has a front face directed toward the end of the associated brake pad, and the front face has a recess formed therein. The recess has a mounting hole extending therethough, with the mounting hole being at an acute angle to the front face. The abutment block is received in a recess in the caliper housing, and is securely fastened to the caliper housing by a fastener.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and programs store predicted distance range data, in which distance ranges where a vehicle will be within a specified time are predicted for individual zones and individual time periods, and store traffic data that is created based on traffic circumstances in individual links and individual time periods. The systems, methods, and programs define, based on the predicted distance range data and using the current time as a reference, a temporal sequence of predicted distance ranges centered at the current host vehicle position. The systems, methods, and programs search for a recommended route from the current host vehicle position to the destination among links within each of the defined predicted distance ranges, the recommended route determined by using the traffic data for the time periods that correspond to the predicted distance ranges.

Abstract: A wearing article is provided on at least one of front and rear waist covering regions with an indication element adapted to be visually recognized from the outside of the article. The waist covering region provided with the indication element includes a first composite sheet, a second composite sheet lying inside this first composite sheet and the indication element interposed between these two composite sheets. The first composite sheet comprises a first intermediate layer, a first outer layer and a first inner layer while the second composite sheet includes a second intermediate layer, a second outer layer and a second inner layer. The respective layers of the first composite sheet are joined together at joining spots arranged intermittently in a waist-surrounding direction.

Abstract: Travel time database generating systems, methods, and programs receive a vehicle's present location information and calculate a link travel time for each link included in the present location information. The systems, methods, and programs generate a travel time database including link travel times by estimating a travel route between the vehicle's present locations detected every predetermined time period and calculating a link travel time of links included in the estimated travel route.