Abstract: A charging system that significantly increases the anti-theft capability of a charging subject. The charging subject includes a rechargeable battery. The rechargeable battery of the charging subject is connected to a power supply of a house by power lines. An authentication management device performs authentication of the charging subject by communicating with the charging subject through the power lines and permits charging of the rechargeable battery with the power supply of the house only when the authentication is established.

Abstract: A charging system that facilitates tracking of a stolen charging subject. The charging subject includes a battery and has a unique identification code. A charging device is connected to the battery of the charging subject by an electric cable, and the battery is chargeable. A server is connected to either one of the charging device and the charging subject and manages charging of the charging subject with the charging device. The server is cable of registering an identification code of the charging subject. The server obtains the identification code from the charging subject, determined whether or not the obtained identification code is registered in the server, and transmits to the charging device a charging prohibition command for prohibiting charging of the charging subject with the charging device when the obtained identification code is not registered in the server.

Abstract: A travel mode setting device for a hybrid car capable of ensuring the security against car theft and convenience when the car is lent to the third party. The hybrid car has travel drive sources and selectively uses one of them and can travel in one of travel modes. Authenticating means separately authenticate the car user and creates authentication results. Limiting means limits the travel modes to the usable travel modes according to the results of the authentication by the authenticating means.

Abstract: A travel mode setting device for a hybrid car capable of ensuring the security against car theft and convenience when the car is lent to the third party. The hybrid car has travel drive sources and selectively uses one of them and can travel in one of travel modes. Authenticating means separately authenticate the car user and creates authentication results. Limiting means limits the travel modes to the usable travel modes according to the results of the authentication by the authenticating means.

Abstract: A charging system that facilitates tracking of a stolen charging subject. The charging subject includes a battery and has a unique identification code. A charging device is connected to the battery of the charging subject by an electric cable, and the battery is chargeable. A server is connected to either one of the charging device and the charging subject and manages charging of the charging subject with the charging device. The server is cable of registering an identification code of the charging subject. The server obtains the identification code from the charging subject, determined whether or not the obtained identification code is registered in the server, and transmits to the charging device a charging prohibition command for prohibiting charging of the charging subject with the charging device when the obtained identification code is not registered in the server.

Abstract: A charging system that significantly increases the anti-theft capability of a charging subject. The charging subject includes a rechargeable battery. The rechargeable battery of the charging subject is connected to a power supply of a house by power lines. An authentication management device performs authentication of the charging subject by communicating with the charging subject through the power lines and permits charging of the rechargeable battery with the power supply of the house only when the authentication is established.

Abstract: A portable electronic information device with superb portability and/or amusement value is provided. This device A is a portable electronic information device A having an external housing 1 that can be equipped in a car, and the device A is provided with expression means 7, 8 and 9 for performing actions that can be sensed by the user of the vehicle, in accordance with vehicle status information of the vehicle or output signals from sensors 4 or 5 equipped inside external housing 1, and thus delivers superb amusement value. This device also functions as a vehicle key, providing high portability, and enabling information to be shared with a home computer, thus providing a high level of convenience.

Abstract: A traffic information distribution system includes a distribution device for synthesizing pieces of traffic information supplied from a traffic information center, an output device for outputting pieces of traffic information distributed from the distribution device, and a data communicator that is connected to the output device and that can communicate with the distribution device in a bidirectional manner. The distribution device responds to a request signal transmitted from the output device via the data communicator, effectively synthesizes the pieces of traffic information in consideration not only of a request made by a user, recognizability at the time of output, a state of a map on a display screen and a range of the map, but also of various factors in which actual road conditions are reflected. The pieces of the traffic information that have been synthesized are distributed via the data communicator to the output device.

Abstract: A vehicle driver inputs an alarm signal from an operating unit. A control unit adds a current position of the vehicle detected by a navigation unit to the alarm signal and transmits the alarm signal with the current position from a transmitting and receiving unit to another vehicle. The transmitting and receiving unit receives a signal from another vehicle and supplies the signal to the control unit. The control unit calculates an intervehicular distance from current position data of the other vehicle included in the received signal and current position data of its own vehicle and outputs the alarm signal from speakers only when the intervehicular distance is within a predetermined value.

Abstract: A route search location determining section (12d) of a mobile body (10) decides whether to conduct a route search at the mobile body (10) or to request the route search to an information center (30) based on various conditions such as priorities and how old the map data version is. In this manner, effective search can be conducted using two distinct route searching devices. Also, a current position calculating section (12a) can execute map matching by adding route data obtained from the information center (30) as a map matching candidate.

Abstract: A remote navigation device and navigation system which can reduce communications costs by minimizing route guidance data transmitted to an in-vehicle navigation device is configured so that it can obtain guide area information specifying areas where guidance is not needed. When generating route guidance data to be transmitted to an in-vehicle navigation device, the remote navigation device removes the routes which pass through areas where route guidance is not needed, and generates route guidance data for just the other routes. By transmitting only such route guidance data to the in-vehicle navigation device, the amount of transmitted data can be reduced.

Abstract: A generation section for root guide information 25 retrieves a plurality of information elements from an information data storage section 23 and creates root guide information. Then, a generation part for guide information data blocks 26 reorganizes the root information into a plurality of guide information data blocks including at least one information element from the root guide information. The guide information data blocks generated through reorganizing are sequentially transmitted from a radio communication unit 27 to an in-vehicle device 30. When it becomes impossible to execute route guidance using one type of guide information because of a breakdown in communication or the like, route guidance can still be executed by using guide information already received.

Abstract: A traffic information distribution system includes a distribution device for synthesizing pieces of traffic information supplied from a traffic information center, an output device for outputting pieces of traffic information distributed from the distribution device, and a data communicator that is connected to the output device and that can communicate with the distribution device in a bidirectional manner. The distribution device responds to a request signal transmitted from the output device via the data communicator, effectively synthesizes the pieces of traffic information in consideration not only of a request made by a user, recognizability at the time of output, a state of a map on a display screen and a range of the map, but also of various factors in which actual road conditions are reflected. The pieces of the traffic information that have been synthesized are distributed via the data communicator to the output device.

Abstract: A server in an information base determines a route (server route) from a place of departure to a destination, transmitted from a client terminal of a navigation unit via communication, using information in a server database. On the other hand, the client terminal determines a route (client route) from the place of departure to the destination using information in a client terminal database. Either the server or the client terminal determines whether or not the server route and the client route are identical based on information concerning guiding points of each route, and the client terminal then performs route navigation of a route in a section where the routes are identical using the information in the client terminal database and a route in a non-identical section where the routes are not identical using the information in the server database.

Abstract: A portable electronic information device with superb portability and/or amusement value is provided. This device A is a portable electronic information device A having an external housing 1 that can be equipped in a car, and the device A is provided with expression means 7, 8 and 9 for performing actions that can be sensed by the user of the vehicle, in accordance with vehicle status information of the vehicle or output signals from sensors 4 or 5 equipped inside external housing 1, and thus delivers superb amusement value. This device also functions as a vehicle key, providing high portability, and enabling information to be shared with a home computer, thus providing a high level of convenience.

Abstract: A server in an information base determines a route (server route) from a place of departure to a destination, transmitted from a client terminal of a navigation unit via communication, using information in a server database. On the other hand, the client terminal determines a route (client route) from the place of departure to the destination using information in a client terminal database. Either the server or the client terminal determines whether or not the server route and the client route are identical based on information concerning guiding points of each route, and the client terminal then performs route navigation of a route in a section where the routes are identical using the information in the client terminal database and a route in a non-identical section where the routes are not identical using the information in the server database.

Abstract: A vehicle driver inputs an alarm signal from an operating unit. A control unit adds a current position of the vehicle detected by a navigation unit to the alarm signal, and then transmits the alarm signal with the current position from a transmitting and receiving unit to another vehicle. The transmitting and receiving unit receives a signal from another vehicle, and then supplies the signal to the control unit. The control unit calculates an intervehicular distance from current position data of the other vehicle included in the received signal and current position data of its own vehicle, and outputs the alarm signal from speakers only when the intervehicular distance is within a predetermined distance.

Abstract: A vehicle-navigation device for displaying a map at such a scale as to display a present position of a vehicle and a predetermined point when the vehicle does not travel on a preset route, whereby information is given to a driver. When the vehicle is led from a starting point to a route search beginning point, the scale of the map is set by a scale change section 26a so as to display the present position (the starting point) and the search beginning point on one screen. Furthermore, when the vehicle deviates from the route for a certain reason, the present position and the nearest point on the route are displayed on the same screen. In addition, when the vehicle is traveling between a search ending point and a destination point, these two points are displayed on the same screen.

Abstract: A traffic information distribution system includes a distribution device for synthesizing pieces of traffic information supplied from a traffic information center, an output device for outputting pieces of traffic information distributed from the distribution device, and a data communicator that is connected to the output device and that can communicate with the distribution device in a bidirectional manner. The distribution device responds to a request signal transmitted from the output device via the data communicator, effectively synthesizes the pieces of traffic information in consideration not only of a request made by a user, recognizability at the time of output, a state of a map on a display screen and a range of the map, but also of various factors in which actual road conditions are reflected. The pieces of the traffic information that have been synthesized are distributed via the data communicator to the output device.