Abstract: A goal direction mark and a distance to a goal are indicated when the car has approached the end point of route. When the car has deviated from the guide route to the goal or is running backwards on the guide route in a direction that is opposite to the direction of the goal, there is indicated a mark to inform the direction of progress to the goal on the guide route. When the car has deviated from the guide route and the guide route is not indicated on the map picture, there is indicated the direction to the goal or the direction to the guide route itself. When the start point of route is remote from the present position at the start of the guidance, a mark is indicated to inform the direction to the start point of route. The driver is enabled to easily determine relying upon the indicated mark in which direction he should proceed. When the map picture is scrolled, there is informed the goal direction, route direction or the direction of progress to the goal on the route.

Abstract: According to the invention, when a target name is inputted using characters such as alphabet and numerics, strings of characters or numerics are compared with data of registered places each time one character is inputted, names of registered places including the inputted string of characters or numerics is listed, and the number of registered target names remaining on the list is displayed.When the target name is inputted in characters, the inputted data is compared with a list of the registered names having word components arranged in different orders with respect to a single official name by a forward match comparison, and the number of registered target names remaining on the list with forward match is displayed.When the number of the inputted characters or numerics increases and the number of registered target names remaining on the list decreases, a list of the registered place names is displayed. The target name is selected from this list.

Abstract: In order to calculate the traveling distance and heading of a vehicle in highly accurate fashion, a navigation system is provided with a distance sensor for outputting pulses in proportion to rotation of a wheel, a GPS receiving unit for calculating vehicle speed by GPS reception, acquisition unit for acquiring the number of pulses at the same time as GPS reception, distance correction coefficient calculating unit for calculating GPS traveling distance from the GPS-reception vehicle speed and a time difference between any two points, and calculating a distance correction coefficient from the GPS traveling distance and a pulse difference between two points, and present position calculating unit for calculating present position based upon a corrected distance correction coefficient.

Abstract: A voice route-guidance system for vehicles which terminates its route-guidance when the vehicle arrives at the destination and even if the present position of the vehicle is measured with low accuracy. An approach judging unit judges that the vehicle approaches a point spaced apart from a destination by a predetermined distance. A guidance termination judging unit further judges whether or not there is a point in which the route-guidance should be carried out between the present vehicle position and the destination. From these judgments, the system judges that the vehicle approaches the point spaced apart from the destination by the predetermined distance and also that all the route-guidance has been terminated. Thus, a termination unit terminates the route-guidance.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation system includes a simulated run mode along with a normal navigation mode. In the simulated run mode, a simulated present position is calculated to move in accordance with simulated motion so that route guidance information is presented to the viewer in the same manner as during actual navigation. The simulated motion may be increased or decreased, may be stepped or continuous, and/or may be controlled in accordance with stored speed information on the roads of the route.

Abstract: A navigation system includes a first information storage device containing stored map data and a display unit for displaying a map by reading the map data. Provision is made for setting a point on the map displayed by the display unit and for inputting a telephone number. A second information storage device is provided for registering the input telephone number in correlation with the positional coordinates of the set point.

Abstract: A vehicular navigation system includes a central control unit which determines when a present position deviates from a searched route along which guidance is being provided from a starting point to a destination and determines whether or not the detected deviating present position is on a guidable road prior to re-searching the route and providing guidance based upon the re-searched route. A guidable road is a road upon which the navigation system contains sufficient map information and guide information for the navigation system to search a route and provide guidance. Additionally, system determines whether the vehicle has traveled a predetermined distance after re-search of the route prior to providing travel guidance based upon the re-searched route. Otherwise travel guidance continues to be provided based upon the previously searched route. A driver, after making a short deviation, may thus return to the previous route without travel guidance being interrupted by a re-searched route.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus, for reading information from a memory medium such as a CD-ROM and displaying read information, includes a controller for controlling a drive motor which drives the memory medium. The drive motor is normally driven at a normal speed but is driven at a higher speed when a certain operation requires reading a large amount of information data within a certain time. After the data is read at high speed, the drive motor is automatically switched to normal speed. The drive motor drives at the higher speed only when necessary, so that the drive motor retains its durability and the information processing apparatus is more responsive.

Abstract: Geographical, guide or search information and route information are stored in storage sections. An arithmetic section provides a route researching function with preference for the traveling direction of a vehicle. A route-calculating section is provided for re-calculating the route, and a route guide control system is also provided, inclusive of a route deviation-detecting section. The re-calculating section calculates either the shortest route from the point of deviation to the previous route or a new route to the destination. In case of the search of the shortest route to the previous route, the shortest route from the present location to the previous route is searched giving preference to the traveling direction, e.g. avoidance of a U-turn, on the basis of the search information relating to the immediate vicinity of the present location, so that the route to rejoin the previous route can be quickly calculated.

Abstract: An apparatus to facilitate volume control for route aural guidance. When supplying a guidance voice to a loudspeaker 34a, a voice control section 30 disconnects the loudspeaker 34a from audio and outputs the guidance voice through the loudspeaker. A volume control screen is displayed on a display section 28 where the user adjusts the volume by touching the screen. When the voice control section 30 switches a signal to the loudspeaker 34a, a mute circuit 40a is operated to mute the voice output before the voice is output through the loudspeaker 34a. When the user terminates volume adjustment, the voice control section 30 outputs a voice for volume confirmation or check at the adjusted volume through the loudspeaker 34a. The user can check the adjusted volume at this time.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation system includes a simulated run mode along with a normal navigation mode. In the simulated run mode, a simulated present position is calculated to move in accordance with simulated motion so that route guidance information is presented to the viewer in the same manner as during actual navigation. The simulated motion may be increased or decreased, may be stepped or continuous, and/or may be controlled in accordance with stored speed information on the roads of the route.

Abstract: A navigation system for guiding a vehicle to a destination in accordance with a predetermined route composed of roads and branching points. A data base stores the names of the roads, the names of the branching points, and information relating entry roads to exit roads. A first picture display is a route information screen listing at least the road names and the branching point names, which screen may be called up by a screen operating signal issued from an input switch. A controller reads the route information from the data base in response to the screen operating signal from the input switch and forms the listing displayed on the route information screen.

Abstract: A route guidance section compares the current position provided by a current position determination section and the route provided by a route calculation section for detecting an off-route condition. When the off-route condition is detected, a researching key as well as the route and current place is displayed on a display section. When the researching key is touched, a search is again made for a new route from the current position to the destination. Then, route guidance is again started in response to the researching result. When the researching key is not touched, the route and current place continue to be displayed while the vehicle carrying the apparatus travles off route, thereby efficiently preventing the apparatus from executing unnecessary researching when the driver drives the vehicle off route on purpose.

Abstract: A navigation system includes a first information storage device containing stored map data and a display unit for displaying a map by reading the map data. Provision is made for setting a point on the map displayed by the display unit and for inputting a telephone number. A second information storage device is provided for registering the input telephone number in correlation with the positional coordinates of the set point.

Abstract: An apparatus to facilitate volume control for route aural guidance. When supplying a guidance voice to a loudspeaker 34a, a voice control section 30 disconnects the loudspeaker 34a from audio and outputs the guidance voice through the loudspeaker. A volume control screen is displayed on a display section 28 where the user adjusts the volume by touching the screen. When the voice control section 30 switches a signal to the loudspeaker 34a, a mute circuit 40a is operated to mute the voice output before the voice is output through the loudspeaker 34a. When the user terminates volume adjustment, the voice control section 30 outputs a voice for volume confirmation or check at the adjusted volume through the loudspeaker 34a. The user can check the adjusted volume at this time.

Abstract: A navigation system for use in a vehicle including a route-calculating section and a route guide control section. The route-calculating section searches for an optimum route according to conditions set for the search. The guide control section provides displays necessary to guide the driver of the vehicle, and guides the driver by speech. This guide control has a landmark name-setting section which sets the names of landmarks according to information about the landmarks, the information retrieved from a guidance information storage section according to information about the present position from a present position-determining section. A display section displays a whole route map indicating the selected route according to instructions from the route guidance control section. At the same time, the names of the landmarks are presented on the display section.

Abstract: A navigation system for vehicles, capable of exactly and quickly showing guide information to a driver when two intersections to be negotiated are close to each other, is provided. A destination is input by an input part and a route to the destination is calculated from a present position of a vehicle, calculated by a present position determiner, by a route calculator included in a calculation section. The calculated route is stored in a route memory. A route guide controller included in the calculation section reads map information around the vehicle, stored in a guide information memory within a map information storage section and superimposes the map information with the present position of the vehicle, a traveling direction and the route stored in the route memory to display the superimposed information on a display.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus has an input unit (1), a CPU (2), a display unit (3) and a memory unit (4), the memory unit (4) being a memory such as a CD-ROM in which network data of geographical points, namely destinations and present locations, and information are stored in advance. Also stored are map data (10), an intersection list (11), a destination list (12), road data (13) and a region name list (14), etc. When a destination is designated by an input from the input means (1), the CPU (2) performs an exchange with a program, stored in a ROM (9a), in order to set information for travel to the destination by course exploration in accordance with each geographical point stored in the memory unit (4). This information is stored in a memory such as a RAM (9b). In an embodiment, the RAM (9b) is provided with a non-volatile area for storing departure-point data (east longitude, north latitude, etc.).

Abstract: In a navigation apparatus for setting a route from a designated departure point to a destination and providing guidance along the route, there are provided, as map data used in route exploration, node data [FIG. 15(b)] comprising position information and information relating to the attributes thereof, intersection data [FIGS. 2-5(b), FIG. 15(b)] comprising information relating to intersections, and road data [FIGS. 2-5(a), FIG. 15(c)] comprising information related to roads. Information such as roads between intersections and intersections which are the starting and end points of roads are obtained from the intersection data and road data, and an optimum route is retrieved by comparing routes. The map data is put into the form of a layered structure, as shown in FIG.

Abstract: A display system in a navigation apparatus according to the invention has course searching means (13) for searching out an optimum course based on position information, node data (21), intersection data (19) and road data (23), and scale ratio setting means (15), wherein the scale ratio of a displayed map is set in conformity with distance between a present position and a destination, and roads are selectively displayed on a display unit (31) in conformity with the scale ratio.Further, the invention has a data processing controller (46) for performing processing based on a departure intersection entered at an input unit (43), a display unit for displaying, based on the results of processing, an intersection diagram comprising the departure intersection, a peripheral road network and landmarks, and touch keys (35) such as a verification key for displaying direction of travel on the displayed intersection map, and a rotation instruction key for rotating and displaying the intersection diagram.