Abstract: In an information reproducing apparatus, when a car is travelling, it is inhibited that the image information played back by a DVD reproducing apparatus is displayed on a display device, or the map information outputted from a navigation system is displayed. Further, when the control information for the play back control is recorded in an information medium played back by the DVD reproducing apparatus, even when the car is travelling, the operation state of the DVD reproducing apparatus according to the control information is displayed on the display device by the superimposition display.

Abstract: While a certain information-recorded medium is reproduced by a reproduction processing means of a reproduction apparatus, when the information-recorded medium is designated again within a prescribed time by a user through an operating means, the control means controls the reproduction processing means so that the pertinent information-recorded medium can be reproduced on the basis of the reproduction information stored in a storage means. In addition, when the pertinent information-recorded medium is designated again, the control means makes control of externally indicating whether or not the pertinent information-recorded medium should be reproduced on the basis of the reproduction information stored in the storage means.

Abstract: A navigation system includes a device for extracting map data and location name data of different locations and their corresponding coordinate data; a position detector which detects the vechile position; a map display controller which displays map data on a display, and a calculating device for determining a straight-line distance from the vehicle position to the different locations thereby producing distance values. A location name display device displays location names on the display in ascending order based on the distance values, and a user selects a desired location from among the location names displayed. The extracting device may segregate the different locations based on different categories, and the map display controller retrieves map data around a location represented by coordinate data corresponding to the desired location selected by the user.

Abstract: An actual running distance ab from a starting position to a present position of a vehicle is calculated based on input starting position data and positions continuously detected using a GPS device etc. An estimated running distance bc from the present position to a destination is calculated based on a detected present position and input destination data. A degree of attainment T representing a degree of approach to the destination is calculated according to an equation of: T=ab/(ab+bc), and is indicated on a display to announce it to a driver.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus including a position detector for detecting a vehicle's position and outputting vehicle position data, a memory for storing map data, a display unit for displaying a variety of information, and a display controller for displaying a map on the display unit based on the map data and superimposing the vehicle's position on the map displayed on the display unit based on the vehicle's position data.

Abstract: An onboard navigation system detects a condition that a recognized present position of the vehicle belongs to a map of a peripheral part of a region covered by map data groups recorded on a recording disc. If a changer type driver is used as a player for reproducing map data, the recording disc being played is changed to a new disc in response to the detection of the above described condition. If a single driver is used, identification information of a corresponding disc is displayed. With these features, the disc being played is quickly changed to a required new disc.

Abstract: A route setting method in a navigation system for obtaining a shortest route from a starting position to a destination position, includes the steps of: selecting, out of links each corresponding to a partial route connecting two route positions adjacent to each other on a route, candidacy links each connected to one of confirmed links which include a link corresponding to the partial route connected to the starting position and which have been confirmed; judging whether or not each of the candidacy links selected by the selecting step is able to pass therethrough according to link judgement information, which corresponds to a connection relationship between each of the candidacy links and the confirmed link connected to each of the candidacy links and which is set in advance; confirming one of the candidacy links judged to be able to pass therethrough by the judging step, which has the shortest integrated route distance from the starting position, as a new confirmed link; and repeating the selecting, judging

Abstract: A navigation apparatus including a position detector for detecting an vehicle's position and outputting vehicle's position data, a memory for storing map data, a display unit for displaying a variety of information, and a display controller for displaying a map on the display unit based on the map data and superimposing the vehicle's position on the map displayed on the display unit based on the vehicle's position data. The apparatus further includes a commander for specifying an arbitrary position on the map displayed on the display unit; a coordinate calculator for calculating the latitude and longitude as the coordinates of the actual location corresponding to the specified position on the map and outputting the same as coordinate data; and a coordinate display controller for superimposing the coordinates of the actual location in numerical values on the displayed map based on the coordinate data.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus for a movable body is provided with: a measurement device for measuring a present position of the movable body; a setting device for setting route position information corresponding to a plurality of scheduled route positions which are scheduled to be passed on a route to a destination; a memory device for storing the present position at predetermined time intervals as passed position information between a start time, which is a time when the setting device starts to set the route position information, and an end time, which is a time when the setting device ends to set the route position information; a judgement device for judging whether or not the movable body has passed the scheduled route positions between the start time and the end time on the basis of the passed position information stored in the memory device, after the end time; and a guidance device for generating a message to guide the movable body from the measured present position to the destination on the basis of the sche

Abstract: A navigation apparatus equipped in a movable body, is provided with: a position measuring device for measuring a self-position of the movable body; an input device for inputting a destination position; a displaying device for displaying a present position, which is measured by the position measuring device, and an optimum course from the present position to the destination position; a memory device for storing map information including course data beforehand; and an optimum course searching device coupled to the memory device and the displaying device, for evaluating various courses from the present position to the destination position by use of the map information stored in the memory device, and searching the optimum course by selecting a course, which evaluation is the best one among the evaluated various courses, as the optimum course.

Abstract: A navigation system installed in vehicle includes: a measurement unit for measuring current position of the vehicle and outputting current position data; a map data storage unit for storing map data; a display unit for displaying information; display control unit for representing, on the display unit, a map on the basis of the map data and position of the vehicle on the basis of the current position data; a transit point storage unit for storing transit point data corresponding to transit points on a way from start point to destination point; a guide unit for representing guide information on the basis of the transit point data; a distance calculation unit for calculating transit point distances from the current position to each of the transit points on the basis of the current position data and the transit point data; a comparison unit for comparing the transit point distances with a reference distance and for detecting a special transit point whose transit point distance is smaller than the reference distan

Abstract: A method of processing information of a recording disc among a plurality of recording discs having different standards or recording formats, includes the steps of: selecting and exchanging an objective recording disc to be reproduced among the plurality of recording discs; executing a recording information reproducing operation on the basis of an application program of the selected objective recording disc; and selecting and exchanging the objective recording disc only with respect to the recording discs, having the standard or recording format reproducible by the application program, among the plurality of recording discs after executing the recording information reproducing operation.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus is provided with: a measuring device for measuring a present position of a movable body to output a present position information; a storing device for storing map information; a displaying device having a display picture plane, for displaying various information on the display picture plane; a display controlling device for controlling the displaying device to display a target position information, which is set as information indicating a target position, and the present position information on the map information; a judging device for judging whether a distance between the present position and the target position is within a predetermined value; and a calculating device for calculating a middle position between the present position and the target position when the distance is within the predetermined value, to output middle position information, the display controlling device controlling the displaying device to display the target position information and the present position informati

Abstract: An on-board navigation apparatus in which one of a plurality of service facilities displayed on a display is designated by an operator input, the position coordinate data corresponding to the designated one service facility is registered as a user position into a memory. When the map is displayed on the display, the position coordinate data which has been user position registered is read out from the memory. The position on the map indicated by the position coordinate data is multiplexed onto the map by a predetermined pattern and displayed on the display. The positions of the service facilities such as restaurants, hotels, or the like, which are necessary for each user, consequently, can be easily confirmed on the displayed map.

Abstract: A navigation system is provided with: a position measuring device for measuring a current position of a movable body to which the navigation system is equipped; a storing device for storing aerial photograph data; a displaying device; and a display controlling device coupled to the position measuring device, the storing device, and the displaying device, for making the displaying device display a mark indicating the measured current position on an aerial photograph image on the basis of the measured current position and the stored aerial photograph data.

Abstract: An on-board navigation apparatus is designed to shorten the time for a display operation at the time of displaying a map and scrolling a screen while employing a buffer memory with a smaller memory capacity. The apparatus reads only block data of a block containing a display center point and block data of blocks adjoining thereto and stores the data into a buffer memory, and acquires display data forming a display screen with the display center point as a reference point from the buffer memory and performs a display operation. The reading/storing operation includes an operation of storing the block containing the display center point and blocks adjoining thereto separately into the buffer memory. The display control operation includes an operation of temporarily storing the display data into a display buffer memory before displaying it.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an on-board navigation system which continuously informs a driver of the degree of approach of a vehicle to a destination by outputting a sound suited to the driver's actual running feeling.

Abstract: A navigation device includes measurement unit for measuring a current position of a vehicle and generating a current position data, route collection unit for generating route data on the basis of the current position data, place name extraction unit for extracting place name information with a predetermined interval from a map information in accordance with the current position data, storage unit for storing the route data and the place name information, the stored route data comprising a plurality of block route data each sectioned by the place name information, edit unit for editing the block route data stored in the storage unit, and display unit for extracting the route data from the storage unit and displaying the extracted route data together with the map information.

Abstract: An on-vehicle navigation apparatus in which destination coordinate data stored in a memory is erased when the distance from the present location to a destination is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value at the time the engine of a vehicle is started. The destination coordinate data will not therefore be erased while the vehicle is actually running toward the destination. The arrangement prevents display of navigation information such as the direction and distance from being stopped before the vehicle arrives at the destination.

Abstract: An on-vehicle navigation apparatus displays travel locus marks that permits a user to grasp the driving condition of a vehicle having this apparatus installed therein, while securing good visibility of the background map. The on-vehicle navigation apparatus has a storage means for storing a plurality of pieces of travel locus data in response to a predetermined collecting timing, and another storage means for storing an elapsed time from one predetermined collecting timing to the next predetermined collecting timing. The apparatus reads out the travel locus data and elapsed time .DELTA.ti respectively from those storage means, designates different travel locus marks in accordance with the read-out elapsed time .DELTA.ti, and shows the travel locus marks on a display screen on the basis of read-out travel locus data. A traffic jam index Ji and a specific value may be used in place of the elapsed time .DELTA.ti.