Abstract: A method of operating a navigation system in a vehicle may entail invoking an off-road mode of the navigation system; displaying a first off-road terrain on a navigation system display; displaying a first present location of the vehicle on the display, inputting a first user-input off-road destination into the navigation system; inputting a first user-input off-road waypoint into the navigation system; displaying straight line trajectories between the start point, the first user-input off-road waypoint and the destination on a display of the navigation system and displaying a first real-time path of on-screen breadcrumbs as the vehicle travels off-road in current or real-time; shifting on the display, each user-entered off-road waypoint to a closest on-screen breadcrumb of the first real-time path; shifting on the display, the user-entered destination to the closest on-screen breadcrumb; and storing the first real-time path in a memory of a navigation control unit.

Abstract: A method of controlling a vehicle navigation system may entail inquiring if the navigation system is displaying a road map in a first map scale on a display, inquiring if a scrolling feature was used to pan the road map in the first map scale on the display to a specific scrolled point, concluding that the scrolling feature was used, calculating a detail road display area based on the specific scrolled point of the display; loading detailed road link data in a second map scale from memory of the navigation system, the detailed road link data corresponding in actual geographic area to the detail road display area, converting the detailed road link data from the second map scale to the first map scale to create converted detail road link data, and displaying the converted detail road link data together with the road map in the first map scale.

Abstract: A method of controlling a vehicle navigation system may entail inquiring if the navigation system is displaying a road map in a first map scale on a display, inquiring if a scrolling feature was used to pan the road map in the first map scale on the display to a specific scrolled point, concluding that the scrolling feature was used, calculating a detail road display area based on the specific scrolled point of the display; loading detailed road link data in a second map scale from memory of the navigation system, the detailed road link data corresponding in actual geographic area to the detail road display area, converting the detailed road link data from the second map scale to the first map scale to create converted detail road link data, and displaying the converted detail road link data together with the road map in the first map scale.

Abstract: A method of operating a navigation system in a vehicle may entail invoking an off-road mode of the navigation system; displaying a first off-road terrain on a navigation system display; displaying a first present location of the vehicle on the display, inputting a first user-input off-road destination into the navigation system; inputting a first user-input off-road waypoint into the navigation system; displaying straight line trajectories between the start point, the first user-input off-road waypoint and the destination on a display of the navigation system and displaying a first real-time path of on-screen breadcrumbs as the vehicle travels off-road in current or real-time; shifting on the display, each user-entered off-road waypoint to a closest on-screen breadcrumb of the first real-time path; shifting on the display, the user-entered destination to the closest on-screen breadcrumb; and storing the first real-time path in a memory of a navigation control unit.

Abstract: A method of updating map address data in a navigation system by first determining when the navigation system has used a destination address number that was input by a driver to calculate the route to the destination address, then determining when an engine of a vehicle has been shut off after the navigation system was used to calculate a route to the destination address. Next, the navigation system determines whether the vehicle is within a predetermined range from the map address stored in a memory of the navigation system. If so, the navigation system learns the address that is the closest to the location where the vehicle was shut off and the navigation system adjusts the map address in memory based on the address that is closest to the location where the vehicle was shut off.

Abstract: When a guiding route is included in a display target region at a photograph display mode, route data of the guiding route is also read. Within the read route data, information of a region for editing a photograph is stored. This information includes a road kind (color information), coordinates of the start/end points of the road, and a road width when editing is for a road. Next, photograph data is read, so that a color of the photograph data is edited based on the stored information of the route data. For instance, a color of the photograph data in a corresponding road region is changed to red that represents “national road.

Abstract: In a vehicular navigation system, it is determined that a branching point is present along a guidance route within a given distance from a guidance intersection. It is then determined that approaching the branching point by using a natural exit lane results in entering a road that is not included in the guidance route, wherein the natural exit lane is included in an exit road exiting from the guidance intersection and exits naturally from the guidance intersection along the guidance route. Before entering the guidance intersection, it is suggested that a lane change be required after passing through the guidance intersection. Thus, in a case that a lane change is needed just after passing through the guidance intersection, a driver can respond with a sufficient time period.

Abstract: A storage medium of a car navigation apparatus holds painted road sign information that is linked to a running lane of an approach road around an intersection. Suppose that a direction of an exit road with respect to an approach road at an intersection belongs to a peripheral portion of one of directional areas that are provided to determine at an intersection the approximate direction of the exit road with respect to the approach road. In this case, the approximate direction is specified based on the corresponding painted road sign information. The specified approximate direction is then outputted as a voice and/or image display. Thus, utilizing the painted road sign information can reduce user's disagreeable feeling to the approximate direction.

Abstract: When a guiding route is included in a display target region at a photograph display mode, route data of the guiding route is also read. Within the read route data, information of a region for editing a photograph is stored. This information includes a road kind (color information), coordinates of the start/end points of the road, and a road width when editing is for a road. Next, photograph data is read, so that a color of the photograph data is edited based on the stored information of the route data. For instance, a color of the photograph data in a corresponding road region is changed to red that represents “national road.

Abstract: When a guiding route is included in a display target region at a photograph display mode, route data of the guiding route is also read. Within the read route data, information of a region for editing a photograph is stored. This information includes a road kind (color information), coordinates of the start/end points of the road, and a road width when editing is for a road. Next, photograph data is read, so that a color of the photograph data is edited based on the stored information of the route data. For instance, a color of the photograph data in a corresponding road region is changed to red that represents “national road.

Abstract: A car navigation device sequentially selects one of the non-guidance intersections along the navigational route to the destination, and decides whether there is LXD data which show permitted directions to leave the intersection on entering it from each entrance lane in the entrance road. If the LXD data exist, then if there is a plurality of A-entrance lanes which is permitted to leave the intersection along roughly the same direction as the exit road goes, and if there is a plurality of roads along which at least one of the those A-entrance lanes is permitted to leave the intersection, then the car navigation device 1 determines the selected intersection to be a lane guidance intersection and executes the process for the lane guidance at the intersection.

Abstract: In a vehicular navigation system, it is determined that a branching point is present along a guidance route within a given distance from a guidance intersection. It is then determined that approaching the branching point by using a natural exit lane results in entering a road that is not included in the guidance route, wherein the natural exit lane is included in an exit road exiting from the guidance intersection and exits naturally from the guidance intersection along the guidance route. Before entering the guidance intersection, it is suggested that a lane change be required after passing through the guidance intersection. Thus, in a case that a lane change is needed just after passing through the guidance intersection, a driver can respond with a sufficient time period.

Abstract: A storage medium of a car navigation apparatus holds painted road sign information that is linked to a running lane of an approach road around an intersection. Suppose that a direction of an exit road with respect to an approach road at an intersection belongs to a peripheral portion of one of directional areas that are provided to determine at an intersection the approximate direction of the exit road with respect to the approach road. In this case, the approximate direction is specified based on the corresponding painted road sign information. The specified approximate direction is then outputted as a voice and/or image display. Thus, utilizing the painted road sign information can reduce user's disagreeable feeling to the approximate direction.

Abstract: When a guiding route is included in a display target region at a photograph display mode, route data of the guiding route is also read. Within the read route data, information of a region for editing a photograph is stored. This information includes a road kind (color information), coordinates of the start/end points of the road, and a road width when editing is for a road. Next, photograph data is read, so that a color of the photograph data is edited based on the stored information of the route data. For instance, a color of the photograph data in a corresponding road region is changed to red that represents “national road.

Abstract: An interface system includes a host interface and a device interface. Both interfaces are provided between a DVD drive and a MPEG2 decoder, which have an ATAPI protocol interface. When the host interface receives ATAPI protocol data from the MPEG2 decoder, it converts the ATAPI protocol data to high speed LAN protocol data, and transmits the converted data to the device interface. When the device interface receives converted data, it converts them to the ATAPI protocol data, and transmits the ATAPI protocol data to the DVD drive.

Abstract: In a vehicular navigation system which provides a recommended travel route, a control unit checks for the number of each road branching from an entering road of the travel route at an intersection when the entering road has a plurality of traffic lanes. If an exiting road of the travel route from the intersection has a largest number of traffic lanes among the branching roads, no intersection guidance is provided. If the exiting road has a smaller number of traffic lanes, an intersection guidance is provided. This intersection guidance may include guidance of turn direction and guidance of traffic lane to be taken.

Abstract: A navigation device provides a driver with proper instructions to which direction to drive when he approaches a junction at which an entering road branches out into two or more outgoing roads. Such instructions are generated not only based on a physical structure of the junction and road names but also based on a customary way of driving. When the entering road name is the same as the outgoing road name toward destination, a driver customarily keeps a through-traffic lane. If the outgoing road toward his destination branches out to a side opposite to the through-traffic lane, he would drive onto a wrong road. Under such situation, the navigation device according to the present invention gives a driver clear instructions to which direction he should drive.

Abstract: A navigation system, which can detect particular intersection as the intersection to be guided, even if the particular intersection is not judged as the intersection to be guided in a the Following-the-road judgment. A navigation system includes ECU, which mainly performs a following-the-road judgment and a ramp judgment. In the following-the-road judgment, the ECU determines the particular intersection as the intersection to be guided, when a continuity of the travel road is not secured before and after the intersection. In the ramp judgment,the ECU determines the particular intersection as the intersection to be guided, when the particular intersection is a branch point to an off-ramp, and when there is a merge point within a predetermined distance ahead from the branch point, and further when the recommended guidance route is set so that the vehicle keeps on traveling on the main lane.

Abstract: A navigation device provides a driver with proper instructions to which direction to drive when he approaches a junction at which an entering road branches out into two or more outgoing roads. Such instructions are generated not only based on a physical structure of the junction and road names but also based on a customary way of driving. When the entering road name is the same as the outgoing road name toward destination, a driver customarily keeps a through-traffic lane. If the outgoing road toward his destination branches out to a side opposite to the through-traffic lane, he would drive onto a wrong road. Under such situation, the navigation device according to the present invention gives a driver clear instructions to which direction he should drive.

Abstract: In a vehicular navigation system which provides a recommended travel route, a control unit checks for the number of each road branching from an entering road of the travel route at an intersection when the entering road has a plurality of traffic lanes. If an exiting road of the travel route from the intersection has a largest number of traffic lanes among the branching roads, no intersection guidance is provided. If the exiting road has a smaller number of traffic lanes, an intersection guidance is provided. This intersection guidance may include guidance of turn direction and guidance of traffic lane to be taken.