Abstract: A drive plan producing device includes a contents database for storing associated data including geographical point names for a plurality of contents, a base contents determining unit which determines base contents used in a drive plan producing process based on an input by a user, a candidate place determining unit which refers to the contents database to determine the geographical point name associated with the base contents as a candidate place of driving, and a presenting unit which presents the determined candidate place to the user. Based on the input by the user, certain contents are determined as base contents. The base contents are used as a base for the production of the drive plan. By referring to the contents database, the geographical point name associated with the base contents is obtained, and it is determined as the candidate place and presented to the user. The user can select a drive plan by selecting one of the candidate places.

Abstract: There is disclosed a charging control apparatus which performs optimum and fair charging and can promote further use of a network including a telephone line. A charging status of a fee generated in executing an information processing realized by performing transmission/reception of information between a provider apparatus SP and at least one terminal apparatus T via the telephone line L and connection apparatus CN is controlled by the provider apparatus SP in accordance with at least one of a processing status in the information processing and a status of transmission/reception of the information. Moreover, the controlled borne fee is charged to at least one of the provider apparatus SP and the terminal apparatus T via the connection apparatus CN.

Abstract: A mobile communication system including a plurality of base stations arranged in a communication area each for emitting a radio wave inherent thereto and a mobile station moving in the communication area and communicating with respectives of the base stations via the transmitted radio waves. There is previously stored a location correlation data group including correlation data representing correlation situations of a plurality of arriving radio waves produced by the transmitted radio waves at respectives ones of a plurality of sampling locations within the communication area as location correlation data in correspondence with the respective locations. Upon reception of the arriving radio waves at a current location of the mobile station, there is calculated current correlation data representing correlation situations among the received arriving radio waves for the respective mobile station.

Abstract: A receiving device is provided with a DLL circuit of a reduced scale. An inverse spreading processing to ensure the synchronism with a received signal and a processing to inversely spread original data in the received signal are performed by a time-sharing operation using one inverse spreading circuit and one integrator. During a period in which synchronous data for detecting a slot duration included in the received signal is received, the synchronous data is alternately inversely spread by an early code and a late code and sample-hold circuits alternately sample and hold the integrated output. Further, based on the difference (error signal) between sample-hold signals, the early code, the late code and a reference code outputted from a code sequence generator are synchronized with the received signal.

Abstract: When the quick traverse play back command (or, quick returning play back command) of the audio information by the compression audio information is given to the play back apparatus, by the control of the control section, the special audio according to the temporarily stored data stored in the first storage means is repeatedly played back, instead of the play back of the audio by the ordinary play back operation.

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 navigation apparatus displays a present position and an advance direction of a movable body on map information including road position information, and includes a measuring device for detecting a travelling distance and the advance direction and periodically measuring an advanced position, to update the present position.

Abstract: A navigation system includes: GPS receiving device for receiving satellite information including accuracy information supplied from a plurality of GPS satellites and outputting at least the accuracy information, a measuring position as a receiving point calculated from the satellite information, and a declining rate of measuring accuracy calculated on the basis of the position of the GPS satellites; deviation calculating device for calculating a GPS measuring deviation by using the accuracy information and the declining rate of the measuring accuracy; map information storing device for storing map information including digitalized road information; and current position estimating device for estimating a current position by searching the road information within the radius of the GPS measuring deviation around the measured position.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus is provided with: a measurement unit for measuring a self-position and outputting self-position data; a memory unit for storing map data which includes crossing data and road data; a map-matching unit, for map-matching the self-position data with respect to the road data; and a displaying unit for displaying the map-matched self-position data and the road data on the map data. The map-matching unit is provided with a first crossing searching unit for searching crossing data corresponding to a first crossing connected to a road, to which the self-position data is presently map-matched, and located within a first predetermined distance from the self-position. The first crossing searching unit outputs first candidacy crossing data. The map-matching unit is also provided with a second crossing searching unit for searching crossing data corresponding to a second crossing located within a second predetermined distance from the first crossing.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus performs operations for detecting and indicating at least the driving direction of a moving vehicle. The apparatus comprises an angular velocity sensor for detecting an angular velocity according to a change in driving direction of the moving vehicle and outputting angular velocity data; a direction sensor for outputting direction data corresponding to a change in the driving direction of the moving vehicle. The apparatus further includes straight-movement offset reset means for detecting a straight travelling status of the moving vehicle from at least the angular velocity data and direction data, and for, when the moving vehicle is moving straight, setting a reference value of the output of the angular velocity sensor as an output value for that time.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus for detecting and displaying at least an azimuth of a movable body, includes: an angular speed sensor for detecting an angular speed accompanied by the change in the azimuth of the movable body, and outputting angular speed data, which indicates the detected angular speed with respect to an output fiducial value; an azimuth detection device for detecting the azimuth of the movable body, and outputting azimuth data; and an offset correction device for computing a first amount in angle change of the azimuth of the movable body within a predetermined time interval from the angular speed data outputted by the angular speed sensor, computing a second amount in angle change of the azimuth of the movable body within the predetermined time interval from the azimuth data outputted by the azimuth detection device, and correcting the output fiducial value of the angular speed sensor so that the first and second amounts in angle changes become equal to each other.

Abstract: A direction detecting device includes the following elements. A position measurement unit receives an electric wave from a satellite and generates first direction data from the electric wave. A geomagnetic sensor generates second direction data. A memory unit, which is coupled to the position measurement unit and the geomagnetic sensor, stores the first direction data and the second direction data respectively obtained at a previous measurement timing. A correction operation unit, which is coupled to the position measurement unit, the geomagnetic sensor and the memory unit, obtains data related to a true magnetic circle from the first direction data and the second direction data stored in the memory unit and the first direction data and the second direction data respectively obtained at a current measurement timing and for correcting an error contained in the current second direction data in accordance with the data related to the true magnetic circle.

Abstract: When the body of an automobile equipped with a stand-alone navigation system is magnetized by an external magnetism, an unknown magnetization vector is determined by correcting the known magnetization vector. Even very small changes in the magnetization vector can be corrected without putting a burden on the user of the automobile. A magnetization vector directed from a reference position toward the center of a magnetic circle which indicates the magnetized condition of the automobile body is detected, and a geomagnetic vector which is directed from the reference position in the direction in which the mobile body progresses is detected. An instantaneous direction vector which is directed from the center of the magnetic circle in the direction in which the mobile body progresses and which has a direction angle is calculated.

Abstract: The navigation device includes vehicle condition discriminating unit for discriminating whether the vehicle is stopped or not, angular velocity detecting unit for detecting change of direction of the vehicle and producing angular velocity data on the basis of the detected change of direction, absolute direction detecting unit for detecting geomagnetism and producing absolute direction data on the basis of the detected geomagnetism, offset processing unit for producing corrected angular velocity data from the angular velocity data and a first reference value, and offset reset unit for renewing the first reference value. The offset reset unit renews the first reference value with the angular velocity data which is obtained when the vehicle is discriminated to be stopped, a change rate of the angular velocity data is within a predetermined second reference value and a change rate of the absolute direction data is within a predetermined third reference value.

Abstract: Central coordinate data located on a circle of magnetism obtained from the X-Y coordinate data detected by a terrestrial magnetism sensor are calculated in correspondence with the direction of the road, calculated using map data or by a GPS device, and a present declination correction value each time the direction of the road is obtained. The declination correction value is automatically updated in such a manner as to decrease the radius of the circle of magnetism.

Abstract: A navigation system for use on an automobile, for example, has a GPS positioning device for determining a present position thereof from radio waves transmitted from GPS satellites, and a stand alone type positioning device including an direction sensor and a speed sensor, for determining a present position thereof from direction data from the direction sensor and speed data from the speed sensor. A data processor selects data from the GPS positioning device or data from the stand alone type positioning device.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus having a GPS receiver obtain coordinates of the current position. A key point or points close to the current position are retrieved from a recording medium attached to the apparatus. The distance and direction from the current position with respect to the retrieved point are computed. The name of the retrieved point is then displayed along with the distance and direction with respect thereto.

Abstract: An on-board navigation apparatus which uses a driver having a changer function to selectively reproduce any of music- and map-containing storage media. When it becomes necessary to read map data during reproduction of a music-containing medium, the current medium is replaced with the applicable map-containing medium upon arrival of an intra-music interval. This allows one driver driving both music and map data media to read map data without interrupting the piece of music being reproduced.

Abstract: An onboard navigation system for displaying a map in a scrolling manner while a mark showing the position of the vehicle is fixed. The system is adapted so that the fixed display position of the mark indicating the vehicle's position can be set at an arbitrary selected position, satisfying a user's demand for viewing a map of an area further ahead of the vehicle in the direction of the vehicle's movement.

Abstract: An on-board navigation apparatus having a GPS receiver detects a difference between the current and the previous values of the estimated current position in terms of the longitude and latitude information gained from GPS data. The difference is added to the coordinates of the previously established position, the result being taken for the coordinates of the estimated current position. This makes it possible to estimate the current position coordinates accurately even if the accuracy of GPS data is not high enough. When the GPS receiver is in a two-dimensional measuring state, the coordinates of the estimated current position are obtained from a manually or automatically designated elevation value and from the GPS data. This allows the current position coordinates to be estimated with accuracy even if the accuracy of GPS data has dropped due to the two-dimensional measuring instead of a three-dimensional measuring.