Abstract: A navigation apparatus includes an unregistered road detecting means for setting up a detection start point and a detection end point for an unregistered road on registered roads which are respectively located before and behind sections in which matching result data indicates a free state, respectively, the matching result data indicating a matching state when the vehicle is traveling each of the registered roads, for performing a coordinate transformation on a traveling path which is created from positioning data and which is extending between the two points so that the traveling path has coordinates which match with the coordinates of a registered road between them, and for detecting the coordinates of the unregistered road from a portion of the coordinate-transformed traveling path which does not overlap any registered road, and a road data generating means for creating road data about the unregistered road from the coordinates of the unregistered road.

Abstract: Location equipment includes a calibration unit for calibrating scale factors used for calculating distances traveled by left and right wheels of a vehicle from pulse signals delivered from wheel sensors respectively installed in the left and right wheels, based on global positioning satellite signals received by a GPS receiver, and an estimation unit for estimating vehicle position and movement from the GPS signals received by the GPS receiver and the pulse signals delivered from the wheel sensors, using the scale factors calibrated by the calibration unit.

Abstract: A location equipment includes a calibration unit (14) for calibrating scale factors used for calculating the distances traveled by left and right wheels of a vehicle from pulse signals delivered from wheel sensors (11) respectively installed in the left and right wheels based on GPS signals received by a GPS receiver (12), and an estimation unit (15 and 16) for estimating vehicle position and movement from the GPS signals received by the GPS receiver and the pulse signals delivered from the wheel sensors by using the scale factors calibrated by the calibration unit.

Abstract: A vehicle borne transmitter transmits a spread spectrum transmit signal which is pseudo (PN) encoded. The transmitted signal is reflected off of a reflector on known position which may be a highway guardrail, tunnel wall, or the like. The reflected signal is detected by a receiver in the vehicle and a pseudo noise code (PN code) is synchronized to the reflected signal to accomplish maximum correlation. The phase delay between the transmitted PN code and received PN code is thereby utilized to determine the distance between the vehicle and reflector to maintain the vehicle in the center of a roadway lane. Roadway transponders may be periodically located adjacent the roadway and will be responsive to the vehicle borne interrogation signal.

Abstract: In an automated roadway system having transponders or data-stations spaced at known positions along the roadway, a vehicle mounted system determines the position of a vehicle moving along the roadway. A vehicle borne transmitter transmits a spread spectrum transmit signal which is pseudo (PN) encoded. The transmitted signal is received by the transponder which emits a reply signal back to a vehicle borne receiver. The receiver also receives a second signal which may be a reply signal from the same transponder or a reply signal from an adjacent transponder. The system then measures a time difference between transmission of the vehicle originated interrogation signal and receipt of its corresponding reply signal to determine the distance between the vehicle and the transponder or reflector. Based on the determined distances, the positions of the transponders and the distance that the vehicle has traveled during its communications, the position of a vehicle is determined using triangulation methods.