Abstract: A road estimation device receives data including core points assigned along a road and assigned with attributes for identifying the road. An input unit inputs map data including links in a unit of a divided region being one of divided areas. When the core points cross a boundary of an indicated divided region to be indicated, a selection unit selects a processing object core point inside the indicated divided region from the core points in the map data. An extraction unit extracts candidate links being candidate of a road represented by the processing object core point from the map data according to attributes of the links and the attribute of the processing object core point for estimating the road on a map.

Abstract: A road estimation device receives data including core points assigned along a road and assigned with attributes for identifying the road. An input unit inputs map data including links in a unit of a divided region. Each link has a termination point in a boundary of the divided region. The links have attributes corresponding to attributes of the core points. When the core points exist beyond a boundary of the divided region, a generation unit generates a virtual core point on the boundary in the inputted map data and assigns an attribute to the virtual core point based on the attributes of the core points. An extraction unit extracts a candidate link being candidate of the road from the map data according to the attributes of the links, the core points, and the virtual core point.

Abstract: A road estimation device receives data including a core point being assigned along a road and being assigned with attributes including at least a shape-relevant attribute being relevant to a road shape for identifying the road. A map data input unit inputs map data including links having attributes. A link narrowing down unit sets a search area for the core point in a map and extracts links in the search area from the map data, according to the attributes of the link and the shape-relevant attribute of the core point. The link narrowing down unit further narrows down the extracted links into a candidate link being candidate of the road represented by the core point for estimating the road on a map, according to parallel road information being the shape-relevant attribute.

Abstract: A road estimation device receives data including a core point assigned along a road and assigned with an attribute for identifying the road. An input unit inputs map data including links each having an attribute corresponding to the attribute of the core point. A search region set unit sets a search region by using the core point as a reference point. An extraction unit extracts a link included in the search region from the links of the inputted map data. An estimation unit estimates the road represented by the core point according to an attribute of the extracted link and the attribute of the core point on a map.

Abstract: A road estimation device receives data including a core point being assigned along a road and assigned with attributes for identifying the road. An input unit inputs map data including links having attributes corresponding to the attributes of the core point. An extraction unit first narrows down links into candidate links each having an attribute corresponding to a non-shape-relevant attribute of the core point. The extraction unit subsequently narrows down the candidate links into a candidate link having an attribute corresponding to a shape-relevant attribute of the core point, thereby to extract the candidate link pertinent to the road represented by the core point from the map data for estimating the road on a map.

Abstract: A road estimation device receives data including core points assigned along a road and assigned with attributes for identifying the road. An input unit inputs map data including links in a unit of a divided region being one of divided areas. When the core points cross a boundary of an indicated divided region to be indicated, a selection unit selects a processing object core point inside the indicated divided region from the core points in the map data. An extraction unit extracts candidate links being candidate of a road represented by the processing object core point from the map data according to attributes of the links and the attribute of the processing object core point for estimating the road on a map.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus acquires, through an antenna and a receiver, external information such as traffic information or the like, and a control unit in the navigation apparatus acquires validity time information from the external information. If the validity time information includes a standard time that represents a current time, the standard time together with a relative time or period information in the validity time information is used for determining whether a valid period has passed. If the validity time information does not include the standard time representing the current time, the lapse of the valid period is determined based on the standard time generated by a standard time generator and one of the relative time and the period information in the validity time information. Then, the external information is invalidated by deleting the information from an information storage if it is determined that the valid period has passed.

Abstract: A road estimation device receives data including core points assigned along a road and assigned with attributes for identifying the road. An input unit inputs map data including links in a unit of a divided region being one of divided areas. When the core points cross a boundary of an indicated divided region to be indicated, a selection unit selects a processing object core point inside the indicated divided region from the core points in the map data. An extraction unit extracts candidate links being candidate of a road represented by the processing object core point from the map data according to attributes of the links and the attribute of the processing object core point for estimating the road on a map.

Abstract: A road estimation device receives data including a core point being assigned along a road and assigned with attributes for identifying the road. An input unit inputs map data including links having attributes corresponding to the attributes of the core point. An extraction unit first narrows down links into candidate links each having an attribute corresponding to a non-shape-relevant attribute of the core point. The extraction unit subsequently narrows down the candidate links into a candidate link having an attribute corresponding to a shape-relevant attribute of the core point, thereby to extract the candidate link pertinent to the road represented by the core point from the map data for estimating the road on a map.

Abstract: A road estimation device receives data including core points assigned along a road and assigned with attributes for identifying the road. An input unit inputs map data including links in a unit of a divided region. Each link has a termination point in a boundary of the divided region. The links have attributes corresponding to attributes of the core points. When the core points exist beyond a boundary of the divided region, a generation unit generates a virtual core point on the boundary in the inputted map data and assigns an attribute to the virtual core point based on the attributes of the core points. An extraction unit extracts a candidate link being candidate of the road from the map data according to the attributes of the links, the core points, and the virtual core point.

Abstract: A road estimation device receives data including a core point assigned along a road and assigned with an attribute for identifying the road. An input unit inputs map data including links each having an attribute corresponding to the attribute of the core point. A search region set unit sets a search region by using the core point as a reference point. An extraction unit extracts a link included in the search region from the links of the inputted map data. An estimation unit estimates the road represented by the core point according to an attribute of the extracted link and the attribute of the core point on a map.

Abstract: A road estimation device receives data including core points assigned along a road and assigned with attributes for identifying the road. An input unit inputs map data including links in a unit of a divided region being one of divided areas. When the core points cross a boundary of an indicated divided region to be indicated, a selection unit selects a processing object core point inside the indicated divided region from the core points in the map data. An extraction unit extracts candidate links being candidate of a road represented by the processing object core point from the map data according to attributes of the links and the attribute of the processing object core point for estimating the road on a map.

Abstract: A road estimation device receives data including a core point being assigned along a road and being assigned with attributes including at least a shape-relevant attribute being relevant to a road shape for identifying the road. A map data input unit inputs map data including links having attributes. A link narrowing down unit sets a search area for the core point in a map and extracts links in the search area from the map data, according to the attributes of the link and the shape-relevant attribute of the core point. The link narrowing down unit further narrows down the extracted links into a candidate link being candidate of the road represented by the core point for estimating the road on a map, according to parallel road information being the shape-relevant attribute.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus defines a detection area for detecting a weather phenomenon as a predetermined range around a travel route that is designated as an area setting object. By referring to weather information acquired from external sources through communication, whether or not a weather warning exists in the detection area is determined. If the determination is affirmative, the weather phenomenon is considered as influential in the detection area, and the detection result is provided for a user. More practically, the travel route, the detection area and an affecting area of the weather warning are displayed on a display unit.

Abstract: When an average vehicle speed corresponding to a congested road section exists and at the same time, speed limit data corresponding to the congested road section is contained in map data, a degree of traffic congestion is determined based on the difference between the average vehicle speed and the speed limit. When an average vehicle speed corresponding to a congested road section exists but speed limit data corresponding to the congested road section is not contained in map data, a degree of traffic congestion is determined based on the average vehicle speed. When there is not information indicating an average vehicle speed corresponding to a congested road section, a degree of traffic congestion indicated in externally received traffic information is directly taken as the result of determination of a degree of traffic congestion.

Abstract: A weather information display apparatus comprising a map information retrieving device, a weather information retrieving device, a display device, a command receiving device, and a display controlling device. Each of weather information sets has a predetermined display priority. When a first region of a map associated with first weather information overlaps with a second region associated with second weather information via an overlapped section, the display controlling device controls a display condition of the overlapped section such that the overlapped section is displayed under the display condition associated with the first weather information. Here, the first information has the display priority higher than that of the second information.

Abstract: A weather information display device displays on its display device a section, for which weather information is acquired, in a display mode corresponding to the weather information. An icon indicating the weather information is displayed on the section of the weather information. When a relatively wide area map is displayed, a plurality of icons for a plurality of sections may have to be displayed in overlapped manner. If the icons indicate the same weather information, only one icon is displayed as a representative of the same icons. If the icons indicate the different weather information, an icon having higher display priority is displayed as being overlapped over icons of lower display priority. If one of the different overlapped icons is touched, only the touched icon and the corresponding weather information are displayed.

Abstract: A weather information display device displays on its display device a section, for which weather information is acquired, in a display mode corresponding to the weather information. An icon indicating the weather information is displayed on the section of the weather information. When a relatively wide area map is displayed, a plurality of icons for a plurality of sections may have to be displayed in overlapped manner. If the icons indicate the same weather information, only one icon is displayed as a representative of the same icons. If the icons indicate the different weather information, an icon having higher display priority is displayed as being overlapped over icons of lower display priority. If one of the different overlapped icons is touched, only the touched icon and the corresponding weather information are displayed.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus defines a detection area for detecting a weather phenomenon as a predetermined range around a travel route that is designated as an area setting object. By referring to weather information acquired from external sources through communication, whether or not a weather warning exists in the detection area is determined. If the determination is affirmative, the weather phenomenon is considered as influential in the detection area, and the detection result is provided for a user. More practically, the travel route, the detection area and an affecting area of the weather warning are displayed on a display unit.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus acquires, through an antenna and a receiver, external information such as traffic information or the like, and a control unit in the navigation apparatus acquires validity time information from the external information. If the validity time information includes a standard time that represents a current time, the standard time together with a relative time or period information in the validity time information is used for determining whether a valid period has passed. If the validity time information does not include the standard time representing the current time, the lapse of the valid period is determined based on the standard time generated by a standard time generator and one of the relative time and the period information in the validity time information. Then, the external information is invalidated by deleting the information from an information storage if it is determined that the valid period has passed.