Abstract: An on-vehicle information providing device for providing information to a driver based on information sent from an information providing center is disclosed. When a vehicle leaves an off-street facility having multiple exits to enter a road, the on-vehicle information providing device performs a first process of sending the information providing center vehicle-side information including information obtained based on starting time and exiting time of the vehicle and information identifying one of the exits selected for the vehicle to leave the facility; and performs a second process of receiving from the information providing center exit status information including exit time lengths calculated for the respective exits by the information providing center based on the vehicle-side information received from multiple vehicles and providing information to the driver based on the received exit status information.

Abstract: Conventionally, different traffic information cannot be sent in accordance with an output reason of a request to send. According to the present invention, a request to send traffic information, which is output in response to an instruction given by a user operation or an automatically given instruction, is acquired, an output reason of the request to send is determined, and a communication unit is controlled so that the traffic information on different areas is sent depending on the cases where the output reason is the instruction given by the user operation or the automatically given instruction.

Abstract: An embodiment provides a traffic information generating method for generating traffic information about a road on which a vehicle travels. A vehicle speed is detected by a vehicle speed sensor at predetermined distance or time intervals. By referring to a prescribed speed, a prescribed distance, and a link determination distance, a congestion degree associated with the vehicle speed is detected.

Abstract: When a vehicle passes through an intersection that is stored in a collection target intersection database and for which direction-specific probe information is collected, a CPU of a navigation device generates a plurality of direction-specific probe information (entry link, exit link, section travel time, and the like) from a plurality of unit distance section information that is collected within a direction-specific traffic information acquisition section until the vehicle passes through the intersection, an entry link traveled before entering the intersection; and an exit link traveled after passing through the intersection, and transmits these to an information distribution center.

Abstract: A navigation device divides a pathfinding range into plural areas and performs pathfinding in consideration of congestion information. The navigation device includes a forecast congestion information generating unit configured to generate forecast congestion information corresponding to a predetermined time based on traffic information; and a forecast congestion information applying unit configured to apply, to each of the areas, the forecast congestion information corresponding to a time when a vehicle arrives in each of the areas. The navigation device includes an area setting unit configured to set regions divided by concentric circles centering around a present location, as the plural areas. The radius of the concentric circles is incremented by a fixed length that is set beforehand for each region or each time zone.

Abstract: According to the present invention, information which is associated with a motion of a vehicle can be acquired even in the case where no vehicle travels on a road. Motion information, which is associated with the motion of the vehicle on the road where the vehicle traveled, is acquired along with time information. Reference traffic information, which is traffic information on the road at a reference time which is specified by the time information, is acquired from a traffic information providing device which constantly provides the traffic information. A correlation between the motion information and the reference traffic information is specified.

Abstract: Conventionally, different traffic information cannot be sent in accordance with an output reason of a request to send. According to the present invention, a request to send traffic information, which is output in response to an instruction given by a user operation or an automatically given instruction, is acquired, an output reason of the request to send is determined, and a communication unit is controlled so that the traffic information on different areas is sent depending on the cases where the output reason is the instruction given by the user operation or the automatically given instruction.

Abstract: In a case where a CPU 11 provided in an information distribution center 3 has received a request command for requesting predicted traffic information transmitted from a navigation apparatus 2 as well as vehicle information such as a navigator identifying ID, coordinate data of a vehicle position, or coordinate data of a destination, the CPU 11 searches a basic route based on update-purpose map information 14A, and sets a distribution range serving as a transmission target of traffic information 16A, 16B, and 16C. Then, the CPU 11 generates the predicted traffic information 16C such as congestion prediction information corresponding to the distribution range, extracts the predicted traffic information 16C of each link having a difference in the generated predicted traffic information 16C and the current traffic information 16A, and distributes the extracted predicted traffic information 16C to the navigation apparatus 2 together with a link ID of a corresponding link.

Abstract: When a vehicle passes through an intersection that is stored in a collection target intersection database and for which direction-specific probe information is collected, a CPU of a navigation device generates a plurality of direction-specific probe information (entry link, exit link, section travel time, and the like) from a plurality of unit distance section information that is collected within a direction-specific traffic information acquisition section until the vehicle passes through the intersection, an entry link traveled before entering the intersection; and an exit link traveled after passing through the intersection, and transmits these to an information distribution center.

Abstract: A navigation device divides a pathfinding range into plural areas and performs pathfinding in consideration of congestion information. The navigation device includes a forecast congestion information generating unit configured to generate forecast congestion information corresponding to a predetermined time based on traffic information; and a forecast congestion information applying unit configured to apply, to each of the areas, the forecast congestion information corresponding to a time when a vehicle arrives in each of the areas. The navigation device includes an area setting unit configured to set regions divided by concentric circles centering around a present location, as the plural areas. The radius of the concentric circles is incremented by a fixed length that is set beforehand for each region or each time zone.

Abstract: An embodiment provides a traffic information generating method for generating traffic information about a road on which a vehicle travels. A vehicle speed is detected by a vehicle speed sensor at predetermined distance or time intervals. By referring to a prescribed speed, a prescribed distance, and a link determination distance, a congestion degree associated with the vehicle speed is detected.

Abstract: An on-vehicle information providing device for providing information to a driver based on information sent from an information providing center is disclosed. When a vehicle leaves an off-street facility having multiple exits to enter a road, the on-vehicle information providing device performs a first process of sending the information providing center vehicle-side information including information obtained based on starting time and exiting time of the vehicle and information identifying one of the exits selected for the vehicle to leave the facility; and performs a second process of receiving from the information providing center exit status information including exit time lengths calculated for the respective exits by the information providing center based on the vehicle-side information received from multiple vehicles and providing information to the driver based on the received exit status information.

Abstract: In a case where a CPU 11 provided in an information distribution center 3 has received a request command for requesting predicted traffic information transmitted from a navigation apparatus 2 as well as vehicle information such as a navigator identifying ID, coordinate data of a vehicle position, or coordinate data of a destination, the CPU 11 searches a basic route based on update-purpose map information 14A, and sets a distribution range serving as a transmission target of traffic information 16A, 16H, and 16C. Then, the CPU 11 generates the predicted traffic information 16C such as congestion prediction information corresponding to the distribution range, extracts the predicted traffic information 16C of each link having a difference in the generated predicted traffic information 16C and the current traffic information 16A, and distributes the extracted predicted traffic information 16C to the navigation apparatus 2 together with a link ID of a corresponding link.

Abstract: A method for preparing a graphite intercalation compound having a metal or a metal compound inserted between adjacent graphite layers, comprising simultaneously introducing a mixture of a vapor of both a hydrocarbon compound and an organo metallic compound together with a carrier gas into a reactor, and decomposing said hydrocarbon compound and said organo metallic compound on a single-crystalline substrate at a relatively low temperature.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a method for converting between heat energy and electric energy which is characterized in that a carbon intercalation compound is employed as a thermoelectric material by utilizing a temperature difference in a direction perpendicular to the structure of carbon layers, or a method for producing a light-heat converting material which is characterized in that a thin metallic layer like a translucent mirror is caused to adhere to the inner surface of a light transmissive hollow tube by pyrolytically decomposing at a temperature approximately below 1000.degree. C., with hydrocarbons being introduced into the hollow tube at the rate of a predetermined amount per hour.

Abstract: A method for preparing graphite intercalation compounds having metal or metal compounds. The method consists of the simultaneous thermal decomposition of two kinds of starting materials by a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method in which hydrocarbon as a source material for the host graphite and other organometal reagents or metal halides for guest metal species or metal compound are decomposed simultaneously in a reactor in order to intercalate the metal species or metal compound into carbon being deposited on the substrate.

Abstract: A method for preparing a graphite intercalation compound having a metal or a metal compound inserted between adjacent graphite layers, comprising simultaneously introducing a mixture of a vapor of both a hydrocarbon compound and an organo metallic compound together with a carrier gas into a reactor, and decomposing said hydrocarbon compound and said organo metallic compound on a single-crystalline substrate at a relatively low temperature.

Abstract: A method for preparing pyrolytic carbon film having a highly ordered graphite structure which comprises introducing an aromatic compound not having a condensed ring, together with a carrier gas into a reaction chamber, thermally decomposing the aromatic compound at a temperature up to 1,000.degree. C., and depositing the carbon film onto a single-crystalline substrate.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a method for converting between heat energy and electric energy which is characterized in that a carbon intercalation compound is employed as a thermoelectric material by utilizing a temperature difference in a direction perpendicular to the structure of carbon layers, or a method for producing a light-heat converting material which is characterized in that a thin metallic layer like a translucent mirror is caused to adhere to the inner surface of a light transmissive hollow tube by pyrolytically decomposing at a temperature approximately below 1000.degree. C., with hydrocarbons being introduced into the hollow tube at the rate of a predetermined amount per hour.