Abstract: A route to a destination in which required travel time barely varies depending on weather is searched for without referring to weather forecast or weather information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided that includes an image forming unit including an agitation unit for agitating developing agent contained in a container unit, and a sensor which includes a light emitting unit configured to emit light and a light receiving unit configured to receive the light emitted from the light emitting unit and passing through the container unit. The sensor generates an output in accordance with an amount of light received by the light receiving unit while the agitation unit agitates the developing agent. The image forming apparatus also includes has a medium with instructions stored therein that when executed perform steps including calculating a measurement result based on the output generated by the sensor, and determining, after the agitation is started, whether a current period is an unstable period in which the measurement result is unstable or a stable period in which the measurement result is stable.

Abstract: Distribution map data for distributing a map by communication includes road data representing position information on the roads contained in a plurality of compartments and integrating name data for integrating name information for the same roads contained in the plurality of compartments without duplicating them.

Abstract: A traffic information providing system externally acquires traffic information including information relating to the travel time of a link, calculates a travel time for a non-provision link to which no travel time is provided through estimate/complement operation. The estimate/complement operation is carried out with use of travel times, emergencies, travel times of links in the vicinity of the non-provision link, and so on, obtained in the near past. The system stores and statistically processes the externally-acquired traffic information, and also estimates a travel time in the near future. When there is an abnormality in the acquired traffic information, the system deletes the abnormality, regards the information as a non-provision link, calculates a probability distribution of travel times of links, calculates a probability distribution of travel times of the entire route made up of a plurality of links, and also calculates a probability for a specific travel time range.

Abstract: An information center (5000) for collecting traffic information stores in its memory device the latest map data. Then, it is determined through a terminal device (5030) whether or not history information has been recorded in a data recording medium (800) mounted in a navigation device (1000), and when it is determined that the history information has been recorded, the map data in the data recording medium are updated to the latest map data. The data recording medium (800) is removable from the navigation device (1000). Statistical traffic information may be updated along with the updating of the map data. Further, when history information is directly uploaded to the information center, an identifier is attached to the uploaded information.

Abstract: A navi-server which is provided with information from a traffic information providing center, and presents and provides information made on the information to a terminal is characterized by being equipped with a first storage means storing the information provided from the traffic information providing center; a traffic jam statistical making means which makes traffic jam statistical information including traffic jam information in a predetermined point and a predetermined zone as well as a reliability of the traffic jam information, based on information stored in the first storage means; and a second storage means storing information made by the traffic jam statistical making means, wherein the navi-server presents and provides the information stored in the second storage means to the terminal, based on a request of the terminal and at a predetermined timing.

Abstract: A traffic information providing system externally acquires traffic information including information relating to the travel time of a link, calculates a travel time for a non-provision link to which no travel time is provided through estimate/complement operation. The estimate/complement operation is carried out with use of travel times, emergencies, travel times of links in the vicinity of the non-provision link, and so on, obtained in the near past. The system stores and statistically processes the externally-acquired traffic information, and also estimates a travel time in the near future. When there is an abnormality in the acquired traffic information, the system deletes the abnormality, regards the information as a non-provision link, calculates a probability distribution of travel times of links, calculates a probability distribution of travel times of the entire route made up of a plurality of links, and also calculates a probability for a specific travel time range.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a technique that can download traffic information in a more efficient manner, in a navigation system including a traffic information distribution server and a terminal unit. The information distribution server narrows down possible traffic information to be used for processing at the terminal unit before downloading the information to the unit. For example, the traffic information distribution server may include a traffic information obtaining unit for obtaining traffic information pertaining to a link configuring a route or the periphery of the link (e.g., mesh area including the link), and to a predicted running duration of the link; and a sending unit for downloading the obtained traffic information to the terminal unit. The server or the terminal unit may narrow down the object for download.

Abstract: A traffic information providing system externally acquires traffic information including information relating to the travel time of a link, calculates a travel time for a non-provision link to which no travel time is provided through estimate/complement operation. The estimate/complement operation is carried out with use of travel times, emergencies, travel times of links in the vicinity of the non-provision link, and so on, obtained in the near past. The system stores and statistically processes the externally-acquired traffic information, and also estimates a travel time in the near future. When there is an abnormality in the acquired traffic information, the system deletes the abnormality, regards the information as a non-provision link, calculates a probability distribution of travel times of links, calculates a probability distribution of travel times of the entire route made up of a plurality of links, and also calculates a probability for a specific travel time range.

Abstract: A navigation device that calculates an expected travel time or an expected arrival time for each retrieved route, using link costs predetermined for calculation of expected travel times regardless of search conditions. As the link costs for the calculation of expected travel times, are used link travel times obtained by statistically processing traffic information collected in the past, for example.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for detecting a state of a removable medium installed in an electronic apparatus is provided. The electronic apparatus includes a detection device, a non-volatile storage device, a state change detection device, and a first notification device. The detection device detects a state of the removable medium and creates state data. The non-volatile storage device stores the state data. The state change detection device detects a change of the state of the removable medium by comparing state data stored during a first power-on period to state data stored during a second power-on period, where the first power-on period and the second power-on period are separated by a power-off period. The first notification device produces a first notification if the state change detection device detects the change of the state of the removable medium.

Abstract: Route search is performed considering the fact that traffic conditions differ according to lane even for the same road. A navigation device performs route search, using link costs (link travel times) classified by lane. For example, the navigation device searches for a route having the lowest total cost to the destination, using link data that determine cost for each lane of a component link of a road on a map. A cost of a lane on which a vehicle runs to move to a next link, being the cost of any lane of the link, is used as a cost of a link on a route.

Abstract: A navigation device displays predicted traffic information downloaded from a server device and statistical traffic information stored in a storage unit, on the same screen. Both information items may be displayed in such a manner that at least a part of them is overlaid (a superimposed display). The predicted traffic information may be superimposed on the statistical traffic information. When traffic information of the same time band of the same object (link, mesh area) exists in both the information items, one thereof may be selected to be displayed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a plurality of image carriers on each surface of which an electrostatic latent image is formed, each of the image carriers being attachable and detachable; a plurality of development units each adhering a toner to the electrostatic latent image carried on corresponding one of the image carriers, the development units adhering toners that are different from each other, a plurality of transfer units that transfer the toners adhering to the image carriers to a recording medium; an order detection unit that detects an arrangement order of the loaded image carriers; and an image formation condition setting unit that sets an image formation condition for at least one of the developing unit and each of the image carriers based on the arrangement order detected by the order detection unit.

Abstract: A traffic information prediction system, including a traffic information prediction apparatus, of the present invention comprises travel status measuring means for measuring a travel status of a vehicle and accumulating it as travel record information, and traffic information predicting means for predicting traffic information on a route on the basis of the travel record information and statistical traffic information to predict an arrival time to any place on a route containing the destination. The traffic information predicting means compares a traveling trace based on the statistical traffic information and the traveling trace based on the travel record information to calculate the degree of progress of the travel record based on the statistical traffic information, and correct the traveling trace based on the statistical traffic information on the basis of the degree of progress.

Abstract: When an auto-select program is executed in a reset process control program of a laser printer, an input prime signal valid mode is selected when the laser printer is not in sleep mode. Accordingly, the laser printer executes a reset process upon in response to an input prime signal. However, an input prime signal invalid mode is selected when the laser printer is in sleep mode. As a result, the laser printer ignores input prime signals. In this way, a user can prevent undesirable execution of the reset process, thereby reducing the number of unnecessary processes and lowering the running cost.

Abstract: A recommended route is searched by the use of traffic information collected in the past. A map/statistical traffic data storage device 3 stores map data including link data of respective links constituting roads on a map, and statistical data including travel time or moving speeds of the respective links determined by statistical values of traffic information collected in the past. Said statistical data is classified every condition of collection of traffic information. A navigation device searches a recommended route from a departure position to a destination by using the map data stored in the map/statistical traffic data storage device and statistical data corresponding to a day type and a weather type which constitute conditions of search, out of statistical data stored in the map/statistical traffic data storage device 3.

Abstract: In an on-vehicle terminal system operating a plurality of operating systems, control of peripheral devices connected to the on-vehicle terminal system can be continued even if one of the operating systems is stopped. A second operating system monitors an operating status of a first operating system using an OS status monitoring function. When the first operating system stops, a list recording allocation of the peripheral devices is updated to switch the allocation to the second operating system. By doing so, an interrupt signal from a peripheral device is allocated to the second operating system, and accordingly the second operating system can control the peripheral device.

Abstract: When a user wants to set a print density “4”, for example, only to a printer A and not a printer B, the user inputs an input command having a printer specifying command and the print density “4” as a corresponding operating condition, and sends the input command to the printer A via a network to which the printers A and B are connected. When the printer A receives the input command, a discriminating program compares its model number “8” stored in a ROM of the printer A with a model number “8” set in the printer specifying command. If the model numbers match, a setting program sets the print density “4” operation condition.

Abstract: Predicted traffic information of a plurality of time bands is downloaded once for a mesh area. Moreover, time band range of the predicted traffic information to be downloaded is increased as distance from current position to the mesh area increases. Furthermore, the time band range is increased for the morning and the evening. Moreover, as difference between the current time and departure time becomes larger, the time band range is increased.