Abstract: A navigation system has a display device for displaying a predefined maximal number of graphic driving lane objects. A control device is operatively configured such that the actual number of driving lanes of a street or road is determined, and only a maximal number of graphic driving lane objects is displayed on the display device when the maximal number is smaller than the actual number of driving lanes.

Abstract: A navigation system and method uses loops as opposed to existing search techniques to more expeditiously find routes on a map from a starting point to a destination. Roads on a map are traced to form one or more continuous loops. Information regarding the loops is stored for future reference. A starting point and at least one destination are specified, and loops that connect the loops containing the starting point and destination are determined. A route is then formulated from the starting point to the destination using road segments or intersections where the identified loops are mutually contiguous. A list is generated including the loops and the road segments associated therewith. The road segments of an initial loop are examined and, if a road segment or intersection common to a next loop is identified, the road segments of that loop are examined, and so on, until a route from the starting point to the destination is found.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for predicting a destination for a ground-based vehicle. Travel patterns are accessed and a series of locations of a ground-based vehicle are received. At least some of the received locations are related to at least one accessed travel pattern, and a destination of the ground-based vehicle is predicted based on relating the received locations with the travel patterns. An existence of an event may be predicted using the predicted destinations of a ground-based vehicle.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus comprises a storage module, a location measuring module, a communication module, and a navigation image generating module. The storage module stores image data corresponding to respective symbols, and data of simplified diagram templates in each of which positions are set on an image showing a shape of a road, symbols being placed at the respective positions. The location measuring module measures a current location. The communication module transmits the current location to an external communication apparatus and receives navigation information on a navigation point corresponding to the current location, the navigation information including a simplified diagram template identification number, symbol identification numbers, and position specification numbers.

Abstract: A vehicular display system includes an in-vehicle navigation device and a vehicular meter device. The in-vehicle navigation device includes a display, a navigation data producing device for producing first data that is to be displayed on the display, and a transmitting device for transmitting intermediate data to the vehicular meter device. The vehicular meter device includes a receiving device for receiving the intermediate data from the in-vehicle navigation device and a navigation data display area for displaying second data. A display size changing device for changing the first data into the second data is included in at least one of the in-vehicle navigation device and the vehicular meter device. A display size of the first data is different from the display size of the second data.

Abstract: A method of displaying flight management system (FMS) data, and an avionics system configured to implement the method, are provided. The method includes the step of providing FMS route data. The method also includes the step of using the FMS route data to display an FMS intent strip which represents current maneuvering intent of the FMS.

Abstract: A navigation device includes a navigation information storage unit in which navigation information, including the user-provided data, is stored; and a human machine interface unit that outputs the user-provided data and navigation information other than the user-provided data separately on an output device, that displays a warning message, read from the navigation information storage unit, and a screen prompting for an input for selecting whether to perform navigation processing based on the user-provided data when an instruction for performing navigation processing based on the user-provided data is input from an input device, and that causes a control unit, which performs navigation processing, to perform navigation processing based on the user-provided data when an instruction for performing navigation processing based on the user-provided data is input from the input device. In this way, a navigation system where user-provided data and official data are reliably combined can be provided.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a navigation system provides navigation directions within particular locations within a facility, such as within a corporate campus, airport, resort, building, etc. The navigation system may respond to navigation requests for different types of facility target destinations such as a location, a person, a movable item, an event, or a condition. Different location resources can be accessed depending on the type of requested target destination. For example, an employee database may be used to locate an office within the facility associated with navigation request that contains an employee name. A natural voice communication scheme can be used to access to the navigation system through a larger variety of networks and communication devices.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus including a memory for storing building data of buildings; a display; a decimating unit for decimating the building data based on the unit of the bar scale of a map appearing on the display; and a display controller for displaying the buildings on a map on the display based on the building data decimated by the decimating unit.

Abstract: A method for displaying map information for a navigation system provides map information which includes areas representing a top view of a map detail, and lines representing a grid of traffic routes. The display of the area information includes additional background information, i.e., the display of the areas in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional view is at least partially generated on the basis of aerial and/or satellite photographs.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus, includes: a state information obtaining unit obtaining state information that indicates a state of driving operation of the vehicle; an image storage unit storing a plurality of two-dimensional image data pieces obtained from the plurality of imaging devices whose viewing fields partly overlap with each other; a specifying unit compositing a plurality of two-dimensional image data pieces into a shape of a three-dimensional projection plane, and then specifying, in correspondence to the state information, a compositing method for overlapping portions of viewing fields to be used for transformation from a three-dimensional image into projection image data viewed from a position of a given viewpoint along a given line-of-sight direction; and an image transformation unit transforming the plurality of two-dimensional image data pieces into projection image data viewed from the position of the given viewpoint along the given line-of-sight direction, by using the compositing method.

Abstract: A vehicular display system includes an in-vehicle navigation device and a vehicular meter device. The in-vehicle navigation device includes a display device, a character string storing device, and a character string converting device. The character string storing device stores a navigation display character string that is to be displayed in the display device. The character string converting device converts the navigation display character string into a meter display character string. The vehicular meter device includes a navigation display area. The meter display character string is displayed in a navigation display area.

Abstract: A method for dividing a field into zones with similar crop attributes and developing a mission plan for steering the harvester to selectively harvest crops based on one or more of the attributes. The attributes include protein level, starch level, oil level, sugar content, moisture level, digestible nutrient level, or any other crop characteristic of interest. The method can be applied to selectively harvest and/or segregate according to attribute any crop, including grains such as wheat, corn, or beans, fruits such as grapes, and forage crops. Directed crop sampling provides absolute value and variance information for segregated batches of harvested crop.

Abstract: A Weather Information Network Enabled Mobile System for providing information to a user regarding an emergency event. The WINEMS system receives location data, such as from a GPS system, and correlates the location data with the emergency alert to display a map showing both a location of the WINEMS system and a location of the emergency event. Preferably, the locations are displayed on a digital map.

Abstract: A lane determining device includes: a feature information obtaining unit for obtaining feature information F of a target feature existing in each lane in the traveling direction of a vehicle 30, based on vehicle position information; an image recognizing unit for conducting image recognition processing of a feature type of the target feature in a vehicle lane, with respect to image information; and a lane accuracy determining unit for determining a vehicle lane accuracy for the respective lanes based on a type of a recognized feature fa shown in an image recognition result, feature types Ft1 to Ft4 of the target feature of the respective lanes shown in the feature information F, in accordance with a level of probability for each of the feature types Ft1 to Ft4 of the target feature of the respective lanes is recognized as the type of the recognized feature fa.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates automatically producing an enhanced schematic destination map to provide directions to a destination related to geography. An interface component can receive at least one geographic destination. A map generator can automatically create an enhanced schematic destination map utilizing a hierarchy of road sets to provide at least one route including at least one road to the geographic destination.

Abstract: A map data updating system is basically provided with a map distribution system and at least one map data updating device. The map distribution system includes a map data generating section and an information distributing section. The map data updating device is configured to process the distribution map data from the map distribution system, and includes a map data updating determining section and an update map data requesting section. The map data generating section configured to generate distribution map data including at least one target map data unit of a map that has been divided into a plurality of map units, with the distribution map data including map data version information for a target map unit to be updated and at least one perimeter map unit existing along a perimeter of the target map unit to be updated. The information distributing section configured to electronically distribute the distribution map data.

Abstract: A method for presenting a route includes receiving a starting point and a destination point and computing a route that includes a route segment between the two points. The method further includes determining, based on a user's travel history, whether the route segment is an unfamiliar segment, and identifying, based on the user's travel history, a road that is familiar to the user and that is within a scaled range of the unfamiliar segment. The computed route and the familiar road are then presented in a format that distinguishes the familiar road from the computed route, and the familiar road is represented relative to the unfamiliar segment.

Abstract: In a navigation system, a current position is designated as a center of a start-point area. A category of a spot, e.g., a point of interest, is designated. Feature information of a spot within the start-point area then appears on a display device as initially provided information to a user with respect to the spot. This feature information allows the user to easily perceive the feature of the spot. The user only needs operation up to designating the category and can easily determine whether the spot is an intended one by perceiving its feature.

Abstract: A method of determining a path having an ordered set of waypoints to be visited by a mobile agent to accomplish a mission includes: producing candidate paths using a multi-objective optimization algorithm, subject to a path production heuristic; selecting a path from the candidate paths, subject to a path selection heuristic; instructing the mobile agent to move according to the selected path; modifying a maintained subset of the candidate paths to produce a new candidate path using the algorithm and subject to the path production heuristic; designating either the currently-selected path or the new candidate path as the newly-selected path, subject to the path selection heuristic; and instructing the mobile agent to move according to the newly-selected path. The method may further include iterating production of new candidate paths, either randomly or based on modifications of previous candidate paths, to continually update an operation plan for the mobile agent.

Abstract: An existing-area calculating device of a vehicle surrounding information informing device calculates an existing area where a hidden-area obstacle approaching an own vehicle is likely to exist, based on own-vehicle traveling information detected by an own-vehicle traveling information detecting device and information of a hidden-area obstacle of another-vehicle obstacle information detected by an another-vehicle obstacle detecting device. Then, an informing device informs the exiting area of the hidden-area obstacle. Accordingly, the passenger (driver) can surely recognize the existence of the hidden-area obstacle to take any proper action to avoid a possible collision with the hidden-area obstacle, thereby improving the reliability of the vehicle surrounding information informing device.

Abstract: A system and method for off route processing is disclosed. The system and method can be used to provide information when an off route condition occurs. The system and method can include provisions to make modifications in the way navigation information is displayed. The system and method can also provide a selectable re-route mode and selectable re-route information.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a map matching method capable of performing a process operation in a high speed. In the map matching method of the present invention, while employing road network data in which road networks are formed in a plurality of hierarchical layers “a”, “b”, “c”, and a road network of an upper-grade hierarchical layer is established by such a road network which is extracted from a road network having a lower-grade hierarchical layer lower than the road network having the upper-grade hierarchical layer, a road network of the uppermost-grade hierarchical layer “a” is matched with a shape vector indicative of a shape of a objective road in a beginning stage; and when such a candidate road which is matched with the shape vector cannot be obtained in the road network of the uppermost-grade hierarchical layer “a”, since such a road network having another hierarchical layer “b”, or “c” is matched with the shape vector, the objective road is identified.

Abstract: A system and method for multiple map image projecting and fusing in an object oriented computer environment. The multiple map image projecting and fusing method may provide a flexible and efficient architecture for generating combined map images from one or more map data sources. One or more map image objects may be coupled to map data objects, map projection objects and other map image objects according to a contemplated use of the invention.

Abstract: There are provided a navigation apparatus and a navigation method capable of performing a character display reflecting the operation result of a user. The navigation apparatus includes a facility search section that searches for a facility fulfilling a set search condition; a display flag changing section that sets a character string, which is displayed at a position corresponding to the facility searched by the facility search section, as a character string indicating the facility; a map drawing section that draws a map image including the location of the facility searched by the facility search section and the character string set by the display flag changing section; and a display processing section and a display device, which display the map image drawn by the map drawing section.

Abstract: There are provided a navigation system, a route search method and a storage medium which are easily capable of setting a destination even if a telephone number, which is not contained in a storage device, is entered. A route search processing unit, in the case where, for example, positions corresponding to telephone numbers that match the number expressing the area of the entered telephone number are four or more, selects four telephone numbers that are approximate to the entered telephone number, and sets the point of intersection, which is formed when the positions corresponding to the selected telephone numbers are connected diagonally by straight lines, as a destination. The route search processing unit searches for a route from the position of a user's car, which is calculated by a vehicle position measuring unit, to a point that is set as a destination.

Abstract: A navigation system with a function of one-touch map matching correction, and a method thereof. The navigation system includes a GPS module for receiving each position signal, and measuring self position and driving direction; a map database for storing map data; a storage unit for storing a candidate designation index, road information, a guidance stop flag, a flag activating a map-matching correction button, and voice data for road sequence guidance; a display unit for displaying the map data, activating or deactivating the map-matching correction button, and generating a coordinate value of a position; and a controller for indexing the parallel roads, generating a candidate road array, activating the map-matching correction button, and sequentially selecting candidate roads while performing the map matching correction.

Abstract: A map user interlace is described, including a first view transmitted from a server computer system to the client computer system, the first view including a first map and the initial path displayed on the first map, the initial path being from a starting location via at least one intermediate location to an end location, a deletion selector, selection of the deletion selector causing transmission of a deletion command being indicative of removal of a selected one of the locations, and a second view generated in response to the transmission of the deletion command, the second view including a second map and the modified path displayed on the second map, the modified path including all of the locations but not including the selected location.

Abstract: In a map display device, a viewing angle for a three-dimensional road map can be changed horizontally on a screen so that the three-dimensional road map is generated at a standard viewing angle (45°) up to a wide viewing angle (90°). At this time, the viewing angle is changed based on a reference line passing through a current position of a subject vehicle where the map display device is mounted.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus and a driving direction guiding method are capable of clearly indicating a correct direction in which a vehicle should be driven at an exit when the vehicle exits a parking area through the exit. When a position measurement unit detects that the vehicle has entered a parking area based on measured position information, a CPU clearly indicates, on a display, a correct direction in which the vehicle should be driven at an exit of the parking area so that a user can know in advance the correct direction in which to drive his/her vehicle after passing through the exit of the parking area.

Abstract: A development environment makes it easier to develop and use location aware software applications. Combining the currently separate and complex tasks of location information gathering, analysis, and display and making them integrated such that non-experts can build location services into their applications increases a developer's capability to write rich location-aware software applications. A higher level programming model allows a programmer to use location information as a logical entity rather than just raw location data, such as latitude and longitude. A location data store and map data store may be accessed by different location aware applications on the device. Instead of each location application relying on its own data store, applications may share their location related information.

Abstract: A map user interface is described, including a first view transmitted from a server computer system to the client computer system, the first view including a first map and the initial path displayed on the first map, the initial path being from a starting location via at least one intermediate location to an end location, a deletion selector, selection of the deletion selector causing transmission of a deletion command being indicative of removal of a selected one of the locations, and a second view generated in response to the transmission of the deletion command, the second view including a second map and the modified path displayed on the second map, the modified path including all of the locations but not including the selected location.

Abstract: A combined map scale and measuring tool can be used in digital mapping systems. In the scale mode, the scale indicates the correct scale, for example, at the center of the map. It can be updated with every pan, zoom or resize operation the user performs, and can further update to compensate for map distortion caused by the map projection. The tool mode is entered once the user drags one or both of the scale endpoints onto the map. The distance between two endpoints of the tool can be displayed. A new point can be added each time the user drags a line between existing endpoints of the tool. Info windows can be opened that include relevant information about the endpoints (e.g., latitude/longitude, geo code), and provide option to convert the tool segments to driving directions. A drag and drop location marker is also provided.

Abstract: A notification controller allows a notification apparatus to perform notification in accordance with input of notification request information from a notification information transmitter. The notification controller determines whether or not the notification request information supplied from the notification information transmitter can be disabled from provision in accordance with a user operation. When the information supplied is determined to be disabled from provision in accordance with a user operation, the notification controller prompts a user to determine whether or not to stop the notification. The notification controller disables the notification when confirming that the user issues an instruction to stop the notification.

Abstract: A navigation device with improved zoom functions is disclosed. The navigation device is generally operable to display a map with varying magnifications and perspectives to enable a user to increase or decrease magnification and perspective without creating a substantial and immediate change in perspective. Such a configuration reduces user confusion due to the elimination of substantial changes in perspective during magnification and demagnification.

Abstract: An electronic map display method is disclosed. The method includes: providing an electronic map file having a plurality of objects where each object has an attribute; and comparing a plurality of attributes corresponding to a plurality of target objects included within a display range to control a display order with respect to the target objects for displaying the target objects.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus includes a map data storage for storing a map data, a picture frame image storage for storing one or more images, a mode-based setting storage for storing mode-based settings required in operating the navigation apparatus in a drive guide mode, a picture frame mode or a combination mode, and a control unit for, based on the mode-based settings, providing a drive guide information using the map data in the drive guide mode, providing drive guide information by use of the map data in the drive guide mode, providing a picture frame image by using the images in the picture frame mode and providing the picture frame image and the drive guide information in the combination mode, the drive guide information being displayed over the picture frame image.

Abstract: Digital tile-based mapping techniques are disclosed that enable efficient online serving of aesthetically pleasing maps. In one particular embodiment, an image tile-based digital mapping system is configured for generating map tiles during an offline session, and serving selected sets of those tiles to a client when requested. Also provided are solutions for handling map labels and other such features in a tile-based mapping system, such as when a map label crosses map tile boundaries. Various processing environments (e.g., servers or other computing devices) can be employed in the system.

Abstract: A system and method for identifying, from a set of geographical areas, a set of target areas that overlap a map view or view port of a map. Target areas are defined as circles having centers and radii, as sets of geographic cells overlaying the areas, or as other polygons of geographic data. Within a view port served or to be served to a user, multiple points are defined and substantially equally spaced within the view port, such that any target area that may significantly overlap the view port (e.g., at least a threshold percentage of the view port) is likely to overlap a minimum number of the points (e.g., one). Some or all target areas are then tested for intersection with some or all of the points, and calculations may be made to determine how much the intersecting areas actually overlap the view port.

Abstract: An automobile navigation apparatus, that has a rewritable recording medium and capability to updates the map data base by obtaining latest map data, records the map data in the recording means and comprises updating data acquisition means that acquires updated data of a map to which updating procedure is added, an information interpreting means that interprets the updating procedure information, and a map data updating means that searches over said map data base and updates said map data base on the basis of the results of such interpretation and manages the map data by using attributions that indicates additional information of the map elements which are composed into a table as the records thereof so that the row record of the table is classified by the attribution which indicates the additional information of the map element.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for generating a street map that includes a position identifier that identifies a location on the street map. The method and system may also generate and display a plurality of images representative of the location of the position identifier. A user may interact with a position identifier or one of several scroll icons to view images of other locations on the street map and/or to obtain driving directions between two locations.

Abstract: A wireless communication system in a vehicle includes a wireless communication link in the vehicle with a mobile accessory that is a personal accessory of an occupant of the vehicle. The wireless communication link may be operable to carry information useful to the driver of the vehicle via at least one of (a) a PUSH communication protocol whereby information is communicated to the driver and (b) a PULL communication protocol whereby information is communicated to the driver in response to a driver selection.

Abstract: A navigation system in a vehicle stores position history information including position information related to a detection position detected by a position detector and position information related to a map matching position. The map matching position is obtained by matching the detection position with a point of a road in road map data. When the vehicle runs on a not-stored road that is not stored in the road map data, the navigation system determines a trail of running of the vehicle from departure from a stored road that is stored in the road map data to comeback into a stored road that is stored in the road map data, based on the stored position history information.

Abstract: An embodiment relates generally a method of generating user-specified information. The method includes selecting a plurality of points on a map, where the plurality of points forms a closed polygon. The method also includes determining a plurality of coordinate pairs, where each coordinate pair is associated with a point from the plurality of points. The method also includes retrieving user specified information for an area enclosed by the plurality of coordinate pairs.

Abstract: An instrument panel for a vehicle that includes a screen that is operable to display at least one object, and wherein the object automatically changes in size when the vehicle changes between a drive mode and a park mode.

Abstract: This abridged map generating apparatus includes a route searching unit that searches for a plurality of routes from a departure point to a destination which has been set, an abridged map generation unit that generates an abridged map in which road shapes of the routes which are searched out by the route searching unit are simplified, based upon road map data which specifies shapes of roads by shapes of links set for each predetermined road section, and a link compactification unit that compactifies links of the routes based upon relative positional relationships of the routes before the abridged map generation unit generates the abridged map.

Abstract: A processor (150) of a map information generating device (100) acquires annotation data for displaying a location adjusting annotation about, for instance, a feature that is newly built and set a locatable position of a location-adjusting-annotation character string of the location adjusting annotation at a position substantially corresponding to a position where the feature of the location-adjusting-annotation character string exists but not overlapping with an existing annotation. Then, the processor (150) updates the annotation data based on the location state of the location-adjusting-annotation character string and stores it in the storage section (130).

Abstract: An on-vehicle information terminal comprises a route search unit that searches for a plurality of routes connecting a current position to a destination and a characteristics extraction unit that extracts characteristics of each route searched by the route search unit based upon geographic names. The on-vehicle information terminal displays the characteristics of individual routes extracted by the characteristics extraction unit at a display device.

Abstract: A geographic information system (GIS) displays geographic roadway data, geographic track data and geographic train position data. The GIS includes a GIS database having static roadway and track data. A computer aided dispatching (CAD) system includes a task to determine an occupied track section. A web server includes a first routine determining geographic starting and ending positions of the track section, a second routine displaying geographic information regarding the static roadway and track data, and a third routine determining geographic information regarding the occupied track section from the geographic starting and ending positions of the track section and from the GIS database. A client system communicates with the web server to receive and display the geographic information regarding the static roadway and track data, and to receive and display the geographic information regarding the occupied track section with the geographic information regarding the static roadway and track data.

Abstract: The information navigation interface facilitates receiving an indication of a discrete physical contact event with a user input device. The contact event is associated with a user request for navigating an assembly of displayable information. A navigation action based on the received indication is then determined. The navigation action may include either (a) both scrolling and expansion of currently displayed information wherein the scrolling and expansion occur simultaneously or nearly simultaneously, or (b) both scrolling and contraction of currently displayed information wherein the scrolling and contraction occur simultaneously or nearly simultaneously. Once determined, the navigation action is applied, resulting in a display of a second portion of the assembly of information.