Abstract: A determination unit that determines whether a vehicle is in a lane change state where the vehicle is going to make a lane change from a travelling lane to a recommended lane; and a display control unit that causes a display unit to display the front image on which a guide line is superimposed, wherein the guide line has a front end point and a rear end point, are provided. In the lane change state, the display control unit sets a position of the rear end point in the front image such that the rear end point indicates a central position in a width direction of the vehicle, and, not in the lane change state, the display control unit sets a position of the rear end point in the front image such that the rear end point indicates a central position in a width direction in the travelling lane.

Abstract: When an exit road from a rotary is a road inside of the rotary, a right/left turn branch display is performed instead of performing a rotary guidance display. Thus, a driver is enabled to correctly recognize the exit road which advances inward of the rotary.

Abstract: A media player application residing on a location-aware handheld device, in-vehicle navigation system, or in-airplane entertainment system responds to location signals and plays a plurality of location-relevant media assets that are automatically selected and sequenced to create the impression of a cohesive entertainment program. From the user's direction and speed, the application creates a forecast of assumed motion, plans the media program accordingly, and changes the program if the motion changes. The application filters and prioritizes assets of various lengths and with various degrees of geographic specificity, ranging from very specific such as announcements about Points of Interest (POIs) to very broad such as songs about states. POIs are announced with a notation that identifies the distance to the POI and an indication whether it is on the left or right.

Abstract: A method of operation of a navigation system includes: generating a system message along a route determining a priority value for the system message; sorting the system message based on the priority value and a message play time for the system message; calculating an available play time for the system message; and selecting the system message having the message play time not exceeding the available play time.

Abstract: An alert content reception apparatus comprises a communications interface (229) compatible with a data broadcast service and capable of receiving, when in use, a broadcast data message comprising reference data concerning alert content. The apparatus also comprises a processing resource (202) arranged to analyze, when in use, the broadcast data message and acquire the alert content associated with the reference data in response to determining that the alert content associated with the reference data has not previously been acquired. The communications interface (229) is compatible with a bidirectional data communications service, the processing resource (202) also being arranged to cooperate with the communications interface (229) in order to retrieve the alert content via the bidirectional data communications service.

Abstract: If a destination set on a display 3 is a facility not having connection relation between facilities stored in a facility information DB 84, a scroll direction detecting unit 92 that detects a scroll direction of a map 31 detects a direction instructed for scroll as the scroll direction and a display controlling unit 94 performs scroll of the map 31 in the scroll direction. In addition, if the set destination is a facility having the connection relation between the facilities, the scroll direction detecting unit 92 that detects a scroll direction of the map 31 detects the scroll direction based on the connection relation of the destination and the direction instructed for scroll and the display controlling unit 94 performs the scroll of the map 31 to a position of a facility connected to the destination in the scroll direction.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a system and method may be provided for validating communication for a wireless communications device. The system and method may include receiving a geographic location of a wireless communications device. A database comprising records correlating the geographic location with permissions may be accessed in order to determine, based upon the received geographic location information and the accessed database record, if there are restriction on communication associated with the wireless communications device. An indicator may be communicated in response to the determined restriction, effectively providing the information needed to inform the wireless communications device of any current restrictions.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a speech translation apparatus includes a speech recognition unit, a translation unit, a search unit and a selection unit. The speech recognition unit successively performs speech recognition to obtain a first language word string. The translation unit translates the first language word string into a second language word string. The search unit search for at least one similar example and acquires the similar example and a translation example. The selection unit selects, in accordance with a user instruction, at least one of the first language word string associated with the similar example and the second language word string associated with the translation example, as a selected word string.

Abstract: Pictorial information is provided relevant to a geographic location through selecting characteristics relevant to geographic locations, searching pictorial image databases for images having an embedded tags associated with the characteristics, retrieving image files from databases having embedded tags correlated to characteristics and visually depicting a physical appearance or an attribute of a location, analyzing characteristics image files and responsively selecting preferred image data, formatting preferred image data for presentation to a traveler, associating formatted preferred data with geographic locations, and presenting associated formatted data to the traveler in association with geographic locations. Characteristics include global positioning satellite coordinates. Image data may be selected having preferred image resolutions or perspectives. Formatting pictorial information may comprise synthesizing photographs into a constructs.

Abstract: A method for displaying a navigation route, a navigation apparatus, and a recording medium are provided. In the method, a current location of a mobile device is detected. Next, a start point and an end point are received and a navigation route is planned accordingly. Then, an electronic map database is accessed and a navigation map is rendered on a screen of the mobile device according to the electronic map database, wherein only the map information associated with the navigation route in the electronic map database is displayed on the navigation map and the displayed map information comprises the road names of a current road and a next road associated with the current location of the mobile device in the navigation route.

Abstract: A server according to one embodiment displays on a map image a position corresponding to a user with consideration for user privacy. The server executes a program for outputting a map image including: a user specifying module configured to specify, based at least on a present position of one or more users, the one or more users for whom user elements are arranged on the map image; a determination module configured to determine a modification direction and a modification distance used to modify the present location corresponding to the one or more users thus specified; an arrangement module configured to arrange the user elements on the map image at a position corresponding to the present location modified according to the determined modification direction and the determined modification distance; and an output module configured to output to a terminal device the map image having the user elements arranged thereon.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a navigation system may include one or more processors, a display, a satellite antenna, one or more memory devices, and map data. A route distance icon can be presented on the display, automatically, when the current location is not coincident with the route and the start offset distance is less than a predetermined distance. The route distance icon can provide the on-the-route distance. A geodesic distance icon can be presented on the display, automatically, when the current location is not coincident with the route and the start offset distance is greater than the predetermined distance. The geodesic distance icon can provide a geodesic distance from the current location to the destination.

Abstract: Disclosed is a navigation system and displaying method thereof, which controls the level of protrusion for each piece of indication data displayed on a 3-D screen of the navigation system based on its criticality so as to maximize the legibility of the driver. More specifically, the navigation system includes a GPS receiving member which receives GPS location information, a map data storage member which stores map data including a plurality of indication data, a controlling member which requests a display scope of the map data, corresponding to the received GPS location information, and at least one set of indication data within the display scope, and 3-D data-processes said indication data so that it can be displayed so that the most important data is protruding the most to the driver, and a display member which displays the map data containing the 3-D data-processed indication data.

Abstract: The disclosure herein provides a golf GPS device with a hole cup location selection mechanism which displays a plurality of selectable hole cup locations for selection by a user. When the user selects one of the plurality of selectable hole cup locations, the golf GPS device provides the user with a number representative of the distance between the user and the selected one of the plurality of selectable hole cup locations.

Abstract: A navigation device that includes a map data base in which map information is stored and a positioning unit that determines a current position based upon a radio wave signal received from a satellite, contains: a tunnel detection unit that detects a tunnel that is present ahead on a road where the navigation device is moving; a travel data acquisition unit that acquires travel data of another vehicle from an information center; and a position estimation unit that in case the tunnel detection unit detects a presence of a tunnel ahead on a road and the travel data acquisition unit acquires from the information center travel data of another vehicle that has traveled through the detected tunnel, estimates a current position of the navigation device in the detected tunnel using a travel speed in the detected tunnel in the acquired travel data as a movement speed of the navigation device.

Abstract: Even when inertial navigation is performed, whether or not the correction of a value detected by an external sensor is appropriate can be judged, so that a dramatically degraded positioning result is prevented from being outputted. A navigation device (100) comprises a GPS receiver (11), an acceleration sensor (12) for detecting at least two-axis accelerations in an X-axis direction that is the front-back direction of a moving body and a Y-axis direction that is the right-left direction of the moving body, and a at least one-axis angular velocity sensor (13) for detecting the angular velocity in an azimuth direction around a Z-axis orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

Abstract: Systems, devices, features, and methods for detecting geographic features in images, such as, for example, to develop a navigation database are disclosed. For example, a method of detecting a path marking from collected images includes collecting a plurality of images of geographic areas along a path. An image of the plurality of images is selected. Components that represent an object on the path in the selected image are determined. In one embodiment, the determined components are independent or invariant to scale of the object. The determined components are compared to reference components in a data library. If the determined components substantially meet a matching threshold with the reference components, the object in the selected image is identified to be a path marking corresponding to the reference components in the data library.

Abstract: This invention relates to a navigation device (200) comprising: a processor (210) that is configured to generate a navigation map of a local environment (497); and a display (240) controllable by said processor (200) to display said navigation map and any markers (489) that relate to marked locations within said local environment (497); characterised in that the navigation device (200) further comprises: an indicator generation module (490) for generating an indicator (491) for each of any marked locations outside of said local environment, said processor (210) being responsive to said indicator generation module (490) to control said display (240) to display any generated indicators (491) in said navigation map (497). A method of generating a navigation map and a computer program are also disclosed.

Abstract: A travel guidance system and method are provided. The travel guidance system includes a navigation-route setting unit that sets a navigation route, a guidance junction on the navigation route and a junction acquiring unit that acquires a position of a preceding junction that is located closer to a departure place of the navigation route than the guidance junction. The system also includes a guidance setting unit that sets guidance on the guidance junction and a junction guiding unit that provides guidance on the guidance junction on the basis of the guidance set by the guidance setting unit. The system is configured such that the guidance includes a first phrase for specifying a positional relationship between the movable body and the preceding junction and a second phrase for specifying a positional relationship between the movable body and the guidance junction after the movable body has passed through the preceding junction.

Abstract: A navigation system and related operating methods are provided for instructing an operator of a vehicle. The navigation system obtains a destination location and generates a proposed route to the destination location. The proposed route is defined by one or more driver decision points and associated driving maneuvers. Before the vehicle reaches an approaching driver decision point, the navigation system pre-calculates alternate routes between the approaching driver decision point and the destination location, and saves the alternate routes for subsequent activation. Pre-calculated alternate routes can also be used to determine and indicate the relative importance of an approaching driving maneuver. The driver can consider the importance of driving maneuvers when deciding whether or not to follow the recommended route.

Abstract: Goggles for use in water that are configured to guide a person along predetermined courses. The goggles can have a pair of indicators that can be in communication with a microprocessor. The microprocessor can actuate the indicators selectively to guide a person wearing the goggles along a predetermined course.

Abstract: Techniques are described for visualizing a roadway transition along an ascertained route course for a navigation device. In an implementation, the navigation device may include a display and a data processing device to identify a roadway transition from a first road onto a second road along an ascertained route course and present navigation information in a first and second operating mode. The second operating mode may include roadway transition visualization generated by dynamically superpositioning a first visualization layer, which may include road characteristics and location information, and a second visualization layer, which may include the ascertained route course along the identified roadway transition.

Abstract: Provided is an electric bus and an electric bus battery exchange system. The electric bus according to the present invention includes: a battery exchange hole disposed on top of the electric bus for exchanging a discharged battery for a charged battery; a front camera unit taking front images in the process of entering the battery exchange station for battery exchange; a communication unit for receiving position information of the battery exchange unit from the battery exchange station; a route output unit outputting a predicted driving route for reaching a swapping point below the battery exchange unit based on the front images taken by the front camera unit and the position information of the battery exchange unit; and a display unit displaying the predicted driving route outputted by the route output unit, superimposed on the front images taken by the front camera unit.

Abstract: Systems and associated methods for utilizing crowdsourcing probes to obtain traffic information are described. Such traffic information includes location, date, time, speed, and speed limit information. Embodiments allow for the determination of traffic intensity, or road congestion, through the calculation of a road speed capacity factor. Embodiments provide that the traffic information and traffic intensity information may be visualized through a user interface.

Abstract: A system is provided for monitoring system and operational parameters on one or more pieces of machinery or equipment. The system can monitor the pieces of machinery or equipment in real time, i.e., the time delay between the taking of a measurement on a piece of equipment and its subsequent display in the system is within accepted standards, e.g., from about 1 second to about 1 minute depending on the type of measurement or data set being monitored. The system can also permit the tracking of the pieces of machinery or equipment and can enable the transfer, i.e., the sending and/or receiving, of information between the system and the pieces of machinery or equipment.

Abstract: A method for the communication of a vehicle with at least one further vehicle and/or for the communication of a vehicle with an infrastructure device (C2X communication), wherein the communication serves to transmit at least one information item for application in a driver assistance system and/or a safety system of the vehicle. In order to ensure good safety and reliability of the driver assistance system or safety system in the case of low market penetration of C2X communication, the at least one information item is transmitted via a first communication channel and/or via a second communication channel in dependence on its nature, wherein the first communication channel has a longer latency period than the second communication channel. The invention also describes a corresponding communication device, a corresponding driver assistance system or a corresponding safety system, a corresponding vehicle, a program element and a computer-readable medium.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing at least one information feed are disclosed. For example, the method receives at least one content via at least one automated feed. The method associates the at least one content to one or more geographical locations on a map, wherein the one or more geographical locations are determined from the at least one content. The method then presents an access to the at least one content to a user via the map.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a technique of an information terminal that allows more efficient utilization of high-level searching functions. The information terminal is provided with an audio input accepting unit to accept an input of speech information, a communication unit to establish communication with a predetermined server device via a network, an output unit, a POI specifying unit to transmit the speech information accepted by the audio input accepting unit to the server device and receive information specifying a candidate of a POI (Point Of Interest) associated with the speech information, a POI candidate output unit to output to the output unit, the information specifying the candidate of the POI received by the POI specifying unit, and a route searching unit to accept a selective input of the information specifying the candidate of the POI, and search for a route directed to the POI.

Abstract: A vehicle identification system that provides means for verifying the identity and authenticity of pursuing law enforcement vehicles by means of reversed or “mirrored” character indicia being placed on a law enforcement vehicle's windshield denoting the vehicle's identification so a motorist may look in their rearview mirror, call a police station and give the law enforcement vehicle identification to an operator who gives instruction to the motorist.

Abstract: It is disclosed to estimate a state vector of an object, wherein the state vector comprises a state variable related to a position or an orientation of the object, based on at least one of a probability density function of the state vector truncated under consideration of a constraint for the state variable, wherein the constraint is derived from a map, and properties of the truncated probability density function.

Abstract: A method and system for representing traffic control signals in a road network database is provided. The database may include lane-level modeling, intersection modeling, and traffic signal modeling of a road network. An individual traffic signal is represented in the database with data indicating the traffic signal's geographic location and other attributes of the traffic signal such as an arrangement of lenses in the signal, an indication as to whether the signal is vertically or horizontally oriented, a height of the traffic signal over the roadway, and others. The database can be used by a system in a vehicle that provides convenience features to the vehicle's driver. The system may attempt to warn or control a vehicle that is determined to be at imminent risk of violating a traffic signal.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus (200) comprises a processing resource (202) arranged to support an operating environment and a route follower (256) supported by the operating environment and arranged to monitor progression, when in use, along a route to be followed. The apparatus also comprises an instruction generator (260) supported by the operating environment and arranged to determine an identity of a location in advance of the location being reached where a manoeuvre has to be executed in order to continue following the route, and to generate manoeuvre data in relation to the manoeuvre. The apparatus further comprises a voice command generator (266) supported by the operating environment and arranged to obtain the manoeuvre data and to generate in response to the manoeuvre data voice instruction data for reproduction by a loudspeaker (276) as an audible voice instruction. The manoeuvre data comprises route manoeuvre instruction component data and supplementary descriptive instruction component data.

Abstract: A method of providing directions to a vehicle service facility includes generating a vehicle service alert that includes vehicle operating data, sending the vehicle service alert to a vehicle telematics service subscriber, offering the vehicle telematics service subscriber a choice of one or more vehicle service facilities for responding to the vehicle service alert, and if the vehicle owner chooses a vehicle service facility, providing turn-by-turn directions to the chosen vehicle service facility.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a device that stores a novel navigation application. The application in some embodiments includes a user interface (UI) that has a display area for displaying a two-dimensional (2D) navigation presentation or a three-dimensional (3D) navigation presentation. The UI includes a selectable 3D control for directing the program to transition between the 2D and 3D presentations.

Abstract: Apparatus for orientating a user in a space wherein the space comprises a plurality of zones of which only certain zones constitute functional zones wherein each functional zone includes a first type device containing information relating to the position of the zone in the space and wherein the first type device is reactive to the presence of a second type device associated with the user to provide the user with the information to determine the orientation of the user in the space. A method of orientating the user within the space and guiding the user toward one or more features in the space is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for providing navigation information to a user, the method including: inputting identification associated with the user into one terminal of a plurality of terminals distributed throughout an area visited by the user, each terminal being located in a kiosk and operating in kiosk mode; inputting a destination; computing a route from the kiosk to the destination; and presenting the route as the navigation information to the user.

Abstract: A smartphone (10) includes an area information obtaining unit (17), a map information obtaining unit (18), and a display unit (12). The area information obtaining unit (17) obtains area information indicating at least one area communicable directly or indirectly. The map information obtaining unit (18) obtains location information indicating a location associated with the airplane (2). The display unit (12) displays the area information and the location information in a superimposed manner.

Abstract: An information processing system includes a center server, a first moving object that performs communication with the center server, and a second moving object that performs communication with the center server. The first moving object includes a submission information acquisition unit that acquires submission information related to a travel guiding, and a submission information transmission unit that transmits the submission information to the center server. The center server includes a guiding information accumulation unit that accumulates guiding information which is based on the submission information. The second moving object includes a travel guiding execution unit that executes the travel guiding for the second moving object with respect to the traveling route to the preset destination. The travel guiding execution unit executes the travel guiding using the guiding information of the guiding information accumulation unit.

Abstract: A device that can operate according to a menu. A first aspect describes an array of preview frames were each preview frame can represent a program such as a video program or an intranet site. A selection window within the array allows selecting different preview frames. Another aspect describes use of this sliding array system within a GPS device.

Abstract: A system for vehicle to another party communications that includes a vehicle personality module adapted to create a vehicle personality and a communications system that utilizes the created vehicle personality for one or more communications instead of a user's profile. The one or more communications are associated with one or more of an identifier and an icon representing the vehicle personality, with this identifier and/or icon sent with at least one communication and displayable to the recipient of the communication.

Abstract: A map preparation apparatus includes a position information acquisition section, an input information acquisition section, and a selection section. The position information acquisition section acquires position information of a user who is moving. The input information acquisition section acquires input information including a date and time when the user starts moving and a date and time when the user finishes moving. The selection section selects map information from preregistered map information on the basis of the position information acquired by the position information acquisition section and on the basis of the input information acquired by the input information acquisition section. The selected map information includes a route in a ratio equal to or larger than a predetermined ratio. The route is taken from the date and time when the user starts moving to the date and time when the user finishes moving.

Abstract: To advance a dump truck quickly and smoothly to a position where target loading work will be performed relative to an excavating machine, the dump truck is placed in loading target position relative to the excavating machine. Geographic position is detected from GPS satellites of a GPS receiver of the dump truck. The position and direction of the geographic position is transmitted to the excavating machine as a target position image. The target position image and an approach route leading to the position are displayed on a dump truck display when the truck thereafter approaches the position. The dump truck thereafter approaches the position, and the truck is driven so that a current position image advances along the approach route to the target position image, whereby the dump truck is placed in the set loading image target position.

Abstract: In some implementations, a mobile device can be configured to provide navigation instructions to a user of the mobile device. The navigation instructions can be graphical, textual or audio instructions. The presentation of the navigation instructions can be dynamically adjusted based the importance of individual instructions and/or environmental conditions. For example, each navigation instruction can be associated with an importance value indicating how important the instruction is. The volume of important audio instructions can be adjusted (e.g., increased) to compensate for ambient noise so that a user will be more likely to hear the navigation instruction. The timing and/or repetition of the presentation of important instructions can be adjusted based on weather conditions, traffic conditions, or road conditions and/or road features so that a user will be less likely to miss an important navigation instruction.

Abstract: In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes obtaining travel information that indicates travel patterns for a mobile computing device that is associated with a user; identifying a current context for the mobile computing device and the user; identifying one or more destination locations that the user has at least a threshold likelihood of travelling to with the mobile computing device based on the current context and the obtained travel information; generating a prediction that one or more events have at least a threshold probability of occurring along one or more of a plurality of routes for travelling to the identified one or more destination locations; selecting a particular route from the plurality of routes to recommend to the user based on the current context and the prediction of the one or more events; and providing route information that identifies the selected particular route.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a method that includes providing a first image from a server system to a client computing device for display and providing a second image from the server system to the client computing device for display. The method also includes providing instructions from the server system to the client computing device for displaying a window over the first image that displays a portion of the second image within the window, where the portion of the second image displayed within the window corresponds to a position of the window over the first image, and where the portions of the second image include one or more rectangular shapes to approximate a curved shape.

Abstract: The invention relates to a haptic navigation system, configured for providing a haptic instruction to a user, and to a method for providing a haptic instruction to a user. The haptic navigation system comprises a navigation module comprising a route calculation unit, configured for calculating at least one route for the user to go to a predetermined destination, and a user interaction unit, configured for capturing at least one input parameter from the user, and a feedback unit configured for receiving an instruction sent from the navigation module and for converting the instruction received into a haptic instruction such that the user find the correct route. In this way, a haptic navigation system is provided which is reliable, cost-effective to realize and can easily be integrated into existing navigation systems while at the same time making it possible to get rid of displays or voice recognition in navigation applications.

Abstract: A method can include, for a predetermined route, automatically processing a first set of machine instructions to create a visual travel guide for the predetermined route, the visual travel guide comprising a second set of machine instructions adapted to cause an information device to render: an identification of a destination of the predetermined route; a plurality of videos, each video corresponding to a road intersection located approximately on the predetermined route, each video adapted to substantially reproduce a view of a driver of an automobile approaching the road intersection; a plurality of textual descriptions associated with the plurality of videos; at least one of an identification of an origin of the predetermined route and an identification of an approach to the destination; and an advertisement associated with at least a portion of the predetermined route.

Abstract: In general, this disclosure describes techniques for providing a user of a source computing device with the ability to communicate with a destination communication device, while using a navigation application that provides directions to a geographical location associated with the destination communication device. Specifically, the source computing device may provide within the navigation application a mechanism, such as a selectable item, that upon selection allows the user to communicate with the destination communication device without exiting the navigation application that is providing directions to the geographical locations associated with the destination communication device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for realizing videophone are provided in the present invention. The method includes setting different videophone modes; and selecting the videophone mode for a user to perform a video conversation by using the selected videophone mode. The apparatus includes a setting module and a control module which is connected with the setting module. With the method and apparatus for realizing videophone according to the present invention, the user can select a normal conversation or a preset audio/video mode according to requirements in the process of the videophone conversation so as to achieve different video effects.

Abstract: A navigation system and method involving wireless communications technology and speech processing technology is presented. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the navigation system includes a subscriber unit communicating with a service provider. The subscriber unit includes a global positioning system mechanism to determine subscriber position information and a speech processing mechanism to receive destination information spoken by a subscriber. The subscriber unit transmits the subscriber position and destination information to the service provider, which gathers navigation information, including a map and a route from the subscriber position to the specified destination. The service provider transmits the navigation information to the subscriber unit. The subscriber unit conveys the received navigation information to the subscriber via an output mechanism, such as a speech synthesis unit or a graphical display.