Abstract: A sound outputting device includes: a receiving section that receives driving information that supports driving of a moving body; a sound outputting section that outputs at least one of a musical piece currently playing or a voice that gives notice of the driving information; and an outputting section that, during playing of the musical piece, causes the sound outputting section to output the voice that gives notice of the driving information received by the receiving section so as to match at least one of a pitch or a tune of the musical piece that is currently playing.

Abstract: In some implementations, a mobile device can be configured to provide simplified audio navigation instructions. The simplified audio navigation instructions can provide a reduced set of audio navigation instructions so that the audio instructions are only presented to the user when the user wishes to or needs to hear the instructions. A user can enable the simplified audio navigation instructions. The simplified audio navigation instructions can be enabled automatically. The simplified audio navigation instructions can be configured with rules for when to present audio navigation instructions. For example, the rules can specify that audio navigation instructions are to be provided for complex road segments, a user defined portion of a route, or specified road types, among other criteria. The mobile device can be configured with exceptions to the rules such that audio navigation instructions can be presented when the user has, for example, deviated from a defined route.

Abstract: A target travel destination is configured with a topic of conversation planned by a user to occur with at least one person at the target travel destination. A selection by the user of the target travel destination is detected within a user interface. Updated information about the topic of conversation configured with the target travel destination is obtained. The updated information about the topic of conversation configured with the target travel destination is provided to the user during the user's travel to the target travel destination.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus, method or program extracts only a guide expression a talker such as a fellow passenger says to a driver, and outputs a presentation content which corresponds to the guide expression. Accordingly, the driver can understand the content intuitively. This makes it possible to prevent the misunderstanding of the driver and to prevent a vehicle from going in the direction the talker does not intend.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing global positioning system (GPS) feedback to a user are provided. A method for providing global positioning system (GPS) feedback to a user, comprises evaluating a route of the user to determine potential points of confusion, collecting at least one of behavioral information and physiological information from the user, analyzing the collected information to determine a level of user confusion at a point on the route and whether the level of the user confusion exceeds a threshold, and providing the user with clarifying feedback upon at least one of a determination of a potential point of confusion and the level of the user confusion exceeding the threshold.

Abstract: A running condition detection device includes a GPS receiving unit configured to receive a GPS signal and output a current position, a geomagnetic sensor configured to detect geomagnetism, a direction determination unit configured to obtain a current moving direction based on current positional data and last positional data from the GPS receiving unit, a first bend determination unit configured to compare current moving direction data obtained by the direction determination unit and reference direction data to determine passage of a street corner, a second bend determination unit configured to compare geomagnetic data detected by the geomagnetic sensor and reference geomagnetic data to determine passage of a street corner, and a determination prohibition unit which prohibits the first and second bend determination units from determining passage of a street corner during a given period of time when passage of a street corner is determined by one of the first bend determination unit and the second bend deter

Abstract: An apparatus for providing drive assist information depending on a driving experience amount in a country and/or region where a host vehicle currently travels. The apparatus includes a processing unit configured to determine a country and/or region where a host vehicle currently travels, determine whether or not a driving experience amount of a driver in the determined country/region reaches a predetermined reference value, and to stop providing at least a part of the assist information related to the country and/or region where the host vehicle currently travels, if the driving experience value reaches the predetermined reference value.

Abstract: A system for providing navigational information to a vehicle driver. An on-board system is disposed on a vehicle and processes and transmits to a data center, via a wireless link, spoken requests from a vehicle driver requesting navigational information. The data center performs automated voice recognition on the received spoken requests to attempt recognition of destination components of the spoken requests, generates a list of possible destination components corresponding to the spoken requests, assigns a confidence score for each of the possible destination components on the list, determines if a possible destination component with a highest confidence score has a confidence score above a selected threshold, and computer-generates a representation of the possible destination components for transmission to the on-board system via the wireless link for confirmation by the vehicle driver if the highest confidence score of every possible destination component is above the selected threshold.

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 method and apparatus for providing a traffic information service using a mobile communication terminal are provided. A method of a mobile communication terminal for a traffic information service is provided. The method includes constructing a cluster with at least one neighboring Mobile Station (MS), receiving traffic information from the at least one neighboring MS comprised in the cluster, measuring traffic information using location information of the MS, and transmitting a traffic information message comprising the collected traffic information to a traffic information provision server.

Abstract: A method of providing navigational information includes processing destination information spoken by a vehicle occupant on-board. The processed voice information is transmitted to a remote center wirelessly. The processed voice information is voice recognition analyzed at the remote data center to recognize components of the destination information spoken. The remote center generates a list of hypothetical recognized components of the destination information listed by confidence levels as calculated for each component of the destination information analyzed by the voice recognition system. The hypothetical recognized component list is displayed with confidence levels at the remote center for selective checking by a human data center operator. A component set is selected based on the confidence levels and accuracy of the selected set is confirmed by interactive voice exchanges between the vehicle driver and the remote data center.

Abstract: A method of providing navigational information comprises processing destination information spoken by a user of a mobile processing system. The processed voice information is transmitted to a remote data center. The processed voice information is analyzed at the data center to recognize components of the destination information. The center generates a list of hypothetical recognized components of the destination by confidence levels as calculated for each component of the information analyzed. The hypothetical recognized component list is displayed with confidence levels at the data center for selective checking by a human data center operator. A set of hypothetical components is selected based on confidence levels in the list. The accuracy of the selected set of hypothetical recognized components of the destination information is confirmed though interactive voice exchanges between the mobile system user and the remote data center.

Abstract: A system for providing navigational information comprises a mobile system processing and transmitting via a wireless link a continuous voice stream spoken by a user of the mobile system, the continuous voice stream including a complete destination address and a data center processing the continuous voice stream received via the wireless link into voice navigational information.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving at a computer server system, from a computing device that is remote from the server system, a string of text that comprises a search query. The method also includes identifying one or more search results that are responsive to the search query, parsing a document that is a target of one of the one or more results, identifying geographical address information from the parsing, generating a specific geographical indicator corresponding to the one search result, and transmitting for use by the computing device, data for automatically generating a navigational application having a destination at the specific geographical indicator.

Abstract: Route guidance apparatuses, methods, and programs determine a guidance intersection in front of a movable body in a direction of travel along a navigation route. The apparatuses, methods, and programs acquire a shape of the guidance intersection, determine an exit road on which the movable body leaves the guidance intersection, and determine whether the determined exit road is one of a plurality of roads connected to the guidance intersection that exist in an area extending in the same direction as the determined exit road. When the determined road is one of the plurality of roads that exist in the area extending in the same direction as the exit road, the apparatuses, methods, and programs associate each of the plurality of roads with an identification information item usable to identify a connecting relationship with the guidance intersection, and provide guidance using the identification information item associated with the exit road.

Abstract: A real-time navigation electronic device based on determining current traffic rule information includes a positioning unit, a user interface, an information detecting-and-generating unit and a processing unit. The information detecting-and-generating unit detects and generates information for determining real-time traffic rule. The processing unit generates a navigation route according to the destination and the present position. The processing unit receives the information for determining real-time traffic rule. The processing unit determines if the information for determining real-time traffic rule conflicts with the navigation route or makes the navigation route not the quickest route. The processing unit re-generates the navigation route according to the destination, the present position and the information for determining real-time traffic rule when the information for determining real-time traffic rule conflicts with the navigation route or makes the navigation route not the quickest route.

Abstract: A method of providing navigational information includes processing destination information spoken by a mobile processing system user. The processed voice information is transmitted to a remote center wirelessly. The processed voice information is voice recognition analyzed to recognize components of the destination information spoken. The remote center generates a list of hypothetical recognized components of the destination information listed by confidence levels. The list of hypothetical recognized components is displayed with confidence levels at the remote center for selective checking by a human data center operator. A component set is selected based on the confidence levels and accuracy of the selected set is confirmed by interactive voice exchanges. A destination is determined from confirmed components of the destination information.

Abstract: A method to generate a clearance request to deviate from a flight plan is provided. The method includes receiving at one or more processors in an airborne vehicle input from at least one automatic flight-plan-relevant source, at least one of the one or more processors independently determining a revised flight route based on the received input, at least one of the one or more processors independently generating a preconfigured clearance request message to deviate from the flight plan for a flight crew user based on the determining. The method further includes providing an audible prompt to the flight crew user for one of approval and rejection of the clearance request to deviate from the flight plan. When an approval of the clearance request to deviate from the flight plan is received from the flight crew user, the preconfigured clearance request message is downlinked.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, system and/or computer program product confirm an orally entered address to a mobile navigation device. The mobile navigation device receives a global positioning system (GPS) root address component from a GPS. The GPS root address component is a text name of a root location at which a mobile navigation device is currently located. The mobile navigation device receives an orally entered address that comprises an oral root address component and an oral subunit component of the oral root address component. In response to the converted root address component matching the GPS root address component, the orally entered address is partitioned into the oral subunit component and the oral root address component, and any additional speech-to-text conversion of the orally entered address after the oral root address component is terminated.

Abstract: Systems and methods for updating a navigation system are provided. In one implementation, a system includes: a navigation system configured to provide a navigational solution; at least one memory device configured to store a terrain object database, the terrain object database storing information that describes a terrain; a user interface configured to display a terrain model and receive position adjustments from a user; and a processing unit configured to generate displayable information for displaying the terrain model using the information stored on the at least one memory device and the navigational solution, and calculate corrections to the navigational solution from the position adjustments and transmit the corrections to the navigation system.

Abstract: A method to generate a clearance request to deviate from a flight plan is provided. The method includes receiving at one or more processors in an airborne vehicle input from at least one automatic flight-plan-relevant source, at least one of the one or more processors independently determining a revised flight route based on the received input, at least one of the one or more processors independently generating a preconfigured clearance request message to deviate from the flight plan for a flight crew user based on the determining. The method further includes providing an audible prompt to the flight crew user for one of approval and rejection of the clearance request to deviate from the flight plan. When an approval of the clearance request to deviate from the flight plan is received from the flight crew user, the preconfigured clearance request message is downlinked.

Abstract: An enhanced navigation system allowing navigation route and destination planning according to user-specified criteria for the emotion state of persons along the route, at the destination, or both. The enhancement is accomplished by receiving a set of human emotion metrics corresponding to one or more parts of a navigation plan; determining if the human emotion metrics meet one or more user-specified criteria; responsive to not meeting the criteria, determining an alternate navigation plan until the user-specified criteria are met; and responsive to the criteria being met, presenting the navigation plan to the user for laying into a navigation system, and optionally during execution of the navigation plan updating the received human emotion metrics; repeating the determination against the user-specified criteria; and repeating the steps of determining an alternate navigation plan and presentation to a user responsive to the updated human emotion metrics not meeting the user-specified criteria.

Abstract: A navigation device for navigating from one location to another includes a GPS receiver for receiving GPS signals, a cellular receiver for receiving cellular signals, a memory, a processor, a display unit and a connection unit for receiving navigation data. The navigation data includes geographic and cellular provider information pertaining to the locations where cellular coverage is available by a particular provider. This information is processed by the processor to display route instructions to a user in which cellular coverage will be maintained.

Abstract: An inertial system is provided. The system includes at least one inertial sensor, a processing unit and a plurality of Kalman filters implemented in the processing unit. The Kalman filters receive information from the at least one inertial sensor. At most one of the plurality of Kalman filters has processed zero velocity updates on the last cycle.

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.