Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Chisato Yoshida

Kazuhiro Yokouchi

Hirofumi Goto

Toshimichi Tokunaga

Yoshiaki Hirasa

Haruto Yano

Katsuro Hayami

Yasushi Fujii

Katsuaki Matsumoto

Masako Ohta

Shuichi Nishikawa

Takashi Kakitani

Shouiti Maegawa

A map displaying apparatus for displaying a map and a destination on a display screen. A map memory stores a map data to be displayed on a displayer. A telephone number, an area code, or postal code is inputted through an inputting panel. A second memory stores information on telephone numbers and the coordinates of positions on a map corresponding to the respective telephone numbers, information on area codes and the coordinates of positions on a map corresponding to the respective area codes, and information on postal codes and the coordinates of positions on a map corresponding to the respective postal codes. A position retrieval section reads from the second memory the coordinate of a position on a map corresponding to the telephone number inputted through the inputting panel, the coordinate of positions on a map corresponding to the area code inputted through the inputting panel, the coordinate of positions on a map corresponding to the postal code inputted through the inputting panel. The position retrieval section then retrieves map data stored in the map memory according to the telephone number, area code, or postal code and displays the map on the displayer. The map region on display may be shown highlighted when the map region is specified by information such as an area code and a postal code.

Map displaying apparatus

A touch panel device for navigation of a vehicle for example an automobile. There is a display unit with a screen, and information display for visually representing desired information on the screen. A switch superimposes a switch pattern over the information on the screen and executing a predetermined control action when an operator's finger approaches the switch pattern. To remove the switch pattern after the lapse of a preset time form the visual representation of the switch pattern, erasing is used. The erasing can be accomplished for example by the actuation of a timer to remove the switch pattern. With the switch pattern removed, the entire information on the screen can be seen wholly without being concealed by the switch pattern.

Touch device panel

The present invention provides a vehicle guidance system capable of showing a recommendable route between the present position of the vehicle and a destination on a map. The vehicle guidance system comprises a routing unit for finding a recommendable route between the present position of the vehicle and a destination by using road data, a congestion detecting unit detects traffic congestion on the basis of the traveling mode of the vehicle, and a congested place estimating unit estimates presumably congested roads on the recommendable route by using the road data when the congestion detecting unit detects traffic congestion.

Vehicle guiding system responsive to estimated congestion

A display device for visually representing selected characters in dot patterns includes a circuit for determining the number of characters to be visually represented and a circuit for outputting, in response to the result of the determination, a dot pattern signal of a size rendered relatively greater in accordance with a reduction in the number of such characters. Since the displayed character size is enlarged as the number of the characters is reduced, the visual representation can be easily seen on the display screen.

Display system

A navigation system for a motor vehicle serves to guide the motor vehicle along an optimum route which includes bypass roads and side destinations desired by a driver but no road of high traffic congestion. When the motor vehicle deviates from the guidance route, an optimum route is again determined, starting from the current position of the motor vehicle. The navigation system includes a manipulating unit 1A for setting the desired bypass roads, side destinations and the final destination, a system controller 11 for setting the destination and the side destinations in terms of the coordinates on a map which are stored in a RAM unit together with information concerning the bypass roads and congested roads, a route extracting unit 6A for extracting an optimum route from a plurality of routes searched by a route search unit 5A on the basis of data read out from the RAM unit 14 and a route guidance controller for determining a distance deviation between the optimum route and the current position of the motor vehicle determined by a current position determining unit 7A. When the distance deviation exceeds a predetermined value, the system controller 11 commands the route search unit 5A and the optimum route extracting unit 6A to start again a new optimum route determining operation.

Navigation system for motor vehicles

A system allowing both map data and service-related data to be displayed on request for users' reference. Locations of candidate service-offering establishments are displayed in the map covering a specific geographical region. When one of these establishments is selected, detailed service-related information on that establishment is provided on the display screen. This allows the users to quickly obtain and process necessary service-related information wherever they are and to take action accordingly.

Electronic map combined with user service information

A vehicle-mounted navigation apparatus includes a display control unit which reads road map data from a map data storage device used for storing a plurality of road map data concerning road maps with different reduced scales in accordance with a current position of the vehicle detected by a position detecting unit. The display control unit controls the read road map to be displayed on the screen of a display unit in accordance with a control signal from a touch panel unit and further reads a scale indication pattern from an indication pattern storage device used for storing a plurality of scale indication patterns showing the respective reduced scales corresponding to the stored road maps. The display control unit superimposes the selected scale indication pattern on the selected road map. Since a map with a desired reduction of scale with a desired scale indication pattern corresponding to the scale reduction of the map superimposed thereon can be displayed on the screen, the driver can readily obtain a map with a desired reduction of scale and a scale pattern corresponding to the reduction of scale on the screen, and thereby detection of the real distance can be readily and correctly performed, ensuring a smooth and safe cruising of the vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Hyogo, Japan

Chisato Yoshida