Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyota Jidosha K.k.

Kyomi Morimoto

Shoji Yokoyama

Hiroshi Kishi

Toru Ito

Kazuteru Maekawa

Mitsuhiro Nimura

Akimasa Nanba

Kenji Kuroda

Yasunobu Ito

Shigekazu Ohara

Yukiyoshi Suzuki

Kiyohide Katoh

Hitoshi Asano

Hiroyoshi Masuda

Seiji Hayashi

Hiroyuki Kanemitsu

Takeshi Yanagikubo

Junzo Matsuba

Yutaka Saitou

Toyoji Hiyokawa

Takaharu Fukaya

Naokazu Ozaki

Satoshi Ogawa

Masanari Yamamoto

Syuzo Moroto

Koji Hashimoto

Wataru Ishikawa

Shinichi Katoh

Frederic Burguet

Stephane Petti

Peter Coenen

Ole Diels

Navigation devices, methods, and programs set a destination, find an on-street parking zone that is in the vicinity of the destination, and find a route, by modifying a search cost for a road, that will arrive at the destination by way of a road having the on-street parking zone. The devices, methods, and programs acquire parking information that pertains to the on-street parking zone and find the route by modifying the search cost based on the parking information. The devices, methods, and programs find the route when the vehicle has reached a specified distance from the destination.

Navigation devices, methods and programs

A vehicle guidance device is configured such that, in a case where a vehicle is parked in an on-street parking zone, the vehicle guidance device specifies a parking meter from among the parking meters for the on-street parking zone in which the vehicle is parked, then provides guidance to the position where the specified parking meter is installed. In a case where an on-street parking zone is located in the vicinity of the vehicle's current position while the vehicle is in motion, the vehicle guidance device provides guidance to the position of a parking meter for the on-street parking zone.

Navigation apparatus and computer program

A navigation apparatus for displaying a map and including a data storage unit for storing map data, a man-machine interface having a display memory and picture drawing capability for expansion and visualization of display data, for acquiring display data to draw it into the display memory, and for setting up and displaying a display range of graphics; and a navigation data processor for reading map data out of the storage unit, for inputting of locations and present position tracking, and for outputting to the man-machine interface display data to be expanded and drawn in the display memory.

Navigation apparatus with navigation data processor and man-machine interface

A vehicle navigation system is made to generate bitmap image data necessary for navigation, including map data, road data, font data, etc., and then to transmit a pattern (font) image and an enlarged intersection image to a display.

Vehicle navigation system with pixel transmission to display

A vehicle navigation system includes a present position detector, an input device for inputting information required for route searching, inclusive of information identifying a starting point and a destination, an output device for outputting route guidance, an information memory containing map data for route guidance within a geographical area, and border line data for a border line defining a perimeter for the geographical area. A central processing unit determines whether or not the detected present position or starting point and the destination are within the geographical area stored in the information memory, determines a crossing point on the border line responsive to a determination that the present position or the starting point and the destination are not both in the geographical area and determines a travel route from the present position or starting point to the destination, which travel route passes through the crossing point. The information memory may be an element additionally containing data identifying locations outside of the geographical area in the form of remote location data which is correlated with respective border points. This system allows the user to be guided to a proper border crossing point even when the destination is outside of the geographical area covered by the map data stored in the information memory element, e.g. a CD-ROM.

Vehicle navigation system providing for determination of a point on the border of a map stored in memory on the basis of a destination remote from the area covered by the map

An external storage device having navigation data and programs stored therein to perform a route search and provide route guidance, and a central processing unit which includes a program storage flash memory and program loading means for loading programs from the external storage device into the flash memory. The programs stored in the flash memory are run to perform a route search and provide route guidance. The central processing unit compares a version of each program stored in flash memory with a version of the program stored in external storage device, so that when the version of the program stored in the external storage device is more current than that stored in the flash memory, the program is loaded from the external storage device into the flash memory.

Navigation system

A vehicular navigation system which is enabled by inputting the name of a registered point to search for the corresponding registered point, including an information memory for storing, as registered point data, registered point name data and the district data where the registered point is located; an input device or devices for inputting a portion or the entire registered point name and district designation data for the registered point to be searched; a search engine for searching for the registered point that corresponds to a portion or the entire name input via the input device or devices, from the registered points which are stored in the information memory; and a display for displaying the searched registered points in a list, wherein the search engine searches for the registered point corresponding to the input district input by the input device or devices.

Vehicular navigation system and memory medium

In the disclosed navigation system, a distinctive object at an intersection or branch point already registered is recognized by image recognition in order that necessary action can be taken at the earliest opportunity by obtaining information as to the road on which the vehicle has advanced from the intersection or the branch point. The road on which the vehicle has advanced at the intersection or branch point is determined from the direction of relative movement of the distinctive object in the recognized image. Also, in order that easily understandable guidance can be provided even when intersections are in close proximity and even when a distinctive object is newly installed or removed at the intersection, assuming that the present position as detected is on the predetermined and guided route, a guidance message is composed by reading data relating to a point on the guided route, ahead of the present position, in the data stored in the information storage unit. The imaging is of the area of the road ahead using a video camera and the position of the distinctive object recognized in the image relative to the guidance point is determined and the preset guidance message is corrected based on that determination.

Navigation system for vehicles

A navigation system including a present-position sensing system for sensing a present position; information storage medium for storing map information; an input device for entering into the system the destination, a roundabout point, a bypass, and the location desired to be traversed for entry of input indicating the execution of a route search from the present position sensed by the present-position sensing system to the destination; an output device for outputting information route guidance; and a central processing unit including a route searching capability for searching for a route to the destination; a route storage capability for provisionally storing the identified route; and route guidance control for sending a signal for performing route guidance to the output device. When the roundabout point or bypass is entered in the system, a search cost for roads and intersections near to the roundabout point or bypass is raised so that route search processing can be performed. When the location desired to be traversed is set, roads near to the location desired to be traversed are retrieved for search purposes. In travel guidance, a present-position mark is displayed in either a continuous mode or a blinking mode depending on the state of travel.

A navigation system includes input means (1a) for entering a telephone number; an information storage device (3) for storing telephone-number data (3a), in which a location name inclusive of a set of coordinate is stored for each telephone number, address data (3b) in which an address is stored for each set of coordinates, and map data (3c); a central processor (4) having telephone-number retrieval means (4a) for retrieving, from the information storage device, location coordinates and location name of a telephone number entered by the input means, and address-data retrieval means (4b) for retrieving address data corresponding to the location coordinates of the telephone number entered by the input means; and display means (1b) for displaying a location name and address, which have been retrieved by the central processor, as well as a map centered on the location. Designation and entry of a location are performed by displaying the location name and address retrieved by entry of a telephone number, as well as the map centered on said location, on the display means. Since the amount of data is broken up into the telephone-number data and address data, the amount of telephone-number data can be reduced.

In order to provide a driver with guidance for a direction of travel without confusing the driver even in a case where the angular difference between an approach road and a departing road at a branch point is very small or even when a branch point has a complicated shape, a navigation system is provided with present-position sensor for calculating present position of the vehicle; an input for entering information necessary for calculating a route; an output for giving notification of information for carrying out route guidance; an information storage device in which all data necessary to carry out route guidance has been stored; route calculator for calculating a route based upon the information entered by the input; route storage for temporarily storing the route calculated by the route calculator; and a guidance control unit for outputting guidance information relating to the route to the output. The information storage device stores branch-point data and road data connected to branch points and has direction data indicative of a departing road with respect to an approach road connected thereto by a branch point. The guidance control unit outputs the guidance information to the output based upon the direction data.

Vehicular navigation system providing direction data

A reaction area in a display can be enlarged from one directly above a switch display in the operator's eyesight direction. Specifically, the operator's position is determined from the driver's position or the like, and when the display is looked at to the right and upward, for instance, the reaction area is enlarged to the right and downward of a switch on the front side in the eyesight direction. Thus, operability can be improved in both cases when the display is looked at obliquely and diretly from the front.

Touch display type information input system

A route guidance section compares the current position provided by a current position determination section and the route provided by a route calculation section for detecting an off-route condition. When the off-route condition is detected, a re-searching key as well as the route and current place is displayed on a display section. When the re-searching key is touched, a search is again made for a new route from the current position to the destination. Then, route guidance is again started in response to the re-searching result. When the re-searching key is not touched, the route and current place continue to be displayed while the vehicle carrying the apparatus travles off route, thereby efficiently preventing the apparatus from executing unnecessary re-searching when the driver drives the vehicle off route on purpose.

Vehicle route guidance apparatus for researching for a route when

To improve the efficiency of a menu selecting operation, not only a menu of a predetermined hierarchy, but also at least one menu of a lower hierarchy corresponding to the predetermined hierarchy are displayed. If the lower hierarchy (first genre) menu is selected, the nationwide and individual state or region menus of the first genre are instantly displayed. If, on the other hand, the menu of predetermined hierarchy is selected from the main menu, individual genre menus of the same hierarchy as that of the lower hierarchy menu are displayed to enable selection of a different genre menu. The nationwide and state or regions menus of the selected genre are then displayed (at S8). As a result, the operation efficiency for selecting the first genre can be improved. Provision is also made for destination selection by input of a telephone number. A match of the input telephone number with prestored data calls up display of a map of the vicinity of the address corresponding to the input telephone number, which map display can be utilized to set a destination. On the other hand failure to match the input telephone number with prestored data results in a display of landmarks located within the larger area assigned to the local exchange portion of the input telephone number. One of the display listed landmarks may then be selected to call up a map of the vicinity of the selected landmark.

Vehicle navigation system with destination selection using hierarchical

A navigation system includes a first information storage device containing stored map data and a display unit for displaying a map by reading the map data. Provision is made for setting a point on the map displayed by the display unit and for inputting a telephone number. A second information storage device is provided for registering the input telephone number in correlation with the positional coordinates of the set point.

Growing community of inventors

Nishio, Japan

Kyomi Morimoto