Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Yahoo Japan Corporation

Shinichiro Yasui

Tsuneo Takahashi

Katsutoshi Tagami

Akira Ichikawa

Masao Sugimura

Akira Iihoshi

Yukinobu Nakamura

Fumitaka Takahashi

Teruo Mimori

Toshio Sasaki

Tadashi Mukai

Kenji Takahashi

Itaru Hatano

Mikio Kanda

Shigeru Hirosawa

Yuichi Nakamura

Kazuo Yamashita

Katsusuke Komuro

Nobuhiko Suzuki

Thuneo Takahashi

Masashi Kusano

Yasuzi Kitasei

Akira Hidaka

A detailed information providing server includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire search log information in which a search query is associated with link destination information of a search result obtained by a search using the search query; and a storage unit configured to determine whether or not a keyword corresponding to the search query is included in a news article available on the Internet, and store detailed information in association with the news article into an associated information DB when determining that the keyword is included, the detailed information being acquired by making access according to the link destination information associated with the search query.

Information providing system, information providing server and information providing method for automatically providing search result information

There is disclosed an apparatus for displaying a travel path of a running body in which a constantly changing location of the running body on a two-dimensional coordinates is successively computed and the current location of said running body is displayed successively, in accordance with the data thus computed, on a display screen having a map previously displayed thereon. According to this apparatus, longitude and latitude values of a reference point in a mesh consisting of lines of longitude and latitude in each map of divided areas are registered as known factors and the current location of the running body on the two-dimensional coordinates thus computed is converted to a location on longitude-latitude coordinates, whereby the current location on the map is calculated from the known longitude and latitude values of the reference point displayed on the display screen.

Apparatus for displaying travel path

An apparatus for displaying a travel path of a running body which apparatus includes sensors and a central processing unit (a) for calculating a distance of approach of the running body relative to a target to produce data concerning the approach, (b) for comparing the old and new data and thus successively, renewing the data concerning the approach, thereby obtaining a closest distance of the running body relative to the target, and (c) for deciding that the running body has passed the target when said closest distance is within a predetermined range.

An apparatus for displaying a travel path of a running body in which a direction detector includes a geomagnetism sensor as well as a rate-type sensor, such as a gyroscope or gas rate sensor (which includes a flow sensor for detecting a degree of displacement of a gas flow produced by an angular velocity applied thereto) for detecting an angular volocity of change of yawing direction of the moving body, in which a difference in angle between directions detected by the rate-type sensor and the geomagnetism sensor is found and temporarily stored when a power source is temporarily turned OFF during operation of the running path displaying apparatus, and then a declination of the direction detected by the geomagnetism sensor is corrected, depending upon the stored difference in angle, when the power source is turned ON again.

A fixed range indicating system is provided for the vehicle travel path indicating apparatus. The vehicle travel path indicating apparatus includes a locational data source having a pulse generator and producing vehicle locational data, memories for successively storing the vehicle locational data, a data reader for reading the travel path data from the memories, and a display unit for displaying a travel path of the vehicle on a display screen based on the travel path data read out by the data reader. The fixed range indicating system in such apparatus comprises a pulse counter for counting the pulses from the pulse generator, a data extractor for extracting a fraction of the locational data each time the travel distance is increased by a predetermined distance and for delivering the extracted data fraction as stored locational data to the memories to form stored travel path data, and a data restoring circuit for preparing restored travel path data based on the stored travel path data read out by the data reader from the memories and the locational data issued from the locational data source, the display means displaying the travel path of the vehicle on the display screen based on the restored travel path data.

Fixed range indicating system for use in a vehicle travel path

In a course guidance system for use in an automobile, for example, which includes an electronic display, a map, a direction sensor, a speed sensor and the like for deriving the present location of the car and plotting it on the display, the invention provides a course guidance system for a car which causes a linear and/or rotational movement of the driving locus displayed on the display when the map is changed or reset so that the present position can be easily located on the map.

Course guidance system

A travel route indicating apparatus for use in an automotive vehicle, wherein a current travel route of the automotive vehicle in terms of two-dimensional coordinates may be obtained arithmetically by means of signal processing on the basis of the outputs from a travel distance detecting unit adapted to detect a current travel distance of the vehicle, and from a bearing detecting unit adapted to detect a resultant azimuth taken by the vehicle after travelling to a current point of travel, so that the thus obtained locational data on the location of the vehicle varying from time to time may be stored in sequence, and so that the travel path of the vehicle may be continuously visually indicated, as the vehicle travels, on the screen of a display from the thus-obtained travel data leading to the resulting current location of the vehicle. The apparatus comprises, in operative combination, a power supply control circuit adapted to detect the opening status of an ignition key switch and then output a power conducting command for a predetermined period of time and a power supply circuit adapted to self-hold the power conducting status to the signal processing unit upon the receipt of the command when the ignition key switch is opened, while holding the thus-stored data in the signal processing unit for a predetermined period of time even after the ignition key switch is opened.

Apparatus for visually indicating the travel route of an automotive

An improved fixed range or distance indicating system for use in a visual travel route indicating apparatus of a vehicle. The fixed range indicating system minimizes memory capacity by discretely storing locational data obtained from discrete arithmetical calculation made at a suitable predetermined interval to present relatively short vector segments optimized in accordance with the given scale of indication on the display and at the same time provides a relatively high accuracy in approximating a current locational indication of the vehicle. A plurality of basic scales of indication varying with doubled denominators in accordance with a given variety of basic scales of indication are presented, the locational data are picked-up discretely at a rate corresponding to the plurality of basic scales of indication, and the thus picked-up locational data is stored into prescribed memory tables within a given limit of indication by way of an endless store mode. The current indicated path of travel on the display is erased at the interval of a fixed range travelled by the vehicle corresponding to the basic scales of indication, and refreshed points of indication are determined for a new location of the vehicle in accordance with a given scale of indication from the current points of indication for the current location at the time of erasing on the basis of the locational data read out from the memory table.

A course guidance system includes a direction sensor and a speed sensor both fitted to a moving body, a display mounted in the moving body and a map displayed in a manner corresponding to the display surface of the display and in which the present position of the moving body is derived by the direction sensor and the speed sensor and is plotted on the display in a manner corresponding to the map. The improvement comprises a locus memory for sequentially storing an X component value and a Y component value of the driving position based on a predetermined driving distance obtained from the speed sensor and on the driving position obtained from the direction sensor, a locus display memory for storing data in a manner corresponding to the display surface of the display, the data being obtained by reading the contents of the locus memory in a manner corresponding to the scale of reduction of the map, and a display for plotting the driving locus of the moving body on the display surface based on the contents of the locus display memory, wherein the data to be read when the contents of the locus memory is transferred to the locus display memory are divided into a plurality of groups each consisting of a data line to be read at a predetermined interval which are sequentially read and transferred, and the plotted line of the driving locus to be displayed is displayed sequentially and progressively from a rough display to a dense display.

Course guidance system with speeded-up display function

An apparatus for use in an automotive vehicle for visually indicating the travel route thereof. A current travel route of the vehicle is arithmetically obtained in terms of two-dimensional coordinates for a unit travel distance of the vehicle on the basis of outputs from a travel distance detecting unit and a gas rate sensor. The thus-obtained locational data on the current location of the vehicle, varying from time to time, is stored in sequence, and the current travel path of the vehicle is continuously visually indicated. A timer unit is provided for starting the supply of power to the gas rate sensor a sufficient amount of time prior to starting the vehicle to permit the sensor to reach a stable working temperature in advance.

A visual travel route indicating apparatus, for use in an automotive vehicle or the like, including a distance sensor for detecting a current distance of travel of the vehicle, a gas rate sensor for detecting a current azimuthal deviation generated by the vehicle during a turning motion, a thermostatic control chamber for enclosing the gas rate sensor hermetically from external temperature fluctuations, and a signal processing unit for arithmetically obtaining a current location plotted on two-dimensional coordinates per a given unit travel distance of the vehicle from the outputs of the two sensors and storing the thus-obtained location data in sequence so as to be read out subsequently for a continuous visual indication of a current locus of the vehicle on a display. The power supply to the thermostatic control chamber is optimally controlled in conjunction with the on/off state of the ignition switch of the vehicle. The visual indication of a current travel route of the vehicle is inhibited until the atmospheric temperature of the thermostatic chamber reaches a desired constant level, whereupon the offset adjustment of the gas rate sensor output is automatically normalized so as to present a precise visual indication of the vehicle's travel route on the display. Further, the occurrence of an abnormal temperature within the atmosphere of the thermostatic control chamber is detected so as to provide a warning to a driver of the vehicle.

Apparatus for visually indicating a current travel route of a vehicle

A visual travel route indicating apparatus for use in an automotive vehicle. The apparatus comprises a distance sensor for detecting a current distance of travel of the vehicle, a gas rate sensor for detecting a current azimuthal deviation generated during travel of the vehicle, a closed thermostatic chamber for hermetically enclosing the gas rate sensor such that it is isolated from external temperature fluctuations, and a signal processing unit for arithmetically obtaining a current location or point plotted on two-dimensional coordinates per a given unit travel distance from the outputs of the two sensors. A travel path store is provided for storing the thus-obtained data so as to be read out subsequently for a continuous visual indication of a current path of travel or locus of the vehicle on a display unit for visually indicating a continuous path of travel of the vehicle. A manual operating unit is provided for setting and modifying the visual indication pattern to be displayed on the display unit. The closed thermostatic chamber is positively heated to a desired constant temperature level by a suitable heater so that the gas rate sensor may be protected from a possible temperature fluctuation in the external environment.

A method of zero-level adjustment of a rate sensor wherein the zero-level adjustment in the detection of yawing rate is obtained by subtracting a quantity of drift of an output from the rate sensor during the period of time that the vehicle is stopped or standing still from a subsequent output therefrom in the normal travelling operation of the vehicle. The current state of the vehicle, i.e., whether it is travelling or standing still, is detected by a travel distance sensing device which generates electric pulse signals for a given unit distance travelled by the vehicle; and the sampled outputs from the rate sensor are averaged for the period from immediately after the detection of a standing still state of the vehicle to the moment just before a starting of travel thereof. The thus-obtained averaged value is determined as a current drifting value of the sensor and is subtracted from a current angle of deviation value obtained during normal travel of the vehicle. A substantial improvement in accuracy of zero-level adjustment is thereby attained.

Method of adjusting the zero-point of rate type sensor

A vehicle travel route indicating apparatus comprising detectors for detecting current travel distance and bearing of a vehicle, respectively; a signal processor for obtaining a current location of the vehicle on two-dimensional coordinates; a memory for storing continuous locational information; a display for indicating a path of travel and a sense mark; and a manual selector for optionally changing the manner of visual indication settings. With such simplified construction, the driver of the vehicle can incessantly determine the status of travel of the vehicle in terms of both distance and bearing aspects during the travel by following the first-hand information displayed at his seat with greater ease and reliability.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Shinichiro Yasui