Nippondenso Co., Ltd.

Tadashi Kamada

Tetsuo Fujii

Yasuaki Makino

Tiaki Mizuno

Yoshimi Yoshino

Takashi Ishizaki

Hirohito Shioya

Seiichiro Otake

An automobile navigating apparatus capable of setting a detour for a route to a desired destination. A memory device stores link information about links that constitute a map. Based on the link information, a route calculating section sets a route running from a start point to a desired destination by using evaluation values assigned to the links. The route thus set is shown on a display device in a highlighted manner. At the same time, directions to the desired destination along the route are instructed verbally. When a detour switch is operated, a detour for the route is calculated by a detour calculating section. In the detour calculation, the detour calculating section lowers the evaluation value for the link concerned along the previously set route to prevent the same from being set again.

Automobile navigation apparatus and method for setting detours in the

An apparatus for optically detecting the attachment state of extraneous matters to a translucent shield member. The optically detecting apparatus comprises a light-emitting unit having a plurality of light-emitting elements each emitting a light ray toward the translucent shield member, a photoelectric transducer unit having a plurality of transducer elements each receiving each of the light rays reflected on the translucent shield member, and a data processing unit coupled to the transducer unit. The transducer unit generates detection signals corresponding to the quantities of the received light rays and the data processing unit successively compares the level of each of the detection signals with a predetermined level to produce binary signals in accordance with the results of the comparison so that a binary signal pattern is defined at the respective transducer elements. The data processing unit determines the attachment state of the extraneous matters to the translucent shield member by comparing the defined binary signal pattern with a reference pattern.

Apparatus for optically detecting an extraneous matter on a translucent

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Chita-gun, Japan

Tadashi Kamada