Pioneer Corporation

Tomo Watanabe

Tamami Oda

Keiichi Yamauchi

Koichi Nagaki

Michihiro Kaneko

Yukitaka Saito

Kazunori Matsuo

Kenichiro Yano

A navigation apparatus having a hard disk (called HD below) recording and reproduction unit and comprising: a password memory unit that stores a unique first password for each individual navigation apparatus, and that is used when recording data on or reproducing data from a first HD; the HD recording and reproduction unit that performs recording or reproduction by the first password; and a system control unit, which determines whether or not it is possible to use a second password for recording data on or reproducing data from a second HD that is used for updating the data on the first HD, and when it determines that it is possible to do, it updates the data on the first HD with one on the second HD, then it changes the second password to the first password.

Data processing apparatus, a data processing method, a data recording medium on which data processing program that is readable by a computer are recorded, and a recording medium

In a disk drive apparatus for forcibly restoring a head to a retract position when a power voltage is greatly lowered, the head is moved in a direction toward the retract position when detecting a small decrease in the power voltage.

Disk drive

A road status data providing system includes a server for transmitting/receiving data via a communication line and a plurality of vehicle terminals. The server includes a transmitting/receiving unit for transmitting/receiving data to and from the plurality of vehicle terminals, a vehicle trend management database for managing vehicle trends of the plurality of vehicle terminals, and a totaling unit for totaling status data indicative of a status of vehicles at a prescribed point on the basis of the vehicle trend management database. Each of the vehicle terminals includes a transmitting/receiving unit for transmitting/receiving data to and from the server, a present position determining unit for determining the present position of the vehicle, and a creating unit for creating status data requesting information for acquiring the status data at the prescribed point.

Road status data providing system

A navigation information updating system G updates navigation information for use in a navigation process executed by navigation apparatus S that navigate respective vehicles. The navigation information updating system G comprises: the navigation apparatus transmitting an identifier Sid associated therewith to an updating center UC; the updating center UC that outputs updated navigation information which is generated on the basis of the transmitted identifier Sid for each associated navigation apparatus S, to a shop SP; and the shop SP that delivers the outputted updated navigation information to the associated navigation apparatus S.

System for updating navigation information and apparatus for distributing updated navigation information

A disk drive device in which emergency unloading at the start of the engine is prevented, a head may have a prolonged life and improved reliability as an HDD is achieved. A disk drive device is driven or the movement of a magnetic head is allowed after an engine start in a vehicle is detected by an engine start detecting part, so that emergency unloading can be prevented at the start of the engine. In order to detect the engine start, voltage values on four power supply lines for a vehicle power supply device are monitored or the outputs of various sensors such as a tachometer, a vibration detection sensor, an engine sound detection sensor, a vehicle speed pulse, a gyro sensor and a parking brake are monitored. In another embodiment, the number of emergency unloading occurrence at the start of the engine is reduced, which allows the head to have a prolonged life, so that the disk drive device has improved reliability as an HDD. The voltage values on two power supply lines, first and second power supply lines for a vehicle power supply device are monitored. The magnetic head is allowed to move when the voltage values on the first and second power supply lines attain a prescribed value after a prescribed time period after the voltage value on the first power supply line attains prescribed value.

Disk drive device

The navigation system includes an information server apparatus, a terminal apparatus for conducting navigation processing while conducting communication with the information server apparatus, and a vehicle navigation apparatus mounted on a vehicle to conduct navigation processing independently of the information server apparatus. During execution of the navigation processing in the terminal apparatus, detection is effected to determine whether the vehicle navigation apparatus is started. Upon detecting that the vehicle navigation apparatus has been started, information for the navigation processing conducted until then is transferred to the vehicle navigation apparatus. The vehicle navigation apparatus conducts navigation processing by using the transferred information.

Navigation apparatus and information server

To provide a navigation system capable of easily switching between a portable terminal unit and a communication navigation terminal unit with an identical telephone number and also having considered a communication environment. A communication navigation system is comprised of an information server unit for controlling communication, a portable terminal unit and a vehicle terminal unit for performing navigation with the information server unit, and performs the communication by using a public switched telephone network circuit, and when switching each terminal unit to a communication capable state, it controls a position registration of each terminal unit by performing the communication among the information server unit, portable terminal unit and vehicle terminal unit so as to switch the communication capable state.

Communication navigation system, information server unit and communication terminal unit for the same, and method and program for communication navigation

In a vehicle-installed AV device, the power is supplied to various sections of the vehicle-installed AV device via a key switch from a battery of a vehicle. The vehicle-installed AV device is provided with: a predicting/detecting section for detecting a running state of the vehicle to predict an engine stop; a flash memory and a main memory for storing operation data of the vehicle-installed AV device; and a CPU for controlling the flash memory and the main memory. When the predicting/detecting section predicts the engine stop, the operation data stored in the main memory is written into the flash memory.

Electronic apparatus and data recording method in electronic apparatus

To provide a communication navigation system capable of operating a plurality of communication navigation terminal apparatuses in synchronization and switching among them while maintaining settings related to navigation. A navigation system is comprised of an information server apparatus, a portable terminal apparatus and a vehicle terminal apparatus for performing a navigation process, and when switching a movable body for performing the navigation, it switches a sending destination of navigation data such as map information, that is, a terminal apparatus while maintaining settings such as the destination information before connecting so as to continuously conduct the navigation such as route searching and route guidance.

Navigation system, and information server apparatus and communication terminal apparatus for the same, and method and program for changing a movable body in the same

A disc drive arrangement adapted to move a head to a retract position upon shutting down of a power source voltage, wherein the number of retraction actions of the head is counted and notified. With this notification, a user can assume performance deterioration of the disc drive arrangement.

Disc drive apparatus

A navigation equipment for performing the navigation processing by the use of the information from a plurality of hard disk recording and reproducing units which is provided with: a hard disk recording and reproducing unit including a hard disk, in which the map information or the like to be used for the navigation processing and be planned to be updated and additional information corresponding to the navigation processing by the use of this map information or the like are recorded; and a system controlling unit, which detects whether a second hard disk recording and reproducing unit is connected or not and releases an area, in which the map information or the like in the hard disk recording and reproducing unit is recorded, if the connection of the present second hard disk recording and reproducing unit is detected.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method and information recording medium in which program for information processing is recorded capable of being read

An automatic guidance system is comprised of a navigation apparatus mounted on a vehicle and a control server apparatus fixedly installed in an automatic travel control center which controls traveling in an automatic traveling section. The control server apparatus and the navigation apparatus establish a communication line through a mobile communication network. The navigation apparatus makes a search for a route to a destination. If at least part of the automatic traveling section is used in a route set by the search, the automatic traveling section is registered in the control server apparatus through the communication line.

AUTOMATIC VEHICLE GUIDANCE SYSTEM, CONTROL APPARATUS IN AUTOMATIC VEHICLE GUIDANCE SYSTEM, AUTOMATIC VEHICLE GUIDANCE METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE DATA RECORDED MEDIUM IN WHICH AUTOMATIC VEHICLE GUIDANCE SYSTEM PROGRAM IS RECORDED

Growing community of inventors

Tsurugashima, Japan

Tomo Watanabe