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This paper describes a display unit for automotive navigation systems. The distinguishing feature of this display unit is the fact that it employs a 5.6 inch TFT-LCD (Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display) for on-vehicle use. Compared with a 6-inch CRT, the unit has an expanded effective display area (screen) for improved readability, as well as greater compactness (for savingspace), lighter weight, and lower power consumption. In terms of reliability, the display unit outperforms conventional LCDs due to its wider working temperature range and outstanding resistance to thermal shock. In terms of operation, the system employs a combination of infrared touch switches, hard-key switches and a joy stick to ensure safety and ease of operation. The 1994 Model MAZDA “SENTIA” is equipped with this newly developed display unit for an automobile navigation system.

The recently developed navigation systems discussed in this paper include location detection using map-matching, map display, and improved man-machine interface functions, and are contained in a stand-alone system installed in passenger cars. The newest system uses a fiber optic gyroscope as a rotation rate sensor, and improved map-matching method to get high accuracy. As to driving guide information, the system can display road information from road side radio beacons, and can play CD-ROM discs based on CDCRAFT which is proposed in Japan as a common standard of CD format and application program for navigation systems.

This paper describes a navigation System for private automobiles. This system shows the accurate position of the vehicle on a CRT map display and also displays useful Information such as the locations of hotels, golf clubs, etc. A sophisticated map matching method is employed to find the vehicle's position. In this method, a set of correlation coefficients between the locus and the mapped roads is used to determine the vehicle's location statistically. A unique automatic calibration function is also added to the magnetic field sensor to compensate for malfunctioning and detection errors caused by distortion due to the earth's magnetism and to magnetization of the vehicle at points of high field density such as railroad crossings. In this system, we can see the current position of the vehicle indicated by a pointer on the smooth scrolling map display.