Navigational apparatus for use in automotive vehicles

Claim 1

A navigational apparatus for use in vehicles including: distance detection means (2) for detecting a distance travelled by the vehicle; direction detection means (1) for detecting a direction of travel of the vehicle; calculation means responsive to signals from said distance detection means (2) and from said direction detection means (1) for calculating a present position of the vehicle; display means (6) for providing a display on a display surface thereof; present position display control means for causing said display means (6) to display the present position of the vehicle calculated by said calculation means on a road map; road map supply means for providing the said road map display on the display surface of said display means (6); said road map supply means including: memory means (3a) having map data indicative of a plurality of running regions stored therein; running region designation means (7, 39-42, 51-54, 313) for designating the running region of the vehicle; and read means (3) for reading the map data of the running region designated by said designation means (7, 39-42, 51-54, 313) from said memory means (3a); characterised by:- (a) said display means being a single electronic display; (b) road map display control means (311) for causing said display means (6) to electronically display the road map of a specific running region in accordance with the map data read by said read means (3); (c) correction means (310) arranged for correcting the present position of the vehicle displayed by said display means (6) in accordance with the positional relation between the previously displayed running region and the running region which is to be displayed when the road map of a new running region is displayed through said road map display control means (311); (d) mode designation means (7, 34) for designating a map mode of operation or a running region designation mode of operation; (e) running region display control means (305) for causing said display means (6) to electronically display running region designation information in place of the road map when said mode designation means (7, 34) generates a command to operate in the running region designation mode, said display of running region designation information being performed together with the display of other information (02-4-68) such as labelling information (DISTRICT, DIVISION, SECTION); (f) said running region designation means (7, 39-42, 51-54, 313) being arranged to designate the specific running region on the basis of said displayed running region designation information; (g) said read means (3) being arranged to read from said memory means (3a) the map data of that specific running region which corresponds to the running region designation information designated by said running region designation means (7, 39-42, 51-54, 313) when said mode designation means (7, 34) generates a command to operate in the map mode; and (h) said road map display control means (311) being arranged to electronically display the road map in place of the running region designation information when said mode designation means (7, 34) generates the command to operate in the map mode.