Navigational apparatus for use in automotive vehicles

Claim 2

A navigational apparatus for use in automotive vehicles comprising: memory means (4) for storing map data for displaying a road map of a driving section of a vehicle and position coordinates of at least one specific point; display means (6) for displaying said road map and a cursor indicative of a present position of said vehicle; position setting switch means (8) for moving said cursor to said specific point; and control means (5) for reading said map data from said memory means to cause said display means to display said road map, obtaining present position data with respect to travelling of said vehicle and thereby causing said display means to display said present position indicative _cursor in accordance with said present position data in addition to the display of said road map, and responding to a setting operation of said position setting switch means to move said cursor to a position on said displaymeans determined by the position coordinates of the specific point read from said memory means.

Claim 3

A navigational apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said display means comprises a CRT having a display surface comprising a plurality of picture elements, and wherein said cursor comprises a plurality of picture elements and is adapted to flash at a predetermined period.

Claim 4

A navigational apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said position setting switch means comprises a reset type touch switch positioned near to said display means.

Claim 5

A navigator according to claim 1, wherein said position setting switch means comprises a push-lock type registry switch for generating a registry command when the same is held closed, a reset type switch for generating a timing of a registry or read setting, and a reset type erase switch for erasing a travel track.

Claim 6

A navigator according to claims 3 or 4, further comprising another position setting switch means comprising a touch panel divided into a given number of touch areas, and wherein said touch panel is attached to a display surface of said display means.

Claim 7

A navigator according to claim 5, wherein said control means comprises: first means whereby when said touch switch is turned on newly in a map mode, a first control signal is generated to move said cursor to nearmost one of specific points; second means whereby when a cursor move command is generated from said touch panel in said map mode with no mode change command, a second control signal is generated to move said cursor in any one of vertical and lateral directions; third means whereby when a mode change command is generated in said map mode, a third control signal is generated to change said map mode to a character mode and cause said display means to display a character image; fourth means for generating a fourth control signal to make a change of map acceptable with respect to given character images in said character mode with no mode change command; and fifth means whereby when a mode change command is generated in said character mode, a fifth control signal is generated to change said character mode to said map mode and cause said display means to display a map graphic image and also adjust and display a travel track and a present position.

Claim 8

A navigator according to claim 5, wherein said control means comprises: first means whereby when said set switch is turned on in a map mode with a registry command, a first control signal is generated to register a map number being displayed and point coordinates of said cursor in said memory means; second means whereby when said set switch is turned on in a read state, a second control signal is generated to display the map registered in said memory means and move said cursor to a position of the specific point registered; third means whereby when a cursor move command is generated in said map mode with no mode change command, a third control signal is generated to move said cursor; fourth means whereby when a mode change command is generated in said map mode, a fourth control signal is generated to change said map mode to a character mode and cause said display means to display a character image; fifth means for generating a fifth control signal to make acceptable a change of map with respect to given character images in said character mode with no mode change command; and sixth means whereby when a mode change command is generated in said character mode, a sixth control signal is generated to change said character mode to said map mode and cause said display means to display a map graphic image and also adjust and display a travel track and a present position.