Shunichi Imanishi

US Patent:

7577950, Aug 18, 2009

Filed:

Mar 31, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/095158

Inventors:

Shunichi Imanishi - Torrance CA, US

Assignee:

Alpine Electronics, Inc. - Tokyo

International Classification:

G06F 9/445

US Classification:

717169, 717175

Abstract:

A navigation system allows to copy the data in the optical disk for updating a database of the navigation system with use of an optical disk while prohibiting the illegal copying of the optical disk. The navigation system uses an optical disk specially made so that it becomes unreadable after a predetermined time. The navigation system inhibits copying of the data on the optical disk by prohibiting a user from unloading the optical disk from the CD/DVD driver when the data on the optical disk is still readable. To measure a predetermined time length for the optical disk becomes unreadable, the navigation system starts a timer when the optical disk is installed in the navigation system.

US Patent:

7664597, Feb 16, 2010

Filed:

Mar 31, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/095169

Inventors:

Shunichi Imanishi - Torrance CA, US

Assignee:

Alpine Electronics, Inc. - Tokyo

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

701209, 707 3, 340988, 382198

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for use with a navigation system allows a user to easily and quickly input an address of a destination with use of a specially made database even when spelling of the address is not certain to the user. The navigation system is designed to help the user in entering a desired street name accurately and efficiently by checking candidate cities when a first character of street name is specified. Since the user accurately knows at least the first character of the intended street name, the candidate street names will be narrowed down by selecting the city. The user may further input second character and further characters upon which the navigation system incrementally retrieves candidate street names with use of the comprehensive alphabetical usage file.

US Patent:

20040204839, Oct 14, 2004

Filed:

Sep 20, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/251943

Inventors:

Shunichi Imanishi - Farmington Hills MI, US

International Classification:

G01C021/34

US Classification:

701/209000, 340/990000, 340/995240, 340/995220

Abstract:

A navigation method and system for accurately determining an optimum route to a destination where such a destination is within a large compound such as a shopping mall, an apartment complex, or the like without requiring a specially made database. The navigation method and system is designed to search for an entrance (target address) by detecting a link in map data, to the large compound within a predetermined distance from an original address. The navigation system evaluates possible routes and selects the best route to the target address. When the road in front of the large compound is constituted by two one-way roads, the navigation method and system searches for a link between the two one-way roads allowing a U-turn and selecting the best route to the target address including the U-turn.