Pioneer vs. Garmin

Pioneer除於德國當地時間2009.10.9.向德國Dusseldorf地方法院控告Garmin及其相關公司侵害Pioneer所擁有之車用導航系統EP0775892號、EP0508681號專利，除要求Garmin停止侵權動作之外，也對Garmin提起損害賠償訴求。又於美國時間2009.11.13.向美國國際貿易委員會(ITC)提起告訴，控告Garmin及其相關公司侵害Pioneer所擁有之車用導航系統US5,365,448號、US5,424,951號、US6,122,592號等專利，並要求Garmin停止該侵權行為。

US5,365,448
Title:On-vehicle navigation apparatus with automatic re-initialization function
Filing Date:1992.3.27.
Issue Date:1994.11.15
Abstract:
An on-vehicle navigation apparatus in which destination coordinate data stored in a memory is erased when the distance from the present location to a destination is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value at the time the engine of a vehicle is started. The destination coordinate data will not therefore be erased while the vehicle is actually running toward the destination. The arrangement prevents display of navigation information such as the direction and distance from being stopped before the vehicle arrives at the destination.

US5,424,951
Title:On-board navigation apparatus having user registering function
Filing Date:1992.3.27.
Issue Date:1995.7.13.
Abstract:
An on-board navigation apparatus in which one of a plurality of service facilities displayed on a display is designated by an operator input, the position coordinate data corresponding to the designated one service facility is registered as a user position into a memory. When the map is displayed on the display, the position coordinate data which has been user position registered is read out from the memory. The position on the map indicated by the position coordinate data is multiplexed onto the map by a predetermined pattern and displayed on the display. The positions of the service facilities such as restaurants, hotels, or the like, which are necessary for each user, consequently, can be easily confirmed on the displayed map.

US6,122,592
Title:Navigation apparatus with enhanced positional display function
Filing Date:1999.4.22.
Issue Date:2000.9.19.
Abstract:
A navigation system includes a device for extracting map data and location name data of different locations and their corresponding coordinate data; a position detector which detects the vechile position; a map display controller which displays map data on a display, and a calculating device for determining a straight-line distance from the vehicle position to the different locations thereby producing distance values. A location name display device displays location names on the display in ascending order based on the distance values, and a user selects a desired location from among the location names displayed. The extracting device may segregate the different locations based on different categories, and the map display controller retrieves map data around a location represented by coordinate data corresponding to the desired location selected by the user.

Smart的看法
Pioneer在人心目中一向是做3C產品，竟然也有導航的專利，倒是讓人出乎意料的發展，其後續發展也值得持續關切。