Patent ID: 8531438

Claim:
An information providing apparatus comprising: image display means for mounting on a mobile object, presenting an image display comprising mark and character information, said mark and character information comprising a first subset of greater importance in assisting travel of the mobile object and a second subset of lesser importance in assisting travel of the mobile object, the first subset comprising at least one of an indication of a location of the mobile object and an indication of a travel route of the mobile object; vibration detecting means for detecting vibration produced on said image display means, determining whether the detected vibration is not smaller than a static, predetermined level defined prior to said vibration being detected, and sending a detection output signal when said vibration is determined to be not smaller than said predetermined level, said predetermined level being greater than an absence of vibration; and operation control means for: modifying a display mode of said first subset of information presented in the image display by said image display means from a first display mode to a second display mode, and not changing a display mode of said second subset of information, so as to increase a contrast between the first subset of information and the second subset of information on the image display, if receipt of said detection output signal over a predetermined duration of positive length indicates that the vibration of not smaller than said predetermined level produced on said image display means sustains over the predetermined duration; and modifying the display mode of said first subset of information presented in the image display by said image display means from the second display mode to the first display mode when an absence of output of said detection output signal is detected over a predetermined duration of positive length.