Abstract: A road management system includes: an avoiding action detecting section that detects an avoiding action of a moving body (a vehicle, a first vehicle) moving along a road; a position detecting section that detects a position of the moving body (the vehicle, the first vehicle); an avoidance position determining section that determines an avoidance position where the avoiding action has occurred, based on a detection result of the avoiding action detecting section and a detection result of the position detecting section; and an imaging section that images a road surface of the avoidance position.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to control an information terminal, equipped with a touch panel and installed in a vehicle, in a manner in which it can be operated without affecting driving. A drive mode application causes an information terminal, controlling the running of an application through first control on the basis of a user operation received via a touch panel, to function as: a connection detection unit, which detects a connection to a vehicle; a function limiting unit, which controls the running of the application through second control, different from the first control, on the condition that the connection to the vehicle is detected; and a display switching unit, which, on the basis of a sliding operation in a first direction received via the touch panel while a first application is being displayed, displays the first application and a second application.

Abstract: A three-dimensional-object can be effectively detected. A pair of image capture devices capture a three-dimensional-object and calculate disparity component data of subdivided-image regions, respectively. On a basis of the disparity component data, gray scale values indicative of distances from the image capture device are calculated and a gray scale image in which each region has its corresponding gray scale value is generated. A model of the three-dimensional-object is defined and correlation values is calculated to show the degree of a similarity between the model and the image subdivided regions in the gray scale image. The model is a two-dimensional image with a shaping characteristic when the three-dimensional object is viewed from positions of the image capture devices while each subdivided region of the two-dimensional image has a gray scale value indicative of a distance from the image capture device at a portion corresponding to the three-dimensional object.

Abstract: A three-dimensional-object can be effectively detected. A pair of image capture devices capture a three-dimensional-object and calculate disparity component data of subdivided-image regions, respectively. On a basis of the disparity component data, gray scale values indicative of distances from the image capture device are calculated and a gray scale image in which each region has its corresponding gray scale value is generated. A model of the three-dimensional-object is defined and correlation values is calculated to show the degree of a similarity between the model and the image subdivided regions in the gray scale image. The model is a two-dimensional image with a shaping characteristic when the three-dimensional object is viewed from positions of the image capture devices while each subdivided region of the two-dimensional image has a gray scale value indicative of a distance from the image capture device at a portion corresponding to the three-dimensional object.

Abstract: A vehicle 2 performs fault diagnosis of the vehicle and calculation of the service life of parts using information obtained from sensors and control units, and when the necessity for repair work of the vehicle arises, makes a repair request to an information center 1. The information center 1 having received the repair request notifies terminals of outlets 4 of the repair request, to request the outlets 4 to transmit a service condition of their shop. The outlets 4 transmit the service conditions of the shop to the information center 1, in response to the repair request. The information center 1 relays the received service condition of each outlet 4 to the user, so that the user can select a desired service condition. The information center 1 then transmits contract completion information to the outlet 4 having proposed the service condition selected by the user, to mediate an agreement between the user and the outlet 4.

Abstract: A vehicle 2 performs fault diagnosis of the vehicle and calculation of the service life of parts using information obtained from sensors and control units, and when the necessity for repair work of the vehicle arises, makes a repair request to an information center 1. The information center 1 having received the repair request notifies terminals of outlets 4 of the repair request, to request the outlets 4 to transmit a service condition of their shop. The outlets 4 transmit the service conditions of the shop to the information center 1, in response to the repair request. The information center 1 relays the received service condition of each outlet 4 to the user, so that the user can select a desired service condition. The information center 1 then transmits contract completion information to the outlet 4 having proposed the service condition selected by the user, to mediate an agreement between the user and the outlet 4.

Abstract: A vehicle control system for controlling its own vehicle to follow another vehicle in pursuit has a radar unit. The radar unit has function for detecting a relative distance from its own vehicle to a front vehicle in front of its own vehicle and a relative speed of the front vehicle with respect to its own vehicle, and outputting information representing the relative distance and the relative speed. A lane change detector detects a lane change which is made by its own vehicle and outputs a lane change signal indicative of the lane change. A processor estimates a future lane or path for its own vehicle from the lane change signal from the lane change detector, unlocks a preceding vehicle which its own vehicle has followed, and determines a new preceding vehicle which its own vehicle is to lock on based on the estimated future lane or path and the information outputted by the radar unit.

Abstract: A vehicle control system for controlling its own vehicle to follow another vehicle in pursuit has a radar unit. The radar unit has function for detecting a relative distance from its own vehicle to a front vehicle in front of its own vehicle and a relative speed of the front vehicle with respect to its own vehicle, and outputting information representing the relative distance and the relative speed. A lane change detector detects a lane change which is made by its own vehicle and outputs a lane change signal indicative of the lane change. A processor estimates a future lane or path for its own vehicle from the lane change signal from the lane change detector, unlocks a preceding vehicle which its own vehicle has followed, and determines a new preceding vehicle which its own vehicle is to lock on based on the estimated future lane or path and the information outputted by the radar unit.

Abstract: A radar device for detecting distances and relative speeds of obstructions such as preceding vehicles has a stationary object identifier for identifying stationary objects such as roadside guard rails and the like and a stationary object eliminator for eliminating data identified as pertaining to such stationary objects. The stationary object identifier detects peak densities in a beat spectrum detected as a difference between transmitted and received frequencies of a radar beam modulated to rise and fall in frequency periodically and identifies peak groups having peak densities above a predetermined value as stationary objects. Therefore, it is possible to detect a stationary roadside object on the basis of peak densities. The stationary object eliminator eliminates data of peak groups identified as stationary objects by the stationary object identifier and thereby removes them as objects of combination processing for pairing rise side beat frequencies with fall side beat frequencies.

Abstract: A network system includes a plurality of vehicle-mounted, microcomputer-based electronic devices each having & distributed operating system for performing data communication and distributed processes among the electronic devices. By virtue of the distributed operating system, information resources and hardware resources can be used in common by two or more of the vehicle-mounted electronic devices. Thus the network system has a higher level of network transparency. Because the electronic devices can operate independently and they are interconnected by a common interface called network, a revision to the program of one of the electronic devices or entry of a new electronic device to the network system does not induce tedious and time-consuming version-up of the program of any other electronic device.

Abstract: A target motor vehicle is established for a platoon of motor vehicles running on a road, and motion information of the target motor vehicle is transmitted to the motor vehicles which follow the target motor vehicle through intervehicular communications. Each of the following motor vehicles controls itself to run in platoon based on the transmitted motion information.

Abstract: An FM signal generator generates a frequency-swept FM signal, which is radiated as a beam from a transmission and reception antenna. The transmission and reception antenna is angularly moved by an antenna actuator to scan the beam. An echo signal reflected from a target and a signal related to the frequency-swept FM signal are mixed into a beat signal, whose frequency spectrum is analyzed by a frequency analyzer. A target detector determines the distance up to the target based on the frequency spectrum of the beat signal. A BPF processor comprises a bandpass filter which extracts a frequency component corresponding to the distance up to the target from the beat signal. A bearing calculator compares the level of a signal that has passed through the BPF processor with a threshold level to determine a bearing and a width of the target.

Abstract: An object detecting system detects an object using an FM-CW wave, so that even if either one of rising-side and falling-side peak frequencies is missing, a plurality of objects can be accurately recognized by accurately combining pluralities of rising-side and falling-side peak frequencies. When it is determined that either one of rising-side and falling-side peak frequencies is missing, the combination of the peak frequencies is determined by calculating the missing peak frequency based on a peak frequency which is not missing.

Abstract: A multibeam FM radar system has an FM radar module for transmitting beams of FM signals whose frequencies linearly vary in rising and falling periods, in respective different directions with adjacent ones of the beams overlapping each other, receiving echo signals from a given beam, and mixing the FM signals and the echo signals into beat signals corresponding to said given beam. The multibeam FM radar system also has a main radar circuit including a central processing unit for identifying pairs of beat frequencies in the beat signals corresponding to said given beam, and processing the pairs of the frequencies to calculate distances up to and/or relative speeds with respect to objects within said given beam which have produced the echo signals, while comparing the frequencies within said identified pairs of beat frequencies to beat frequencies within a beam adjacent to said given beam to produce a detected result corresponding to an object producing echo signals within said given beam.

Abstract: A multibeam radar system. A matrix or inverse matrix indicating the characteristics of beams of ultrasonic waves or radio waves are previously created for each individual scanning direction (channel) and stored in a memory. Physical quantities corresponding to the intensities of echo signals and to the distance to an object are detected, and temporarily stored in another memory together with the corresponding scanning directions. Those of the temporarily stored data items which represent physical quantities corresponding to the same distance are arranged in rows or columns corresponding to the scanning directions. Inverse calculation processing, or deconvolution processing, is performed according to the matrix or inverse matrix indicating the beam characteristics. In this way, the reception level is corrected.

Abstract: Disclosed is a travel path displaying apparatus for indicating the current position of an automobile running on a selected road in a road map appearing on an associated screen. A cumulation of errors in estimating sequential current positions will cause an incorrect indication of the automobile's position on the screen and the automobile will depart from all the roads appearing on the screen. In order to find the correct road on which the automobile is traveling it is necessary to carry out pattern matching between the travel trace and each of a number of selected roads, thereby determining which road is closest to the travel trace in shape. The apparatus permits selection of the least possible number of roads for pattern matching, thus permitting quick determination as to the road on which the automobile is traveling and as to the direction in which it is traveling.

Abstract: An apparatus for displaying a travel path of a running body, such as a vehicle in which a constantly changing location of the running body is successively computed and the current location of said running body is displayed successively, in accordance with the data thus computed, on a display screen having a map previously displayed thereon, which comprises means for dividing patterns of roads on said map and the path of travel of the running body into line segments to effect pattern recognition according to the polygonal approximation and means for producing a display of the travel path in accordance with the line segments of the road to which the matching of the pattern recognition has been attained.

Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus for displaying a current location of a running body in which a constantly changing location of the running body on a two-dimensional coordinates is successively computed, while detecting a running distance of the running body and a running direction of the same, and the current location of said running body is displayed renewally, in accordance with the data thus computed, on a display screen having a map previously displayed thereon.

Abstract: Disclosed is a travel path displaying apparatus for indicating the current position of an automobile running on a selected road in a road map appearing on an associated screen. A cumulation of errors in estimating sequential current positions will cause an incorrect indication of the automobile's position on the screen and the automobile will depart from all the roads appearing on the screen. In order to find the correct road on which the automobile is traveling it is necessary to carry out pattern matching between the travel trace and each of a number of selected roads, thereby determining which road is closest to the travel trace in shape. The apparatus permits selection of the least possible number of roads for pattern matching, thus permitting quick determination as to the road on which the automobile is traveling and as to the direction in which it is traveling.

Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus for displaying a travel path of a running body in which a constantly changing location of the running body on a two-dimensional coordinates is successively computed and the current location of said running body is displayed successively, in accordance with the data thus computed, on a display screen having a map previously displayed thereon. According to this apparatus, longitude and latitude values of a reference point in a mesh consisting of lines of longitude and latitude in each map of divided areas are registered as known factors and the current location of the running body on the two-dimensional coordinates thus computed is converted to a location on longitude-latitude coordinates, whereby the current location on the map is calculated from the known longitude and latitude values of the reference point displayed on the display screen.