Abstract: A vehicle travel amount estimation device includes a camera, a taken image storing unit, a compensated image storing unit, a travel amount calculation unit, a vehicle speed and gyro sensor, and a travel amount determination unit. The taken image storing unit and the compensated image storing unit store images taken by the camera. The travel amount calculation unit calculates the amount of travel based on two stored images. The sensors detect the amount of travel of the vehicle. The travel amount determination unit is configured to compare a first amount of travel calculated by the travel amount calculation unit with a second amount of travel detected by the vehicle speed sensor or the like in order to determine the first amount of travel to be the amount of travel of the vehicle when the difference between the first amount and the second amount is smaller than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A 3D-object detecting apparatus may include a detection-image creating device configured to detect a 3D object on an image-capture surface from an image captured by an image-capture device and to create a detection image in which a silhouette of only the 3D object is left; a density-map creating device configured to determine the 3D objects spatial densities at corresponding coordinate points in a coordinate plane on the basis of the detection image and mask images obtained for the corresponding coordinate points on the basis of virtual cuboids arranged for the corresponding coordinate points and to create a density map having pixels for the corresponding coordinate points such that the pixels have pixel values corresponding to the determined spatial densities; and a 3D-object position detecting device that detects the position of the 3D object as a representative point in a high-density region in the density map.

Abstract: A vehicle travel amount estimation device includes a camera, a taken image storing unit, a compensated image storing unit, a travel amount calculation unit, a vehicle speed and gyro sensor, and a travel amount determination unit. The taken image storing unit and the compensated image storing unit store images taken by the camera. The travel amount calculation unit calculates the amount of travel based on two stored images. The sensors detect the amount of travel of the vehicle. The travel amount determination unit is configured to compare a first amount of travel calculated by the travel amount calculation unit with a second amount of travel detected by the vehicle speed sensor or the like in order to determine the first amount of travel to be the amount of travel of the vehicle when the difference between the first amount and the second amount is smaller than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A process is repeated in which N state vectors each including, as elements, the position of a camera with respect to a vehicle, the posture of the camera, the width of a lane where the vehicle is driving, and the orientation of the vehicle with respect to the lane are changed according to a predetermined dynamics model, a reference state vector representing the positions of edges of lane marks included in an image captured by the camera is generated when each of the changed state vectors is true, considering the positions of edges of lane marks in the image as an observation vector, the degree of match between the reference state vector and the observation vector is calculated as the weight of the state vector, a weighted average vector of the state vectors is calculated, and N state vectors are resampled on the basis of the calculated weights.

Abstract: A 3D-object detecting apparatus may include a detection-image creating device configured to detect a 3D object on an image-capture surface from an image captured by an image-capture device and to create a detection image in which a silhouette of only the 3D object is left; a density-map creating device configured to determine the 3D objects spatial densities at corresponding coordinate points in a coordinate plane on the basis of the detection image and mask images obtained for the corresponding coordinate points on the basis of virtual cuboids arranged for the corresponding coordinate points and to create a density map having pixels for the corresponding coordinate points such that the pixels have pixel values corresponding to the determined spatial densities; and a 3D-object position detecting device that detects the position of the 3D object as a representative point in a high-density region in the density map.

Abstract: A current-position-calculation unit calculates a current position on the basis of an azimuth angle of a first point that is on an actual road and that corresponds to each of second points on a link, where the azimuth angle is calculated on the basis of a curvature of the first point, the curvature being estimated on the basis of the link, and where the azimuth angle is relative to a curve-start point calculated on the basis of the curvature progress, so that the azimuth angle of the first point corresponding to the second point calculated as the current position agrees with a travel-azimuth angle that is obtained at a current point in time calculated on the basis of a travel locus and that is relative to a curve-start-point-passing time calculated on the basis of the travel locus.

Abstract: A process is repeated in which N state vectors each including, as elements, the position of a camera with respect to a vehicle, the posture of the camera, the width of a lane where the vehicle is driving, and the orientation of the vehicle with respect to the lane are changed according to a predetermined dynamics model, a reference state vector representing the positions of edges of lane marks included in an image captured by the camera is generated when each of the changed state vectors is true, considering the positions of edges of lane marks in the image as an observation vector, the degree of match between the reference state vector and the observation vector is calculated as the weight of the state vector, a weighted average vector of the state vectors is calculated, and N state vectors are resampled on the basis of the calculated weights.

Abstract: A navigation system includes a GPS receiver for receiving radio waves transmitted from multiple GPS satellites and producing a measured position, an error-range setting unit for setting an estimated error range in which a measured position at the time of current positioning by the GPS receiver is included, a relative-position determining unit, and a position correcting unit. The relative-position determining unit and the position correcting unit correct the measured position by using an actual measured position, when the actual measured position produced by the GPS receiver at the current positioning time is in the estimated error range. The relative-position determining unit and the position correcting unit correct the measured position in accordance with a relative positional relationship between the actual measured position and the estimated error range, when the actual measured position is out of the estimated error range.

Abstract: An on-vehicle alarm generation method and an on-vehicle alarm generation apparatus for notifying a driver to be aware of safe driving by detecting a passerby or a bicycle moving at a dangerous point and generating an alarm to the driver are provided. In one aspect, the on-vehicle alarm generation method for detecting a passerby and generating an alarm to a driver includes the steps of including a dangerous driving point in map data and detecting the vehicle position; monitoring whether the vehicle approaches the dangerous driving point; transmitting a searching signal when the vehicle approaches the dangerous driving point; monitoring whether, in response to the searching signal, a responsive signal is received from a mobile device carried by the passerby; and generating an alarm to the driver upon receiving the responsive signal.

Abstract: A navigation system includes a GPS receiver for receiving radio waves transmitted from multiple GPS satellites and producing a measured position, an error-range setting unit for setting an estimated error range in which a measured position at the time of current positioning by the GPS receiver is included, a relative-position determining unit, and a position correcting unit. The relative-position determining unit and the position correcting unit correct the measured position by using an actual measured position, when the actual measured position produced by the GPS receiver at the current positioning time is in the estimated error range. The relative-position determining unit and the position correcting unit correct the measured position in accordance with a relative positional relationship between the actual measured position and the estimated error range, when the actual measured position is out of the estimated error range.

Abstract: A current-position-calculation unit calculates a current position on the basis of an azimuth angle of a first point that is on an actual road and that corresponds to each of second points on a link, where the azimuth angle is calculated on the basis of a curvature of the first point, the curvature being estimated on the basis of the link, and where the azimuth angle is relative to a curve-start point calculated on the basis of the curvature progress, so that the azimuth angle of the first point corresponding to the second point calculated as the current position agrees with a travel-azimuth angle that is obtained at a current point in time calculated on the basis of a travel locus and that is relative to a curve-start-point-passing time calculated on the basis of the travel locus.

Abstract: A turning direction calculating unit determines a turning direction of a vehicle based on a change in azimuth of the vehicle. An angular velocity calculating unit calculates an angular velocity of the vehicle. A turning radius calculating unit calculates a turning radius of the vehicle by using the angular velocity and a travel distance of each predetermined time period. A turning radius correcting unit corrects the turning radius so that the turning radius becomes larger by a correction value WL according to a traveling position on a road if the vehicle turns to the left, and corrects the turning radius so that the turning radius becomes smaller by a correction value WR according to a traveling position on a road if the vehicle turns to the right. A vehicle position estimating unit estimates a vehicle position on a center line of the road by using the corrected turning radius.

Abstract: In a message processing system, a plurality of vehicles or other locations are equipped with message processing devices and transmit and receive a message. The message has a header and a body. The header includes a valid duration and/or a valid zone specified by various methods, and an optional flag set when the message reaches the valid zone. The body includes data to be transmitted and read out for predetermined processing. When receiving the message, the message processing device may transfer the message if the message is within the valid duration and the device is within the valid zone, or if the message is within the duration and the device is not within the valid zone but the flag is not set. When transmitting a message, the message processing device sets the valid duration and/or zone and may include the flag for the message header, and generates the data to be transmitted for the message body.

Abstract: An on-vehicle alarm generation method and an on-vehicle alarm generation apparatus for notifying a driver to be aware of safe driving by detecting a passerby or a bicycle moving at a dangerous point and generating an alarm to the driver are provided. In one aspect, the on-vehicle alarm generation method for detecting a passerby and generating an alarm to a driver includes the steps of including a dangerous driving point in map data and detecting the vehicle position; monitoring whether the vehicle approaches the dangerous driving point; transmitting a searching signal when the vehicle approaches the dangerous driving point; monitoring whether, in response to the searching signal, a responsive signal is received from a mobile device carried by the passerby; and generating an alarm to the driver upon receiving the responsive signal.

Abstract: A map-data distribution method distributes map data from a map-data distribution server to a client and causes the client to draw a map image. The map-data distribution method includes steps of causing the map-data distribution server to store a plurality of map components obtained by dividing the map data, causing the server to send the map data to the client in an order according to the map component, and causing the client to store the received data in a temporary memory while causing the client to start to draw the map image using one of the received data and the data stored in the temporary memory.

Abstract: In a message processing system, a plurality of vehicles or other locations are equipped with message processing devices and transmit and receive a message. The message has a header and a body. The header includes a valid duration and/or a valid zone specified by various methods, and an optional flag set when the message reaches the valid zone. The body includes data to be transmitted and read out for predetermined processing. When receiving the message, the message processing device may transfer the message if the message is within the valid duration and the device is within the valid zone, or if the message is within the duration and the device is not within the valid zone but the flag is not set. When transmitting a message, the message processing device sets the valid duration and/or zone and may include the flag for the message header, and generates the data to be transmitted for the message body.