Abstract: A driving assist device for a vehicle of the present invention, comprising an object detection device to detect an object to be recognized around the vehicle, an eyes-direction specification device to specify a direction of driver's eyes, and a mark indication device to indicate a specified-shape mark at a specified portion of a windshield that is located in the direction of the driver's eyes specified by the eyes-direction specification device and then to indicate the specified-shape mark in such a manner that the mark overlaps with the object. Accordingly, the driver can be properly made recognize any object in danger even in case the driver's eyes are not directed to such object.

Abstract: An existing-area calculating device of a vehicle surrounding information informing device calculates an existing area where a hidden-area obstacle approaching an own vehicle is likely to exist, based on own-vehicle traveling information detected by an own-vehicle traveling information detecting device and information of a hidden-area obstacle of another-vehicle obstacle information detected by an another-vehicle obstacle detecting device. Then, an informing device informs the exiting area of the hidden-area obstacle. Accordingly, the passenger (driver) can surely recognize the existence of the hidden-area obstacle to take any proper action to avoid a possible collision with the hidden-area obstacle, thereby improving the reliability of the vehicle surrounding information informing device.

Abstract: A driving assist device for a vehicle of the present invention, comprising an object detection device to detect an object to be recognized around the vehicle, an eyes-direction specification device to specify a direction of driver's eyes, and a mark indication device to indicate a specified-shape mark at a specified portion of a windshield that is located in the direction of the driver's eyes specified by the eyes-direction specification device and then to indicate the specified-shape mark in such a manner that the mark overlaps with the object. Accordingly, the driver can be properly made recognize any object in danger even in case the driver's eyes are not directed to such object.

Abstract: There is provided a seat belt device for a vehicle, comprising bag portions and provided at seat belts and for protecting an occupant, a blower device to repeatedly supply the inflation air to the bag portions, air supply passages and connecting the bag portions with the blower device, and an air supply control device to supply the inflation air from the blower device to the bag portions so as to inflate the bag portions and discharge the supplied air from the bag portions so as to return the bag portions to deflated initial states. Accordingly, the occupant can be restrained to the properly large extent, thereby with the properly dispersed restraint force, and the inflation operation of the bag portion can be reused at need.

Abstract: An existing-area calculating device of a vehicle surrounding information informing device calculates an existing area where a dead-ground obstacle approaching an own vehicle is likely to exist, based on own-vehicle traveling information detected by an own-vehicle traveling information detecting device and information of a dead-ground obstacle of another-vehicle obstacle information detected by an another-vehicle obstacle detecting device. Then, an informing device informs the exiting area of the dead-ground obstacle. Accordingly, the passenger (driver) can surely recognize the existence of the dead-ground obstacle to take any proper action to avoid a possible collision with the dead-ground obstacle, thereby improving the reliability of the vehicle surrounding information informing device.

Abstract: A pedestrian detecting device for a vehicle comprises a far-infrared camera picking up a far-infrared image outside the vehicle, an area-candidate extracting portion extracting an area candidate containing a pedestrian image from the far-infrared image picked up, an environment detecting device detecting an environment outside the vehicle that influences the far-infrared image, a ROM storing a pedestrian model in the far-infrared image in association with the environment outside the vehicle, a pedestrian-model extracting portion extracting a pedestrian model associated with the environment that is detected by the environment detecting device from the ROM, and a pedestrian determining portion determining, for a pedestrian detection, whether or not the area candidate contains the pedestrian image, by comparing the area candidate extracted to the pedestrian model extracted. Accordingly, the detection accuracy of the pedestrian can be improved.

Abstract: The relative position of the surrounding vehicle to the traveling vehicle is determined from respective position information of the traveling vehicle and the surrounding-vehicle obtained through communication between vehicles. The processing area of the image picked up by the camera is restricted on the basis of this relative position. By comparing the template that is obtained with a scale-transfer from the previously-memorized template on the basis of the position information of the vehicle to the image of the vehicle with an image matching, the precious position of the surrounding vehicle is detected. Thereby, the passenger protection devices are operated. Accordingly, the processing time of image data picked up by the camera can be properly shortened and the accuracy of recognition of obstacles can be improved.

Abstract: There is provided a seat belt device for a vehicle, comprising bag portions and provided at seat belts and for protecting an occupant, a blower device to repeatedly supply the inflation air to the bag portions, air supply passages and connecting the bag portions with the blower device, and an air supply control device to supply the inflation air from the blower device to the bag portions so as to inflate the bag portions and discharge the supplied air from the bag portions so as to return the bag portions to deflated initial states. Accordingly, the occupant can be restrained to the properly large extent, thereby with the properly dispersed restraint force, and the inflation operation of the bag portion can be reused at need.

Abstract: An occupant protection system of the type of predicted rear-end collision adaptive control raises an alarm when a rear-end collision is predicted and activates a belt tensioning motor to strain a safety belt so as to restrain the occupant strongly against the back of a seat at a point of time specified seconds before a possible occurrence of the predicted rear-end collision. In specific running situations such as cornering a sharp bent lane and making a right or left turn where the occupant protection system possibly confuses a stationary traffic device with a following vehicle, the occupant protection system is prevented from raising an alarm of a possible rear-end collision and straining the safety belt.

Abstract: An occupant protection system of the type of predicted rear-end collision adaptive control raises an alarm when a rear-end collision is predicted and activates a belt tensioning motor to strain a safety belt so as to restrain the occupant strongly against the back of a seat at a point of time specified seconds before a possible occurrence of the predicted rear-end collision. In specific running situations such as cornering a sharp bent lane and making a right or left turn where the occupant protection system possibly confuses a stationary traffic device with a following vehicle, the occupant protection system is prevented from raising an alarm of a possible rear-end collision and straining the safety belt.

Abstract: A passenger protecting apparatus is provided with a head rest driving mechanism for driving a head rest forward according to a pressing contact force generated when a passenger's back is pressed against a seat back during a rear crash of the vehicle, a rear crash predictor for predicting a rear crash of the vehicle, and a passenger moving mechanism for moving the passenger toward the seat back when the rear crash of the vehicle is predicted by the rear crash predictor. The passenger's head can be effectively supported by the head rest during the rear crash of the vehicle.

Abstract: The head rest is detachably mounted to the seat back of the front seat and the air bag unit with an air bag mounted therein is mounted to the head rest. The air bag is expanded toward the passenger seated on the rear seat in response to an explosion signal from the control unit into which signals are entered from impact sensors. The air bag is so disposed as to expand only when the passenger is seated on the rear seat. The posture and position of the air bag unit is adjusted in association with the movement or displacement of the front seat to which the air bag is mounted, thereby improving the ability of the expanded air bag to confine the passenger seated on the rear seat and protecting the passenger in a more safe fashion. Further, the air bag unit is mounted to the head rest of the front seat, so that the air bag can be exchanged with ease and at cheap costs without exchanging the front seat itself.

Abstract: The head rest is detachably mounted to the seat back of the front seat and the air bag unit with an air bag mounted therein is mounted to the head rest. The air bag is expanded toward the passenger seated on the rear seat in response to an explosion signal from the control unit into which signals are entered from impact sensors. The air bag is so disposed as to expand only when the passenger is seated on the rear seat. The posture and position of the air bag unit is adjusted in association with the movement or displacement of the front seat to which the air bag is mounted, thereby improving the ability of the expanded air bag to confine the passenger seated on the rear seat and protecting the passenger in a safer fashion. Further, the air bag unit is mounted to the head rest of the front seat, so that the air bag can be exchanged with ease and at a cheap cost without needing to exchange the front seat itself.

Abstract: In an energy absorbing apparatus for a vehicle body, when a shock sensing output signal is obtained from one of first and second shock sensors a control unit operates one or both of first and second bag inflators in accordance with an operation mode according to the seating states of passengers represented by a sensing output signal obtained from seating state sensors, and the use states of the seat belts represented by a sensing output signal obtained from belt use state sensors so as to inflate one or both of first and second energy absorbing bags in accordance with the seating states of passengers and the use states of the seat belts.

Abstract: An air bag system includes an instrument panel provided with an opening in the vicinity of a passenger seat. An air bag unit, disposed in the opening is provided with an air bag and a casing for receiving the air bag. A cover member is provided on the instrument panel so as to cover the opening in such a manner that the cover member extends continuous to a surface of the instrument panel. A shelf portion is formed, on the instrument panel, to extend toward a passenger seated in the passenger seat. The cover member is provided with a weakened portion to be broken, with an upper portion thereof being opened upwardly and a lower portion thereof being opened downwardly, like a double door, when the air bag is inflated. The shelf portion is slightly extended beyond the lower portion of the cover member when the lower portion is opened. With this construction, a safe air bag system can be obtained with a compact structure.

Abstract: An energy absorbing structure for a vehicle body side portion, includes a pair of vehicle body members constituting two side portions of a vehicle body, a pair of collision detection sensors for respectively detecting collisions on two side surfaces of the vehicle body, one air bag which is mounted in each vehicle body member, can be unfolded toward the interior of a passenger room, and can receive at least one passenger who is moved sideways by a side collision in an unfolded state, a timing varying unit for changing unfolding timings of the two air bags in accordance with a side-collision direction on the basis of detection results from the collision detection sensors, and an air bag unfolding device for unfolding the air bags in accordance with the unfolding timings set by the timing varying unit.