Abstract: When a first communication device receives a predetermined message from a second communication device via a third line (L3) in a state of transmitting frames to a first line (L1) while performing error-correction coding on the frames, the first communication device switches the line used for transmission from L1 to the second line (L2), then transmits a frame of a post-switching message to L1. The second communication device receives frames from L1 and L2 and performs error correction, stores the frames, on which error correction has been performed, in first and second buffers (B1, B2), and when determining that it is necessary to perform line switching based on the status of error correction with respect to the frames received from L1, transmits a predetermined message to L3, and when receiving the frame of the post-switching message from L1, starts reading frames from B2 after reading all frames stored in B1.

Abstract: A lane departure prevention support apparatus comprises: imaging means for capturing an image of a lane boundary line which defines a traveling lane; vehicle position detecting means for recognizing the lane boundary line in a recognition area of captured image data to detect a host vehicle position within the traveling lane in a width direction; assisting means for performing driver assist using the recognition result of the lane boundary line; displaying means for displaying the recognition result of the lane boundary line; and recognition result display controlling means for displaying an unrecognized lane boundary line according to the host vehicle position, if one of left and right white lines is not recognized, wherein a display of the unrecognized lane boundary line is not such a display which indicates that the lane boundary line is not recognized.

Abstract: A road surface division mark recognition apparatus includes: a vehicle-mounted camera that takes an image of a road surface ahead of a vehicle; an image processing portion which has a plurality of image processing modes that correspond respectively to a plurality of kinds of road surface division marks, and which recognizes a road surface division mark in a selected image processing mode; a temperature measurement portion that measures the temperature of the vehicle-mounted camera; and a restriction portion that restricts the action of the vehicle-mounted camera if the temperature measured by the temperature measurement portion is higher than or equal to a threshold value. The threshold value differs between the image processing modes.

Abstract: A road surface division mark recognition apparatus includes: a vehicle-mounted camera that takes an image of a road surface ahead of a vehicle; an image processing portion which has a plurality of image processing modes that correspond respectively to a plurality of kinds of road surface division marks, and which recognizes a road surface division mark in a selected image processing mode; a temperature measurement portion that measures the temperature of the vehicle-mounted camera; and a restriction portion that restricts the action of the vehicle-mounted camera if the temperature measured by the temperature measurement portion is higher than or equal to a threshold value. The threshold value differs between the image processing modes.

Abstract: A driving support detects for a lane dividing line on a road surface which is travelled upon, by using an image which is taken by a camera and which represents the road surface which is traveled upon and is in front of a vehicle, sets a virtual lane dividing line in a section in which no lane dividing line is drawn, performs a driving support by controlling the vehicle based on the lane dividing line and the virtual lane dividing line, and issues a warning when the vehicle deviates from the virtual lane dividing line. Further, the driving support detects a state of the vehicle, calculates information indicating the state as vehicle information, cancels the driving support when the vehicle information satisfies a predetermined cancel condition, and inhibits the warning when the driving support is canceled.

Abstract: A transmission system includes a transmission device and a reception device connected with each other via two lines. When the transmission device switches a line, used for transmitting VLAN traffic, from a first line to a second line, the transmission device transmits the VLAN traffic to the second line by switching the line after transmitting a post-switching message to the first line. The reception device includes a first buffer which stores the VLAN traffic received from the first line and a second buffer which stores the VLAN traffic received from the second line. When the reception device receives the post-switching message from the first line, the reception device starts reading of the VLAN traffic from the second buffer after reading the entire VLAN traffic stored in the first buffer.

Abstract: In a driving assistance system having an actuator (16) for steering steered wheels of a vehicle, a positional deviation detecting unit (9) detects a deviation of a position of the vehicle from a forward travel path of the vehicle based on information around the vehicle. A steering control variable determination unit (2) determines a steering control variable to cancel the deviation. If a vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed detecting unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, the steering control variable determined by a steering control variable determination unit (2) decreases with an increase of the vehicle speed under the condition that the deviation of the position of the vehicle from the forward travel path is same. The driving assistance system can reduce a driver's discomfort caused by the steering control through the actuator (16) when the vehicle is running at a high speed.

Abstract: A steering assist system for applying a steering torque reduces the influence of a time-dependent steering control amount on an assist steering torque when a predetermined driving operation by a driver is detected. Thus, the influence of the time-dependent steering control amount on the applied steering torque, which increases when the period of time over which actual moving state deviates from the target moving state increases is reduced when the driver makes the predetermined driving operation. Thus, it is possible to avoid the problem where steering feel degrades because the steering torque increases over time.

Abstract: An output adjustment ECU (1) includes: a request reception section (11) for receiving an output request of alarm information to a driver from a drive assist ECU (2); a usefulness determination section (12) for, when the request reception section (11) receives the output request, determining whether or not outputting first alarm information that is the alarm information of which the output request is received is useful for the driver; a content modification section (13) for, when the usefulness determination section (12) determines that the outputting is not useful, modifying a content of the first alarm information to generate second alarm information that is alarm information useful for the driver; and an output execution section (14) for outputting the first alarm information when the usefulness determination section (12) determines that the outputting is useful, and outputting the second alarm information when the usefulness determination section (12) determines that the outputting is not useful.

Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a steering assistance apparatus which can accurately detect a curve exit of a running path and perform steering assistance control with an excellent running path following capability. The steering assistance apparatus of the present invention is a steering assistance apparatus 1 for providing a steering mechanism with a steering torque such that a vehicle runs along a running path according to an image capturing the running path in front of the vehicle, which estimates a curve direction of the running path by processing the image, estimates a steering direction of a driver of the vehicle according to a steering operation of the driver, and determines that the vehicle is running through a curve exit according to a fact that the estimated curve direction and steering direction do not coincide with each other. This makes it possible to determine the curve exit of the running path accurately and perform appropriate steering assistance control.

Abstract: This invention provides an agent for inhibiting production of hepatitis C virus with notable anti-HCV activity and without side-effects. The agent comprises a proanthocyanidin polymer composition illustrated in the following the general formula (1), wherein R1 is hydrogen or hydroxyl, R2 is hydroxyl, R3 is hydrogen when R1 is either hydrogen or hydroxyl, but R3 is possibly hydroxyl when R1 is either hydrogen or hydroxyl to the extent that both R1 and R3 being hydroxyl is at most 40 percents in the proanthocyanidin polymer composition said units of flavan-3-ol being bonded each other in any one of three patterns as follows; (i) a bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 8, (ii) a bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 6, (iii) a bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 8, and between carbon, at the position 2 and oxygen at the position 7.

Abstract: A steering assist device capable of appropriately reducing a steering load on a driver is provided. A steering assist device for assisting a steering operation of a driver who drives a vehicle, comprises: an auxiliary torque generation section for causing a steering device of the vehicle to generate an auxiliary torque that assists a steering force of the driver; a first torque control section for controlling the auxiliary torque so as to cause the vehicle to perform turning in accordance with a curvature of a travel lane in which the vehicle travels; a second torque control section for controlling the auxiliary torque so as to bring the position of the vehicle close to a center line of the travel lane; a lane change determination section for determining whether or not the vehicle is performing lane change; and a control suppression section for suppressing the control of the auxiliary torque by the second torque control section when it is determined that the vehicle is performing lane change.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an in-vitro immunoassay method for detecting the presence of liver cancer cells in a subject. In the method of the present invention, antigen retrieval treatment based on heat-induced epitope retrieval method and antigen retrieval treatment based on protease-induced epitope retrieval method can be combined in the detection of glypican 3 antigen expression in liver cancer tissues to thereby detect the difference in the expression level or expression pattern of the glypican 3 antigen by immunohistochemical staining method. This enables samples, which has been determined by the conventional HIER method as highly expressing glypican 3, to be graded according to the expression level of glypican 3.

Abstract: A driving support ECU comprises: a roadside object detection section for detecting, in a case where a lane marking WR on at least one of the right side and left side is detected by a white line detection section and another lane marking WL is not detected, a roadside object GL on the other of the right side and left side; a white line estimation part for estimating a position of a lane marking VL1 on the other of the right side and the left side based on the detected roadside object GL; and an information outputting section for determining a departure from the lane in which the vehicle VC is running, based on the estimated position of the lane marking VL1 on the other of the right side and left side.

Abstract: A vehicle-installed display system for displaying two or more items of information one after another in a given display area includes a recognition time estimating unit that estimates a recognition time required for the driver to recognize information displayed in the given display area, with respect to each of the two or more items of information, and an output switching unit that switches the information displayed in the given display area from one item of information to another, based on the recognition time estimated by the recognition time estimating unit for each item of information.

Abstract: In deviation prevention support ECU 10 in driving operation support system 1, an applied torque by steering torque applier 17 is set based on a vehicle speed of a vehicle. The applied torque is set to increase with increase of the vehicle speed. An upper limit according to the vehicle speed is set for this applied torque. Furthermore, in a Start interval in application of the applied torque, a rate of increasing to reach a maximum is determined according to the maximum of the applied torque. In a close interval, the applied torque is decreased at a rate different from that in the Start interval, and the absolute rate of increasing the torque in the Start interval is set to be larger than the absolute rate of decreasing the torque in the close interval.

Abstract: A vehicle speed V is read (step S1), V is compared with a first threshold Vth1 (step S2), and, when V is not less than Vth1, a warning torque is set smaller with increase in V (step S3). When V is less than Vth1, V is further compared with a second threshold Vth2 (step S4), and when V is less than Vth2, the warning torque is set approximately in proportion to the vehicle speed (step S5); when V is not less than Vth2 and is less than Vth1, the warning torque is set at a predetermined constant value (step S6).

Abstract: A road surface division mark recognition apparatus includes: a vehicle-mounted camera that takes an image of a road surface ahead of a vehicle; an image processing portion which has a plurality of image processing modes that correspond respectively to a plurality of kinds of road surface division marks, and which recognizes a road surface division mark in a selected image processing mode; a temperature measurement portion that measures the temperature of the vehicle-mounted camera; and a restriction portion that restricts the action of the vehicle-mounted camera if the temperature measured by the temperature measurement portion is higher than or equal to a threshold value. The threshold value differs between the image processing modes.

Abstract: This invention provides an agent for inhibiting production of hepatitis C virus with notable anti-HCV activity and without side-effects. The agent comprises a proanthocyanidin polymer composition illustrated in the following the general formula (1), wherein R1 is hydrogen or hydroxyl, R2 is hydroxyl, R3 is hydrogen when R1 is either hydrogen or hydroxyl, but R3 is possibly hydroxyl when R1 is either hydrogen or hydroxyl to the extent that both R1 and R3 being hydroxyl is at most 40 percents in the proanthocyanidin polymer composition said units of flavan-3-ol being bonded each other in any one of three patterns as follows; (i) a bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 8, (ii) a bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 6, (iii) a bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 8, and between carbon at the position 2 and oxygen at the position 7.

Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a steering assistance apparatus which can accurately detect a curve exit of a running path and perform steering assistance control with an excellent running path following capability. The steering assistance apparatus of the present invention is a steering assistance apparatus 1 for providing a steering mechanism with a steering torque such that a vehicle runs along a running path according to an image capturing the running path in front of the vehicle, which estimates a curve direction of the running path by processing the image, estimates a steering direction of a driver of the vehicle according to a steering operation of the driver, and determines that the vehicle is running through a curve exit according to a fact that the estimated curve direction and steering direction do not coincide with each other. This makes it possible to determine the curve exit of the running path accurately and perform appropriate steering assistance control.