Abstract: In a vehicular visibility support apparatus, a camera positioned on a front portion that is either the left side or the right side of a vehicle provides an image of a view laterally behind the vehicle including a part of a face of the side of the vehicle as a camera image. An input portion accepts input manipulation to generate an input signal. A control portion trims a desired region in the camera image based on the input signal and provides a trimmed image. The control portion trims the camera image based on: a vertical reference line including a part of the face on the side of the vehicle in a trimmed image before the input manipulation is accepted by the input portion, and a horizontal reference line orthogonal to the vertical reference line; and a direction of movement for change to the desired region inputted to the input portion.

Abstract: A camera washing device has an air pump, a wash water tank storing wash water, an injection nozzle with an injection part, a junction joint having a high-pressure air passage and a wash water passage, and an electromagnetic valve. The air pump generates and supplies high-pressure air to the high-pressure air passage. When the control part instructs the electromagnetic valve to be switched to an open state, the wash water and the high-pressure air are mixed in the junction joint to generate water particles. The generated water particles are supplied to the injection nozzle. When the electromagnetic valve is switched to the open state after injecting the high-pressure air only to a lens of a rear camera, the injection part injects the water particles to the lens of the camera.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting an object approaching a vehicle by performing image recognition processing on an image captured by a camera that is mounted on the vehicle to cover a predetermined area around the vehicle includes a signal receiver, a selector, and a detector. The signal receiver obtains a vehicle signal indicative of an operating condition of the vehicle. The selector selects a predetermined region of the captured image, according to the vehicle signal, as an object detection region. The detector detects the object approaching the vehicle by performing the image recognition processing on only the object detection region of the captured image.

Abstract: In a vehicular visibility support apparatus, a camera positioned on a front portion that is either the left side or the right side of a vehicle provides an image of a view laterally behind the vehicle including a part of a face of the side of the vehicle as a camera image. An input portion accepts input manipulation to generate an input signal. A control portion trims a desired region in the camera image based on the input signal and provides a trimmed image. The control portion trims the camera image based on: a vertical reference line including a part of the face on the side of the vehicle in a trimmed image before the input manipulation is accepted by the input portion, and a horizontal reference line orthogonal to the vertical reference line; and a direction of movement for change to the desired region inputted to the input portion.

Abstract: A rearward view assistance apparatus in a vehicle includes an imaging device that acquires a vehicle rearward image by taking a rearview from the vehicle, a control circuit that sets a cropped image by cropping part of the vehicle rearward image in response to a state of a vehicle, and a display device that is provided in a passenger compartment and displays the cropped image. The control circuit preferably overlays a lower portion of the cropped image with a mask. The control circuit preferably displays an indication corresponding to a rear portion of the vehicle on the cropped image. The rearward view assistance apparatus is thus provided to view rearward from the vehicle even when passengers are present on the seats in the second and third rows.

Abstract: A monitor system is used for a vehicle equipped with a camera for capturing an image of a predetermined area outside the vehicle, a display device for displaying the captured image to a driver, and a mirror for reflecting the predetermined area. The monitor system includes a failure detector for detecting a failure of a function that allows the display device to display the captured image, a report device for causing the display device to display failure information when the failure detector detects the failure, and a state detector for detecting whether the mirror is in a state where the mirror reflects the predetermined area such that the driver views the predetermined area on the mirror. When the mirror is in the state, the report device causes the display device to delete or zoon out the displayed failure information.

Abstract: An object detecting apparatus includes a sensor, a noise determining portion, a detected result determining portion and a warning portion. The sensor transmits an ultrasonic wave and receives a reflected wave reflected by an object. The noise determining portion determines existence or nonexistence of a noise signal received by the sensor for a plurality of detecting areas by using a different threshold value for each of the plurality of detecting areas. The detected result determining portion validates or invalidates an object detected result of the sensor for each of the detecting areas based on existence or nonexistence of the noise signal determined by the noise determining portion for each of the detecting areas. The warning portion warns about the object detected result for a detecting area that is validated by the detected result determining portion.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting an object approaching a vehicle by performing image recognition processing on an image captured by a camera that is mounted on the vehicle to cover a predetermined area around the vehicle includes a signal receiver, a selector, and a detector. The signal receiver obtains a vehicle signal indicative of an operating condition of the vehicle. The selector selects a predetermined region of the captured image, according to the vehicle signal, as an object detection region. The detector detects the object approaching the vehicle by performing the image recognition processing on only the object detection region of the captured image.

Abstract: A rearward view assistance apparatus in a vehicle includes an imaging device that acquires a vehicle rearward image by taking a rearview from the vehicle, a control circuit that sets a cropped image by cropping part of the vehicle rearward image in response to a state of a vehicle, and a display device that is provided in a passenger compartment and displays the cropped image. The control circuit preferably overlays a lower portion of the cropped image with a mask. The control circuit preferably displays an indication corresponding to a rear portion of the vehicle on the cropped image. The rearward view assistance apparatus is thus provided to view rearward from the vehicle even when passengers are present on the seats in the second and third rows.

Abstract: An obstacle detection apparatus for detecting an obstacle in its surroundings is disclosed. The system includes: an ultrasonic sensor for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic wave; an obstacle detection section for performing an obstacle detection operation to determine whether the obstacle actually exists, wherein the obstacle detection section determines that the obstacle actually exists when a first voltage level associated with the ultrasonic wave received in the obstacle detection operation exceeds a determination threshold; a noise monitoring section configured to perform a noise monitoring operation to determine a noise level, wherein, the noise monitoring section recognizes a second voltage level associated with the ultrasonic wave received in the noise monitoring operation as the noise level; and a determination threshold setting section configured to set the determination threshold based on the second voltage level.

Abstract: An obstacle detecting system for a vehicle detects an obstacle by transmitting a transmitting wave and receiving a receiving wave, which is a reflection of the transmitting wave by the obstacle. The system calculates a distance to the obstacle. The system varies directivity of the transmitting wave in accordance with the calculated distance. The directivity is lowered when the calculated distance is less than a predetermined reference distance, than when the calculated distance is greater than the predetermined reference distance.

Abstract: An obstacle detection apparatus for detecting an obstacle in its surroundings is disclosed. The system includes: an ultrasonic sensor for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic wave; an obstacle detection section for performing an obstacle detection operation to determine whether the obstacle actually exists, wherein the obstacle detection section determines that the obstacle actually exists when a first voltage level associated with the ultrasonic wave received in the obstacle detection operation exceeds a determination threshold; a noise monitoring section configured to perform a noise monitoring operation to determine a noise level, wherein, the noise monitoring section recognizes a second voltage level associated with the ultrasonic wave received in the noise monitoring operation as the noise level; and a determination threshold setting section configured to set the determination threshold based on the second voltage level.

Abstract: An object detecting apparatus includes a sensor, a noise determining portion, a detected result determining portion and a warning portion. The sensor transmits an ultrasonic wave and receives a reflected wave reflected by an object. The noise determining portion determines existence or nonexistence of a noise signal received by the sensor for a plurality of detecting areas by using a different threshold value for each of the plurality of detecting areas. The detected result determining portion validates or invalidates an object detected result of the sensor for each of the detecting areas based on existence or nonexistence of the noise signal determined by the noise determining portion for each of the detecting areas. The warning portion warns about the object detected result for a detecting area that is validated by the detected result determining portion.

Abstract: An image displaying control in-vehicle apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus is configured to acquire obstacle information from the sensor for detecting an obstacle existing around the vehicle. The apparatus is further configured to cause a display device to display a first display image showing a first region of an outside of the vehicle based on a camera image captured by a camera when the sensor does not detect an obstacle existing around a vehicle. When the sensor detects an obstacle existing at a first direction away form the first region the apparatus is configured to cause the display device to display a second display image showing a second region covering a place that is away from the first region in the first direction.

Abstract: A vehicle periphery image displaying apparatus is disclosed that is coupled with (i) a camera for capturing an image of a region around the vehicle and (ii) a display device for displaying the image so that power is supplied to the camera in accordance with a camera activation signal for triggering activation of the camera. The vehicle periphery image displaying apparatus is configured to determine whether the camera activation signal is inputted, and configured to determine whether the camera is in an activated state. The vehicle periphery image displaying apparatus outputs a control signal to the camera when it is determined that the camera activation signal determination section determines that the camera activation signal is inputted and when it is determined that the camera is in the activated state.

Abstract: An obstacle detecting system for a vehicle detects an obstacle by transmitting a transmitting wave and receiving a receiving wave, which is a reflection of the transmitting wave by the obstacle. The system calculates a S distance to the obstacle. The system varies directivity of the transmitting wave in accordance with the calculated distance The directivity is lowered when the calculated distance is less than a predetermined reference distance, than when the calculated distance is greater than the predetermined reference distance.

Abstract: A device for detecting an obstacle located backward of a vehicle is mounted on a vehicle such as a pickup truck having a rear loading space and a tailgate for closing the loading space. Ultrasonic waves are transmitted backward, and the backward obstacle is detected by receiving ultrasonic waves reflected by the backward obstacle. When the tailgate is open or the load extends backward from the open tailgate, the transmitted waves are reflected by the open tailgate or the extending load. This may cause erroneous detection of the backward obstacle. To avoid the erroneous detection, detection of the reflected waves from the backward obstacle is delayed by a predetermined period when the tailgate is open or the load extends backward.

Abstract: During a period until a subject vehicle stops to go back for being parked, detection distance data items and advance distance data items are obtained by using an ultrasonic sensor and a speed sensor. These data items are stored with both the data items mutually associated. The detection distance data item indicates a distance to a parked vehicle adjacent to the subject vehicle and the advance distance data item indicates a distance in which the subject vehicle advances. When computing a size of the parked vehicle from the advance distance data items, the size of the parked vehicle is determined to be shorter than an aggregated distance corresponding to the advance distance data items. This enables the determined size of the parked vehicle to approximate an actual size of the parked vehicle.

Abstract: During a period until a subject vehicle stops to go back for being parked, detection distance data items and advance distance data items are obtained by using an ultrasonic sensor and a speed sensor. These data items are stored with both the data items mutually associated. The detection distance data item indicates a distance to a parked vehicle adjacent to the subject vehicle and the advance distance data item indicates a distance in which the subject vehicle advances. When computing a size of the parked vehicle from the advance distance data items, the size of the parked vehicle is determined to be shorter than an aggregated distance corresponding to the advance distance data items. This enables the determined size of the parked vehicle to approximate an actual size of the parked vehicle.

Abstract: A device for detecting an obstacle located backward of a vehicle is mounted on a vehicle such as a pickup truck having a rear loading space and a tailgate for closing the loading space. Ultrasonic waves are transmitted backward, and the backward obstacle is detected by receiving ultrasonic waves reflected by the backward obstacle. When the tailgate is open or the load extends backward from the open tailgate, the transmitted waves are reflected by the open tailgate or the extending load. This may cause erroneous detection of the backward obstacle. To avoid the erroneous detection, detection of the reflected waves from the backward obstacle is delayed by a predetermined period when the tailgate is open or the load extends backward.