Abstract: In a radio broadcast receiving apparatus and a broadcast frequency detection method, a frequency fm at which a reception strength (an S meter value) that is equal to or greater than a threshold value Th0 and is greater than reception strengths at frequencies (fm?1) and (fm+1) adjacent to the frequency fm by one step by X or more, is detected as a broadcast reception frequency that is a frequency at which a receivable broadcast is performed. The value of X is set so that it increases with the increase in the reception strength (S meter value) at the frequency fm. As a result, a frequency at which a broadcast is performed can be more accurately detected.

Abstract: An optical pickup device is one in which a lens holder is held by a movable base by using a resilient wire. A restricting abutting portion is formed at a lower portion of the lens holder. When the lens holder moves excessively downward, the restricting abutting portion comes into contact with a stopper portion to restrict a downward movement of the lens holder, so that it is possible to prevent the lens holder from contacting a unit chassis. When the unit chassis is not mounted on the movable base, it is possible to prevent excessive flexing of the resilient wire caused when an opposing abutting portion of the lens holder comes into contact with the unit chassis.

Abstract: A gesture recognition apparatus for recognizing a gesture of a predetermined operating body includes a storage unit, having stored therein, correspondence relationships between a plurality of coordinate ranges in relation to the operating body and to a plurality of operation target apparatuses, each of the plurality of coordinate ranges further corresponding to each operation target apparatus of the plurality of operation target apparatuses. An image capturing unit captures one or more images of the operating body, a coordinate detecting detects coordinates of the operating body based on the one or more captured images, and an operation target apparatus specifying unit selects an operation target apparatus corresponding to the detected coordinates of the operating body and the stored correspondence relationships. A gesture recognition processing unit recognizes a gesture associated with the operating body based on one or more captured images and corresponding to the selected operation target apparatus.

Abstract: A display device includes movable members arranged to face a display screen of a liquid crystal display panel, a movable member driving mechanism, a display controller that controls the display of an image in a first display area and controls the display of a predetermined mark in a second display area on the liquid crystal display panel, and a drive controller that controls the movable member driving mechanism to move the movable members in accordance with a movement of the mark displayed. The display of an image object in the first display area and the display of the mark in the second display area are controlled so that the position of the image object displayed in the first display area corresponds to the position of the mark displayed in the second display area.

Abstract: A list display apparatus that displays multiple pieces of character string data in a list on a display unit includes a storage unit that stores the multiple pieces of character string data; a sorting unit that sorts the multiple pieces of character string data stored in the storage unit in a character code order; a ligature decomposing unit that decomposes a ligature included in the multiple pieces of character string data into multiple original letters on which the ligature is based in the sorting by the sorting unit; and a sorting control unit that controls the sorting unit so that the multiple letters resulting from the decomposition by the ligature decomposing unit is used in the sorting, instead of the ligature.

Abstract: In a display device to be mounted in a vehicle, a space is secured between a cover with which a first opening of a case main body is sealed and a liquid crystal panel of a display unit mounted on the backside of the case main body, ventilation openings (spaces around protrusions and through holes) that communicate with an external space are formed in portions of a casing, which is a component member of the display unit, except for the front surface of the casing, and protruding portions each partially supporting the outer edge portion of the front surface of the liquid crystal panel are formed on the inner surface of the front wall of the casing. Thus, a long and complicated air flow path is secured around the liquid crystal panel by the protruding portions, and the space and the external space communicates with each other via the path.

Abstract: A display device includes a display unit having a display screen on a front side, a driving mechanism configured to move the display unit, a holder configured to support the display unit and reciprocally move the display unit relative to the holder in a linear trajectory parallel to the display screen, a rotation guiding mechanism in the driving mechanism configured to rotate the holder, and a movement guiding mechanism in the driving mechanism configured to move the display unit relative to the holder after the holder is rotated to a predetermined position.

Abstract: A wireless communication device for vehicle-to-vehicle communication includes a vehicle positioning module that uses sensors and detects a current position and a direction of the vehicle. In a map matching, pre-calculated route information and road network information based on the current position are retrieved from map data and a current link of the vehicle is identified and a potential signal pattern is determined regarding a position of next intersection and the road network information based on the current position, the direction of the vehicle and the current link. Based on the potential signal pattern, radio characteristics including a level of intensity, a frequency, and a direction are assigned. A transmitter produces a radio signal of the radio characteristics carrying the current position, the speed and the direction of the vehicle. An antenna module converts the radio signal from the transmitter into radio waves and radiates the radio waves.

Abstract: A wireless communication device for vehicle-to-vehicle communication includes a vehicle positioning module that uses sensors and detects a current position and a direction of the vehicle. In a map matching, pre-calculated route information and road network information based on the current position are retrieved from map data and a current link of the vehicle is identified and a potential signal pattern is determined regarding a position of next intersection and the road network information based on the current position, the direction of the vehicle and the current link. Based on the potential signal pattern, radio characteristics including a level of intensity, a frequency, and a direction are assigned. A transmitter produces a radio signal of the radio characteristics carrying the current position, the speed and the direction of the vehicle. An antenna module converts the radio signal from the transmitter into radio waves and radiates the radio waves.

Abstract: A 3D object detecting device includes a driving-lane detecting unit that detects a driving lane of a vehicle; a 3D-object detecting unit that detects, by using pattern recognition technology, a type of 3D object with respect to images captured by side cameras; and a recognition-priority setting unit that varies and sets a recognition priority for the detected type of 3D object, based on the detected driving lane. In accordance with the driving lane of the vehicle, the recognition-priority setting unit sets the priority for pattern recognition lower for a type of 3D object that is less likely to exist in rear left and right sides of the vehicle, to thereby reduce the possibility that a 3D object that should not be regarded as a warning target is erroneously detected from the images as a warning subject.

Abstract: An information processing system and an electronic message notification method for an information processing system automatically change an incoming account for which an electronic message reception notification is made. An information processing system includes an information terminal provided with a communication function and an in-vehicle device. The information terminal receives an electronic message from the exterior in a corresponding incoming account; configures an incoming account for making a notification of the reception of an electronic message; and when an electronic message has been received by the configured incoming account, notifies the in-vehicle device. The in-vehicle device determines whether or not an electronic message has been distributed to the information terminal from a specific partner; and, if so, changes the configuration of the configuration unit so that a notification that the electronic message has been received from the specific partner is made.

Abstract: When a narrow-angle branch point PA at which a road branches at a narrow angle gets closer, routes from the narrow-angle branch point to all points a-c reachable by traveling for a distance L after passing of the narrow-angle branch point in a current traveling direction. When the narrow-angle branch point is passed, processing to calculate, as a matching degree of each route, a matching degree between each of the gradients G1-G3 of routes R1-R3, which are indicated by map data, and history Ang of an inclination angle of a vehicle is performed until a route with a matching degree equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold is generated or until a distance L is traveled after the passing of the narrow-angle branch point. When the route with the matching degree equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold is generated, a current position is calculated on the route.

Abstract: A direction/distance mark is displayed on a map, wherein the direction/distance mark shows a direction line indicating a direction, with a reference point of a map screen being located in a center, a plurality of equidistant circles with the reference point being located in the center, and a distance from the reference point indicated by each equidistant circle. An instructed point on the screen that is touched by a user is detected as a point indicating a direction on the direction/distance mark and a distance from the reference point, and a map including the point is displayed. Accordingly, with one-touch, the currently displayed map can be scrolled to a desired map. Using the same direction/distance mark, it is also possible to display an equidistant range specifying map, a configured range specifying map, and a POI display map.

Abstract: In one embodiment, left and right frame elements are provided in such a manner as to be movable in a horizontal direction. The left frame element has a shape of the left half of a circular ring and the right frame element has a shape of the right half of the circular ring. The frame elements are horizontally positioned away from each other such that the left frame element surrounds the left side of a circular meter image displayed on a display and the right frame element surrounds the right side of another circular meter image displayed on the display. Two frame interpolation part images are arranged and displayed on the display in a form that the two frame interpolation part images couple upper edges of the left and right frame elements to each other and couple lower edges of the left and right frame elements to each other, respectively.

Abstract: A map scrolling method and apparatus for a navigation system prevents from displaying certain icons while displaying other icons based on conditions and settings of the navigation system during a transition period of a map scrolling operation. The map scrolling method includes the steps of: detecting activation of a map scrolling operation; checking whether there is any limit condition attached to icons as to remove them from a map image; scrolling the map image while removing the icons to which the limit condition is attached from the map image during a transition period of the map scrolling operation; and displaying all of the icons when the map scrolling operation is completed.

Abstract: A vehicle-periphery-image-providing system may include an image-capturing unit, a viewpoint-change unit, an image-composition unit, an object-detection unit, a line-width-setting unit, and a line-selection unit. The image-capturing units, such as cameras, capture images outside a vehicle periphery and generate image-data items. The viewpoint-change unit generates a bird's-eye-view image for each image-data item based on the image-data item so that end portions of the real spaces corresponding to two adjacent bird's-eye-view images overlap each other. The image-composition unit generates a bird's-eye-view-composite image by combining the bird's-eye-view images according to a predetermined layout. The object-detection unit detects an object existing in the real space corresponding to a portion where the bird's-eye-view images of the bird's-eye-composite image are joined to each other. The line-width-setting unit sets the width of the line image corresponding to the joining portion.

Abstract: In one implementation a display apparatus, a display area of a display screen of a display panel is defined by edge portions of a first window formed in a first frame body. The first frame body is formed from a thin synthetic resin sheet and has upper airflow passages and side airflow passages formed therein. An outer communication portion of each of the upper airflow passages and an outer communication portion of each of the side airflow passages are exposed inside holes formed in a second frame body disposed in front of the first frame body. An inner communication portion of the upper airflow passage and an inner communication portion of the side airflow passage are exposed inside the edge portions of a second window of the second frame body. A space formed between the display panel and a cover plate communicates with the outer space via the upper airflow passages and the side airflow passages.

Abstract: The navigation device includes a detour exploring portion configured to explore a detour to avoid a section in which a traffic hazard occurs using map data at a level lower than a predetermined level when a traffic hazard determining portion determines that the traffic hazard occurs on the guidance route, and a display control portion configured to zoom the detour to match a scale of the detour to a currently designated scale, and synthesize and display the detour on a map image. The navigation device maintains the display of the wide area map and synthesizes and additionally displays a detour, for example, to pass through a road such as a narrow street included in a detailed map on the map image such that the user can receive, at a glance, a detour to easily bypass the section in which a traffic hazard occurs.