Abstract: A wakefulness-maintaining device capable of maintaining a driver's wakefulness by making the driver aware of changes in sound characteristics.

Abstract: A measurement-target-selecting device that is capable of estimating a face shape with high precision and at low computational time. In this device, a face texture assessment value calculating part (103) calculates a face texture assessment value representing a degree of match between an input face image and the texture of a face shape candidate, a facial-expression-change-likelihood-calculating part (104) calculates a first likelihood between a face shape constituting a reference and a face shape candidate, a correlation assessment part (105); calculates a first correlation assessment value representing the strength of a correlation between the face texture assessment value and the first likelihood, and a selection part (107) selects from among the plurality of face shape candidates as a measurement target a face shape candidate having a first correlation assessment value that is lower than a first threshold.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a safety driving support apparatus capable of detecting a dangerous moving object with high accuracy at quick timing.

Abstract: A wakefulness-maintaining device capable of maintaining a driver's wakefulness by making the driver aware of changes in sound characteristics.

Abstract: A drowsiness-estimating device capable of improving the precision of drowsiness estimation by eliminating the effect of individual differences. In the device, a recurrence required time-calculating part (103) calculates the recurrence required time, which is the time needed, after a detection time when an action is detected, for a drowsiness estimation parameter value acquired after the detection time to return to the value of the drowsiness estimation parameter acquired before the detection time. A drowsiness-estimating part (104) estimates the level of drowsiness of the drowsiness-estimation subject on the basis of the calculated recurrence required time. To be specific, the drowsiness-estimating part (104) maintains a drowsiness level-estimating table in which each of multiple time ranges is correlated with a possible drowsiness level, and specifies a possible drowsiness level that corresponds to the time range, among the multiple time ranges, with which the recurrence required time is associated.

Abstract: A detection device capable of reliably detecting an object to be detected. An intersection region pattern setting unit (106) sets a configuration pattern of a first intersection region pattern group in sequence for each unit image pair. Each intersection region pattern is defined by set image information which denotes locations and sizes of regions (where n is a natural number greater than 1) within respective unit images (e.g., unit image plane coordinates), as well as whether each region is set within either or both of a first unit image and a second unit image. A detection unit (108) detects the object to be detected, based on a total feature value relating to each configuration pattern of the first intersection region pattern group, computed by a feature value computation unit (107), and a strong identification apparatus configured from a plurality of weak identification apparatuses and stored in an identification apparatus storage unit (112).

Abstract: Provided are an awakened-state maintaining apparatus and an awakened-state maintaining method that maintain an awakened-state of a driver. In the awakened-state maintaining apparatus (100), a visual-stimulation control unit (107) calculates an initial displaying position that is in accordance with the product of initial setup time and detected vehicle speed. A displaying means displays on the initial displaying position a visual stimulation image pertaining to a visual-stimulation virtual object that will evoke an awakened-state, and also updates the visual stimulation image using a visual effect wherein the visual-stimulation virtual object is displayed so as to seemingly approach the vehicle at the detected speed, in accordance with the time elapsed since the visual stimulation image was first displayed.

Abstract: A traveling information providing device is provided in which a surrounding information corrector acquires surrounding information on the condition surrounding a vehicle equipped with the device. An object extractor extracts a safety confirmation object the safety of which must be confirmed by a driver from the surrounding information acquired by the surrounding information collector. A line-of-sight detector detects a line-of-sight direction of the driver. A visibility calculator receives the extracted safety confirmation object and the line-of-sight direction of the driver and calculates visibility in consideration of the driver's peripheral vision with respect to the safety confirmation object according to the distance or the angle from the driver's line-of-sight direction to the object. An information presenter presents safety confirmation to the driver depending on the calculated visibility.

Abstract: A dangerous drive predicting apparatus is provided which is capable of rapidly recognizing a future situation of the own vehicle by other vehicles. The dangerous drive predicting apparatus is equipped with: drive information detecting section 110 for detecting drive information containing at least one of a drive action and vehicle information; traffic environment detecting section 120 for detecting a traffic environment around a first vehicle; driving characteristic producing/storing section 130 for producing and storing a driving characteristic every traffic environment based upon the drive information and the traffic environment; and a driving characteristic transmitting section for transmitting the driving characteristic to a second vehicle.

Abstract: A roadside apparatus is connected to a roadside network and an in-vehicle apparatus which carries out wireless data transfer with the roadside apparatus, and it is equipped with a specifying unit for specifying an in-vehicle apparatus by associating an IP address which was assigned with respect to each in-vehicle apparatus, and an in-vehicle apparatus identifier other than an IP address. By this configuration, between the roadside apparatus and the in-vehicle apparatus, enabled is data communication which utilized an IP series communication protocol for specifying an in-vehicle apparatus by use of an IP address which was assigned with respect to each in-vehicle apparatus, and a non-IP series communication protocol for specifying an in-vehicle apparatus by use of LID.

Abstract: An illumination apparatus for vehicle capable of improving visibility of a driver with respect to an object of traffic environment of the periphery of a vehicle is provided. A vehicle periphery detection section 2 detects a pedestrian, a bicycle, an oncoming car, a forward running car, a sign, an indication and a traffic signal which are an object of traffic environment in the periphery of a vehicle. A vehicle operation detection section 3 acquires a speed of its own vehicle, a steering angle of steering and information about inclination (angular speed sensor) of the vehicle. An illumination section 4 irradiates the periphery of its own vehicle and the front of its own vehicle with light. A color estimation section 15 estimates a color of the object of the traffic environment detected by the vehicle periphery detection section 2. A light toning section 13 changes all or any of illuminance, luminance and color temperature K (kelvin) of the light according to the color of the object of traffic environment.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a safety driving support apparatus capable of detecting a dangerous moving object with high accuracy at quick timing.

Abstract: Traveling information providing device for ensuring the safety of a traveling vehicle by correctly judging the driver's recognition of a safety confirmation object through not only driver's attentive viewing of the safety confirmation object but also his or her viewing of the surroundings. A surrounding information collecting section (120) acquires surrounding information on the condition surrounding the vehicle equipped with the device. An object extracting section (130) extracts a safety confirmation object the safety of which must be confirmed by the driver from the surrounding information acquired by the surrounding information collecting section (120). A line-of-sight detecting section (110) detects the line-of-sight direction of the driver.

Abstract: A dangerous drive predicting apparatus is provided which is capable of rapidly recognizing a future situation of the own vehicle by other vehicles. The dangerous drive predicting apparatus is equipped with: drive information detecting section 110 for detecting drive information containing at least one of a drive action and vehicle information; traffic environment detecting section 120 for detecting a traffic environment around a first vehicle; driving characteristic producing/storing section 130 for producing and storing a driving characteristic every traffic environment based upon the drive information and the traffic environment; and a driving characteristic transmitting section for transmitting the driving characteristic to a second vehicle.

Abstract: A roadside apparatus is connected to a roadside network and an in-vehicle apparatus which carries out wireless data transfer with the roadside apparatus, and it is equipped with a specifying unit for specifying an in-vehicle apparatus by associating an IP address which was assigned with respect to each in-vehicle apparatus, and an in-vehicle apparatus identifier other than an IP address. By this configuration, between the roadside apparatus and the in-vehicle apparatus, enabled is data communication which utilized an IP series communication protocol for specifying an in-vehicle apparatus by use of an IP address which was assigned with respect to each in-vehicle apparatus, and a non-IP series communication protocol for specifying an in-vehicle apparatus by use of LID.