Abstract: An object recognition apparatus that can recognize an object in an image acquired by an on-vehicle camera mounted on a vehicle with high efficiency and accuracy. A recognition processing is carried out in a cut off range, which is cut off from the image, and in which an object to be recognized is supposed to be present. The cut off range is obtained using support information supplied from a position detection device and/or an anti-lock brake device of the vehicle. Since the object in the image changes its position as the vehicle moves, the displacement must be estimated during the object recognition. The estimation requires camera attitude parameters of the on-vehicle camera with respect to the road, and the estimation is performed using support information supplied from the position detection device and/of the anti-lock brake device. This will improve the efficiency and accuracy of obtaining the camera attitude parameters.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is an apparatus mounted on a vehicle for assisting a vehicle driver in carefully driving. The apparatus comprises data obtaining means for obtaining vehicle movement data indicative of a movement of the vehicle, estimating means for estimating a current location of the vehicle on the basis of the vehicle movement data obtained by the data obtaining means, information providing means for providing the vehicle driver with guide information as to the current location of the vehicle estimated by the estimating means, and judging means for judging whether travel of the vehicle is anomalous or not, on the basis of the vehicle movement data obtained by the obtaining means. The information providing means is operated to provide the vehicle driver with attention information that the travel of the vehicle is anomalous when the judging means judges that the travel of the vehicle is anomalous.

Abstract: A mobile run management system includes a detector provided along a course for movement of mobiles for detecting the positions of mobiles running in a prescribed range of the course, a determiner for determining the distance between the mobiles in the prescribed range, and a transmitter for detecting that the determined distance between the mobiles is smaller than a prescribed value and selectively transmitting a signal for a warning to the second mobile following the first mobile. The second mobile can perform a prescribed operation for keeping a proper distance between the same and the first mobile in response to the signal for a warning. Preferably, the system further includes a device for changing the prescribed value compared with the determined distance between the mobiles in the transmitter. Proper run management can be made in response to the speeds of the mobiles by changing the prescribed value.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is an apparatus mounted on a vehicle for assisting a vehicle driver in carefully driving. The apparatus comprises data obtaining means for obtaining vehicle movement data indicative of a movement of the vehicle, estimating means for estimating a current location of the vehicle on the basis of the vehicle movement data obtained by the data obtaining means, information providing means for providing the vehicle driver with guide information as to the current location of the vehicle estimated by the estimating means, and judging means for judging whether travel of the vehicle is anomalous or not, on the basis of the vehicle movement data obtained by the obtaining means. The information providing means is operated to provide the vehicle driver with attention information that the travel of the vehicle is anomalous when the judging means judges that the travel of the vehicle is anomalous.

Abstract: An object recognition apparatus that can recognize an object in an image acquired by an on-vehicle camera mounted on a vehicle with high efficiency and accuracy. A recognition processing is carried out in a cut off range, which is cut off from the image, and in which an object to be recognized is supposed to be present. The cut off range is obtained using support information supplied from a position detection device and/or an anti-lock brake device of the vehicle. Since the object in the image changes its position as the vehicle moves, the displacement must be estimated during the object recognition. The estimation requires camera attitude parameters of the on-vehicle camera with respect to the road, and the estimation is performed using support information supplied from the position detection device and/of the anti-lock brake device. This will improve the efficiency and accuracy of obtaining the camera attitude parameters.

Abstract: An object recognition apparatus that can recognize an object in an image acquired by an on-vehicle camera mounted on a vehicle with high efficiency and accuracy. A recognition processing is carried out in a cut off range, which is cut off from the image, and in which an object to be recognized is supposed to be present. The cut off range is obtained using support information supplied from a position detection device and/or an anti-lock brake device of the vehicle. Since the object in the image changes its position as the vehicle moves, the displacement must be estimated during the object recognition. The estimation requires camera attitude parameters of the on-vehicle camera with respect to the road, and the estimation is performed using support information supplied from the position detection device and/of the anti-lock brake device. This will improve the efficiency and accuracy of obtaining the camera attitude parameters.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for producing an animation having a series of road drawings to be watched from a driver's seat of a vehicle during a travel between two predetermined positions in a road map. The road drawings are formed on the basis of road data indicative of roads and obtained through three-dimensional computer graphics. Road map data indicative of the road map are stored in a road map data base device and includes node data indicative of nodes formed by intersections, corners and ends of the roads, link data indicative of links each connecting two of the nodes to define a road segment and road width data indicative of the widths of the road segments. The road map data covering a travel route between the predetermined positions are selected by a calculator from the road map data base device. The road data are calculated by the calculator on the basis of the selected road map data to produce the animation in such a manner that the roads are three-dimensionally shown in the road drawings.

Abstract: An optimum route determination apparatus comprises a plurality of specific points selected from a road map on the basis of a fixed criterion, and an optimum route leading to each destination in which one of the specific points is a departure point and which has been calculated in advance. A route memory has a route table in which data of an initial route leading from the one of the specific points to at least the next specific point through which the optimum route passes are stored in correspondence with the each destination and the one of the specific points. An initialization unit is provided for setting a destination, a specific point near to a vehicle's current location, and specific points along the optimum route. An initial route acquisition unit is provided for retrieving the route table to acquire the data of the initial route in accordance with the destination and the specific point set by the initialization unit.

Abstract: A vehicle location detecting system comprising:a heading sensor for detecting changes in the heading of a vehicle as it moves over streets;a distance sensor for detecting distances traveled by the vehicle;a road map memory for storing a map data base;location detecting unit for detecting a first estimated location of the vehicle; andcorrection arithmetic unit for calculating a second estimated location of the vehicle from the distances detected by the distance sensor and the changes in the heading detected by the heading sensor, for detecting an optimum vehicle location of the vehicle by calculating a degree of similarity between the second estimated location and the map data base obtained from road map memory, for calculating a first probability area of the first estimated location including an actual location of the vehicle and a second probability area of the optimum vehicle location including an actual location of the vehicle, and for correcting the second estimated location with the aid of the first esti

Abstract: A calibration apparatus of an angular-velocity detection sensor for detecting a heading of a vehicle which is used in a self-contained navigational system, comprising an angular-velocity detection unit for calculating an angular velocity from an output signal of the angular-velocity detection sensor; an integration unit for calculating a current heading of the vehicle by integrating the angular velocity and by adding the integrated angular velocity to the previous heading of the vehicle; a location and heading detection unit which estimates a location of the vehicle from the current heading calculated by the integration unit, a heading obtained by a magnetic sensor and from a distance obtained by a distance sensor and which compares the estimated location with road network data obtained from a road map memory to obtain an estimated heading of the vehicle; and a heading correction unit for calculating a difference between the heading of the integration unit and the heading of the location and heading detection

Abstract: A location detecting method for detecting the location of a vehicle within a predetermined area, comprising the steps of: outputting distance data at every predetermined interval, the distance data being representative of the distance that a vehicle has travelled; outputting heading angle data at every predetermined interval, the heading angle data being representative of the heading angle change of vehicle travel; storing road map data representative of roads; computing a present location data from the distance data and the heading angle data; computing a first limit error (E1) and a second limit error (E2) of the present location data which are determined on the basis of errors in the distance data, in the heading angle data and in the road map data; registering locations on the roads, which roads are located within the first limit error (E1) of the present location data, as estimate locations; computing correlation coefficients respectively corresponding to the registered estimate locations; selecting a co

Abstract: In a location detecting apparatus which detects the location of a moving body on the basis of the heading signal from a terrestrial magnetism heading sensor attached to the moving body and the rotational angle signal from a rotational angle sensor attached to the moving body, a correcting method for correcting errors in a terrestrial magnetism heading sensor, comprising the steps of: detecting the amount of a heading change of the moving body that is made when the moving body turns a curve, and detecting a magnetized amount of the moving body on the basis of the detected amount of a heading change, an output from the terrestrial magnetism heading sensor before the heading change is made and an output from the terrestrial magnetism heading sensor after the heading change is made.

Abstract: A vehicle location detecting method for detecting the location of a vehicle within a predetermined area, comprising the steps of: outputting distance data at every predetermined interval, the distance data being representative of the distance that a vehicle has traveled, outputting heading angle data at every predetermined interval, the heading angle data being representative of the heading angle change of vehicle travel, storing road map data representative of roadways, computing a present location data from the distance data and the heading angle data, and a limit error of the present location data which is determined by errors in the distance data, in the heading angle data and in the road map data, and registering locations on the roadways, which roadways are located within the limit error of the present location data, as estimate locations, computing correlation coefficients corresponding to the registered estimate locations, and selecting a correlation coefficient whose error is smallest with respect to