Abstract: A communication system includes a primary apparatus and a plurality of secondary apparatuses connected in a daisy chain to the primary apparatus. In each of the secondary apparatuses, a detecting unit detects a current. In response to a switching unit being in an on state, the switching unit allows a current from a primary apparatus to be applied to a detecting unit of at least one other secondary apparatus that is positioned further toward the primary apparatus side than own secondary apparatus is. In response to the switching unit being in an off state, the switching unit allows the current from the primary apparatus not to be applied to the detecting unit of the at least one other secondary apparatus and the detecting unit of the own secondary apparatus. A secondary control unit sets an ID of the secondary apparatus based on a detection result of the detecting unit.

Abstract: An object detection apparatus applied to a vehicle having a sensor unit mounted on a predetermined member provided to the vehicle, the sensor unit being provided with an object detection sensor that detects position information of an object present around the vehicle and a tilt sensor that detects a tilt angle as inclination with respect to a predetermined direction, and performing a process of detecting the object based on the position information of the object detected by the object detection sensor, the object detection apparatus comprising a detachment state determination section that determines a detachment state of the predetermined member based on the tilt angle detected by the tilt sensor.

Abstract: A communication system includes a primary apparatus and a plurality of secondary apparatuses connected in a daisy chain to the primary apparatus. In each of the secondary apparatuses, a detecting unit detects a current. In response to a switching unit being in an on state, the switching unit allows a current from a primary apparatus to be applied to a detecting unit of at least one other secondary apparatus that is positioned further toward the primary apparatus side than own secondary apparatus is. In response to the switching unit being in an off state, the switching unit allows the current from the primary apparatus not to be applied to the detecting unit of the at least one other secondary apparatus and the detecting unit of the own secondary apparatus. A secondary control unit sets an ID of the secondary apparatus based on a detection result of the detecting unit.

Abstract: An object detection apparatus applied to a vehicle having a sensor unit mounted on a predetermined member provided to the vehicle, the sensor unit being provided with an object detection sensor that detects position information of an object present around the vehicle and a tilt sensor that detects a tilt angle as inclination with respect to a predetermined direction, and performing a process of detecting the object based on the position information of the object detected by the object detection sensor, the object detection apparatus comprising a detachment state determination section that determines a detachment state of the predetermined member based on the tilt angle detected by the tilt sensor.

Abstract: An installation error detection apparatus of an onboard camera includes: an input portion that receives a photographed image; a storage portion that stores position information of a feature point of the vehicle; a feature point detection portion; a determination portion that determines whether the installation position of the onboard camera is the proper position; and a notification portion that informs installation defect of the onboard camera. The notification portion calculates the installation position of the onboard camera required to minimize the deviation amount and corrects the photographed image by the onboard camera. The notification portion detects the feature point and calculates a similarity degree of the position of the feature point and the position information. The notification portion determines the installation defect of the onboard camera and informs the installation defect. The notification portion determines that a vehicle body is deformed and informs the vehicle body being deformed.

Abstract: An image processing device includes an image input section inputting images taken by a vehicle camera, a calibration target specifying section specifying a calibration target included both in a first image and in a second image, a vehicle information input section inputting information indicating travel distance and orientation change of the vehicle, a calculation section, and a storing control section. The calculation section converts the first and the second images to the first and second bird's-eye view images, respectively, arranges the first and the second birds-eye view images on common coordinate system with consideration of corresponding image taking positions and image taking orientations, and calculates at least one orientation parameter of the camera which minimizes position difference and rotation angle difference between the two calibration targets included in the first and second birds-eye view images. The storing control section stores the orientation parameter in storage.

Abstract: An installation error detection apparatus of an onboard camera includes: an input portion that receives a photographed image; a storage portion that stores position information of a feature point of the vehicle; a feature point detection portion; a determination portion that determines whether the installation position of the onboard camera is the proper position; and a notification portion that informs installation defect of the onboard camera. The notification portion calculates the installation position of the onboard camera required to minimize the deviation amount and corrects the photographed image by the onboard camera. The notification portion detects the feature point and calculates a similarity degree of the position of the feature point and the position information. The notification portion determines the installation defect of the onboard camera and informs the installation defect. The notification portion determines that a vehicle body is deformed and informs the vehicle body being deformed.

Abstract: An image processing device includes an image input section inputting images taken by a vehicle camera, a calibration target specifying section specifying a calibration target included both in a first image and in a second image, a vehicle information input section inputting information indicating travel distance and orientation change of the vehicle, a calculation section, and a storing control section. The calculation section converts the first and the second images to the first and second bird's-eye view images, respectively, arranges the first and the second birds-eye view images on common coordinate system with consideration of corresponding image taking positions and image taking orientations, and calculates at least one orientation parameter of the camera which minimizes position difference and rotation angle difference between the two calibration targets included in the first and second birds-eye view images. The storing control section stores the orientation parameter in storage.

Abstract: A vehicle surrounding image display control device includes: a vehicle surrounding image acquisition device; a bird's-eye view image creating device; a division storage device storing A and B bird's-eye view images; a shadow determination device; a vehicle movement amount calculation device; a first history image configuration device updating a C bird's-eye view image with the B bird's-eye view image, and updating a B history bird's-eye view image with the A bird's-eye view image when the shadow is not present in the B bird's-eye view image; a second history image configuration device updating the C bird's-eye view image using the B history bird's-eye view image, and updating the B history bird's-eye view image using the A bird's-eye view image when the shadow is present in the B bird's-eye view image; and a display control device.

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 obstacle detection device for detecting an obstacle includes: a transmitting and receiving element for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave; an amplifier for amplifying a received signal corresponding to a received ultrasonic wave; and a gain controller for controlling a gain of the amplifier The gain controller increases the gain with time elapsed from a transmission time when the transmitting and receiving element transmits the ultrasonic wave. The gain controller starts to increase the gain at a rising time when reverberation caused by the transmitted ultrasonic wave is disappeared.

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: Each of plural detection units performs a signal transmission-reception operation responding to at least one of a plurality of kinds of operation timing signals repeated at a predetermined periodicity. The number of continuous reception times of the reflection signal is counted and used to determine obstacle detection when the number of counts is larger than or equal to a predetermined value. The transmission-reception operations are controlled by an operation timing signal having a periodicity shorter than the predetermined periodicity.

Abstract: In an apparatus for detecting a distance and improving the SN ratio of received signals, an angular frequency (?1) of sinusoidal wave signals generated by a sinusoidal wave generator is brought into synchronism with an angular frequency (?) of burst pulse signals, and signals received by a transmitter/receiver microphone are orthogonally demodulated by using sinusoidal wave signals of the synchronized angular frequency. A microcomputer adds up the vectors of the demodulated signals for only a period of time equal to a section of transmitting the transmission waves from the transmitter/receiver microphone. A distance to a body is detected by using the received signals of which the vectors are added up.

Abstract: A vehicle-surroundings monitor apparatus according is provided with a sensor having a transmission/reception means for transmitting an ultrasonic wave to surroundings of a vehicle and receiving a reflected ultrasonic wave from the surroundings, a transmission circuit for generating an ultrasonic wave to be transmitted from the transmission/reception means, and a reception-processing means for processing an ultrasonic wave received by the transmission/reception means, and a control means for supplying a power-supply voltage to the sensor. A power-supply voltage supplied by the control means to the sensor is split into a power-supply voltage to be supplied to the transmission circuit and a power-supply voltage to be supplied to the reception-processing means.

Abstract: An obstacle detection device for a vehicle notifies the driver of an obstacle approaching rapidly in the rear side by sound when a detected velocity of the obstacle relative to the vehicle is larger than a threshold velocity. It does not notify the driver of the obstacle by sound when the detected relative velocity is smaller than the threshold velocity.

Abstract: A plurality of ultrasonic sensors is provided in both front and rear bumpers of a vehicle to detect obstacles around the vehicle. Each sensor sets up a transmission frequency of an ultrasonic pulse signal that should be set up in a frequency adjustment circuit and a center frequency in filter processing in a filter circuit in response to a frequency setting frame transmitted from an EMU. The EMU stores a combination of the transmission frequency and the center frequency for each ultrasonic sensor.

Abstract: An obstacle detection device has detection units, each of which performs a signal transmission-reception operation for sending detection signal to a detection area allotted thereto and receiving reflection signal from the detection area, an operation control unit for controlling the detection unit so that the detection unit performs the signal transmission-reception operation responding to at least one of a plurality of kinds of operation timing signals repeated at a predetermined periodicity, and a determination unit which counts a number of continuous reception times of the reflection signal of the detection unit and determines an obstacle detection in the detection area when the number of the continuous reception times thereof is larger than or equal to a predetermined value.

Abstract: A pair of distance measurement sensors provided at different heights measures distances to an obstruction. When the measured distances are shorter than a threshold distance, the height of the vehicle is found based on the measured distances. When the height of the vehicle is found greater than a threshold height, the existence of the obstruction is reported to the driver. When the height of the vehicle is found smaller than the threshold height, on the other hand, a change in obstruction height is found and compared with a threshold. When the change in obstruction height is greater than the threshold, the existence of the obstruction is reported to the driver since the height is determined to be an unreliable result of computation.

Abstract: An obstacle detection device for a vehicle notifies the driver of an obstacle approaching rapidly in the rear side by sound when a detected velocity of the obstacle relative to the vehicle is larger than a threshold velocity. It does not notify the driver of the obstacle by sound when the detected relative velocity is smaller than the threshold velocity.