Abstract: The present invention provides a self-heating fuser roller including a tubular resistor layer that generates heat by being supplied with electricity, in which the resistor layer has a plurality of slits. The slits are preferably disposed at regular intervals in a circumferential direction. The slits preferably extend in an axial direction. Preferably, the slits are not provided on both end edges in an axial direction. The slits preferably have an average width of 50 ?m or more and 2 mm or less. The slits preferably have an average interval of 30 ?m or more and 1 mm or less. The slits are preferably filled with a resin composition. The resistor layer preferably includes a resin matrix and a plurality of electrically conductive particles contained in the resin matrix.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit, a unit holder, and circuitry is provided. The image forming unit includes a color toner unit, a replaceable black toner unit, and a replaceable special toner unit that form a color toner image, a black toner image, and a special toner image, respectively. The unit holder selectively and detachably holds the replaceable black toner unit or the replaceable special toner unit. The circuitry controls the image forming unit to perform: a normal operation, when the unit holder holds the replaceable black toner unit, that forms a color-black image; a special operation, when the unit holder holds the replaceable special toner unit, that forms a color-special image; and a toner amount increase control that increases an amount of the color toner per unit area in the color toner image in the special operation than that in the normal operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit containing a special recording material and circuitry configured to control the image forming unit to form a hardly visible image on a recording medium with the special recording material. The hardly visible image is formed of a halftone dot image comprising isolated dots in a number smaller than that of isolated dots forming a visible image having the same image area ratio as the hardly visible image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit, a fixing device, and circuitry is provided. The image forming unit is configured to perform a special image forming operation that forms a color toner image and a special toner image with a color toner and a special toner, respectively, on a recording medium and a normal image forming operation that forms the color toner image without forming the special toner image on the recording medium. The fixing device is configured to fix the color toner image and the special toner image on the recording medium. The circuitry is configured to perform, in the special image forming operation, a toner amount suppression control that makes an amount of the color toner on the recording medium per unit area smaller than that in the normal image forming operation.

Abstract: A projector includes a light modulation device; a projection lens; a hermetic housing; a projector housing containing the hermetic housing; a heat exchanger; an air guide wall being located in the hermetic housing and partitioning the air guide passage from a main space containing the light modulation device, the air guide wall including: a communication part adjoining the heat exchanger and providing communication between the air guide passage and the main space, and an opening functioning as an inlet for guiding air from the main space into the air guide passage after the air has passed through the heat exchanger; and a fan located at the inlet so as to introduce the air in the main space into the air guide passage, to guide the air in the air guide passage to the communication part, and to blow the air from the communication part to the heat exchanger.

Abstract: An optical member having a concentric diffraction surface facing the outside, wherein the projection having a inclined surface concentric to the diffraction surface having an angle of inclination ? smaller than the angle of inclination ? is provided outside the diffraction surface having the largest ?, so that an interference of a cutting tool is avoided, and simultaneously, deterioration of a surface roughness may be restrained.

Abstract: An alert control apparatus includes a first obtaining unit that obtains first information about a gaze or face orientation of a driver, a distracted driving determiner that outputs a detection signal when detecting distracted driving, a second obtaining unit that obtains second information indicating whether an intersection is recognized, a third obtaining unit that obtains third information about a change in a vehicle traveling direction, an alert disabling unit that outputs a disabling signal disabling the detection signal in response to the intersection recognized and the traveling direction change detected, and an alert controller that outputs an instruction signal for an alert device to generate an alert in response to the detection signal output without the disabling signal, and outputs no instruction signal in response to the detection signal output with the disabling signal.

Abstract: Distracted driving determination reflects changes in a vehicle traveling direction. A distracted driving determination apparatus includes a first obtaining unit that obtains first information indicating a driver's gaze or face orientation, a first determiner that determines whether the driver is engaging in distracted driving based on the gaze or face orientation indicated by the first information and a determination condition for detecting distracted driving, a second obtaining unit that obtains second information indicating a change in a traveling direction of a vehicle with respect to a straight traveling direction of the vehicle, a second determiner that determines whether the vehicle is traveling straight or traveling rightward or leftward based on the second information, and a condition changer that sets the determination condition to a first condition when the vehicle is traveling straight, and to a second condition different from the first condition when the vehicle is traveling rightward or leftward.

Abstract: The accuracy is improved for distracted driving determination performed when the vehicle changes the traveling direction. A distracted driving determination apparatus includes a first obtaining unit that obtains first information indicating a gaze or a face orientation of a driver, a second obtaining unit that obtains second information indicating an operational state of a direction indicator, and a determiner that determines distracted driving by comparing the gaze or the face orientation indicated by the first information with a predetermined criterion indicating a direction or a duration that varies depending on the operational state indicated by the second information.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus whereby the detection accuracy of a visual line direction of a driver can be improved, comprises an image acquiring part for acquiring an image including a face of a driver of a vehicle, a detecting part for detecting a visual line direction of the driver in the image acquired by the image acquiring part, an accumulating part for accumulating detection results by the detecting part, and a reference determining part for determining a reference of the visual line direction for the driver, using the detection results accumulated in the accumulating part.

Abstract: Distracted driving determination reflects changes in the traveling direction of the vehicle.

Abstract: If an alert to distracted driving is disabled, the driver can be alerted insufficiently in situations that take attention. An alert control apparatus (300) includes data obtaining units (41 to 43) that obtain sensing data (a to j) from sensors (6 to 15), a railroad crossing recognizer (44) that recognizes a railroad crossing in front of a vehicle based on the sensing data, and a crossing entry determiner (45) that determines whether the vehicle has entered the railroad crossing based on the sensing data, and a criterion changer (46) that sets, for an area defined in front of the vehicle, a determination criterion defined for causing a distracted driving alert device (200) to generate an alert in response to detection of the vehicle entering the railroad crossing.

Abstract: An alert to distracted driving may adversely lower the attention of the driver. An alert control apparatus (300) includes data obtaining units (41 to 43) that obtain sensing data (a to j) from sensors (6 to 15), a railroad crossing recognizer (44) that recognizes a position of a railroad crossing relative to a vehicle based on the sensing data, and a crossing entry determiner (45) that determines whether the vehicle has entered the railroad crossing based on the sensing data, and an alert controller (48) that restricts generation of an alert to distracted driving from a distracted driving alert device (200) while the vehicle is passing the railroad crossing.

Abstract: A driver driving a vehicle is easily determined. A first determiner compares first statistical information, which is statistical information about a retention direction in which a driver looking straight ahead retains his or her face or gaze with respect to a forward direction of a vehicle calculated by a first calculator, from first sensing data output from a first sensor and including an image of a driver of a vehicle and stored in a storage, with second statistical information, which is statistical information about the retention direction for the current vehicle driver calculated similarly by the first calculator, and determines, when finding first statistical information approximate to the second statistical information, the current vehicle driver as a driver associated with the approximate first statistical information.

Abstract: To alert a driver looking in one direction for a relatively long time when changing the vehicle traveling direction, an apparatus includes a data obtaining unit, which obtains sensing data, a gaze direction detector, which detects a driver gaze direction, a gaze direction determiner, which determines distracted driving based on whether the gaze direction deviates by at least a predetermined angle from a traveling direction, and the deviation continues for at least a predetermined allowable duration allowing distracted driving, an alert controller, which outputs a signal instructing to generate an alert, a traveling direction determiner, which detects a change in the traveling direction, and a duration changer, which shortens the allowable duration in response to an intersection being recognized and a change detected in the traveling direction.

Abstract: To enable monitoring of both the direction and the level of attention being paid by a vehicle driver, a driver monitoring apparatus uses a detector to detect the attention direction of the driver based on monitoring data output from a first sensor, uses a calculator to repeatedly calculate, at every deviation calculation time, a deviation (e.g., standard deviation) of the attention direction during a deviation calculation duration, and uses a determiner to determine the direction and the level of attention being paid by the driver based on the calculated deviation.

Abstract: On a vehicle traveling on a downward slope, a driver's intentional checking is erroneously determined to be distracted driving, thus generating an alert. An apparatus includes an image data obtaining unit that obtains image data about a driver, a distracted driving determiner that determines distracted driving based on a face orientation and gaze of the driver captured in the image data and a determination criterion, a traveling state obtaining unit that obtains traveling state data about the vehicle, a traveling state determiner that determines whether the vehicle is traveling downward based on the traveling state data, and a criterion changer that changes, when the vehicle is determined to be traveling downward, the determination criterion for an upward face orientation and the gaze of the driver from a value used when the vehicle is determined not to be traveling downward.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus whereby the detection accuracy of a face direction of a driver of a vehicle can be improved, comprises an image acquiring part for acquiring an image including a face of a driver of a vehicle, a detecting part for detecting a face direction of the driver in the image acquired by the image acquiring part, an information acquiring part for acquiring information concerning a traveling condition of the vehicle, a first deciding part for deciding whether the vehicle is in a specified traveling condition based on the information acquired by the information acquiring part, and a reference determining part for determining a reference of the face direction of the driver based on the face direction of the driver while the vehicle is decided to be in the specified traveling condition by the first deciding part.

Abstract: An alert may not be generated at railroad crossings. An alert control apparatus (300) includes data obtaining units (41 to 43) that obtain sensing data (a to j) from sensors (6 to 15), a railroad crossing recognizer (44) that recognizes the position of a railroad crossing relative to a vehicle based on the sensing data, and a criterion changer (46) that changes, based on the recognition result, a determination criterion used by a distracted driving alert device (200) to generate an alert to distracted driving to a criterion with which the alert is more likely to be generated while the vehicle is passing the railroad crossing than at other times.

Abstract: Accurate driver state determination achieving safety is enabled without being affected by differences between individual drivers. A driver state determination apparatus for determining a driver state, such as distracted driving, includes a calculator that determines a direction of a vehicle driver's face or gaze based on first sensing data output from a first sensor and including an image of the driver, and calculates statistical information about a direction in which the driver looking straight ahead retains his or her gaze with respect to a forward direction of a vehicle. A correction unit corrects the determined face or gaze direction of the driver with respect to a reference direction defined as the forward direction of the vehicle based on the statistical information. A determiner determines a driver state based on a deviation of the corrected face or gaze direction of the driver from the reference direction.