Abstract: A fuel-consumption projecting apparatus estimates fuel consumption by a vehicle for a given interval. A projecting unit uses a first equation to project the fuel consumption before the vehicle begins travel along the given interval. An estimating unit uses a second equation that sets acceleration during travel as a variable, to estimate fuel consumption occurring during travel. A correcting unit corrects the first equation, based on the fuel consumption projected by the projecting unit and the fuel consumption estimated by the estimating unit.

Abstract: First, an extracting unit extracts chord progression of a tune to be reproduced. Then, a timing detector detects the timing of variation of the chord progression extracted by the extracting unit. Subsequently, an add-tone reproducing unit combines an add-tone with the tune to be reproduced according to the timing detected by the timing detector. The add-tone reproducing unit can also move a sound image to reproduce the tune or reproduce the tune as an arpeggio.

Abstract: A dummy sound generating apparatus includes a dummy sound information storage unit that stores one or more dummy sounds, and an outer generating unit that generates one of the one or more dummy sounds outside of the vehicle upon reception of a dummy sound generation instruction signal. The dummy sound generating apparatus also includes a generation place information storage unit that stores information on a place where a dummy sound is to be generated a current position information acquiring unit that acquires information on a current position of the vehicle, and a control unit that outputs a dummy sound generation instruction signal to the outer generating unit when the current position acquired by the current position information acquiring unit matches with information on a place stored in the generation place information storage unit.

Abstract: A drunken driving prevention device having an alcohol sensor and being mounted on a vehicle including an automobile includes a judging element for judging whether inspection for detecting alcohol via the alcohol sensor should be performed or not based on predetermined conditions when the vehicle is started. The drunken driving prevention device further includes an element for performing the inspection via the alcohol sensor when the judging element judges to perform inspection, and a control element for disabling operation of the vehicle if alcohol is detected as a result of the inspection.

Abstract: First, an extracting unit extracts chord progression of a tune to be reproduced. Then, a timing detector detects the timing of variation of the chord progression extracted by the extracting unit. Subsequently, an add-tone reproducing unit combines an add-tone with the tune to be reproduced according to the timing detected by the timing detector. The add-tone reproducing unit can also move a sound image to reproduce the tune or reproduce the tune as an arpeggio.

Abstract: The reliability of detection of a driver's mental state in a vehicle in a driving state is enhanced without impairing operation stability of driving action of the vehicle. There are provided an imaging section 11 and a heart rate sensor 12 that serve as a plurality of detection means for detecting a driver's state; an appearance determination section 13 for determining a driver's appearance from detection results from the imaging section 11 and the heart rate sensor 12; and a mental state determination section 15 for determining a driver's mental state from the detection results from the imaging section 11 and the heart rate sensor 12. A switching section 14 switches the outputs from the imaging section 11 and the heart rate sensor 12 to an output from the mental state determination section 15 on the basis of a determination result from the appearance determination section 13.

Abstract: One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an system which can detects degradation in a driving mental state of a driver, that is, sleepiness, fatigue, fret, and so on during driving of a vehicle and notifies the driver of the degradation to encourage safe driving and can reproduce sound such as music matching the taste of the user such as a driver while maintaining awakening of the driver of a mobile unit.

Abstract: A speaker-embeddable seat includes a first speaker that outputs low-frequency sound and is arranged in a seat, and a second speaker that outputs middle-frequency to high-frequency sound and is arranged in a backrest at a position near ears of a seated person. The first speaker is acoustically coupled to a position near ears of a seated person through a duct extending in the backrest, so that low-frequency sound output from the woofer is transmitted to the position. The first speaker, the second speaker, and a front speaker arranged anterior to the speaker-embeddable seat form a sound field. Audio signals that are to be output from the front speaker and the second speaker are subjected to reverberation processing and frequency characteristic conversion so that a sound image is localized anterior to the head of a seated person.

Abstract: In a bio-information detecting apparatus, whether detection of heartbeats by a steering wheel sensor is possible is judged. When it is judged that the detection by the steering wheel sensor is impossible, whether detection of heartbeats by an installed-in-seat sensor is possible is judged. In this judgment, a judgment based on an output from an acceleration sensor and a judgment based on a heart-rate fluctuation range obtained from an output from the steering wheel sensor are executed.

Abstract: A heart-rate measuring apparatus is provided a database, acquisition unit, production unit, search unit, cross-correlation processing unit, and calculation unit. In the database, one or more sets of electrocardiogram (ECG) waveform data, serving as reference waveform data, of persons being examined are stored in advance. The acquisition unit acquires a heartbeat signal from a person being examined. The production unit produces ECG waveform data based on the acquired heartbeat signal. On the basis of the produced ECG waveform data, the search unit searches the database for reference waveform data of the person. The cross-correlation processing unit performs cross-correlation processing between the produced ECG waveform data and the searched reference waveform data, and the calculation unit calculates the heart rate based on the cross-correlated ECG waveform data using values of R-R intervals of the waveform.

Abstract: A mobile communication device which selects one of a plurality of radio transmitting/receiving devices different at least in data communication speed from one another in accordance with the type of data to be transmitted or received, and controls a data communication by the selected one radio transmitting/receiving device.

Abstract: A navigation system for a movable body is provided with: a current position detection device (2) for detecting a current position of a movable body; a map information presentation device (3) for presenting map information corresponding to the detected current position; a route condition information presentation device (4) for presenting route condition information indicating a current condition of a route on which the movable body is driving; and a driving route presentation device (6) for performing a presentation indicating that the movable body can overtake, in case that the movable body on the route can overtake on the basis of the presented map information and the presented route condition information.

Abstract: While detecting a missing section from a biological signal acquired from a human body and while storing the biological signal values obtained at n (where n is a natural number) consecutive points in time, weighted addition is conducted on the biological signal values obtained at n points in time. In outputting its result as a final biological signal, the biological signal value at each of points in time included in the missing section is changed to an average value of the biological signal values at points in time which are not in the missing section.

Abstract: A heart-rate variability analysis apparatus comprises an electrocardiogram information detecting unit, heart-rate signal calculating unit, breathing signal calculating unit, and heart-rate-variability information providing unit. Of these, the electrocardiogram information detecting unit detects electrocardiogram information about an object to be diagnosed. The heart-rate signal calculating unit calculates a heart rate signal indicative of a heart rate of the object from the electrocardiogram information. The breathing signal calculating unit calculates, from the heart rate signal, a breathing signal in which a breathing state of the object is reflected. The heart-rate-variability information providing unit provides variability information of the heart rate of the object in which the breathing state of the object is reflected, on the basis of both of the heart rate signal and the breathing signal. Thus, the heart-rate fluctuations can be measure with higher-precision.

Abstract: A driver mental condition information system in which physiological data of the driver of a vehicle is detected and the mental condition of the driver is calculated as a mental condition evaluation value in accordance with the physiological data, thereby indicating the mental condition of the driver, using the mental condition evaluation value along with a threshold value.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for detecting biological information for accurately detecting biological information such as a heart rate from a driver of an automobile or the like. The invention uses an apparatus for detecting biological information 10 including a control wheel 1 to be gripped by a driver of an automobile who is a subject of biological information, an electrode 41 on the right side and an electrode 42 on the left side that are provided in the control wheel 1, and an AC differential amplifier 6 that is connected to the electrodes 41 and 42. A sum of a resistance R1 between the electrode 41 on the right side and the AC differential amplifier 6 and electrode impedances r1 and C1 between a hand 51 of the driver gripping the control wheel 1 and the electrode 41 is set to 1/100 or less of an input impedance Z1 in the AC differential amplifier 6, and the same setting is performed for the electrode 42 on the left side, whereby the above-described subject is attained.

Abstract: A dummy sound generating apparatus includes a dummy sound information storage unit that stores one or more dummy sounds, and an outer generating unit that generates one of the one or more dummy sounds outside of the vehicle upon reception of a dummy sound generation instruction signal. The dummy sound generating apparatus also includes a generation place information storage unit that stores information on a place where a dummy sound is to be generated a current position information acquiring unit that acquires information on a current position of the vehicle, and a control unit that outputs a dummy sound generation instruction signal to the outer generating unit when the current position acquired by the current position information acquiring unit matches with information on a place stored in the generation place information storage unit.

Abstract: A dummy sound information storage unit stores information on a dummy sound, an outer generating unit generates a dummy sound outside the vehicle based upon information stored in the dummy sound information storage unit, a detecting unit detects a predetermined situation while the vehicle is running, and a control unit controls an output of a dummy sound generation instruction signal to the outer generating unit based upon the result detected by the detecting unit.

Abstract: An information providing system which provides desired information to a driver who drives a vehicle, is provided with: a biomedical information acquisition device which acquires biomedical information of the driver; an on-road driving strain calculating device which calculates on-road driving strain by analyzing road information of a particular segment in a traveling direction of the vehicle; and a driver condition predicting device which predicts physiological condition of the driver in the particular segment by using the acquired biomedical information and the calculated on-road driving strain.

Abstract: A request for reading audio information is sent to an audio information source in accordance with an amount of information accumulated in a buffer memory, a predetermined amount of audio information is read from the buffer memory in accordance with a preset speed magnification, and the predetermined amount of audio information is reproduced after undergoing a reproducing speed conversion treatment. First portions of the audio information may be successively cut out in accordance with window functions, connected together, and rendered to serve as an output for converting a reproducing speed in a first channel. Second portions of the audio information may be successively cut out in accordance with window functions, connected together, and rendered to serve as an output for converting a reproducing speed in a second channel. The audio information may be independently reproduced through the first and second channels.