Abstract: Devices, methods, and programs obtain vehicle position information indicating a current position of a vehicle, and based on the vehicle position information, obtain road information including positions and forms of lane markings around the current position of the vehicle. Based on the road information, the devices, systems, and methods determine whether a branch point exists on the road in a forward direction of the vehicle. If a branch point exists, the devices, methods, and programs obtain image information of an area before the branch point, and determine whether no lane marking is imaged or is partly imaged in the image information of the area before the branch point.

Abstract: There is provided e.g. an image recognizing apparatus which can increase the recognition rate of the image of a recognition target even when the recognition rate in the image recognition operation would deteriorate otherwise due to inability of obtaining good image information on the recognition target, if the operation relied solely on picked up image information.

Abstract: A driving support apparatus supports a driver in driving a vehicle on a road by giving instructions. The driving support apparatus includes a recognizing unit that recognizes a current driving lane that is a lane on the road in which the vehicle is currently running; a lane setting unit that sets a driving schedule lane that is a lane in which the vehicle is to be driven; and a guiding unit that determines content of lane guidance based on the driving schedule lane and the current driving lane, and guides the driver to a lane based on the lane guidance when the road is substantially straight.

Abstract: A driving support device includes: a position detector; a traveling direction detector; a map data memory; a map matching element for matching a current position of a vehicle on a road of map data; a traveling segment estimation element for estimating a current segment of the vehicle in the parking place road when a matched road is the parking place road; a main road search element for determining whether a segment of a main road of an express way is disposed in a predetermined search distance from an estimated current segment; and a reverse run determination element for determining whether the vehicle travels reversely when the main road search element determines that the segment of the main road is disposed in the predetermined search distance from the estimated current segment.

Abstract: An object recognition device detects a position of a vehicle based on a running path obtained by GPS, vehicle speed, steering angle, etc., and also detects the position of the vehicle based on a result of recognition of an object obtained using a captured image of a camera. The device computes a positioning accuracy in detecting the vehicle position, which accuracy mostly deteriorates as a movement distance of the vehicle increases. Positional data of the object on the road to be recognized is stored in a map database beforehand. A recognition range of the road of the object to be recognized is set based on the detected position of the vehicle, a position of the object stored in the map database, and the computed positioning accuracy. The object is recognized for the set recognition range by processing of the captured image of the camera.

Abstract: In a case where it is determined that a road surface marking exists within a specified range from a vehicle 2 (YES at S2), the road surface marking is recognized based on an image that has been acquired by a rear camera 3 (S3), an on-road distance from the vehicle 2 to a control object that is associated with the recognized road surface marking is computed (S5 to S7), and in a case where it has been determined that the on-road distance to the control object has become a specified distance (YES at S8), driving guidance and the vehicle control are performed in accordance with the type of the associated control object (S11).

Abstract: A navigation apparatus is obtained that can reduce as much as possible to blank interval during the navigation even when a route deviation has occurred.

Abstract: A road map data structure includes road network data Rn, representing roads by a connection relation of a plurality of links L, in a hierarchical structure of a plurality of levels, in which, as a link ID for each link L at a lowest level, consecutive serial IDs, according to a connection order of the links within a link line ML formed of a plurality of the consecutive links having a common attribute, are assigned to first links L1 which have a corresponding link existing at a higher level, and a permanent ID, irrelevant with the connection order of the links, is assigned to a second link L2 which does not have a corresponding link existing at a higher level.

Abstract: Setting a planimetric feature having a high frequency of appearance as a planimetric feature to be recognized necessary for an own-vehicle position correction by referring to arrangement patterns of planimetric features having a high frequency of appearance for each of a plurality of types of road in response to a target object for an assist control, for example, a characteristic planimetric feature in an area where the own-vehicle will travel hereafter from among planimetric features on a road of which information is stored in a map database. Then, recognizing the set planimetric feature, and correcting an own-vehicle position from one based on a GPS and a travel path in accordance with a recognition result thereof.

Abstract: A driving support apparatus supports a driver in driving a vehicle. The driving support apparatus determines a state of the vehicle by collecting information concerning an operating condition of the vehicle, determines a plurality of optimum operations of the vehicle to achieve a corresponding objective based on the determined state, and arbitrates the determined optimum operations.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and programs store feature information relating to features existing on a road and on the periphery of the road, each piece of feature information being associated with a unique identification symbol, each piece of feature information including disposition information expressing a spatial disposition of each feature independently of the road network, form information expressing a form of each feature, accuracy information expressing an accuracy of the information, and acquisition timing information expressing an acquisition timing of the information. The systems, methods, and programs (1) output the feature information stored in the feature database and input map information constituting the map database, the map information being generated based on the output feature information, or (2) generate map information constituting the map database on the basis of the feature information stored in the feature database.

Abstract: Based on positioning accuracy of an own vehicle required for appropriately carrying out assistance control carried out according to a position of the own vehicle, an execution condition for map matching correcting the position of the own vehicle is set. Specifically, setting is made in such a manner that, as the positioning accuracy is higher and an error thereof is smaller, an execution frequency of map matching becomes higher. Then, map matching is carried out according to the thus-set execution condition.

Abstract: An object recognition device detects a position of a vehicle based on a running path obtained by GPS, vehicle speed, steering angle, etc., and also detects the position of the vehicle based on a result of recognition of an object obtained using a captured image of a camera. The device computes a positioning accuracy in detecting the vehicle position, which accuracy mostly deteriorates as a movement distance of the vehicle increases. Positional data of the object on the road to be recognized is stored in a map database beforehand. A recognition range of the road of the object to be recognized is set based on the detected position of the vehicle, a position of the object stored in the map database, and the computed positioning accuracy. The object is recognized for the set recognition range by processing of the captured image of the camera.

Abstract: An image recognition apparatus is capable of recognizing an image of an object of interest with high recognition accuracy even when the object is difficult to recognize only from image information acquired by an image pickup apparatus. The image recognition apparatus includes image information acquisition means for capturing image information of an image taken on a road, road feature information acquisition means for acquiring, from map information, road feature information C associated with a feature in the neighborhood of a position where the image information is taken, and image information recognition means for recognizing the image information using the road feature information C to recognize an image of an object to be recognized corresponding to the feature included in the image information.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting recovery of the vehicle if the vehicle is stolen includes a determining unit that determines whether the vehicle is being stolen. A camera judges a state of the vehicle and an environment around the vehicle. When the determining unit determines that the vehicle is being stolen, a horn of the vehicle is automatically honked.

Abstract: To provide a driving support apparatus that performs guidance with suitable contents at suitable timing based on a situation. A GPS 11 obtains positional information, a lane recognizing section 12 recognizes a current driving lane that is a lane on the road in which the vehicle is currently running, a driver recognizing section 13 recognizes the driver, and a driving-history data 23 stores therein driving course along which the vehicle have been driven. A lane-course setting unit 22 sets a driving schedule lane that is a lane in which the vehicle is to be driven based on the driving schedule course set by an overall-course setting section 21 and the current driving lane, and a guiding process unit 30 controls a timing of performing course guidance and contents of the course guidance based on shapes of the road, difficulty in driving, skill of the driver, driving history, and traffic information.

Abstract: An accuracy error for measuring the position of an own vehicle is calculated based on the information of an execution history of map matching and the information of an update history of a map database. In addition, a predetermined map is referred to based on the calculated accuracy error, and an accuracy error level for performing positioning is specified from among plural stepwise levels. Then, the control level of assist control executed according to the position of the own vehicle is changed so as to correspond to the specified accuracy error level.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and programs store navigation map data divided into a plurality of partitions, each partition having a corresponding partition file. The systems, methods, and programs identify a partition file corresponding to a partition that is to be updated. The partition file has an update-targeted road class The systems, methods, and programs select an update file, the update file being selected from a server file corresponding to the partition file to be updated. The server file is managed by version and road class. The selected update file is selected based on the update-targeted road class.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and programs capture an image of a periphery of a vehicle. The systems, methods, and programs, store predetermined patterns representing conditions of road markings formed on a road surface, detect a road marking on the basis of the captured image, and compare the detected road marking to the predetermined patterns. If the detected road marking matches one of the predetermined patterns, the systems, methods, and programs execute a predetermined action associated with the matching predetermined pattern.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus is obtained that can reduce as much as possible to blank interval during the navigation even when a route deviation has occurred.