Abstract: A vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus includes an image portion, an image processing portion, and a display portion. The image portion is mounted to a host vehicle and images a periphery including a road surface. The image processing portion subjects an original image to an image correction including a coordinate transformation by use of a parameter, causing a ratio of three segment areas of the original image to become close to a predetermined target ratio, and generates a virtual coordinate transformed image based on the original image. An end edge position of the host vehicle and a horizontal line position of the host vehicle are calculated from the parameter, and the original image is vertically segmented at the end edge position and the horizontal line position into the three segment areas. The display portion displays an image screen on a display area in a vehicle compartment.

Abstract: An image synthesizer apparatus for vehicle includes an image generator and an error detector. From multiple cameras arranged to a vehicle so that an imaging region of each camera partially overlaps with an imaging region of an adjacent camera, the image generator acquires images of areas allocated to the respective cameras, and synthesizes the acquired images to generate a synthetic image around the vehicle viewed from a viewpoint above the vehicle. The error detector detects errors in the cameras. When the error detector detects a faulty camera in the cameras, the image generator acquires, from the image captured by the camera adjacent to the faulty camera, an overlap portion overlapping with the image captured by the faulty camera, uses the overlap portion to generate the synthetic image, and applies image reinforcement to the overlap portion.

Abstract: A camera washing device has an air pump, a wash water tank storing wash water, an injection nozzle with an injection part, a junction joint having a high-pressure air passage and a wash water passage, and an electromagnetic valve. The air pump generates and supplies high-pressure air to the high-pressure air passage. When the control part instructs the electromagnetic valve to be switched to an open state, the wash water and the high-pressure air are mixed in the junction joint to generate water particles. The generated water particles are supplied to the injection nozzle. When the electromagnetic valve is switched to the open state after injecting the high-pressure air only to a lens of a rear camera, the injection part injects the water particles to the lens of the camera.

Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus captures with a camera a video image showing an area, which surrounds a vehicle and includes a target on a road surface; generates a positioning video image for positioning the vehicle; and displays the generated positioning video image on a display monitor. The driving assistance apparatus also acquires a relative location of the target with respect to the vehicle. Further, based on the relative location of the target, the driving assistance apparatus switches the display mode of the positioning video image displayed on the display monitor between a first display mode (in which the target moves with respect to the vehicle) and a second display mode (in which the vehicle moves with respect to the target).

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting an object approaching a vehicle by performing image recognition processing on an image captured by a camera that is mounted on the vehicle to cover a predetermined area around the vehicle includes a signal receiver, a selector, and a detector. The signal receiver obtains a vehicle signal indicative of an operating condition of the vehicle. The selector selects a predetermined region of the captured image, according to the vehicle signal, as an object detection region. The detector detects the object approaching the vehicle by performing the image recognition processing on only the object detection region of the captured image.

Abstract: A vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus detects the presence of a moving object along a vehicle periphery. The apparatus sets multiple detection lines along a horizontal axis of an image captured by a camera, and detects a brightness change of a pixel along the detection lines. With reference to the brightness change detected along the detection line and a parameter for determining whether such brightness change is caused by the moving object, the apparatus determines the presence of the moving object. In addition, the apparatus changes a determination condition for determining the moving object such that as the number of detection lines along which the brightness change is detected decreases, the harder it is to satisfy the determination condition for determining that the moving object is present.

Abstract: In a vehicular visibility support apparatus, a camera positioned on a front portion that is either the left side or the right side of a vehicle provides an image of a view laterally behind the vehicle including a part of a face of the side of the vehicle as a camera image. An input portion accepts input manipulation to generate an input signal. A control portion trims a desired region in the camera image based on the input signal and provides a trimmed image. The control portion trims the camera image based on: a vertical reference line including a part of the face on the side of the vehicle in a trimmed image before the input manipulation is accepted by the input portion, and a horizontal reference line orthogonal to the vertical reference line; and a direction of movement for change to the desired region inputted to the input portion.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus for an in-vehicle optical sensor includes a cleaning liquid nozzle and an air nozzle. The cleaning liquid nozzle jets out a cleaning liquid toward a lens surface of a lens of the in-vehicle optical sensor or a translucent surface of a translucent cover covering the lens surface when the translucent cover exists. The air nozzle jets out air toward a used cleaning liquid, which was jetted out from the cleaning liquid nozzle and cleaned the lens surface or the translucent surface, to prevent the used cleaning liquid from dropping from the lens surface or the translucent surface on a predetermined position by blowing away the used cleaning liquid.

Abstract: A vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus displays a detection line on a display unit, with side portions of the detection line positioned on far-off spots that are farther than a spot on which a center portion of the detection line is positioned. In addition, based on the distance of the respective spots on which the portions of the detection line are positioned, the apparatus includes a parameter table that defines different parameters for a short distance portion, a middle distance portion, and a long distance portion of the detection line. The apparatus detects a moving object based on an actual-detected brightness change of a pixel along the detection line and a predefined brightness change of a pixel along the detection line that is defined by the parameter of the parameter table.

Abstract: A rearward view assistance apparatus in a vehicle includes an imaging device that acquires a vehicle rearward image by taking a rearview from the vehicle, a control circuit that sets a cropped image by cropping part of the vehicle rearward image in response to a state of a vehicle, and a display device that is provided in a passenger compartment and displays the cropped image. The control circuit preferably overlays a lower portion of the cropped image with a mask. The control circuit preferably displays an indication corresponding to a rear portion of the vehicle on the cropped image. The rearward view assistance apparatus is thus provided to view rearward from the vehicle even when passengers are present on the seats in the second and third rows.

Abstract: A monitor system is used for a vehicle equipped with a camera for capturing an image of a predetermined area outside the vehicle, a display device for displaying the captured image to a driver, and a mirror for reflecting the predetermined area. The monitor system includes a failure detector for detecting a failure of a function that allows the display device to display the captured image, a report device for causing the display device to display failure information when the failure detector detects the failure, and a state detector for detecting whether the mirror is in a state where the mirror reflects the predetermined area such that the driver views the predetermined area on the mirror. When the mirror is in the state, the report device causes the display device to delete or zoon out the displayed failure information.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting an object approaching a vehicle by performing image recognition processing on an image captured by a camera that is mounted on the vehicle to cover a predetermined area around the vehicle includes a signal receiver, a selector, and a detector. The signal receiver obtains a vehicle signal indicative of an operating condition of the vehicle. The selector selects a predetermined region of the captured image, according to the vehicle signal, as an object detection region. The detector detects the object approaching the vehicle by performing the image recognition processing on only the object detection region of the captured image.

Abstract: A field watch apparatus uses a storage unit to store detection data of a detected obstacle from an obstacle sensor that detects objects under control of a control unit, and the detection data accumulated in the storage unit over time is used to display a mark on a captured image that is captured by a camera and shown on a screen of a display unit. The mark size and other attributes of the mark in the image are controlled in a manner that enables a view to easily recognize an old mark from a new one, thereby providing an intuitive recognition of the obstacle movement in a certain direction in the captured image, when the mark is superposed in the captured image for multiple times based on the accumulated detection data in the storage unit.

Abstract: A rearward view assistance apparatus in a vehicle includes an imaging device that acquires a vehicle rearward image by taking a rearview from the vehicle, a control circuit that sets a cropped image by cropping part of the vehicle rearward image in response to a state of a vehicle, and a display device that is provided in a passenger compartment and displays the cropped image. The control circuit preferably overlays a lower portion of the cropped image with a mask. The control circuit preferably displays an indication corresponding to a rear portion of the vehicle on the cropped image. The rearward view assistance apparatus is thus provided to view rearward from the vehicle even when passengers are present on the seats in the second and third rows.

Abstract: An obstacle detection apparatus for detecting an obstacle in its surroundings is disclosed. The system includes: an ultrasonic sensor for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic wave; an obstacle detection section for performing an obstacle detection operation to determine whether the obstacle actually exists, wherein the obstacle detection section determines that the obstacle actually exists when a first voltage level associated with the ultrasonic wave received in the obstacle detection operation exceeds a determination threshold; a noise monitoring section configured to perform a noise monitoring operation to determine a noise level, wherein, the noise monitoring section recognizes a second voltage level associated with the ultrasonic wave received in the noise monitoring operation as the noise level; and a determination threshold setting section configured to set the determination threshold based on the second voltage level.

Abstract: An obstacle detection device has an ultrasonic sensor fixed to a first side of a mount member. The ultrasonic sensor sends/receives ultrasonic wave toward/from a second side of the mount member, which is opposite to the first side thereof. At least one of a mounting surface of the ultrasonic sensor and a mounting surface of the mount member has a protrusion, which protrudes therefrom so that an end surface of the protrusion contacts the other of the mounting surfaces. The mounting surfaces of the mount member and the ultrasonic sensor face each other. The end surface of the protrusion and the mounting surface of the ultrasonic sensor are different from each other in at least one of shape and area thereof.

Abstract: An obstacle detection apparatus includes first and second ultrasonic sensors, a control part, and a warning device for warning in accordance with a distance between at least one of the ultrasonic sensors and an obstacle. The control part sets the first ultrasonic sensor to a transmitting and receiving mode while setting the second ultrasonic sensor to a receiving mode, and then sets the first ultrasonic sensor to the receiving mode while setting the second ultrasonic sensor to the transmitting and receiving mode. Each of the ultrasonic sensors has a reception sensitivity to a reflected wave reflected by the obstacle. Each of the ultrasonic sensors includes a reception sensitivity control portion configured to increase the reception sensitivity when the receiving mode is set compared with when the transmitting and receiving mode is set.

Abstract: A field watch apparatus uses a storage unit to store detection data of a detected obstacle from an obstacle sensor that detects objects under control of a control unit, and the detection data accumulated in the storage unit over time is used to display a mark on a captured image that is captured by a camera and shown on a screen of a display unit. The mark size and other attributes of the mark in the image are controlled in a manner that enables a view to easily recognize an old mark from a new one, thereby providing an intuitive recognition of the obstacle movement in a certain direction in the captured image, when the mark is superposed in the captured image for multiple times based on the accumulated detection data in the storage unit.

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 obstacle detection apparatus for detecting an obstacle in its surroundings is disclosed. The system includes: an ultrasonic sensor for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic wave; an obstacle detection section for performing an obstacle detection operation to determine whether the obstacle actually exists, wherein the obstacle detection section determines that the obstacle actually exists when a first voltage level associated with the ultrasonic wave received in the obstacle detection operation exceeds a determination threshold; a noise monitoring section configured to perform a noise monitoring operation to determine a noise level, wherein, the noise monitoring section recognizes a second voltage level associated with the ultrasonic wave received in the noise monitoring operation as the noise level; and a determination threshold setting section configured to set the determination threshold based on the second voltage level.