Abstract: When a vehicle navigation system is manipulated by taking pictures of a user hand motion and gesture with a camera, as the number of apparatuses and operational objects increases, the associated hand shapes and hand motions increase, thus causing a complex manipulation for a user. Furthermore, in detecting a hand with the camera, when the image of a face having color tone information similar to that of a hand appears in an image taken with a camera, or outside light rays such as sun rays or illumination rays vary, detection accuracy is reduced. To overcome such problems, a manipulation input device is provided that includes a limited hand manipulation determination unit and a menu representation unit, whereby a simple manipulation can be achieved and manipulation can accurately be determined. In addition, detection accuracy can be improved by a unit that selects a single result from results determined by a plurality of determination units, based on images taken with a plurality of cameras.

Abstract: A vehicle operating device includes: a voice operation unit (3) for recognizing an uttered voice and outputting a voice recognition result; a spatial operation unit (2) for recognizing a movement performed within a predetermined space and outputting a spatial recognition result; a main processing unit (4) for executing a processing corresponding to the voice recognition result and the spatial recognition result; and a display unit (5) for displaying an image generated in accordance with an instruction from the main processing unit, the image being superimposed on an actual scene that can be viewed through a windshield.

Abstract: In an on-vehicle information providing device including an input device 1 for inputting information corresponding to operation, on-vehicle information equipment 2 for executing processing corresponding to the information input, an active safety system 3 for monitoring surrounding conditions of the vehicle and generating caution information, a liquid crystal display device 4 for displaying a processing result of the on-vehicle information equipment, and a head-up display (HUD) 5 for displaying the information delivered from the on-vehicle information equipment or from active safety system, the on-vehicle information equipment sends, if any display interrupt request is made from the active safety system during execution of the display processing onto the HUD, a display switching control request to the HUD by suspending the display processing, and the HUD switches from a state of displaying the information from the on-vehicle information equipment to a state of displaying the information from the active safety s

Abstract: An information apparatus for use in mobile unit, which is mounted on a mobile unit, includes a broadcast receiver receiving a signal containing a station name; a recognition dictionary registering the station name; and a recognition section that, referring to the dictionary, tunes to the station associated with the station name. The apparatus further includes a recognition dictionary update section updating the dictionary in response to signal reception; and a dictionary update deciding section that decides, based on the update mode of the dictionary during updating, if any change occurs between the station transmitting the signal and the update mode, and alters, if change occurs, an update frequency of the dictionary by the dictionary update section in response to a traveling condition of the mobile unit or to a receiving condition of the signal.

Abstract: When a vehicle navigation system is manipulated by taking pictures of a user hand motion and gesture with a camera, as the number of apparatuses and operational objects increases, the associated hand shapes and hand motions increase, thus causing a complex manipulation for a user. Furthermore, in detecting a hand with the camera, when the image of a face having color tone information similar to that of a hand appears in an image taken with a camera, or outside light rays such as sun rays or illumination rays vary, detection accuracy is reduced. To overcome such problems, a manipulation input device is provided that includes a limited hand manipulation determination unit and a menu representation unit, whereby a simple manipulation can be achieved and manipulation can accurately be determined. In addition, detection accuracy can be improved by a unit that selects a single result from results determined by a plurality of determination units, based on images taken with a plurality of cameras.

Abstract: An input device including: a storage unit 6 which stores partial touch area definition data that defines a partial area of a touch input area 2a of a touch-type input device 2 corresponding to an input button displayed on an input screen of a display device 3 as a location on the touch input area 2a; and a storage unit 5 which stores correspondence data in which pattern candidates targeted for pattern recognition selected according to the display contents of the input button are registered by associating with a partial area corresponding to the input button, wherein reference is made to the partial touch area definition data of the storage unit 6 to specify a partial area containing the input starting location of a locus that is input by touching the touch input area 2a of the touch-type input device 2, reference is made to the correspondence data of the storage unit 5 to acquire pattern candidates associated with the specified partial area, and a pattern corresponding to the locus is recognized by using the

Abstract: A facility search device includes: a facility information storage unit that stores facility information; an additional information storage unit that stores additional facility information; a facility search unit that searches for facilities from the facility information and the additional facility information; a sameness determination unit that determines the sameness of facilities based on identifiers contained in the facility information on each of the facilities when the plurality of facilities are searched for by the facility search unit; a facility information synthesis unit that synthesizes the facility information on the facilities determined to be the same by the sameness determination unit among the searched facilities; a display image generation unit that generates images for displaying the searched facilities or the facilities synthesized by the facility information synthesis unit; and a display unit that displays the images generated by the display image generation unit.

Abstract: A voice recognition apparatus 10 carries out voice recognition of an inputted voice with reference to a voice recognition dictionary, and outputs a voice recognition result. In this voice recognition apparatus, a plurality of voice recognition dictionaries 23-1 to 23-N are provided according to predetermined classification items.

Abstract: A voice recognition apparatus 10 includes a voice recognition means 12 for performing voice recognition, and a control means for controlling receipt of a voice input to the voice recognition means, and for performing recognition according to a result of the voice recognition acquired by the voice recognition means. In this voice recognition apparatus, the control means controls the receipt of a voice according to a timeout time which defines the end of the receipt of a voice. The voice recognition apparatus further includes an environmental condition detecting means 18 for detecting an environmental condition, and a timeout time control means 16 for changing the timeout time according to the environmental condition detected by the environmental condition detection means.

Abstract: A voice recognition apparatus 10, which performs voice recognition of an input voice by referring to a voice recognition dictionary and outputs a voice recognition result, has an external information acquiring section 14 for acquiring from externally connected devices 20-1-20-N connected thereto a type of each externally connected device, and for acquiring data recorded in each externally connected device; a vocabulary extracting analyzing section 15 and 16 for extracting a vocabulary item from the data as an extracted vocabulary item, and for producing analysis data by analyzing the extracted vocabulary item and by providing the extracted vocabulary item with reading; and a dictionary generating section 17 for storing the analysis data in the voice recognition dictionary corresponding to the type. For each type of the externally connected devices, one of the voice recognition dictionaries 13-1-13-N is assigned.

Abstract: A vehicle operating device includes: a voice operation unit 3 for recognizing an uttered voice and outputting a recognition result; a spatial operation unit 2 for recognizing a movement performed within a space and outputting a recognition result; a main processing unit 4 for executing a processing corresponding to the recognition result transmitted from the voice operation unit and the recognition result transmitted from the spatial operation unit; and a display unit 5 for displaying an image generated in accordance with an instruction from the main processing unit, the image being superimposed on an actual scene that can be viewed through a windshield.

Abstract: A display device for vehicles has a screen 2 that is composed of a soft material and is mounted on a surface of a panel 6 installed in front of a seat; a projection unit 1 that is mounted at the back of the panel and generates projection light to be projected onto the screen to form an image, reflection components 31-32 for reflecting the projection light generated by the projection unit, and a light-guiding component 4 for having the reflection components reflect the projection light a plurality of times to guide it to the screen.

Abstract: In an on-vehicle information providing device including an input device 1 for inputting information corresponding to operation, on-vehicle information equipment 2 for executing processing corresponding to the information input, an active safety system 3 for monitoring surrounding conditions of the vehicle and generating caution information, a liquid crystal display device 4 for displaying a processing result of the on-vehicle information equipment, and a head-up display (HUD) 5 for displaying the information delivered from the on-vehicle information equipment or from active safety system, the on-vehicle information equipment sends, if any display interrupt request is made from the active safety system during execution of the display processing onto the HUD, a display switching control request to the HUD by suspending the display processing, and the HUD switches from a state of displaying the information from the on-vehicle information equipment to a state of displaying the information from the active safety s

Abstract: An information apparatus for use in mobile unit, which is mounted on a mobile unit, includes at least a broadcast receiver 11 and 13 for receiving a broadcasting signal containing a broadcasting station name; a recognition dictionary 30 for registering the broadcasting station name; and a voice recognition section 27 for performing voice recognition of a voice input indicating the broadcasting station name, and carries out, referring to the dictionary, tuning to the broadcasting station associated with the broadcasting station name corresponding to a voice recognition result.

Abstract: A voice recognition apparatus 10 carries out voice recognition of an inputted voice with reference to a voice recognition dictionary, and outputs a voice recognition result. In this voice recognition apparatus, a plurality of voice recognition dictionaries 23-1 to 23-N are provided according to predetermined classification items.

Abstract: A voice recognition apparatus 10, which performs voice recognition of an input voice by referring to a voice recognition dictionary and outputs a voice recognition result, has an external information acquiring section 14 for acquiring from externally connected devices 20-1-20-N connected thereto a type of each externally connected device, and for acquiring data recorded in each externally connected device; a vocabulary extracting analyzing section 15 and 16 for extracting a vocabulary item from the data as an extracted vocabulary item, and for producing analysis data by analyzing the extracted vocabulary item and by providing the extracted vocabulary item with reading; and a dictionary generating section 17 for storing the analysis data in the voice recognition dictionary corresponding to the type. For each type of the externally connected devices, one of the voice recognition dictionaries 13-1-13-N is assigned.

Abstract: A voice recognition apparatus 10 includes a voice recognition means 12 for performing voice recognition, and a control means for controlling receipt of a voice input to the voice recognition means, and for performing recognition according to a result of the voice recognition acquired by the voice recognition means. In this voice recognition apparatus, the control means controls the receipt of a voice according to a timeout time which defines the end of the receipt of a voice. The voice recognition apparatus further includes an environmental condition detecting means 18 for detecting an environmental condition, and a timeout time control means 16 for changing the timeout time according to the environmental condition detected by the environmental condition detection means.

Abstract: When a vehicle navigation system is manipulated by taking pictures of a user hand motion and gesture with a camera, as the number of apparatuses and operational objects increases, the associated hand shapes and hand motions increase, thus causing a complex manipulation for a user. Furthermore, in detecting a hand with the camera, when the image of a face having color tone information similar to that of a hand appears in an image taken with a camera, or outside light rays such as sun rays or illumination rays vary, detection accuracy is reduced. To overcome such problems, a manipulation input device is provided that includes a limited hand manipulation determination unit and a menu representation unit, whereby a simple manipulation can be achieved and manipulation can accurately be determined. In addition, detection accuracy can be improved by a unit that selects a single result from results determined by a plurality of determination units, based on images taken with a plurality of cameras.

Abstract: A broadcast receiving apparatus includes a broadcast receiving section 11 for receiving a broadcast, an expansion service providing section 12 for providing an expansion service, an expansion service decision section 13 for making a valid/invalid decision about the expansion service, a channel alteration section 14 for adding the expansion service as one channel when it is decided as valid, an input section 15 for selecting one channel from channels receivable by the broadcast receiving section and from channels added, a channel control section 16 for starting, when the selected channel is a channel receivable by the broadcast receiving section, reception of the broadcast on the channel and for switching between the broadcast receiving section and the expansion service providing section to select one of their outputs, and an output section 17-20 for outputting information based on the output of the broadcast receiving section or the expansion service providing section switched.

Abstract: When a detection unit (3) detects an approach of an object to a vehicle in which a vehicle safety apparatus is mounted, a main controller (2) determines whether a positional relationship between the vehicle and the detected object reaches a predetermined positional one. The main controller (2) can start a warning unit according to a determination result obtained thereby, and can issue a warning before the vehicle gets damaged.