Abstract: In a failure detecting apparatus, acquiring unit acquires a plurality of images captured by a plurality of imaging devices in which exposures thereof are capable of being individually controlled. The plurality of images including an overlapped region that represents a region where images are overlapped. The region extracting unit extracts a plurality of overlapped regions from the plurality of images acquired by the acquiring unit. The feature extracting unit extracts features of image from the plurality of overlapped regions extracted by the region extracting unit. Further, the comparing unit compares the features of image between the plurality of overlapped regions and the similarity determining unit determines whether or not the features of image are similar based on a result of comparing by the comparing unit. The failure determining unit determines a failure in the imaging device when the similarity determining unit determines the features of image are not similar.

Abstract: In a cruising lane deviation detection system, when a boundary line is detected, a paint line drawn on a road surface to the left and right of an own vehicle is detected and a virtual line is set based on the position of a previously detected boundary line. The boundary line is set using at least either of the paint line and the virtual line. However, approach information indicating that the own vehicle is approaching a toll booth is acquired. When the approach information is acquired, setting of the virtual line as the boundary line is prohibited. Furthermore, whether or not there is risk of the own vehicle deviating from the boundary line is determined. When there is risk of deviation, an output that there is risk of deviation is performed. As a result, setting an erroneous virtual line as the boundary line can be suppressed.

Abstract: In a failure detecting apparatus, acquiring unit acquires a plurality of images captured by a plurality of imaging devices in which exposures thereof are capable of being individually controlled. The plurality of images including an overlapped region that represents a region where images are overlapped. The region extracting unit extracts a plurality of overlapped regions from the plurality of images acquired by the acquiring unit. The feature extracting unit extracts features of image from the plurality of overlapped regions extracted by the region extracting unit. Further, the comparing unit compares the features of image between the plurality of overlapped regions and the similarity determining unit determines whether or not the features of image are similar based on a result of comparing by the comparing unit. The failure determining unit determines a failure in the imaging device when the similarity determining unit determines the features of image are not similar.

Abstract: In a cruising lane deviation detection system, when a boundary line is detected, a paint line drawn on a road surface to the left and right of an own vehicle is detected and a virtual line is set based on the position of a previously detected boundary line. The boundary line is set using at least either of the paint line and the virtual line. However, approach information indicating that the own vehicle is approaching a toll booth is acquired. When the approach information is acquired, setting of the virtual line as the boundary line is prohibited. Furthermore, whether or not there is risk of the own vehicle deviating from the boundary line is determined. When there is risk of deviation, an output that there is risk of deviation is performed. As a result, setting an erroneous virtual line as the boundary line can be suppressed.

Abstract: A chiral tetraaminophosphonium salt represented by formula (1) and a method for producing chiral ?-nitroalcohol comprising reacting an aldehyde or a ketone and a nitroalkane in the presence of the chiral tetraaminophosphonium salt represented by formula (1) and a base, or in the presence of a conjugated base of the chiral tetraaminophosphonium salt represented by formula (1): wherein R1 to R4 are independently a hydrogen atom or a monovalent hydrocarbon group; and, R1 and R2 are different groups or R3 and R4 are different groups.

Abstract: A voice synthesis device includes: a memory for storing a plurality of recorded voice data; a dividing unit for dividing a text into a plurality of words or phrases, wherein the text is to be converted into a voice message; a verifying unit for verifying whether one of the recorded voice data corresponding to each word or phrase is disposed in the memory; and a voice synthesizing unit for preparing a whole of the text with the recorded voice data when all of the recorded voice data corresponding to all of the plurality of words or phrases are disposed in the memory, and for preparing the whole of the text with rule-based synthesized voice data when at least one of the recorded voice data corresponding to one of the plurality of words or phrases is not disposed in the memory.

Abstract: A chiral tetraaminophosphonium salt represented by formula (1) and a method for producing chiral ?-nitroalcohol comprising reacting an aldehyde or a ketone and a nitroalkane in the presence of the chiral tetraaminophosphonium salt represented by formula (1) and a base, or in the presence of a conjugated base of the chiral tetraaminophosphonium salt represented by formula (1): wherein R1 to R4 are independently a hydrogen atom or a monovalent hydrocarbon group; and, R1 and R2 are different groups or R3 and R4 are different groups.

Abstract: The present invention provides a simple, practical, and industrially advantageous process for producing an optically active ?-substituted cysteine or a salt thereof from inexpensive and readily available materials. The present invention provides a process for producing an optically active ?-substituted cysteine or a salt thereof by converting a cysteine derivative into a thiazoline compound and subjecting the resulting thiazoline compound to a stereoselective substituent-introducing reaction catalyzed by an optically active quaternary ammonium salt, in particular, an axially asymmetric quaternary ammonium salt to produce an optically active thiazoline compound and then hydrolyzing the resulting thiazoline compound.