Abstract: A deceleration start point where a driver performs a deceleration operation of a vehicle before entering a curve when the vehicle is to travel on a curve is identified from a vehicle operation history in the past, and an acceleration start point where the driver performs an acceleration operation of the vehicle when exiting a curve is identified from the vehicle operation history in the past. While these items are comprehended as driving tendencies of the driver, deceleration control and acceleration limit control to a target limiting vehicle speed are performed when the vehicle reaches the deceleration start point. Thereafter, when the vehicle reaches the acceleration start point, acceleration permission control to release the acceleration limit is performed.

Abstract: Factor information is acquired that indicates at least one factor that imposes a psychological effect on a driver of a host vehicle when the host vehicle is traveling on a road with a descending slope ahead of the host vehicle. An overall psychological effect that is imposed on the driver when the host vehicle is traveling on the road with the descending slope is acquired based on the factor information. The vehicle speed is controlled in a vehicle speed control section in accordance with the overall psychological effect.

Abstract: Provided is a driving support system that includes an image recognition unit that performs image recognition processing to recognize if a recognition object associated with any of the support processes is included in image data captured by an on-vehicle camera and a recognition area information storage unit that stores information regarding a set recognition area in the image data that is set depending on a recognition accuracy of the recognition object set for execution of the support process. A candidate process extraction unit is also included for extracting at least one execution candidate support process from the plurality of support processes and a support process execution management unit that allows execution of the extracted execution candidate support process on a condition that a position in the image data of the recognition object recognized by the image recognition processing is included in the set recognition area.

Abstract: A motion control device for a vehicle includes a vehicle speed obtaining means for obtaining a speed of the vehicle, a curve shape obtaining means for obtaining a shape of a curve existing ahead of the vehicle on a road on which the vehicle is traveling, a position obtaining means for obtaining a relative position of the vehicle to the curve, a determining means for determining an appropriate vehicle speed for the vehicle to travel through the curve based on the shape of the curve obtained by the curve shape obtaining means, and a speed reduction controlling means for performing a speed reduction control on the vehicle based on the appropriate vehicle speed determined by the determining means.

Abstract: A target vehicle speed at a predetermined position ahead of a host vehicle is obtained, and a plurality of deceleration patterns with different deceleration schemes is obtained for decelerating the host vehicle to the target vehicle speed. Based on a driving operation for controlling speed of the host vehicle, a deceleration pattern is selected from the plurality of deceleration patterns. Using the selected deceleration pattern as a reference, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is reduced to the target vehicle speed before the host vehicle reaches the predetermined position.

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: Information pertaining to a first zone set ahead of a host vehicle and a second zone farther ahead than the first zone is acquired. Based on the information, if a distance between an end point of the first zone and a start point of the second zone is shorter than a distance within which the host vehicle can be slowed at a predetermined deceleration to a second target vehicle speed for traveling the second zone at the start point of the second zone, a second acceleration gear ratio is acquired for accelerating the host vehicle in a second acceleration zone following the second zone. The gear ratio of the host vehicle is set to the second acceleration gear ratio in a first deceleration zone for slowing the host vehicle before reaching the first zone.

Abstract: A vehicle position recognition system calculates an estimated position of a vehicle based on satellite positioning and dead reckoning navigation, and calculates a basic error range in which there is a possibility that the vehicle exists. The system calculates an estimated error amount regarding a directional error factor. The directional error factor is an error factor that tends to cause an error in a specific direction with respect to a vehicle traveling direction. The estimated error amount is an estimated amount of the error that is caused by the directional error factor. The system adjusts the basic error range based on (1) a direction in which the error tends to be caused by the directional error factor and (2) the estimated error amount.

Abstract: An image processing system temporarily stores, as processing target captured images, captured images whose image-capturing positions are included in a predetermined region. The system calculates similarity degrees of the processing target captured images, selects the processing target captured images whose similarity degrees are different from each other as useful images, and extracts image feature points from each of the useful images. The system generates image feature point data that includes the extracted image feature points, generates reference data used when scenic image recognition is performed by associating the generated image feature point data with an image-capturing position at which the image is captured to obtain the captured image corresponding to the image feature point data, and creates a reference data database.

Abstract: An image processing system inputs a captured image of a scene viewed from a vehicle in a predetermined road section and an image-capturing position at which the image is captured. The system uses a given position in the predetermined road section as a specific position, and sets a target vehicle movement amount at the specific position, for passing through the predetermined road section. The system generates reference image data from the captured image obtained at the specific position. The system generates reference data that is used when scenic image recognition is performed, by associating the reference image data with the specific position and the target vehicle movement amount at the specific position, and generates a reference data database that is a database of the reference data.

Abstract: A system stores reference data generated by associating image feature point data with an image-capturing position and a recorded vehicle event. The system generates data for matching by extracting image feature points from an actually-captured image. The system generates information on an actual vehicle event, extracts first reference data whose image-capturing position is located in a vicinity of an estimated position of the vehicle, and extracts second reference data that includes a recorded vehicle event that matches the actual vehicle event. The system performs matching between at least one of the first reference data and the second reference data, and the data for matching, and determines a position of the vehicle based on the matching.

Abstract: A scene matching reference data generation system inputs a set of probe data. The set of the probe data includes captured images sequentially obtained by a plurality of probe cars and the vehicle positions of the probe cars. The system temporarily stores the captured images, evaluates accuracy reliability degrees of the image-capturing positions of the captured images, and assigns the accuracy reliability degrees to the captured images. The system selects, as a plurality of processing target captured images, a plurality of the captured images having accuracy reliability degrees equal to or higher than a first predetermined degree, extracts image feature points from the selected processing target captured images, and generates image feature point data based on the extracted image feature points. The system generates reference data for scene matching by associating the generated image feature point data with a reference image-capturing position corresponding to the generated image feature point data.

Abstract: An image processing system inputs a captured image of a scene viewed from a vehicle, extracts image feature points from the captured image, and obtains image-capturing situation information indicating a possibility that a specific subject is included in the captured image. The system determines importance degrees of the extracted image feature points based on the image-capturing situation information and generates image feature point data using the extracted image feature points based on the importance degrees. The system generates reference data by associating the image feature point data with image-capturing attribute information and creates a reference data database. The image-capturing attribute information includes an image-capturing position at which the image is captured to obtain the captured image corresponding to the image feature point data.

Abstract: A scene matching reference data generation system inputs a set of probe data. The set of the probe data includes captured images sequentially obtained by a plurality of probe cars and the vehicle positions of the probe cars. The system temporarily stores the captured images, evaluates image similarity degrees of the captured images, and assigns the similarity degrees to the captured images. The system selects, as a plurality of processing target captured images, a plurality of the captured images having similarity degrees equal to or higher than a first predetermined degree, determines a representative image-capturing position that is a representative of the image-capturing positions of the plurality of the processing target captured images, generates image feature point data based on the plurality of the processing target captured images, and generates the reference data for scene matching by associating the image feature point data with the representative image-capturing position.

Abstract: A control system controls a hardware switch which receives a usage command for utilizing an auxiliary function of a vehicle and a software switch displayed with an information portion indicating the auxiliary function and a command portion for input of the usage command through a screen. When either of the hardware switch or the software switch is operated, information is provided for identifying the other switch that corresponds to the auxiliary function commanded by the operated switch.

Abstract: A vehicle control system is provided that improves the riding comfort by decelerating before a level change, even when the speed of the vehicle is high, through deceleration control when a characteristic value, that represents the relationship between the speed and the vertical acceleration of a vehicle, exceeds a comfort demarcation line that indicates a critical value of comfort in passing over the level change. The vehicle control system includes a memory that stores level change information for level changes in a road; a vehicle speed detector; and a vehicle speed controller that calculates the characteristic value based on the detected vehicle speed and the level change information, and executes acceleration control when the calculated characteristic value exceeds the critical value of comfort.

Abstract: Provided is a driving support device and method that specifies the reliability of information used in a driving support device. The driving support device includes a storage medium that stores one or more programs and accuracy information that specifies the reliability of information of various elements used by one of the programs to provide driving support. The driving support device also includes an execution target program specification unit that specifies what program from the one or more programs is to be executed as the execution target program. An element selection unit selects an element that corresponds to the specified execution target program from the various elements. The device also includes a reliability specification unit that specifies the reliability of information used in the target execution program based on the accuracy information of the selected element.

Abstract: A plurality of position data sets representing a plurality of points on a road ahead of a vehicle are acquired, and the degree of curvature of the road at each point is computed. On the basis of the degree of curvature, a constant curvature degree section of a curve is identified, and the degree of curvature and the end position of the constant curvature degree section are determined. In order to cause the vehicle to properly pass through the curve, curve deceleration control is executed on the basis of the actual vehicle speed, a proper vehicle speed determined from the degree of curvature, and the end position of the constant curvature degree section. That is, the curve deceleration control is performed on the basis of the start point of a section of a curve having the maximum degree of curvature and the constant degree of curvature of that section.

Abstract: Provided is a reliability evaluation method and apparatus to evaluate the reliability of map information. The apparatus includes an evaluation object value acquisition unit that acquires an evaluation object value from map information stored in a storage medium. A measurement value acquisition unit acquires measurement values for the evaluation object value using a sensor installed in a vehicle. After acquiring the measurement values, a reliability evaluation unit that selects a reliability evaluation method to evaluate the reliability of the evaluation object value based on a current measured value and the dispersion of the measured values.

Abstract: A target vehicle speed of when a vehicle travels a predetermined forward section is acquired. An acceleration gear ratio for acceleration of the vehicle to reach a vehicle speed higher than the target vehicle speed after the travel of the predetermined section is acquired. The gear ratio of the vehicle is set to the acceleration gear ratio before the vehicle reaches the start point of the predetermined section. Before the vehicle reaches the start point of the predetermined section, the vehicle speed is lowered to the target vehicle speed.