Abstract: A movement space information processing system includes moving bodies and an information processing device. The information processing device determines one or more moving bodies that are movably located within a predetermined movement range in the space from the moving bodies, and performs an identification task of identifying, from the determined one or more moving bodies, at least one moving body to accordingly perform a setting task of setting the identified at least one moving body as the at least one representative moving body. At least one moving body identified as the at least one representative moving body acquires an image of the space and extracts, from the image, probe information related to the space. The information processing transmits device The moving-body information item including the probe information and performs development of the spatial information based on the probe information.

Abstract: A system for autonomously driving a vehicle along a road segment includes at least one processor. The processor is configured to: acquire at least one piece of peripheral object data indicating information about an object disposed around the vehicle from a peripheral monitoring sensor; analyze the peripheral object data to calculate a position of the landmark with respect to the road on which the vehicle travels; determine position coordinates of the vehicle based on the position of the landmark calculated from the peripheral object data and the map data; and change a relative position of the vehicle with respect to an obstacle so as to easily detect the landmark by the peripheral monitoring sensor when the obstacle is disposed within a detection range of the peripheral monitoring sensor.

Abstract: A map server acquires a position coordinate and a category of a POI. The map server sets a notice area at a predetermined distance backward from the POI in a traveling direction along a road. The map server distributes map data to a vehicle. The map data is a data set including a position of the notice area, a condition of a vehicle affected by the POI, and a category of the POI. The vehicle recognizes presence of the POI based on a fact that the vehicle has passed through the notice area indicated in the map data, and creates a control plan according to the category of the POI.

Abstract: A map server includes a difficult place setting unit, a distribution map generation unit, and a distribution processing unit. The difficult place setting unit identifies, based on a cancel point report from a vehicle, a difficult place which is a point where vehicle control involving a driving support or automatic driving is highly likely cancelled. The distribution map generation unit generates, as a map of a difficult place area related to the difficult place, distribution maps respectively including map information denser than a map of a normal area that is an area other than the difficult place area. The distribution maps of the normal area, which does not include detailed map information, contributes to a reduction of data amount in an entire map distribution scheme, when, for example, distributing map data over the network.

Abstract: A traffic signal recognition device recognizes a traffic signal present around a vehicle. The device acquires a position of the vehicle, and acquires a position of the traffic signal registered in map data based on the acquired position of the vehicle. The device acquires a position of a lighting device detected using an image frame captured by an in-vehicle camera. The device determines whether the lighting device corresponds to the traffic signal based on a difference between the acquired position of the traffic signal and the acquired position of the lighting device.

Abstract: A vehicle position estimation device includes a control unit configured to: specify a vehicle position on a map based on (i) position information of a landmark detected based on an image frame captured by a front camera and (ii) position information of the landmark registered in the map; determine whether a surrounding environment of the vehicle is an adverse environment based on at least one of (i) information output from a sensor equipped to the vehicle or (ii) information output from a communication device equipped to the vehicle. The control unit changes a content of process corresponding to a determination result of adverse environment.

Abstract: A movement space information processing system includes moving bodies and an information processing device. The information processing device determines one or more moving bodies that are movably located within a predetermined movement range in the space from the moving bodies, and performs an identification task of identifying, from the determined one or more moving bodies, at least one moving body to accordingly perform a setting task of setting the identified at least one moving body as the at least one representative moving body. At least one moving body identified as the at least one representative moving body acquires an image of the space and extracts, from the image, probe information related to the space. The information processing transmits device The moving-body information item including the probe information and performs development of the spatial information based on the probe information.

Abstract: A system for autonomously driving a vehicle along a road segment includes at least one processor. The processor is configured to: acquire at least one piece of peripheral object data indicating information about an object disposed around the vehicle from a peripheral monitoring sensor; analyze the peripheral object data to calculate a position of the landmark with respect to the road on which the vehicle travels; determine position coordinates of the vehicle based on the position of the landmark calculated from the peripheral object data and the map data; and change a relative position of the vehicle with respect to an obstacle so as to easily detect the landmark by the peripheral monitoring sensor when the obstacle is disposed within a detection range of the peripheral monitoring sensor.

Abstract: A gyro sensor includes a vibrator and a drive circuit. A PWM drive signal is applied to a pair of electrodes of the vibrator. The drive circuit outputs a high level signal and a low level signal to the electrodes as the PWM drive signal. The high level signal and the low level signal have potentials higher and lower than that of the reference signal, respectively. The drive circuit outputs the high level signal to one of the pair of electrodes and the low level signal to the other of the pair of electrodes.

Abstract: A voltage-controlled oscillator includes a voltage-current converter, a first ring oscillator and a second ring oscillator. The voltage-current converter includes a first transistor for receiving a first control voltage at its gate terminal, a second transistor for receiving a second control voltage at its gate terminal, a third transistor connected to the first transistor in series and has a gate terminal connected to a drain terminal of the first transistor, a fourth transistor connected to the second transistor in series and has a gate terminal connected to a drain terminal of the second transistor, a resistor connected to a source terminal of the first transistor and a source terminal of the second transistor, a fifth transistor having a gate terminal connected to the drain terminal of the first transistor, and a sixth transistor having a gate terminal connected to the drain terminal of the second transistor.

Abstract: A voltage-controlled oscillator includes a voltage-current converter, a first ring oscillator and a second ring oscillator. The voltage-current converter includes a first transistor for receiving a first control voltage at its gate terminal, a second transistor for receiving a second control voltage at its gate terminal, a third transistor connected to the first transistor in series and has a gate terminal connected to a drain terminal of the first transistor, a fourth transistor connected to the second transistor in series and has a gate terminal connected to a drain terminal of the second transistor, a resistor connected to a source terminal of the first transistor and a source terminal of the second transistor, a fifth transistor having a gate terminal connected to the drain terminal of the first transistor, and a sixth transistor having a gate terminal connected to the drain terminal of the second transistor.

Abstract: An output changing method of an A/D conversion apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a pulse delay circuit in which delay units are connected in series, and an encoding circuit which detects the number of stages of the delay units, through which a pulse signal passes during predetermined measurement time, and generates numeric data corresponding to the number of stages. The apparatus receives an analog input signal as power supply voltage of the pulse delay circuit to perform A/D conversion for the analog input signal. The method includes determining whether or not the analog input signal is within an allowable voltage range in which the apparatus operates normally, outputting the numeric data as an A/D conversion value if the analog input signal is within the range, and outputting numeric data formed of a specified value as the A/D conversion value if the analog input signal is not within the range.

Abstract: An A/D conversion device has an A/D conversion section including A/D conversion units. Each A/D conversion unit has a pulse delay circuit including delay units connected in daisy chain to form a ring delay line. Each delay unit delays a pulse signal by a delay time corresponding to an input voltage. The A/D conversion section counts the number of pulse signals that passed through the delay units during a period counted from a timing when a start signal is switched to an activation level from a non-activation level at a timing when a sampling signal is received. When each two successive timing signals CKi (i=1, 2, . . . and m) have a same specific period. The each two successive timing signals have a different phase shifted by 1/m of the specific period. Each A/D conversion unit receives the timing signal CK1 as the start signal, and the timing signal CKi+1 (CKm+1=CK1) as the sampling signal.

Abstract: A digital controlled oscillator includes: a delay circuit which includes m elements transmitting a pulse signal with delay; a timing signal generator generating a timing signal corresponding to timing-selection data from passing signals, based on the timing-selection data specifying any of timings which are obtained by dividing a circulation period of the pulse signal by m×n; and an output signal generator which sets the timing-selection data based on control data specifying a period of an output pulse signal and the timing-selection data, and generates the output pulse signal based on the timing-selection data by using the timing signal. The timing signal generator generates the timings obtained by dividing the circulation period by m×n by using pulse edge shift circuits which generate n shift signals whose timings differ by a unit delay from one input signal, the unit delay being 1/n of delay time in the element.

Abstract: An A/D conversion device has an A/D conversion section including A/D conversion units. Each A/D conversion unit has a pulse delay circuit including delay units connected in daisy chain to form a ring delay line. Each delay unit delays a pulse signal by a delay time corresponding to an input voltage. The A/D conversion section counts the number of pulse signals that passed through the delay units during a period counted from a timing when a start signal is switched to an activation level from a non-activation level at a timing when a sampling signal is received. When each two successive timing signals CKi (i=1, 2, . . . and m) have a same specific period. The each two successive timing signals have a different phase shifted by 1/m of the specific period. Each A/D conversion unit receives the timing signal CK1 as the start signal, and the timing signal CKi+1 (CKm+1=CK1) as the sampling signal.

Abstract: An output changing method of an A/D conversion apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a pulse delay circuit in which delay units are connected in series, and an encoding circuit which detects the number of stages of the delay units, through which a pulse signal passes during predetermined measurement time, and generates numeric data corresponding to the number of stages. The apparatus receives an analog input signal as power supply voltage of the pulse delay circuit to perform A/D conversion for the analog input signal. The method includes determining whether or not the analog input signal is within an allowable voltage range in which the apparatus operates normally, outputting the numeric data as an A/D conversion value if the analog input signal is within the range, and outputting numeric data formed of a specified value as the A/D conversion value if the analog input signal is not within the range.

Abstract: A gyro sensor includes a vibrator and a drive circuit. A PWM drive signal is applied to a pair of electrodes of the vibrator. The drive circuit outputs a high level signal and a low level signal to the electrodes as the PWM drive signal. The high level signal and the low level signal have potentials higher and lower than that of the reference signal, respectively. The drive circuit outputs the high level signal to one of the pair of electrodes and the low level signal to the other of the pair of electrodes.

Abstract: A digital controlled oscillator includes: a delay circuit which includes m elements transmitting a pulse signal with delay; a timing signal generator generating a timing signal corresponding to timing-selection data from passing signals, based on the timing-selection data specifying any of timings which are obtained by dividing a circulation period of the pulse signal by m×n; and an output signal generator which sets the timing-selection data based on control data specifying a period of an output pulse signal and the timing-selection data, and generates the output pulse signal based on the timing-selection data by using the timing signal. The timing signal generator generates the timings obtained by dividing the circulation period by m×n by using pulse edge shift circuits which generate n shift signals whose timings differ by a unit delay from one input signal, the unit delay being 1/n of delay time in the element.

Abstract: A digitally-controlled oscillator circuit receives a digital value and generates a driving signal for driving an oscillator at a frequency according to the received digital value. A time-to-digital converter circuit receives a detection signal of oscillation of the oscillator, receives the driving signal, and detects a phase difference between the detection signal and the driving signal. A control circuit receives the detected phase difference and controls the frequency of the driving signal generated by the digitally-controlled oscillator circuit, such that the detected phase difference coincides with a predetermined resonant phase difference to resonate the oscillator.

Abstract: An analog to digital converter includes: a first pulse delay circuit forming a multi-stage delay unit of which each delay unit have a pulse signal delayed with a delay time responding to an input voltage; a first encoding circuit that detects the number of delay units in the first pulse delay circuit through which the pulse signal passes during a predetermined measurement period, and outputs the AD conversion data based on the number of delay units; and a timing generation circuit which, in response to receiving the start signal, generates an end signal when the input voltage of the first pulse delay circuit is a specified voltage within an allowable input voltage range, in order to determine the measurement period which is a time required for the pulse signal to pass through a predetermined number of the delay units which is specified in advance.