Abstract: A vehicle controller includes a processor configured to detect a vehicle ahead of a host vehicle from time-series sensor signals obtained by a sensor provided on the host vehicle for sensing objects around the host vehicle, track the vehicle ahead detected from the time-series sensor signals, determine whether the vehicle ahead has performed an avoidance action, based on the result of tracking, detect, when the vehicle ahead has performed an avoidance action, a trajectory of an edge of the vehicle ahead opposite a direction of avoidance in the avoidance action, and control travel of the host vehicle so that an edge of the host vehicle opposite the direction of avoidance moves along the detected trajectory.

Abstract: An apparatus for object detection detects a number of lanes included in a road on which a vehicle is traveling, detects one or more surrounding vehicles positioned in surroundings of the vehicle from a surrounding image showing the surroundings of the vehicle generated by a camera mounted in the vehicle, and determines, when more surrounding vehicles than the number of lanes detected in a predetermined range at the back of the vehicle are detected alongside in a width direction of the vehicle, that a possibility that any one of the surrounding vehicles being an emergency vehicle which is allowed to travel without obeying the traveling rule of the road is higher than when more surrounding vehicles than the number of lanes are not detected alongside in a width direction of the vehicle.

Abstract: In a local time amendment system, a navigation apparatus has a clock section to count a clock time (UTC, Universal Time Coordinated) in units of hours, minutes, and seconds based on an atomic clock of a GPS Satellite. In contrast, a cellular phone acquires information on local time wirelessly via a base station, which is connected to a mobile radio communication network. The information on local time signifies a local time of each administrative area, for instance, a country, state, city, etc. The navigation apparatus acquires data in units of hours indicated by an internal clock section of the cellular phone to thereby amend the clock time counted by the clock section with respect to the units of hours to thereby amend the clock time, which is indicated by the clock section, to the local time accurate with respect to units of hours in addition to units of minutes and seconds.

Abstract: With respect to a connection road linked with a rotary included in a guidance route, a vehicular navigation system acquires a dummy link that is defined to extend towards an inside of the rotary based on road map data. An advancing direction at the rotary is computed by using an angle defined by two dummy links with respect to both an entering road being the connection road on which the vehicle is to approach the rotary and an exiting road being the connection road on which the vehicle is to recede from the rotary. Guidance information at the rotary is outputted based on the computed advancing direction when the vehicle approaches the rotary.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus performs a travel guide in areas having no roads. Present positions of the vehicle are detected as swept path points with predetermined intervals. The detected swept path points are stored in a storage device such that the order of detection can be identifiable; thus, swept path data can be created. Thereafter, a present position of the vehicle is detected. A certain swept path point in the swept path data may be present within a predetermined range from the present position; further, the fifth swept path point in the forward direction may be present five swept path points ahead of the certain swept path point in the swept path data. In such a case, an orientation of the fifth swept path point is calculated relative to the heading direction. The calculated orientation of the fifth swept path point is indicated or announced using sounds.

Abstract: The present invention is a water processing method comprising the steps of separating boron-containing water in a reverse osmosis membrane module to provide a permeated water and subjecting a part of the obtained permeated water to boron removal using an adsorbent, wherein the water subjected to the boron removal is mixed with the water not subjected to the boron removal of the permeated water to provide a mixed water. The present invention provides economic water processing method and apparatus that remove the boron from boron-containing water.

Abstract: A navigation system for navigating a vehicle toward a destination of a travel based on a detected current position includes an position detector for detecting a current position of the vehicle, and an information provision unit for providing navigation information for a user. The position detector detects a distance between the vehicle and a traffic circle, and, based on the current position of the vehicle detected by the position detector, the information provision unit provides for the user the navigation information that includes a size of the traffic circle when the distance between the vehicle and the traffic circle becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.

Abstract: With respect to a connection road linked with a rotary included in a guidance route, a vehicular navigation system acquires a dummy link that is defined to extend towards an inside of the rotary based on road map data. An advancing direction at the rotary is computed by using an angle defined by two dummy links with respect to both an entering road being the connection road on which the vehicle is to approach the rotary and an exiting road being the connection road on which the vehicle is to recede from the rotary. Guidance information at the rotary is outputted based on the computed advancing direction when the vehicle approaches the rotary.

Abstract: A traveled point display device determines based on map data a kind of a road that a subject vehicle travels to thereby show a traveled point in a display form corresponding to the kind of the road. First traveled points of a local road are shown in red and in 100-m road intervals therebetween. Second traveled points of an inter-city expressway are shown in black and in 1-km road intervals therebetween. Third traveled points of an intra-city expressway are shown in grey and in 300-m road intervals therebetween. Displayed traveled points indicate which kind of the road the subject vehicle travels at a glance by their display colors and display intervals.

Abstract: When in a guide route a vehicle has strayed from a route r1 before passing through an en-route stop W and has moved onto a route r2 selected to lead to a destination E after the en-route stop, if a distance L from a present position of the vehicle to the en-route stop W is below a predetermined value d, travel guidance to the destination E is continued. Conversely, if the distance L from the present position to the en-route stop W is above the predetermined value d, a guide route leading to the destination via the en-route stop W is reset, and the guide route is therefore not switched to the route r2.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation system includes a program for providing route guidance to a preset location, determining an arrival at the preset location, and scoring points. Points assigned to the preset location are added to a score variable when the arrival at the preset location is determined and the score is stored in a RAM. With this configuration, the vehicle navigation system has game value in addition to a guidance function.

Abstract: The present invention is a water processing method comprising the steps of separating boron-containing water in a reverse osmosis membrane module to provide a permeated water and subjecting a part of the obtained permeated water to boron removal using an adsorbent, wherein the water subjected to the boron removal is mixed with the water not subjected to the boron removal of the permeated water to provide a mixed water. The present invention provides economic water processing method and apparatus that remove the boron from boron-containing water.

Abstract: When in a guide route a vehicle has strayed from a route r1 of before passing through an en-route stop W and moved onto a route r2 leading to a destination E of after passing through the en-route stop, if a distance L from a present position of the vehicle to the en-route stop W is below a predetermined value d, travel guidance to the destination E without passing through the en-route stop W is carried out. Conversely, if the distance L from the present position to the en-route stop W is above the predetermined value d, a guide route leading to the destination via the en-route stop W is reset. By this means, the guide route can to the utmost be prevented from being switched to the route r2 of after passing through the en-route stop W, and even if it has been switched to the route r2 of after passing through the en-route stop, it is easy to go to the en-route stop W.

Abstract: In a vehicle navigation system, a memory stores branch road numbers as a part of links which indicate branch roads branching out from a main road or a rotary road. The branch road numbers are specific to the branch roads, respectively, and may be exit numbers of an expressway or the rotary road. The branch road numbers are identical with actual indication provided on roadside signboards which indicates respective branch roads. A navigation control unit provides a branching guidance in the course of a normal travel route guidance when a vehicle approaches a branching point. The control unit checks whether a branch road number is available, and retrieves it when available. This retrieved number is provided as a voice message to a driver.

Abstract: In a vehicular navigation system, an electronic control unit uses in its recommended vehicle travel path determination processing restricted-type roads the data of which is less reliable than those of normal roads. A display device indicates the recommended travel path on a road map displayed thereon. When a vehicle travels on the restricted-type road, a travel guidance specific to the restricted-type road is issued to notify a driver of traveling on the restricted-type road and thereby invite the driver to decide himself or herself. The guidance may be in a vocal announcement from a speaker and/or a visual display on the display device.

Abstract: In a vehicle navigation system, a memory stores branch road numbers as a part of links which indicate branch roads branching out from a main road or a rotary road. The branch road numbers are specific to the branch roads, respectively, and may be exit numbers of an expressway or the rotary road. The branch road numbers are identical with actual indication provided on roadside signboards which indicates respective branch roads. A navigation control unit provides a branching guidance in the course of a normal travel route guidance when a vehicle approaches a branching point. The control unit checks whether a branch road number is available, and retrieves it when available. This retrieved number is provided as a voice message to a driver.

Abstract: A vehicle display system which keeps a driver from inputting data into the system while driving a vehicle, but which permits a person in the front passenger seat to perform the data input operations. A main ECU inhibits data input operations, such as map retrieval, destination setting, and telephone number input operations, when it determines that the driver is driving the vehicle, i.e., when the vehicle is moving. However, when the driver grips the steering wheel and thereby depresses drive enforcement releasing switches located on the vehicle steering wheel, the main ECU releases the drive enforcement state, thereby enabling passengers other than the driver to perform data input operations.

Abstract: When a vehicle is within a predetermined distance from an intersection during the execution of navigation operations, a navigation system displays an enlarged guide map of the same intersection. The guide map shows direction labels that are set for roads that are connected to a road to be approached by the vehicle. The direction labels are set for the connecting roads by tracking the connecting roads and by determining appropriate direction labels following a predetermined procedure. For example, names of tollgates, names of stations, names of special facilities, names of administrative units, names of highways or the like may be set as direction labels.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of textile printing using microorganisms with less limitation to dyes with less damage on base materials, and with less blurring of color borders. The method is capable of producing a complex, fine pattern; capable of realizing colored discharge printing with brilliant colors; and capable of readily producing an ombre pattern. The invention also provides a microorganism for decolorization of azo-system dye and use in the textile printing method. In accordance with the invention, textile printing is carried out by coating a solution or paste (which may contain a dye) containing a bacterial strain Bacillus OY1-2 of genus Bacillus (Deposit Number: FERM 13118), in a desirable pattern on the cloth dyed with an azo dye (which may include a non-azo dye), subsequently proliferating or acting the bacterial strain while keeping the strain in a wet state, and to entirely or partially metabolize the azo dye to eliminate or decrease the coloring of the azo dye for textile printing.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of textile printing using microorganisms with less limitation to dyes with less damage on base materials, and with less blurring of color borders. The method is capable of producing a complex, fine pattern; capable of realizing colored discharge printing with brilliant colors; and capable of readily producing an ombre pattern. The invention also provides a microorganism for decolorization of azo-system dye and use in the textile printing method.