Abstract: A method of displaying parking assist information is used in a parking assist apparatus comprising a display and a control device. The control device specifies a parking space on the basis of a parking condition that is preliminarily defined, and displays the specified parking space in a predetermined display region defined on a display surface of the display. When the area of a region that is occupied by the parking space and displayed in the display region is less than a predetermined value, the control device displays a specific mark on the display. The mark indicates that the parking space that is not displayed in the display region exists.

Abstract: A parking assistance method including: setting a target parking position of a vehicle on the basis of a circumferential situation of the vehicle detected by a circumferential situation detection sensor; determining a communication situation between an operation device configured to receive an operation by an operator outside the vehicle and transmit an instruction signal corresponding to the operation and a communication device mounted on the vehicle and configured to receive the instruction signal; limiting the operation for manually adjusting the target parking position in the operation device depending on the communication situation; transmitting, when the target parking position is adjusted, the instruction signal for moving the target parking position to the communication device; and parking the vehicle by the automatic driving in the target parking position moved depending on the instruction signal received at the communication device.

Abstract: An exit assist method is executed using an exit assist controller configured to control a subject vehicle to move from an exit start position to a target exit position along an exit route. The exit assist method includes determining whether or not an adjacent parked vehicle is present in an adjacent parking space to the exit start position, and when no adjacent parked vehicle is present, generating the exit route that includes the adjacent parking space.

Abstract: A method of determining obstacles determines if a detected object detected outside a subject vehicle is an obstacle for the subject vehicle on the basis of a predetermined determination criterion. In this method, a determination is made whether or not the detected object detected outside the subject vehicle is a driver or passenger of the subject vehicle. When the detected object is not the driver or passenger, a determination is made whether or not the detected object is an obstacle for the subject vehicle on the basis of a first determination criterion. When the detected object is the driver or passenger, a determination is made whether or not the detected object is an obstacle for the subject vehicle on the basis of a second determination criterion with which the detected object is less likely to be determined as an obstacle for the subject vehicle than with the first determination criterion.

Abstract: A parking assist method for assisting parking of a subject vehicle uses a parking assist apparatus comprising a controller and a display. The controller guides the subject vehicle to a parking space. The parking assist method includes detecting available parking spaces into which the subject vehicle can be parked, setting a parking space suitable for parking of the subject vehicle among the detected plurality of available parking spaces as a recommended available parking space in accordance with the traveling state of the subject vehicle, displaying the recommended available parking space on the display, setting the recommended available parking space displayed on the display as a target parking space for the subject vehicle on the basis of an operation by a driver or passenger, and performing automated control of the subject vehicle to park the subject vehicle into the target parking space.

Abstract: A method of displaying parking assist information is used in a parking assist apparatus comprising a display and a control device. The control device displays a first parking space in a first display form on the display. The first parking space satisfies a parking condition that is preliminarily defined. When it is estimated that the first parking space will not satisfy the parking condition or a second parking space other than the first parking space will satisfy the parking condition, the control device displays the first parking space in a second display form different from the first display form on the display.

Abstract: A parking assist method for assisting parking of a subject vehicle uses a parking assist apparatus comprising a controller that guides the subject vehicle to a parking space and a display that displays the parking space. The parking assist method comprises: specifying an available parking space into which the subject vehicle can be parked; displaying the available parking space on the display; when the available parking space is in a parking-unavailable state that represents a state in which the subject vehicle cannot be parked into the available parking space, determining whether or not the parking-unavailable state is canceled; and when the parking-unavailable state is canceled before a first time passes, maintaining a display form of the available parking space on the display.

Abstract: A parking space detection method detects a parking space in an empty state from a captured image acquired by a camera configured to capture an image of a parking lot. The method includes detecting a parked vehicle existing in a parking space on the far side from the subject vehicle and adjacent to a determination target parking space for which the empty state is determined and measuring a lateral length of the parked vehicle on a surface located at the side of the determination target parking space. When the lateral length is a predetermined value or more, the determination target parking space is detected as a parking space in the empty state.

Abstract: A driving assistance device includes a camera, a moving object detector, a candidate reflection region detector, a predetermined position brightness detector and a cause determiner. The moving object detector and the candidate reflection region detector set a detection region for detecting, from image data captured by the camera, an existence of an adjacent vehicle in an adjacent lane. The predetermined position brightness detector detects a candidate light projecting object which projects light with brightness equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value. The cause determiner determines whether or not there exists a candidate light projecting object which indicates the existence of the adjacent vehicle in the detection region.

Abstract: A parking space detection method detects a parking space in an empty state from a captured image acquired by a camera configured to capture an image of a parking lot. The method includes detecting a parked vehicle existing in a parking space on the far side from the subject vehicle and adjacent to a determination target parking space for which the empty state is determined and measuring a lateral length of the parked vehicle on a surface located at the side of the determination target parking space. When the lateral length is a predetermined value or more, the determination target parking space is detected as a parking space in the empty state.

Abstract: A parking assist method for assisting parking of a subject vehicle uses a parking assist apparatus comprising a controller and a display. The controller guides the subject vehicle to a parking space. The parking assist method includes detecting available parking spaces into which the subject vehicle can be parked, setting a parking space suitable for parking of the subject vehicle among the detected plurality of available parking spaces as a recommended available parking space in accordance with the traveling state of the subject vehicle, displaying the recommended available parking space on the display, setting the recommended available parking space displayed on the display as a target parking space for the subject vehicle on the basis of an operation by a driver or passenger, and performing automated control of the subject vehicle to park the subject vehicle into the target parking space.

Abstract: A method of displaying parking assist information is used in a parking assist apparatus comprising a display and a control device. The control device specifies a parking space on the basis of a parking condition that is preliminarily defined, and displays the specified parking space in a predetermined display region defined on a display surface of the display. When the area of a region that is occupied by the parking space and displayed in the display region is less than a predetermined value, the control device displays a specific mark on the display. The mark indicates that the parking space that is not displayed in the display region exists.

Abstract: A method of detecting a frame line of a parking space from a captured image acquired by a camera includes detecting the frame line when the value of a parameter used for detection of the frame line falls within a first threshold range, estimating the position of an undetected frame line on the basis of the position of the detected frame line, and setting a threshold range used for detecting the frame line at the estimated position of the frame line to a second threshold range wider than the first threshold range.

Abstract: A parking assist method for assisting parking of a subject vehicle uses a parking assist apparatus comprising a controller that guides the subject vehicle to a parking space and a display that displays the parking space. The parking assist method comprises: specifying an available parking space into which the subject vehicle can be parked; displaying the available parking space on the display; when the available parking space is in a parking-unavailable state that represents a state in which the subject vehicle cannot be parked into the available parking space, determining whether or not the parking-unavailable state is canceled; and when the parking-unavailable state is canceled before a first time passes, maintaining a display form of the available parking space on the display.

Abstract: A water droplet detection device has an image capturing unit and a water droplet detection unit. The image capturing unit has a photographic optical system that an area captures an image of a predetermined area. The water droplet detection unit sets an arbitrary attention point in the captured image, a plurality of first reference points inside an imaginary circle of a predetermined radius having the attention point as a center the imaginary circle, and a plurality of second reference points corresponding to the first reference points outside the imaginary circle. The water droplet detection unit detects edge information between the first reference points and second reference points, and assesses a circularity strength of the edge information to detect a water droplet attached to the photographic optical system. The water droplet detection device can be used with an image conversion unit to form a three-dimensional object detection device.

Abstract: An on-board device, that outputs a control signal to a cleaning control unit that controls accumulation removing units used to remove accumulations settled on a photographic lens in an on-board camera by adopting a plurality of methods, includes: an accumulation detection unit that detects an accumulation settled on the photographic lens from a photographic image output from the on-board camera when a vehicle speed input thereto is equal to or higher than a predetermined vehicle speed; a selection unit that selects an accumulation removing unit adopting a first method among the accumulation removing units adopting the plurality of methods; and a removal decision unit that makes a decision, based upon the photographic image, as to whether or not the accumulation has been removed from the photographic lens through a removal operation performed by the accumulation removing unit adopting the first method, which has been selected by the selection unit, wherein: if the removal decision unit decides that the accumul

Abstract: A three-dimensional object detection device has a camera, a three-dimensional object detection unit, a lens cleaning device, a lens state assessment unit and a controller. The camera has a lens for forming an image of an area rearward of a vehicle. The three-dimensional object detection unit detects a three-dimensional object rearward of the vehicle based on the captured images. The lens cleaning device sprays cleaning fluid to clean the lens of the camera. The lens state assessment unit accesses whether the lens is in a predetermined state subject to control based on a timing at which cleaning fluid is sprayed on the lens. The controller suppresses detection of the three-dimensional object by retaining detection or assessment results for a predetermined length of time that were obtained immediately before the lens was assessed to be in the state subject to control, upon assessment that the lens state is subject to control.

Abstract: A three-dimensional object detection device includes an image capturing unit, an image conversion unit, a three-dimensional object detection unit and a light source detection unit. The image conversion unit converts a viewpoint of the images obtained by the image capturing unit to create bird's-eye view images. The three-dimensional object detection unit detects a presence of a three-dimensional object within the adjacent lane. The three-dimensional object detection unit determines the presence of the three-dimensional object within the adjacent lane-when the difference waveform information is at a threshold value or higher. The three-dimensional object detection unit set a threshold value lower so that the three-dimensional object is more readily detected in a rearward area than forward area with respect to a line connecting the light source and the image capturing unit.

Abstract: A three-dimensional object detection device includes an image capturing unit, an image conversion unit, a three-dimensional object detection unit, a light source detection unit and a control unit. The image conversion unit converts a viewpoint of the images obtained by the image capturing unit to create bird's-eye view images. The three-dimensional object detection unit detects a presence of a three-dimensional object within the adjacent lane. The three-dimensional object detection unit determines the presence of the three-dimensional object within the adjacent lane-when the difference waveform information is at a threshold value or higher. The control unit set a threshold value higher so that the three-dimensional object is more difficult to detect in a forward area than rearward area with respect to a line connecting the light source and the image capturing unit when the light source has been detected.

Abstract: A camera device includes image capturing device, a lens cleaning device, an adhesion state assessment unit and a controller. The image capturing device is installed on a vehicle and has a lens for forming an image of the vehicle surroundings. The lens cleaning device cleans the lens by spraying a cleaning fluid on the lens in accordance with a predetermined lens cleaning step, in which at least a supply time for supplying cleaning fluid to the lens surface is predetermined. The adhesion state assessment unit is programmed to assess an adhesion state of contamination from a distribution of pixels corresponding to foreign matter adhered to the lens based on a captured image. The controller is programmed to extend the time until a time to start supplying the cleaning fluid in the lens cleaning step as the number of pixels corresponding to foreign matter adhered to the lens increases.