Denso Corporation

Nippon Soken, Inc.

Other

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Denso Corpora Tion

Hironori Sato

Taiji Morishita

Masayuki Imanishi

Akira Takagi

Satoshi Osanai

Tomoyuki Goto

Masahiro Taguchi

Shoichi Hayasaka

Hideo Fukamachi

Kentarou Shiota

Yoshimasa Hara

Toshio Sawaki

Yasuhiko Satoh

Shusuke Aoki

In a light control system, a captured image of a cruising direction of a vehicle is acquired, and a light source is extracted from the captured image. A probability for estimating a light source to be a vehicle light source originating from a vehicle is calculated based on light source parameters for differentiating the light source. A dark section that is darker than the periphery and is present below the light source in the captured image is extracted. The probability is set to be higher for the light source of which the dark section is extracted. The light source having a probability that is a reference value set in advance or higher is estimated to be a light source of another vehicle. When the dark section that is detected as a shadow of a vehicle is detected, the probability of the light source being a vehicle light source is set to be high.

Method and apparatus for detecting light source of vehicle

In an image processing apparatus, an image acquisition unit acquires an image. A correction unit corrects pixel values of pixels composed of the acquired image by using correction coefficients to produce a correct image. An object recognition unit recognizes an object in the corrected image. A storage unit stores in advance standard color characteristics of a predetermined object which is a recognition target. A color characteristics acquisition unit acquires color characteristics of the predetermined object if the predetermined object is recognized by the object recognition unit. A comparison unit compares the color characteristics of the acquired object with the standard color characteristics of the same predetermined object stored in advance in the storage unit. An updating unit updates the correction coefficients used in the correction unit based on a result of comparison so as to reduce a difference between the color characteristics and the standard color characteristics.

Image processing apparatus and its adjustment method

An on-vehicle apparatus detects other vehicle lights from an image picked up outside the vehicle. The apparatus acquires an image around the vehicle and extracts light sources from the image. The apparatus calculates a target area probability that is a probability of a light source in a target area being different vehicle light, in accordance with a probability that light-source feature quantities at least including either of a color of light source and a shape of light source coincide with target-area feature quantities, the target area indicating a preset site that is a part of an area indicating each of the light sources. The target-area feature quantities are prepared as feature quantities of vehicle light, being correlated to the position of a target area. The apparatus outputs information that a light source having the target area probability of not less than a preset threshold is different vehicle light.

Apparatus for detecting other vehicle lights and light control apparatus for vehicles

A driving environment detection device acquires a captured image of the direction the host vehicle is travelling in, and from the captured image, extracts parameters relating to brightness of a road surface for a road driven by the host vehicle. Then, on the basis of the parameters, the driving environment of the vehicle is estimated. By way of such a light control system, it is possible to more accurately detect ambient brightness by estimating the driving environment in accordance with the parameters related to the brightness of the road surface. Therefore, it is possible to accurately detect the driving environment.

Traveling environment detection device

A near-infrared night vision device to which a pedestrian detection device is applied includes a near-infrared projector, a near-infrared camera, a display and an ECU. By executing programs, the ECU constitutes a pedestrian candidate extraction portion and a determination portion. The pedestrian candidate extraction portion extracts pedestrian candidate regions from near-infrared images. The determination portion normalizes the sizes and the brightnesses of the pedestrian candidates extracted by the pedestrian candidate extraction portion, and then computes the degrees of similarity between the normalized pedestrian candidates. The determination portion determines that a pedestrian candidate having two or more other pedestrian candidates whose degree of similarity with the pedestrian candidate is greater than or equal to a predetermined value is not a pedestrian.

Pedestrian detection device and pedestrian detection method

Simply constituted electronic apparatus that can definitely output an outputted data after predetermined length of time from a time when an inputted data processing is started, even if data processing time of the inputted data varies with the contents of the data.

Electronic apparatus capable of outputting data in predetermined timing regardless of contents of input data

An apparatus for protecting an occupant in a vehicle includes a pair of image sensors for taking images of an area on a seat in the vehicle. Transverse-direction shifts between corresponding portions of the images are calculated. Longitudinal-direction positions of objects whose images are in the portions of the images taken by the image sensors are measured in response to the calculated transverse-direction shifts. A longitudinal-direction position of an occupant on the seat is decided in response to the measured longitudinal-direction positions of the objects. Occupant protecting operation at a time of occurrence of a collision of the vehicle is changed in response to the decided longitudinal-direction position of the occupant. From the measured longitudinal-direction positions of the objects, one corresponding to a highest position with respect to the vehicle and being in front of the seat is selected as a longitudinal-direction position of a head of the occupant.

Apparatus for protecting occupant in vehicle

A vehicular occupant restraint system includes a distance sensor, an electromagnetic wave radiation-type occupant sensor, a controller, and an airbag drive circuit. When the controller predicts a collision and determines it is unavoidable based on the output of the distance sensor, the controller sends an instruction signal to the occupant sensor to determine the seating condition of an occupant. Then, the airbag drive circuit performs an airbag deployment control in accordance with the determined seating condition. This system thus reduces power consumption and electromagnetic wave radiation of the occupant sensor.

Growing community of inventors

Okazaki, Japan

Hironori Sato