Denso Corporation

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Nippondenso Co., Ltd.

Gac Corporation

Hiroto Nakatani

Noriyuki Ozaki

Kenichi Yanai

Hiroshi Hazumi

Hiroshi Mizuno

Koichi Sato

Hiroshi Naganawa

Hiroyuki Hotta

Yuuji Katou

Teiyuu Kimura

Akihisa Fujita

Kenichi Mori

Minoru Makiguchi

Chiharu Yamano

Kunihiko Sasaki

Naoki Sugimoto

Koji Shimizu

Ichiro Aizawa

Tomoyasu Watanabe

Yukimasa Tamatsu

Takahiro Kohara

Shun Takizawa

Yuichi Minamiyama

Akihiso Fujita

An axial displacement angle estimation device repeatedly calculates an axial displacement angle based on the detection result of the radar apparatus. The axial displacement angle estimation device extracts the axial displacement angle included in a predetermined extraction angle range among a plurality of axial displacement angles, and calculate an average value and a median value of the extracted plurality of axial displacement angles to be an axial displacement angle average value and an axial displacement median value. The axial displacement angle estimation device determines, based on the axial displacement angle average value and the axial displacement angle median value, whether a predetermined allowable condition is met. The axial displacement angle estimation device utilizes, when determined that the predetermined allowable condition is met, the axial displacement angle average value as an estimation result of the axial displacement angle.

Axial displacement estimation device

An axial displacement estimation device estimates an axial displacement angle of a radar apparatus mounted on a mobile body. The axial displacement estimation device uses a plurality of detection values acquired by mutually different plurality of modulation methods to estimate an axial displacement angle for each of the plurality of modulation methods. The axial displacement estimation device determines whether a predetermined allowable condition is met based on a plurality of axial displacement angle estimation results estimated using a plurality of detection values corresponding to respective plurality of modulation methods. The axial displacement estimation device utilizes at least one of a plurality of axial displacement angle estimation results when determined that the predetermined allowable condition is met.

An axis-misalignment estimation device estimates an axis-misalignment angle of a radar device mounted to a moving object. The axis-misalignment estimation device estimates the axis-misalignment angle using a plurality of different axis-misalignment angle estimation methods based on detection results of the radar device. The axis-misalignment estimation device determines whether a predefined employment condition is met, based on a plurality of axis-misalignment angle estimates estimated using respective ones of the plurality of axis-misalignment angle estimation methods. In response to determining that the employment condition is met, the axis-misalignment estimation device employs at least one of the plurality of axis-misalignment angle estimates.

Axis-misalignment estimation device

A radar apparatus generates a spectrum distribution where frequencies in a beat signal are associated with intensities of respective frequency components. Based on a plurality of spectrum distributions generated over a predetermined number of measurement cycles prescribed in advance, the radar apparatus generates a reflection intensity distribution where frequencies are associated with road surface reflection intensities of the radar wave from a road surface at each frequency. In the reflection intensity distribution, the radar apparatus detects an intensity peak indicating a frequency that maximizes the road surface reflection intensity. Based on the detected intensity peak, the radar apparatus determines at least whether or not the radar apparatus is in an axis deviation state that is taken as a state where a reference axis of the radar apparatus has an inclination of not less than a prescribed angle in a vehicle height direction relative to a horizontal axis prescribed to a vehicle.

Radar apparatus, method for inspecting axis deviation thereof, and computer-readable recording medium with program recorded thereon

A visual ability improvement device installed in a vehicle includes a noise generator, a surrounding situation detector, a driver status detector, a vehicle status detector, an operation switch, and a noise output device. A controller of the noise generator determines an optimum strength based on the surrounding situation from the surrounding situation detector, the driver's status from the driver status detector, the vehicle's status from the vehicle status detector, and the correspondence of the optimum representative noise to the above situation and statuses from the correspondence memory. Then the controller generates a noise with the determined the optimum representative noise strength, and outputs to the noise output device such as passenger compartment light a control signal which depends on the generated noise.

Visual ability improvement supporting device

A visual ability improvement supporting device includes a noise outputting device and a noise generating device. The noise generating device generates noise with intensity which is optimum to a threshold intensity of visibility. The optimum intensity is optimum to induce stochastic resonance (SR). The noise outputting device includes a room lighting device, which illuminates a surrounding area when a lighting switch is turned on, and outputs the visual noise according to the generated noise even when the lighting switch is turned off not to illuminate the surrounding area.

A visual recognition support system includes a noise area determination function for determining a noise area where a visual noise is output to improve sensitivity of visual recognition of an object in need of attention of an operator of a vehicle. The intensity of the visual noise is determined based on a threshold of the visual perception.

Visual recognition support system

A breath monitor includes: a plurality of sensors for detecting a load derived from a human lying on a bed and for outputting a sensor signal corresponding to the load; and breath signal computation means. The sensors are disposed under the human with a predetermined arrangement. The breath signal computation means converts each sensor signal to a frequency domain so that a spectrum of each sensor signal is obtained, selects the sensors on the basis of the converted sensor signals, and computes a breath signal on the basis of the sensor signals outputted from the selected sensors.

Breath monitor

The input/output system of the present invention includes a sheet-like input/output unit that includes wiring and a connection box that is attached to an edge of the sheet-like input/output unit. The connection box includes a housing that is attached so as to sandwich the sheet-like input/output unit and internally encloses a circuit board that is connected to the wiring. The housing includes a slit through which the sheet-like input/output unit passes and whose upper and lower edges are curved and means for fixing the sheet-like input/output unit that is disposed inside to the slit. Since the means for fixing the sheet-like input/output unit is disposed inside to the slit, the edges of the slit are narrow but formed with large radii of curvature, so that the sheet-like input/output unit is not folded over at the slit part. The slit can also be sealed by attaching packing to the edge of the slit.

Biological information detection system

A microcomputer included in a respiratory monitoring system selects sensors that have output signals related to respiration of a person from sensors detecting forces applied by the person. To select the sensors, levels of the signals are compared between a respiratory frequency band and another frequency band. If the level of the signal in the respiratory frequency band is predetermined times higher than that of the signal in the other frequency band, the sensor is selected. The respiratory curve is produced based on weight signals outputted from the selected sensors.

Respiratory monitoring system

A pressure sensor includes a pair of base films, a pair of electrodes, a layer of pressure-sensitive resistor, a spacer, and a projection. The electrodes are located between the base films. The layer of pressure-sensitive resistor is located between the base films to be distant from one of the electrodes by a predetermined gap. The spacer is located outside the layer of pressure-sensitive resistor between the base films and used for forming the gap. The projection is located on an outer surface of one of the base films in order to decrease the lowest pressure that can be detected by the pressure sensor. The contact state between the layer of pressure-sensitive resistor and one of the electrodes varies to vary the resistance between the electrodes when a pressure acts on the projection.

Pressure sensor

Receivers 14 and 16 comprise mixers 14b and 16b for mixing reception signals of receiver antennas 14a and 16a with a transmission signal to generate beat signals B1 and B2, respectively. Signal processing section 20 performs the Fourier transformation of beat signals B1 and B2 supplied from receivers 14 and 16 to obtain the phases of beat signals B1 and B2 and then obtain the azimuth based on the difference of these phases.

Radar system for detecting distance, mutual speed and azimuth of a

Beat signals of respective receiver channels CH1 and CH2, produced by mixing their receiving signals with a transmission signal, are subjected to Fourier transformation to detect the frequency and phase of peak frequency components in both an ascending-section where the frequency of the transmission increases and a descending-section where the frequency of the transmission decreases. Based on peak frequency components derived from the same target, phase differences .DELTA..phi.u(i) and .DELTA..phi.d(j) between receiver channels CH1 and CH2 in the ascending- and descending-sections (steps 210-230). Relative relationship between the transmission signal and the receiving signal is judged based on the signs of the phase differences. Respective peak frequencies fu(i) and fd(j), detected as absolute values of frequency differences between the transmission signal and the receiving signal, are given sings in accordance with the judgement result. Then, the distance D and relative velocity V of the target are calculated (steps 240-260).

FMCW radar system for detecting distance, relative velocity and azimuth

An FM-CW radar which is suitable for automotive anti-collision systems, for example, is provided. This radar outputs a radar signal in the form of a triangular wave whose frequency is increased at a given rate and decreased at a given rate. A receiver receives a wave reflected from a target to produce a beat signal and takes the Fourier transform of the beat signal to determine peak frequency components thereof showing peaks in a frequency spectrum. The receiver also determines phases of the peak frequency components and selects at least one from the peak frequency components in a frequency-rising range wherein the frequency of the radar signal is increased and at least one from the peak frequency components in a frequency-falling range wherein the frequency of the radar signal is decreased which show substantially the same phase to pair them for determining the distance to and relative speed of the target based on the frequency of the paired peak frequency components.

FM-CW radar apparatus for measuring relative speed of and distance to an

In an FM-CW radar system, a beat signal is frequency-analyzed for selecting ascending-side beat frequencies and descending-side beat frequencies for a plurality of targets. By pairing the ascending-side and descending-side beat frequencies one by one from each side, all possible combinations thereof are prepared. Based on these beat frequency combinations, beat frequency combinations after a given time are predicted, respectively. If an ascending-side beat frequency and a descending-side beat frequency of the predicted beat frequency combination are found in ascending-side beat frequencies and descending-side beat frequencies of a beat signal selected after the given time, respectively, or in the neighborhood of them, respectively, the predicted beat frequency combination of the found ascending-side and descending-side beat frequencies is set as a correct beat frequency combination. A further correct beat frequency combination/combinations can be set in the same manner. Based on these correct beat frequency combinations, information about the targets can be correctly achieved.

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Nagoya, Japan

Hiroto Nakatani