Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Shinsuke Ueda

Akio Takahashi

Seiichi Yamamoto

An automotive instrument specifying unit of an automotive instrument operating device specifies a group of automotive instruments on the basis of the direction of gaze of an occupant detected by a gaze direction detector, and specifies one automotive instrument from among the specified group of automotive instruments on the basis of the up/down direction selected by up/down direction selecting unit when the up/down direction selecting unit has been operated in a state in which the group of automotive instruments has been specified.

Automotive instrument operating device and alert device

A visually-distracted-driving detection device that can detect visually distracted driving with high accuracy. The visually-distracted-driving detection device includes a visually-distracted-driving determination unit that determines that a driver is visually distracted if the direction in which the driver is looking is greater than or equal to a predetermined angle with respect to the front of the driver; and a prohibition unit that, if it is specified that the present position of the vehicle as specified by a present-position specifying unit is within a first predetermined distance from an intersection, prohibits a process that is performed in cases where it is determined that the driver is visually distracted.

Visually-distracted-driving detection device

A warning device that is highly effective in encouraging a driver to stop visually distracted driving. The warning device includes a visually-distracted-driving determination unit and a warning unit. The visually-distracted driving determination unit determines that a driver is visually distracted if the direction in which the driver is looking is greater than or equal to a predetermined angle with respect to the front of the driver. The warning unit issues a visual warning at a position visible to the driver when the visually-distracted-driving determination unit determines that the driver is visually distracted. The warning unit is arranged on a virtual boundary line forming the predetermined angle with the front of the driver on the right and/or left side thereof.

Warning device for judging whether occupant is visually distracted

If an iris or a pupil is detected as being positioned in a right area, a vehicle-mounted device identifier of a vehicle-mounted device identifying apparatus identifies a vehicle-mounted device group, which is disposed in an area that is on the right side of an area that is identified based on a facial direction detected by a facial direction detector. If the iris or the pupil is detected as being positioned in a left area, the vehicle-mounted device identifier identifies a vehicle-mounted device group, which is disposed in an area that is on the left side of an area that is identified based on the facial direction. If the iris or the pupil is detected as being positioned in a central area, the vehicle-mounted device identifier identifies a vehicle-mounted device group, which is disposed in an area that is identified based on the facial direction.

Vehicle-mounted device identifying apparatus

An inattention determination device includes a sight direction detecting unit that detects a sight direction of a driver, and an inattention determining unit that measures an inattention continuation time from a time point when the sight direction is a predetermined inattention direction to a time point when the sight direction deviates from the predetermined inattention direction and becomes a direction other than the inattention direction and determines that the driver is inattentive when the intention continuation time is equal to or more than a predetermined time. The inattention determining unit maintains measurement of the inattention continuation time when the sight direction is changed at a speed higher than a predetermined movement speed from the predetermined inattention direction to a direction other than the inattention direction or when the sight direction is momentarily a direction other than the inattention direction.

Inattention determining apparatus

When an occupant's sight line detected by sight line detector is directed to any one of multiple onboard units (a side mirror, a rear view mirror, a navigation system, an in-vehicle phone, an air blowout port, and a meter panel), a controller allows the onboard unit, to which the sight line is directed, to be operable. Thus, the occupant can select the onboard unit, which the occupant wishes to operate, by the sight line without using the hand and further can operate the onboard unit by use of a common steering switch, thereby enhancing the convenience of operation. In addition, a corresponding one of pilot lamps notifies the occupant that the corresponding one of the onboard units, to which the sight line is directed, is operable. Accordingly, the occupant can avoid operating a wrong onboard unit while reliably recognizing the operable onboard unit even if the multiple onboard units are arranged close to one another.

Onboard unit controlling apparatus

An inattention determining device includes range changing unit and inattention determining unit. When a curve detection result is output from curve detector, the range changing unit changes a first predetermined range to a second predetermined range by the predetermined amount in the curve direction before a turning direction of an acquisition result is changed in the curve direction of the curve detection result. The inattention determining unit determines whether or not a driver is in an inattention state on the basis of the second predetermined range.

Inattention determining device

An anti-drunk driving apparatus for a vehicle including: an alcohol drinking determination device which determines whether or not a first person seated in a driver's seat is drunk; a driving restriction device which restricts driving of the vehicle in a case where it is determined that the first person seated in the driver's seat is drunk by the alcohol drinking determination device; a driving intention presumption device which presumes whether or not a second person seated in the driver's seat has an intention to drive; a photograph device which photographs the faces of the first and second persons; and a person identification device which determines whether or not the first and second persons are the same by comparing their faces in images, wherein if it is determined that the first and the second persons are not the same, the driving restriction device restricts driving of the vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Utsunomiya, Japan

Shinsuke Ueda