Denso Corporation

Tetsuya Enokizaka

Yoshihisa Sato

Kenichi Mori

Kiyotaka Taguchi

Tsuneo Uchida

Hidehiko Kawakami

Seiji Kawai

Yoshinori Watanabe

Akihiro Watanabe

Toshiyuki Ito

Mitsuo Yamamoto

Miki Kato

Makiko Tauchi

Osamu Masutani

Masaru Sawaki

Yuuji Matsumoto

Fumihiro Tamaoki

Hirofumi Kiyohara

Hiroshi Tsukahara

In a vehicular obstacle notification apparatus, a notification priority is determined from two of (i) a collision possibility between an obstacle and a subject vehicle and (ii) a region priority specific to an obstacle, instead of only from the collision possibility. Even if the collision possibility is high, the notification priority may become low when the region priority is low. In contrast, even if the collision possibility is low, the notification priority may become high when the region priority is high. Thus, the warning or warning notification to the driver with respect to obstacles can be executed effectively in an order of the necessity of urging the driver to take precautions, in comparison with the case where the notification priority is determined only based on the collision possibility.

Vehicular obstacle notification apparatus

An information provision apparatus of the present invention includes a stop detector to detect a stop of a vehicle; a display unit to display various information; and a control unit to control the display unit to display a plurality of display contents in a manner that two successive contents of information differ with each other while the vehicle is standing at the temporal stop. When the vehicle is caught in a traffic congestion to stop temporarily, the driver of the vehicle is entertained by plural contents of the information appearing on the display unit for his/her diversion.

Vehicular information provision apparatus

Information is displayed by irradiating a visible light on a specific position based on at least one of vehicle state information, vehicle surrounding information, and vehicle interior information. For example, the visible light is irradiated on a target switch based on signals indicating an on/off state of a headlamp operation switch and an on/off state of a key switch. A usercan easily confirm the target switch and unerringly operate the target switch. A visible light irradiatoris arranged in a vehicle compartment and irradiates the visible light to display information in the vehicle compartment. The information can be provided for the userin a novel manner.

Interior information display apparatus and light irradiation apparatus used for the same

A projector projects a visible laser beam onto a region of a vehicle compartment. A control unit controls a direction of projecting the visible laser beam to provide information to at least one occupant in the compartment. The control unit expands the region of an object to which the visible laser beam is projected when the seatbelt has been fastened.

Visible in-vehicle laser beam projector providing variable projection region as function of seatbelt fastening status

A visible laser beam projection system for a vehicle projects visible laser beam onto an instrument panel in a vehicle compartment. The instrument panel is provided with highly reflecting portions, which are scattered on the upper surface of the instrument panel. The highly reflecting portions having a diffuse reflectivity for the wavelength of a visible laser beam higher than that of other portions of the instrument panel. The visible laser beam is projected to the highly reflecting portions.

Visible laser beam projection system and method of mounting visible laser beam projection device

A visible laser beam projection system determines a target point of position to which a visible laser beam is to be projected, a start point and a trajectory from the start point and the target point based on data of conditions inside and outside of a vehicle. The system starts projecting the visible laser beam from the start point, moves the visible laser beam while it is being projected along the trajectory and stops the projection of the visible laser beam. The start point, target point and the trajectory may be changed depending on contents to be indicated.

Visible in-vehicle laser beam projection system with controlled trajectories to guide vehicle operator

A vehicular display system includes an in-vehicle navigation device and a vehicular meter device. The in-vehicle navigation device includes a display, a navigation data producing device for producing first data that is to be displayed on the display, and a transmitting device for transmitting intermediate data to the vehicular meter device. The vehicular meter device includes a receiving device for receiving the intermediate data from the in-vehicle navigation device and a navigation data display area for displaying second data. A display size changing device for changing the first data into the second data is included in at least one of the in-vehicle navigation device and the vehicular meter device. A display size of the first data is different from the display size of the second data.

Vehicular display system and method

When an accessory switch of a vehicle is turned on, a TFT display device in an instrument panel is in a magnified display mode, where a navigation image is displayed in a magnified area of a navigation display area with no meter images displayed. A driver is therefore allowed to attentively view the navigation image in order to perform a route set or to change scales of a displayed map. When the driver further turns on an ignition switch, the magnified display mode is switched to a normal display mode. In the normal display mode, a meter display area and a vehicle state display area coexist with the navigation display area in the TFT display device; a navigation image is displayed in a normal area of the navigation display area with a meter image, e.g., a speed meter image, and a warning indicator image displayed simultaneously.

Vehicle display apparatus

A steering switch device has an operation member to be operated on a steering wheel of a vehicle. An operation condition of the operation member is controlled by a control unit when the steering wheel is rotated. The operation member is for example a cylindrical member and disposed operable in a rotation manner. When the steering switch is rotated, a rotating operation of the cylindrical operation member is restricted by the control unit. Alternatively, the rotating operation of the operation member is controlled to be loaded. In a case that the operation member is a button member for indicating a direction, a pressing operation of the button member is controlled so as not to be pressed or to be loaded by the control unit when the steering wheel is rotated.

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Nagoya, Japan

Tetsuya Enokizaka