Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Akio Okada

Hiroshi Kawaguchi

Nobuyoshi Sugitani

Shoji Inagaki

Shirou Monzaki

Masashi Ohta

Masatoshi Yoneyama

A navigation control ECU (,) gives normal guidance to the driver of a vehicle based on the present location of the vehicle as determined from a D-GPS (,) and map data from a map database (,). A map database detailing device (,) obtains detailed data on the shape of a road from the detected valued of a yaw rate sensor (,), an acceleration sensor (,), and a vehicle speed sensor (,) and the data of the map database (,), and stores the detailed data in a detailed map database (,). A vehicle control ECU (,) evaluates the traveling stability of the vehicle at a curve and controls the deceleration, etc., of the vehicle by utilizing the detailed road shape data in the database (,). In this way, a vehicle navigation device can appropriately show the driver of the vehicle the route and control the traveling controller.

Navigation device for vehicle and preparation of road shape data used therefor

A vehicle driving condition prediction device, a warning device using this prediction device, and a recording medium for storing data for prediction, wherein during use of the prediction function of an approach speed of the vehicle to a curve ahead, the acceleration at the present moment is maintained for a condition maintaining period of time, and thereafter the vehicle speed is slowed down at a fixed deceleration, and using such an assumed deceleration pattern a vehicle speed in future is predicted, by which a warning can be given taking the chances of driver's deceleration into consideration.

Vehicle driving condition prediction device and warning device

A vehicle driving condition prediction device, a warning device using this prediction device, and a recording medium for storing data for prediction, wherein during use of the prediction function of an approach speed of the vehicle to a curve ahead, the acceleration at the present moment is maintained for a condition maintaining period of time, and thereafter the vehicle speed is slowed down at a fixed deceleration, and using such an assumed deceleration pattern a vehicle speed in future is predicted, by which a warning can be given taking the chances of driver's deceleration into consideration, and wherein by storing data on road cants in a data base, and using cant data, it is possible to predict the lateral acceleration more accurately.

Vehicle driving condition prediction device, warning device using the

A steering control apparatus of the present invention comprises: a steering shaft on which a steering effort is exerted through a steering wheel; a steering angle detecting device for detecting an angle of rotation of the steering shaft; a turning device for turning a steered wheel, the turning device being mechanically separated from the steering shaft; a target control amount calculating device for calculating a target control amount as a target of turning control, based on a detection result of the steering angle detecting device; a turning control device for outputting a turning control signal according to the target control amount to the turning device and controlling drive of the turning device so that a turning amount of the steered wheel becomes the target control amount; and a correction device for correcting the turning control signal outputted, based on a running status of a vehicle.

Steering control apparatus

A spin suppress control device of a vehicle makes a first spin state estimation of the vehicle body and a second spin state estimation of the vehicle body in close time proximity to the first spin state estimation, and applies a braking force to one of the front left and right wheels at the outside of the turn such that a first braking force is applied according to the first spin state estimation and a second braking force is applied according to the second spin state estimation to be at least either stronger than the first braking force or with a greater advancement relative to an actual spin state of the vehicle than the first braking force. The second spin state estimation may be executed by a reversal of yaw rate of the vehicle body across its neutral, or by a spin state above a predetermined level occurring before a predetermined time lapses from the end of the spin suppress control according to the first spin state estimation, or by a spin state estimating parameter being modified to incorporate a time-based differential thereof.

Spin suppress control device or vehicle distinctive of degree of

In a brake system of a vehicle adapted to be operated automatically, the brake system includes a forecasting mechanism for forecasting a need of automatic braking, and a pump to provide a source of a pressurized working fluid for the automatic braking is started when a need of an automatic braking is forecast. By such a need forecast starting of the pump, the brake system can automatically apply an effective braking to a vehicle wheel or wheels, with no accumulator for storing the pressurized working fluid. The pump need forecasting may depend upon an estimation of a turn behavior of the vehicle and/or a detection of an obstacle in front of the vehicle.

Brake system having pump to start by forecast of braking

A spin suppress control device of a vehicle estimates a spin quantity of the vehicle to represent a liability of its spinning, and selectively and variably brakes each of the wheels according to the spin quantity so as to decelerate the vehicle within a range of generating no substantial yaw moment in the vehicle when the spin quantity exceeds a first threshold value therefor, and provides the vehicle with an anti-spin moment when the spin quantity exceeds a second threshold value therefor greater than the first threshold value.

Spin suppress control device of vehicle operative with yaw moment free

A turn behavior control system continually modifies its control performance by itself so as to adapt itself to varying external conditions such as curving and surface conditions of the road and the driving skill of the driver, according to study of the turn behavior of the vehicle controlled thereby under the influence of those external conditions, such that an anti-spin moment is generated according to a spin parameter estimating the spinning condition of the vehicle when the spin parameter exceeds a standard value which is reviewed by each unit period to be lowered as the frequency of operation of the control system during the unit period increases or to be raised as the time based integration of the spin value during the unit period increases, or the anti-spin moment is increased as the friction coefficient of the road surface lowers.

Growing community of inventors

Mishima, Japan

Akio Okada