Aisin-warner Kabushiki Kaisha

Kabushiki Kaisha Shinsangyokaihatsu

Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.

Shouji Yokoyama

Shuzo Moroto

Takashi Yamada

Mitsuhiro Nimura

Yasunobu Ito

Koji Sumiya

Akimasa Nanba

Mutumi Kawamoto

Masanari Yamamoto

A navigation apparatus having road system data 6 which represents information of connections and coordinates of intersections and roads between intersections, a travel distance sensor 2, steering angle sensor 3, a present position calculating module 4 for calculating the present position with a unit distance between an intersection and the terminal intersection of a going-out road selected at the former intersection. The apparatus is further provided with a module 15 for generating data on the direction of traveling to a destination point at respective intersections, and a guidance outputting module 5. Traveling direction data is made in response to inputting of the destination point, the present position is determined by selecting a going-out road with the present position calculating module with respect to each intersection, and guidance data on the traveling direction at the terminal intersection of the present road is thereafter output. When a present position is input, the present position is calculated from data on the corresponding road, the travel distance, and the steering angle. Similarly, at the terminal intersection of this road, another road extending in the traveling direction is selected from the road system data. The present position is also calculated with respect to this road.

Navigation apparatus based on present position calculating system

A road image input system for controlling an automotive vehicle includes a pick-up mounted on the vehicle for picking up the image of a road ahead of the traveling vehicle, a sensor for sensing the traveling condition of the vehicle, and an image processor for obtaining information indicative of the road by setting an image processing window on the image which has been picked up and processing data contained within the image processing window. The image processing window is set at a position based on values of the vehicle velocity and the steering angle of the steering wheel.

Road image input system for vehicle control

In accordance with the invention, the mounting position of a throttle opening sensor is adjusted in such a manner that the output voltage of the sensor attains a value a value of V.sub.100 at a throttle opening of 100%. When execution of the system program starts, V.sub.0 is stored in memory as initialized voltage data at a throttle opening of 0%. A throttle opening .theta..alpha. corresponding to sensed voltage data V.alpha. is calculated in an arithmetic unit in accordance with the following equation: ##EQU1## The throttle opening - output voltage characteristic may change due to an error in mounting the throttle opening sensor, a change in the length of the throttle cable caused by a temperature variation, or a change in resistance value caused by aging. If such is the case and a voltage V'.sub.0 greater than the previously stored voltage V.sub.O prevailing at the throttle opening of 0% is sensed, then V'.sub.0 is stored in memory as new voltage data corresponding to the throttle opening of 0%. Thereafter, a throttle opening .theta.'.alpha. corresponding to sensed voltage data V'.alpha. is calculated in accordance with Eq. (1). Therefore, since an adjustment is made so as to absorb any variance in the throttle opening - output voltage characteristic of the throttle opening sensor, an accurate throttle signal can be obtained at all times despite a change in the characteristic of the throttle opening sensor when the sensor is mounted or due aging.

Electronically controlled automatic transmission

Disclosed is a control apparatus for a four-wheel drive vehicle having a center differential mechanism which allows a difference in rotating speed between front and rear wheels so as to absorb a difference in turning radius developed between the front and rear wheels when the vehicle is cornering, and a center differential clutch for limiting differential action of the center differential mechanism. The control apparatus has front-wheel torque sensor provided on a front-wheel drive shaft. When a negative torque is sensed on the front-wheel side while the vehicle is traveling with a restraint placed upon the differential action of the center differential mechanism, the restraint is reduced or removed automatically. This prevents occurrence of a tight corner braking phenomenon and permits the function of the center differential mechanism to fully manifest itself. The vehicle is kept in a stable and safe traveling condition in which driving force is fully utilized.

Control apparatus for four-wheel drive vehicle with center differential

Growing community of inventors

Anjo, Japan

Shouji Yokoyama