Denso Corporation

Nippondenso Co., Ltd.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Takao Nishimura

Noriaki Shirai

Akira Isogai

Katsuhiko Hibino

Eiji Teramura

Hisanao Kato

Norihiko Sakai

Masatomo Yoshihara

Naohiko Tsuru

Toyohito Nozawa

Hajime Kumabe

Yoshie Samukawa

Keiji Matsuoka

Fumikazu Satou

Koji Okamura

An ECU increases an engine rotation speed when the ECU determines that an inclination angle of an uphill is larger than or equal to a predetermined value, an accelerator is off and a vehicle speed in a direction opposite to a travelling direction of a vehicle, indicated by a specified range, is increasing. Subsequently, the ECU acquires an engine stall predicted vehicle speed, and calculates a predetermined value used in an immediate engine stall determination condition from a current rate of increase per unit time of a turbine rotation speed. Then, the ECU determines that immediate engine stall determination is affirmative when a rotation speed difference between the engine rotation speed and the turbine rotation speed becomes smaller than the predetermined value, and executes engine stall prevention control.

Control device and control method for vehicle

An information presenting method and apparatus for a vehicle which may process display information based on a predicted direction of movement of the vehicle, detect an object near the vehicle, determine whether the object is a dangerous object, and control a presentation direction so that the display information is a direction of movement of the vehicle during operation, and if the object is a dangerous object, the information presenting method or apparatus moves the presentation direction from the direction of movement of the vehicle to a direction of the object and presents the display information of areas outside the vehicle.

Information presenting apparatus and method

In a vehicle control system performing collision avoiding control when a collision with a preceding vehicle cannot be avoided by normal running condition control, driving safety is improved by prompting a driver to intervene in the vehicle's control in a reliable manner. When a set switch is turned on in the 'cancel' state, the transition to the 'in-control, inter-vehicle distance control' sub-state occurs and an inter-vehicle distance control is performed. If a collision with a preceding vehicle cannot be avoided by the inter-vehicle distance control (if the collision alarm flag XA=1), transition to the &#x201c;in-control, collision alarm&#x201d; sub-state occurs and a collision alarm is generated. If the acceleration required for avoiding collision is further increased (if the collision avoiding control flag XC=1), the state transits to the &#x201c;in-control, collision avoiding control&#x201d; sub-state, and a collision avoiding control is performed.

Vehicle control system

Recognition result of an objective recognized as a preceding vehicle is analyzed to judge whether this objective is correctly detected as a vehicle or not. A relative acceleration is calculated based on a relative speed corresponding to the objective when analysis result shows properness of this objective as a vehicle. The relative acceleration is set to 0 when analysis result shows improperness of the objective. An inter-vehicle control amount is corrected based on the obtained relative acceleration. The distance between the preceding vehicle and the controlled vehicle is controlled based on the corrected inter-vehicle control amount.

Apparatus and method for controlling a distance between traveling vehicles and actuating a warning device and a recording medium for storing related program

A collision avoidance control system for a vehicle is provided which is designed to determine a target collision avoidance deceleration required for a system vehicle equipped with this system to bring a relative speed between the system vehicle and a target object into agreement with substantially zero without a physical collision with the target object and to determine a possibility of collision with the target object as a function of the target collision avoidance deceleration. When the possibility of collision is higher than a given threshold level, the system starts to decelerate the system vehicle. This enables the avoidance of collision with the target object at a decreased operation load on the system.

Collision avoidance control system for vehicle

It judges whether a decelerator, such as fuel cut, over-drive cut, down shifting, braking, is in a temporarily unusable condition and further judges that it is necessary to drive the decelerator by the inter-vehicle control. It continues control by the inter-vehicle control means when it is necessary to drive the decelerator by the inter-vehicle control and it is judged that the decelerator is in the temporarily unusable condition. It informs the driver of data in the temporary unusable condition and further inform the driver of alarm data when the actual inter-vehicle distance is shorter than a reference. The data agrees with the alarm data. The same operation may be effected regarding accelerator. The temporarily unusable condition may be caused by continuous operation of brake pressure actuator longer than the rating.

Inter-vehicle distance control apparatus and a recording medium for the same

A distance control is performed to maintain a target distance between two traveling vehicles by controlling an acceleration/deceleration actuator based on a physical quantity representing an actual distance between the two traveling vehicles. A temporary distance control is performed to suppress a deceleration degree of a succeeding vehicle to a smaller value compared with a deceleration degree attainable during an ordinary distance control, when the two traveling vehicles are departing from each other under a condition where the actual distance between the two traveling vehicles is already shorter or will soon become shorter than a standard target distance.

Apparatus and method for controlling a target distance and a warning distance between traveling vehicles and a recording medium for storing the control method

A control ratio (&ggr;) of a distance deviation (&Dgr;d) to a target distance (dm) is obtained to control a space between two traveling vehicles. The distance deviation (&Dgr;d) is the difference between an actual distance (d) and the target distance (dm). A target control quantity, such as acceleration, engine torque or vehicle speed, is determined in accordance with the obtained control ratio (&ggr;) so as to equalize the actual distance (d) to the target distance (dm).

Apparatus and method for controlling a distance between two traveling vehicles and a recording medium for storing the control method

In automatic cruising control according to the distance between the preceding and this vehicle (inter-vehicle distance), acceleration and deceleration force information is visually or acoustically provided to the driver. A value corresponding to an actual inter-vehicle distance and actual acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle is detected to control according to a target acceleration and deceleration value. The target acceleration and deceleration value is determined so as to equalize the value to a target value corresponding to a target inter-vehicle distance. The driver of the vehicle is informed that at least one of the target acceleration and deceleration value and the actual acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle reaches a predetermined threshold value. The level of acceleration and deceleration force in automatic cruising may be informed. Information may be provided to the driver when the acceleration and deceleration reaches the upper or lower limit or maximum value.

Automatic cruising control apparatus

At least one of a plurality of deceleration devices is selected to decelerate a succeeding vehicle. A warning is generated only when a deceleration level attainable by the selected one or plural deceleration devices is higher than a predetermined maximum level even if the distance between two traveling vehicles is shorter than a predetermined warning distance.

The present invention aims to facilitate easy correction of the center axis of an obstacle detecting apparatus for a vehicle by calculating deflection of the center axis with respect to the vehicle. Each of most obstacles recognized as moving objects is a preceding vehicle,and when the subject vehicle,is moving straight, the preceding vehicle,is detected in a position straight ahead of the subject vehicle,If the optical axis,of the transmitting/receiving section,is oriented straight ahead of the subject vehicle,the preceding vehicle,will be detected on the optical axis,On the other hand, when the optical axis,deviates from the center axis of the vehicle, the preceding vehicle,is detected in a position deviated from the optical axis,by an angle &thgr; m. In this case, the value &thgr; of deflection of optical axis,is equal to &minus;&thgr; m. In addition, by determining whether or not the relative velocity vector component of an obstacle is within a given range, the accuracy of calculation can be bettered with data of vehicles moving in an adjacent lane and data of vehicles moving along a curve being removed.

Apparatus for calculating deflection of central axis of an obstacle detecting apparatus mounted on a vehicle and apparatus for correcting the deflection of central axis, and system for controlling distance to a preceding vehicle traveling ahead

An informing apparatus is designed for use with a cruise control system having at least one of a function of inter-vehicle control for enabling a present vehicle to follow a preceding vehicle and a function of constant-speed travel control for enabling the present vehicle to travel at a constant speed. In the informing apparatus, a determination is made as to whether or not a main switch is in its ON position. The main switch is designed for setting a state in which the cruise control system can start to operate. A determination is made as to whether or not a set switch is in its OFF position. The set switch is designed for commanding execution of cruise control. A speed of the present vehicle and a setting lower limit vehicle speed are indicated on a contradistinction basis when it is determined that the main switch is in its ON position while the set switch is in its OFF position. The setting lower limit vehicle speed denotes a lower limit of a vehicle speed range in which the cruise control is enabled.

Informing apparatus for cruise control system

An estimated travelling curve La (radius Rea) of a system vehicle is obtained based on a first group of sampling data (X1, Y1) through (X5, Y5). Alarm area WA1a is set as a region surrounded by a pair of circular arcs parallel shifted from curve La by .+-.1 m and a pair of straight lines (Y=Y1 and Y=Y5). Similarly, an estimated travelling curve Lb (radius Reb) is obtained based on a second group of sampling data (X3, Y3) through (X5, Y5). Alarm area WA1b is set as a region surrounded by a pair of circular arcs parallel shifted from curve Lb by .+-.1 m and straight lines (Y=Y1 and Y=Y5). At the entrance and exit of a curved road, values of radii Rea and Reb are differentiated. Hence, the collision judgement is performed by using different alarm areas WA1a and WA1b.

Automotive anti-collision and alarm system

In an obstacle recognition system for a vehicle, transmission wave is irradiated per given angle for recognizing an obstacle ahead of the subject vehicle based on angle/distance data obtained from received reflected wave. A position of the obstacle is estimated based on a previously recognized position of the obstacle. The estimated position of the obstacle and an actually recognized position of the obstacle are compared so as to determine whether the obstacle currently recognized is identical with the obstacle previously recognized. Relative acceleration is derived for the obstacle which has been determined plural times to be identical with the previously recognized obstacle. When the derived relative acceleration is outside a given range, the corresponding obstacle is excluded from objects of further obstacle recognition.

Obstacle recognition system for vehicle

An obstacle warning system for a vehicle includes a distance measuring device for emitting a transmission wave or laser light in a given angular range in a direction of a width of the vehicle in a scanning manner, and for detecting a distance between the vehicle and an obstacle in correspondence with a scan angle on the basis of a reflected wave or reflected light from the obstacle. A relative position calculating device calculates a relative position of the obstacle with respect to the vehicle on the basis of the distance detected by the distance measuring device and a corresponding scan angle. A radius calculating device calculates a radius of an estimated relative curved path of the vehicle with respect to the obstacle on the basis of relative positions of at least two points of the obstacle which are calculated by the relative position calculating device. A warning area setting device sets a given warning area on the basis of the width of the vehicle and the radius calculated by the radius calculating device. A warning device executes a given warning process if the obstacle remains in the warning area for a given period of time.

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Nagoya, Japan

Takao Nishimura