Mazda Motor Corporation

Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Tomoji Izumi

Tetsuya Tachihata

Nagahisa Fujita

Yuichi Itoh

Daisuke Umetsu

Osamu Sunahara

Yasunori Takahara

Masaki Chiba

Hiroshi Ohmura

Shin Takehara

Toshiaki Tsuyama

Takeshi Edahiro

Haruki Okazaki

Kiyoshi Sakamoto

Takahiro Inada

Tsunehisa Okuda

Satoru Ando

Kazuyoshi Okuda

Tomoko Nagata

Shigerumi Hirabayashi

Kenji Shimizu

Tetsuhiro Yamashita

Osamu Michihira

Takao Kijima

Seiji Hirano

Eiji Nishimura

Masaaki Shimizu

Hiroaki Sakamoto

Shigeyuki Uehara

Toshihiro Ishihara

Yuichi Ito

Yukio Munenaga

Osamu Nakamoto

Takeshi Yabuki

Tsuyoshi Kojima

Toshiya Oue

Yoshito Watanabe

Yoshiaki Sugamoto

Tamio Hirasawa

Takao Kljima

Takahito Yanagita

A vehicle parking brake control includes a parking switch for switching the parking brake between ON and OFF, a vehicle power source switch for switching a power source of the vehicle between ON and OFF, a parking brake controller for executing automatic application control when the power source is operated from ON to OFF by the occupant with use of the vehicle power source switch, and a prohibition condition determination unit for determining that when the parking brake is OFF, the vehicle is stopped, and the vehicle power source is ON, a prohibition condition for prohibiting automatically turning the parking brake on is satisfied when a turning-off operation for the vehicle power source switch is executed after a turning-off operation for the parking switch is executed. When a determination is made that the prohibition condition is satisfied, the parking brake controller does not execute the automatic application control.

Parking brake control apparatus for vehicle

A vehicle behavior control device comprises: a steer-by-wire type steering apparatus () having a steering wheel-side mechanism and a road wheel-side mechanism which are mechanically separated from each other; and a controller () performs a driving force reduction control when a steering speed in the steering apparatus () becomes equal to or greater than a given threshold. The steering apparatus () comprises a first steering angle sensor () provided in the steering wheel-side mechanism and a second steering angle sensor () provided in the road wheel-side mechanism. The controller () performs the driving force reduction control using the first steering angle sensor () when a yaw rate or a steering speed is equal to or greater than a given value, and performs the driving force reduction control using the second steering angle sensor () when the yaw rate or the steering speed is less than the given value.

Vehicle behavior control device

The vehicle behavior control device comprises: a steer-by-wire type steering apparatus () having a steering wheel-side mechanism and a road wheel-side mechanism which are mechanically separated from each other; and a controller () performs a driving force reduction control of reducing a driving force for a vehicle () when a steering speed in the steering apparatus () becomes equal to or greater than a given threshold. The steering apparatus () comprises a first steering angle sensor () provided in the steering wheel-side mechanism and a second steering angle sensor () provided in the road wheel-side mechanism. The controller () performs the driving force reduction control based on the steering speed in accordance with a sum of an output of the first steering angle sensor () and an output of the second steering angle sensor ().

Vehicle behavior control device to control a vehicle based on steering characteristics

A vehicle behavior control device for controlling a vehicle equipped with a steering apparatus comprises: a PCM operable to acquire a steering speed in the steering apparatus, and, when the steering speed becomes equal to or greater than a given threshold (T) which is greater than 0, to reduce a driving force for the vehicle according to the steering speed, wherein the steering apparatus comprises a steering shaft coupled to the steering wheel and rotatable together with the steering wheel, wherein the steering shaft has a torsion bar whose torsional rigidity about a rotational axis of the steering shaft is less than a remaining portion of the steering shaft. The steering speed acquisition section is configured to acquire the steering speed of the steering apparatus at a position on the side of the front road wheels with respect to the low rigidity portion.

A vehicle characteristic change system including characteristic information forming device for forming a characteristic information with which characteristics of an object vehicle are changed, information entry device for entering the characteristic information into the object vehicle, characteristic change device for changing the characteristics of the object vehicle in accordance with the characteristic information formed by the characteristic information forming means. Characteristics of a vehicle can be readily changed to meet a driver's taste, driving condition, driving circumstances and the like with compact system and low cost.

Vehicle characteristic change system and method

An automotive vehicle stability control system determined which is a main cause of a change in a change rate of a yaw rate difference of an actual yaw rate from a target yaw rate between a change in the actual yaw rate and a change in the target yaw rate when the change rate of the yaw rate difference exceeds a specified change rate, increase threshold slip angle for starting braking control based on slip angle following the driver's intention when the main cause is the change in the actual yaw rate and increases an upper limit of target slip angle so as to allow the target slip angle to be increased according to a driver's steering operation when the slip angle preferential braking control takes place.

Stability control system for automotive vehicle

A vehicle characteristic change system includes a characteristic information forming device for forming characteristic information with which characteristics of an object vehicle are changed: information entry device is used for entering the characteristic information into the object vehicle, and a characteristic change device is used for changing the characteristics of the object vehicle in accordance with the characteristic information formed by the characteristic information forming device. Characteristics of a vehicle can be readily changed to meet preference of driver, a driver's taste, driving condition, driving circumstances and the like with a compact system and at low cost.

When the difference between the number of revolutions of each tire of a vehicle is judged by the tire air pressure warning device must be made under the condition that the number of revolutions of the four wheels must constantly be detected by different units, and processed at a high speed, and where the vehicle is travelling in a straight line, and at a point in time when all four wheels become at the same condition. In the case that all four wheels do not reach the same condition, the judgment of the difference in the number of tire revolutions at the tire air pressure warning device is prohibited. Also, using the vehicle running conditions, the most suitable tire air pressure judgment is carried out, and various noise generate when the vehicle is travelling do not have any effect, and the tire air pressure abnormality is detected with good accuracy, the detected signal from the wheel velocity sensors is carefully selected, and the reliability and accuracy of the tire air pressure judgment is improved. When the vehicle and/or the road surface is in a specific condition, by prohibiting the tire air pressure judgment, the reliability and accuracy of the tire air pressure judgment is increased. By permiting the tire air pressure judgment when within a vehicle velocity region, that is established using the road conditions, the reliability and accuracy of the tire air pressure judgment is improved.

Tire air pressure warning device

A system of driving stability control, which is adapted to control valves for opening and closing hydraulic pressure passages between a master cylinder and brake units of wheels and simultaneously controls pressurizing valves and a pressure relief valves so as to supply braking force selectively and independently to the brake units when a specified driving condition is detected, performs the coordinated braking control that, when a specified step-on pressure is detected during execution of the driving stability control, delivers the braking pressure to the brake units according to brake pedal travels as the driving intends simultaneously with reducing the participative degree of the driving stability control so as to ensure gripping force of wheels that brake the vehicle and reduces reduce the participative degree of the driving stability control with an intention of regarding driving stability of the vehicle as important when the vehicle is going to cause a spin.

Stability control system for vehicle

When the difference between the number of revolutions of each tire of a vehicle is judged by the tire air pressure warning device must be made under the condition that the number of revolutions of the four wheels must constantly be detected by different units, and processed at a high speed, and where the vehicle is travelling in a straight line, and at a point in time when all four wheels become at the same condition. In the case that all four wheels do not reach the same condition, the judgment of the difference in the number of tire revolutions at the tire air pressure warning device is prohibited. Also, using the vehicle running conditions, the most suitable tire air pressure judgment is carried out, and various noise generate when the vehicle is travelling do not have any effect, and the tire air pressure abnormality is detected with good accuracy, the detected signal from the wheel velocity sensors is carefully selected, and the reliability and accuracy of the tire air pressure judgment is improved. When the vehicle and/or the road surface is in a specific condition, by prohibiting the tire air pressure judgment, the reliability and accuracy of the tire air pressure judgment is increased. By permitting the tire air pressure judgment when within a vehicle velocity region, that is established using the road conditions, the reliability and accuracy of the tire air pressure judgment is improved.

Tire air pressure warining device

A traveling control system for a motor vehicle includes a detector for detecting an object which exists in front of the motor vehicle to follow a vehicle traveling ahead. The system further includes a first course determination device for estimating a first course on which the motor vehicle will travel hereafter, an identification device for identifying an first target vehicle among the objects existing on the first course, and a second course estimation device for estimating, based on the first target vehicle, a second course on which the motor vehicle will travel hereafter at least while the first target vehicle is outside of the first course. The identification device identifies a second target vehicle among vehicles which travel on the first or second courses while the first target vehicle is outside of the first course.

Traveling control system for motor vehicle

In a vehicle which sets a target vehicle-interval distance, and can execute auto-cruise control for controlling the vehicle speed so as to maintain the target vehicle-interval distance, when the auto-cruise control is not executed, a vehicle-interval distance to be set by a driver is detected together with the vehicle speed at that time. A plurality of sets of the vehicle speed and vehicle-interval distance data are accumulated, and the relationship between the vehicle speed and the vehicle-interval distance is calculated. Upon execution of the auto-cruise control, a vehicle-interval distance corresponding to the vehicle speed at that time is obtained from the calculated relationship, and the obtained vehicle-interval distance is set to be the target vehicle-interval distance.

Cruise controller for vehicles

An integrated circuit for a vehicle, vehicle which is formed in the shape of a case and which includes a pair of circuit boards, and a connector electrically connected to another connector. Each circuit board includes a metal circuit board main body, defining an outer portion of the case, an insulating layer formed on the entire inner surface of the circuit board main body, a conductive layer formed on the insulating layer in a predetermined circuit pattern, and a plurality of circuit elements electrically connected to a predetermined portion of the conductive layer. The connector includes a connector housing fixed to the circuit boards and having a recess for receiving the other connector, a plurality of through holes being formed in the connector housing, and a plurality of connector pins, one-end portions of which are connected to connecting terminals formed at an edge portion of the conductive layer, middle portions of which extend through the through holes formed in the connector housing, and the other-end portions of which project into the recess and are contactable with the other connector.

Integrated circuit for vehicle

An integrated circuit of this application includes a circuit board in which a conductive layer of a desired pattern is formed on a metal substrate through an insulating layer, a circuit element mounted on the insulating layer, and first and second connectors for connecting at least the circuit element and an external device. The circuit element is nondetachably mounted on the insulating layer, and has a nonvolatile content which can be rewritten by an external operation. The first connector connects at least the circuit element to a portion to be controlled, and the second connector connects the circuit element and an external processing device via a path different from that of the first connector so as to process a storage content of the circuit element.

Integrated circuit having metal substrate

A valve mechanism is provided in a hydraulic line which connects a master cylinder of a brake system and a brake provided for a driving wheel of a vehicle. When the slip of the driving wheel is larger than a predetermined value, the valve mechanism is selectively moved between a position where it directly applies brake fluid from the master cylinder to the brake and a position where it returns brake fluid discharged from the brake to an oil reservoir, thereby controlling the driving torque of the driving wheel to converge the slip of the driving wheels to a proper level. An oil pump is operated to return the brake fluid in the oil reservoir to the master cylinder when the valve mechanism is operated to effect the slip control. While the brake pedal is in the released state, the oil pump is kept operated during the slip control and for a predetermined time after interruption of the slip control so that the brake fluid in the oil reservoir is returned to the master cylinder substantially completely. When the brake pedal is depressed while the slip being effected, the slip control is ended and the oil pump is stopped. After the brake pedal is released, the oil pump is operated for a predetermined time.

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Hatsukaichi, Japan

Tomoji Izumi