Nippondenso Co., Ltd.

Tomonori Fukui

Osamu Eguchi

Hideyuki Hayakawa

Yukiyasu Ueno

Hajime Matsuhashi

Yasuhiro Kaneko

Motozo Ikeda

Motokazu Yamada

Tomihiko Nagata

Akinori Ido

Tetsuro Adachi

Noboru Oyama

Fumiaki Fujie

A running guide system for an automotive vehicle planned for running in a sightseeing area or the like. Special running data including right or left turn, passage through a tunnel, running in a predetermined direction and passage on a slope are stored in a cassette tape together with distance data representing the distance from a start point in the form of a plurality of check point data. By collation of the running distance data actually measured and the special running condition data with the stored data, the automobile is guided audibly or visually. Geographical data or sightseeing data are also recorded in the cassette tape and reproduced in voice from time to time. When the automobile is displaced from the planned running route, an alarm is issued. When the automobile is restored to the planned running route, the planned running guide is restored.

Vehicle running guide system

An optical dust detector assembly includes an air duct member having an introductory portion and a base portion for permitting a flow of air passing therethrough, the duct member having a pair of radial holes formed in its peripheral wall, a pair of cylindrical casings secured to the peripheral wall of the duct member at both sides thereof and having respective opening ends communicating with the interior of the duct member through the respective radial holes thereof, a light emission element arranged within one of the casings to emit a light beam and pass it through the radial holes toward the other casing, and a light receiving element arranged within the other casing to receive the light beam emitted from the light emission element and passed through the radial holes. The air duct member is bent in such a manner as to form therein an inclined internal surface for deflecting upwardly the flow of air introduced through the introductory portion, and the radial holes are formed in a peripheral wall of the base portion of the duct member to face the flow of air deflected by the inclined internal surface so that foreign particles like rain or snow are not deflected upward toward the optical detector.

Optical dust detector assembly for use in an automotive vehicle

An optical detector assembly comprises a casing formed therein with a through bore having front and rear openings and a pair of opposite cavities located at both sides of the through bore, an air duct member disposed within the through bore to permit the flow of air passing therethrough, the duct member being formed at its peripheral wall with a pair of radial holes opening toward the cavities respectively, a light emission element arranged within one of the cavities to emit a luminous ray and pass it through the radial holes of the duct member toward the other cavity, a light receiving element arranged within the other cavity to receive the luminous ray emitted from the light emission element and passed through the radial holes, and an air induction assembly coupled over the front opening of the through bore for preventing entry of alien particles such as dirt, water, snow and the like into the duct member.

Optical detector assembly

In a speed display device of the numerical display type which comprises a speed sensor for producing an electric speed signal indicative of a travel speed of the vehicle, and an electric display responsive to the speed signal for providing a numerical display indicative of the travel speed of the vehicle, the improvement comprises an electric control device responsive to the speed signal for successively enlarging the size of the numerical display in accordance with rise of the speed level. Alternatively, the electric control device may be arranged to be responsive to the speed signal for successively inclining the shape of the numerical display in accordance with rise of the speed level.

Speed display device for automotive vehicle

A gas sensor is provided to detect the concentration of a gas component included in external air which may be led into the compartment of a motor vehicle. When the level of an output signal from the sensor exceeds a first predetermined value, the air-conditioning system is switched to internal air recirculation mode so that unclean external air is not led into the vehicle compartment. When the level of the gas sensor output is continuously kept below a second predetermined value, which is smaller than the first predetermined value, for a predetermined period of time, the system is switched to external air introduction mode. Instead of directly comparing the level of the gas sensor output with the first and second predetermined levels, a relative value of the gas sensor output may be compared therewith. In one embodiment, it is detected whether the motor vehicle travels in a city area or suburb from the varying state of the gas sensor output or its relative value so that the first predetermined value may be set to either higher or lower value.

Air-conditioning control for a motor vehicle

In an air conditioner control system for vehicles, a first control signal generator is responsive to a first switch to energize an actuator to place the system in its inside air recirculation mode of operation, and a second control signal generator is responsive to a second switch to deenergize the actuator to place the system back into its outside air supply mode of operation. A third control signal generator is responsive to a third switch whereby when the output value of an outside air sensor exceeds a given value within a given time period, the actuator is energized for a given time interval to place the system in the inside air recirculation mode and after the expiration of the given time interval the actuator is deenergized to place the system back in the outside air supply mode.

Air conditioner control system for automotive vehicles

In an air conditioning system for an automobile the indoor-outdoor air change-over door is controlled by a noxious gas sensor in the outdoor air. The output signal of the gas sensor is compared by a microcomputer to a reference signal which is determined by the minimum value of the output signal of the gas sensor produced from the time when the gas sensor is energized to the time when it is deenergized. The microcomputer outputs a signal causing an actuator to move the change-over door from the outdoor air introduction mode to the indoor air recirculation mode when the difference between the output signal of the gas sensor and the reference level exceeds a predetermined amount.

Air condition control apparatus with indoor and outdoor air selection

In an electronic method and apparatus for an air conditioning system, an electrically operated switch door and an electrically operated air purifier are selectively activated in response to the respective degrees of pollution in the air within a passenger compartment and pollution of the outside air flowing into the compartment in consideration with the position of the switch door, thereby to enhance the elimination effect of the polluted air in the compartment and to avoid frequent operation of the air purifier.

Growing community of inventors

Kariya, Japan

Tomonori Fukui